Patent ID: 6999433

Claim:
An HPNA (Home Phoneline Networking Alliance) MXU network for an MxU (broadband network for multi-users), the MxU network comprising: a plurality of HPNA LANs (local area networks), each of said HPNA LANs operating according to a synchronous communication specification, each of said HPNA LANs comprising a plurality of nodes, one of said nodes within each HPNA LAIN being a gateway node, a selected one of said nodes within each HPNA LAN being defined a LAN-master node, each said HPNA LANs being coupled with a WAN (wide area network), via said respective gateway node, wherein communication lines within said HPNA LANs, directly coupled to said gateway nodes, are at least partially bound together, wherein the transmission direction within a selected HPNA LAN, by said respective gateway node, is defined downstream, wherein the transmission direction within a selected HPNA LAN, to said respective gateway node, is defined upstream, wherein the transmission direction within a selected HPNA LAN, between nodes other than said respective gateway nodes, is defined as HN, wherein said LAN-master nodes allow said gateway nodes to transmit downstream signals during at least one timeslot, and wherein said LAN-master nodes allow said nodes other than said gateway nodes to transmit upstream signals or HN signals, during at least another timeslot.