Patent ID: 7876749

Claim:
A method of communicating data packets over a LAN-based network, the method comprising: receiving a first data packet from a first endpoint device at a first port of a first multiplexor; tagging the received first data packet with a first identifier uniquely identifying the first port of the first device from other ports of the first device; multiplexing the tagged data packet with other tagged data packets received at other ports of the first device to generate multiplexed data and outputting the multiplexed data at a first uplink port of the first device and transporting the multiplexed data over a communications channel to an uplink port of a second device; demultiplexing the multiplexed data received via the uplink port to recover the first tagged data packet and the other tagged data packets; removing the first identifier from the first tagged data packet and transmitting the first data packet out a second port of the second device, the first identifier operable for uniquely identifying the second port from other ports of the second device; receiving, via a cross-connect device, the untagged first data packet from the second port at a third device; tagging, at the third device, the received untagged first data packet with a second identifier uniquely identifying a third port of the third device from other ports of the third device; and forwarding the tagged first data packet with the second identifier toward a destination point.