Patent ID: 8503282

Claim:
A device for a local area network (LAN), the LAN including a LAN cable having at least four wire pairs to carry a plurality of data signals, and the device comprising: a first transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the first transformer being operative to pass a first data signal; a second transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the second transformer being operative to pass a second data signal; a third transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the third transformer being operative to pass a third data signal; a fourth transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the fourth transformer being operative to pass a fourth data signal, and the primary winding of each one of the transformers being communicatively coupled to a respective one of the four wire pairs, the secondary winding of each one of the transformers being arranged within the device for transferring a respective one of the data signals to or from the associated primary winding, and a first center-tap connection of the primary winding of any one of the transformers to be paired with a second center-tap connection of the primary winding of any other one of the transformers for providing a first phantom channel using the two respectively associated pairs of the four wire pairs; circuitry configured to source a phantom signal over the phantom channel, the circuitry coupled to the first center-tap connection and the second center-tap connection; and a single enclosure housing the circuitry and also housing the first, second, third and fourth transformers.