Patent ID: 7359370

Claim:
In a network comprising a first network device in communication with a first gateway, a second gateway in communication with the first gateway, and a second network device in communication with the second gateway, a method for communicating between the first and second network devices through the first and second gateways, the method comprising: determining whether automode signals should be exchanged between the first and second network devices and the first and second gateways in an end-to-end automode or a split automode based on a minimum of values exchanged between the first and second gateways; exchanging the automode signals between the first and second network devices to negotiate a modulation for communication between the first and second network devices, when in the end-to-end automode; and exchanging automode signals between the first network device and the first gateway to negotiate a modulation for communication between the first network device and the first gateway, and exchanging automode signals between the second network device and the second gateway to negotiate a modulation for communication between the second network device and the second gateway, when in the split automode.