Patent ID: 7889746

Claim:
A flexible residential gateway apparatus providing access to an external communications network, and providing communications with an in home network, the flexible residential gateway comprising: an xDSL (“x” variety of Digital Subscriber Line) processor for providing access to the external communications network through one of a first telephone line or a coaxial cable, and for processing xDSL signals communicated with the connected external communications network; a wide area network (WAN) Ethernet transceiver for providing access to the external communications network through a computer cable, and for processing Ethernet signals communicated with the connected external communications network, wherein a switch controller is capable of selecting either the xDSL processor or the WAN Ethernet transceiver and, if the xDSL processor is selected, whether the xDSL processor is connected to the first telephone line or the coaxial cable; an xDSL sensor to detect a presence of xDSL signals on the first telephone line and the coaxial cable; an Ethernet sensor to detect a presence of Ethernet signals on the computer cable; and a graphical user interface (GUI) or remote configuration/management interface (RC/MI) accessible via a second computer cable allowing a user to make a selection, wherein the switch controller uses outputs of the xDSL sensor and the Ethernet sensor, and the selection made via the GUI or the RC/MI, to select either the xDSL processor or the WAN Ethernet transceiver and, if the xDSL processor is selected, whether the xDSL processor is connected to the first telephone line or the coaxial cable.