Patent ID: 8213792

Claim:
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed causes a processor to perform: sending a message from an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) to an Optical Line Terminal (OLT); if the ONT does not receive an expected OLT action or an expected OLT response to the message within a period, considering the non-receipt of the expected OLT action or the expected OLT response a failure; if a certain number of consecutive failures have occurred, considering by the ONT that it has entered an uncontrolled state; transitioning from an initial state to a first state if an optical signal is present and if a ranging process cannot occur; monitoring downstream traffic; disabling a transmit function; starting a first timer, wherein the disabling and starting operations are performed while operating in the first state; entering a second state different from the first state if the first timer expires; and invoking a ranging process while operating in the second state to range the optical signal.