Patent ID: 8811792

Claim:
A method of interconnecting an optical termination equipment located at a customer premises with an optical communications equipment on a telecommunications network, the method comprising: communicatively connecting the optical communications equipment to an input node of an optical network interface device (NID), the NID including: the input node, and a protective insert communicatively connected to the optical termination equipment, the protective insert comprising an optically connective segment, a first attachment mechanism adjacent to a first end of the optically connective segment and adapted to removably attach to the first optical transmission medium, a second attachment mechanism adjacent to a second end of the optically connective segment and adapted to removably attach to the second optical transmission medium, and a protective cover surrounding the optically connective segment, the first attachment mechanism, and the second attachment mechanism, communicatively connecting the input node of the NID to the first end of the optically connective segment; communicatively connecting the second end of the optically connective segment to the customer premise node; and communicatively connecting an input node of the optical termination equipment to the customer premise node.