Patent ID: 7469103

Claim:
For a pair of muxponders disposed such that a first muxponder receives first signals in a first direction from a first network device, transmits through signals in a second direction to a second network device, not transmitting drop signals in the first or second directions, and a second muxponder receives signals in the second direction from the second network device, transmits through signals in the first direction to the first network device, not transmitting drop signals in the first or second direction, a method of providing add/drop multiplexing for an optical network, comprising: transmitting the drop signals from the first muxponder to one or more client devices attached to said first muxponder; receiving add signals at the first muxponder from the one or more client devices attached to the first muxponder; and receiving add signals at the second muxponder from the one or more client devices attached to the second muxponder.