Patent ID: 8174999

Claim:
In a home network having a plurality of network modules, each of said plurality of network modules being connected to a coax backbone, a method for communicating over the coax backbone between the plurality of network modules, the method comprising: configuring one of the plurality of network modules to be a master module; establishing direct communication between each of the plurality of network modules over the coax backbone; establishing direct communication between the master module and a demarcation point unit, said master module being coupled to the demarcation point unit via the coax backbone, said demarcation point unit providing an interface between the home network and an external network; using the master module to receive requests sent over the coax backbone from the plurality of network modules for bandwidth to transmit bursts, the master module being adapted for location in a home; establishing an order of transmission opportunities for the plurality of network modules to follow when transmitting bursts directly to other network modules via the coax backbone; and using the master module to transmit an allocation burst over the coax backbone that allocates a transmission opportunity to each of the plurality of network modules to transmit bursts directly to other network modules via the coax backbone, said transmission opportunity that depends at least in part on the amount of data ready for transmission in a selected transmission cycle, said allocation burst being based on said transmission order.