Patent ID: 7606500

Claim:
In an optical network that carries an optical signal, the optical signal including one or more channels, a repeater for repeating the optical signal in the optical network, the repeater comprising: a first transceiver comprising: an optical receiver adapted to convert a particular channel in the optical signal to an electrical signal; and an optical transmitter adapted to convert the electrical signal back to the particular channel such that the particular channel is repeated on the optical network; and a plurality of receptacles each being configured to removably receive a transceiver such that a first one of the receptacles is configured to removably receive the first transceiver; and an electrical switch that is electrically connected with the first transceiver, wherein the switch is configured at least to direct the electrical signal from the optical receiver in the first transceiver back to an optical transmitter in the first transceiver, and wherein, in a first configuration of the repeater, the electrical switch includes an unused electrical path from the electrical switch to a second one of the plurality of receptacles in which a second transceiver is physically removed such that the electrical switch includes capacity to direct more signals than the repeater is configured to receive.