Patent ID: 8537681

Claim:
A device comprising: one or more ports to: receive incoming layer 2 traffic from subscribers, at least some of the incoming traffic being associated with one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs); a filter to: extract layer 2 header information from the incoming traffic, classify, based on the extracted layer 2 header information, the incoming traffic as layer 2 output traffic or layer 3 output traffic, and determine that the incoming traffic is to be cross connected through a network associated with the device when the incoming traffic is classified as the layer 2 output traffic; a cross connect component to: transmit, from the device, the incoming traffic as layer 2 traffic when the filter determines that the incoming traffic is to be cross connected through the network; and a termination component to: convert the incoming traffic into a layer 3 packet when the incoming traffic is classified as the layer 3 output traffic, when converting the incoming traffic into the layer 3 packet, the termination component is to: insert a layer 3 packet header, and transmit, after converting the incoming traffic into the layer 3 packet, the layer 3 packet when the incoming traffic is classified as the layer 3 output traffic.