Patent ID: 7505472

Claim:
A method in a network element comprising: receiving link layer traffic encapsulated according to a link layer protocol at a link layer port; demultiplexing the link layer traffic received via the link layer port into Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) traffic, PPP over non-Ethernet (PPPoX) traffic, and non-PPP-traffic at a link layer demultiplexer; forwarding non-PPP traffic received from the link layer demultiplexer using a virtual router coupled with the link layer demultiplexer; converting PPPoX traffic received from the link layer demultiplexer into PPPoE traffic and converting PPPoE traffic received from a PPPoE multiplexer/demultiplexer into PPPoX traffic using a PPPoX proxy module; switching PPPoE traffic received from the link layer demultiplexer and from the PPPoE multiplexer/demultiplexer using a PPPoE switch module; and multiplexing PPPoE traffic received from the PPPoE switch module and the PPPoX proxy module using the PPPoE multiplexer/demultiplexer coupled with the PPPoX proxy module and the PPPoE switch module; and demultiplexing PPPoE traffic into different traffic flows according to their session identifier using the PPPoE multiplexer/demultiplexer.