Patent ID: 8077651

Claim:
A gateway device in a satellite communications system, the gateway device comprising: a receiver configured to: receive log-in information from a plurality of user terminals of the digital video broadcast satellite communications system, the user terminals each associated with a different data link layer address; and receive data to be transmitted to a first user terminal of the plurality of user terminals, the first user terminal associated with a first data link layer address; a processor, communicatively coupled with the receiver, and configured to: associate each of the data link layer addresses with an identifier for use in lieu of the associated data link layer addresses, the identifier of shorter length than the associated data link layer address; determine, for the received data, whether the identifier associated with the first data link layer address is to be used in lieu of the first data link layer address for addressing; and identify an addressing format for the received data based at least in part on the determination; and a transmitter, communicatively coupled with the processor, configured to transmit the received data according to the addressing format.