Patent ID: 7085306

Claim:
A method for providing a multi-frequency upstream transmission path for a first network devices in a computer network, the method comprising: generating a first message on a second network device, the first message defining a plurality of upstream frequencies available for upstream transmission from the first network device, and further comprising, a frequency hopping descriptor for the plurality of upstream frequencies; sending the first message to the first network device via a downstream transmission link; generating a single timing reference for upstream transmission on the plurality of upstream frequencies from the first network device; sending the single timing reference to the first network device; receiving upstream transmission from the first network device according to a frequency hopping pattern determined on the first network device based on the frequency hopping descriptor, wherein the upstream transmission is received on a plurality of upstream receiver cards, each upstream receiver card associated with at least two receive antennas and configured to receive upstream transmission on one of the plurality of upstream frequencies according to the single timing reference; determining whether frequency distortions associated with each of the plurality of upstream frequencies exceed a predetermined distortion level; and, if so, sending a second message to the first network device, the second message comprising a new frequency hopping descriptor; and receiving upstream transmission from the first network device determined on the first network device based on the new frequency hopping descriptor received from the second network device.