VLAN numbering in access networks
First Claim
1. A network terminating device adapted for use in an access network, the network supporting virtual local area networks (VLANs) on network and subscriber sides of the device and facilitating communication between service providers, connected to the network, and a subscriber, wherein:
- in the access network, different services from different ones of the service providers are delivered to the subscriber as traffic over the network flowing to the subscriber, the traffic being delivered through one or more ports on the device to the subscriber, and with each one of the ports having a physical port number; and
the VLANs separate traffic from different ones of the service providers, each of the VLANs having an associated VLAN numbering with the VLAN numbering on the network and subscriber sides having a structure comprising a port number part and a service number part, wherein the service number part on the network and subscriber sides comprises a service number differentiating the different services provided by at least one of the service providers while the port number part comprises a port number on the network side and has the port number stripped on the subscriber side;
the device comprising;
means for translating the VLAN numbering appearing in the traffic on the network side and flowing in a direction of the subscriber side by stripping the port number from the port number part but preserving the service number in the service number part so as to define the VLAN numbering on the subscriber side; and
a separate physical one of the ports through which the services are to be delivered to the subscriber side and which corresponds with the port number in the VLAN numbering on the network side.
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Accused Products
Abstract
VLAN numbering in access networks which bi-directionally connect subscribers and service providers. For an outgoing packet flowing in a direction from a network side to a subscriber side through a network terminator (NT), a port number appearing in a packet header on the network side is not copied by the NT into a header of a corresponding packet applied to the subscriber side, but the NT copies VLAN numbers for the services from the former to the latter packet headers. All services from one specific service provider are delivered to the subscriber through one specific physical port on the subscriber side which corresponds to the port number. For incoming packet flow from the subscriber side into the network side, the NT inserts a port number into a header of a packet applied to the network side, corresponding to the physical port on the NT at which an associated packet was received on the subscriber side, with NT copying the VLAN numbers for the services from the header of the subscriber-side packet into that of the network-side packet.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A network terminating device adapted for use in an access network, the network supporting virtual local area networks (VLANs) on network and subscriber sides of the device and facilitating communication between service providers, connected to the network, and a subscriber, wherein:
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in the access network, different services from different ones of the service providers are delivered to the subscriber as traffic over the network flowing to the subscriber, the traffic being delivered through one or more ports on the device to the subscriber, and with each one of the ports having a physical port number; and the VLANs separate traffic from different ones of the service providers, each of the VLANs having an associated VLAN numbering with the VLAN numbering on the network and subscriber sides having a structure comprising a port number part and a service number part, wherein the service number part on the network and subscriber sides comprises a service number differentiating the different services provided by at least one of the service providers while the port number part comprises a port number on the network side and has the port number stripped on the subscriber side; the device comprising; means for translating the VLAN numbering appearing in the traffic on the network side and flowing in a direction of the subscriber side by stripping the port number from the port number part but preserving the service number in the service number part so as to define the VLAN numbering on the subscriber side; and a separate physical one of the ports through which the services are to be delivered to the subscriber side and which corresponds with the port number in the VLAN numbering on the network side. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A network terminating device adapted for use in an access network, the network supporting virtual local area networks (VLANs) on network and subscriber sides of the device and facilitating communication between service providers, connected to the network, and a subscribers, wherein:
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in the access network, different services from different ones of the service providers are delivered to the subscribers as traffic over the network flowing to the subscriber, the traffic being delivered through one or more ports on the device to the subscriber, and with each one of the ports having a physical port number; and the VLANs separate traffic from different ones of the service providers, each of the VLANs having an associated VLAN numbering with the VLAN numbering on the network and subscriber sides having a structure comprising a port number part and a service number part, wherein the service number part on the network and subscriber sides comprises a service number differentiating the different services provided by at least one of the service providers while the port number part comprises a port number on the network side and has the port number stripped on the subscriber side; the device comprising; means for translating the VLAN numbering appearing in traffic on the subscriber side and flowing in a direction of the network side by adding a given port number, wherein the given port number corresponds with a particular physical port through which the services are to be delivered to the subscriber side, to the port number part and preserving the service number in the service number part so as to define translated VLAN numbering on the network side; and a connection, on the network side, which carries traffic appearing at the network side and flowing from the device to the network side with the traffic appearing at the network side containing the translated VLAN numbering. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An access network having network and subscriber sides, which supports virtual local area networks (VLANs) on the network and subscriber sides for facilitating communication between service providers and a subscribers, wherein different services from different service providers are delivered to the subscribers as traffic flowing over the network and delivered through one or more ports on the subscriber side to the subscriber, with each of the ports having a physical port number, the network comprising:
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a plurality of VLANs for separating traffic from the different service providers, each of the VLANs having an associated VLAN numbering with the VLAN numbering on the network and subscriber sides having a structure comprising a port number part and a service number part, wherein the service number part on the network and subscriber sides comprises a service number differentiating the different services provided by at least one of the service providers while the port number part comprises a port number on the network side and has the port number stripped on the subscriber side; and a network terminating device, connected to the VLANs in both the network and the subscriber sides, the device comprising; means for translating the VLAN numbering appearing in the traffic on the network side and flowing in a direction to the subscriber side by stripping the port number from the port number part but preserving the service number in the service number part so as to define the VLAN numbering on the subscriber side; and a separate physical one of the ports through which the services are to be delivered to the subscriber side and which corresponds with the port number in the VLAN numbering on the network side.
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15. An access network having network and subscriber sides, which supports virtual local area networks (VLANs) on the network and subscriber sides for facilitating communication between service providers and a subscribers, wherein different services from different service providers are delivered to the subscribers as traffic flowing over the network and delivered through one or more ports on the subscriber side to the subscriber, with each of the ports having a physical port number, the network comprising:
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a plurality of VLANs for separating traffic from the different service providers, each of the VLANs having an associated VLAN numbering with the VLAN numbering on the network and subscriber sides having a structure comprising a port number part and a service number part, wherein the service number part on the network and subscriber sides comprises a service number differentiating the different services provided by at least one of the service providers while the port number part comprises a port number on the network side and has the port number stripped on the subscriber side; and a network terminating device, connected to the VLANs in both the network and the subscriber sides, the device comprising; means for translating the VLAN numbering appearing in traffic on the subscriber side and flowing in a direction of the network side by adding a given port number, wherein the given port number corresponds with a particular physical port through which the services are to be delivered to the subscriber side, to the port number part and preserving the service number in the service number part so as to define translated VLAN numbering on the network side; and a connection, on the network side, which carries traffic appearing at the network side and flowing from the device to the network side with the traffic appearing at the network side containing the translated VLAN numbering.
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16. A method for facilitating communication between service providers and a subscribers in a multiple service provider access network, the network having network and subscriber sides and supporting virtual local area networks (VLANs) on the network and subscriber sides, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing different services from different ones of the service providers to the subscribers as traffic over the network delivered through one or more ports on the subscriber side, with each of the ports having a physical port number; separating, through a plurality of VLANs, traffic from the different service providers, each of the VLANs having an associated VLAN numbering with the VLAN numbering on the network and subscriber sides having a structure comprising a port number part and a service number part, wherein the service number part on the network and subscriber sides comprises a service number differentiating the different services provided by at least one of the service providers while the port number part comprises a port number on the network side and has the port number stripped on the subscriber side; translating the VLAN numbering appearing in the traffic on the network side and flowing in a direction of the subscriber side by stripping the port number from the port number part but preserving the service number in the service number part so as to define the VLAN numbering on the subscriber side; and delivering the services to the subscriber side through a separate physical one of the ports which corresponds with the port number in the VLAN numbering on the network side.
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17. A method for facilitating communication between service providers and a subscriber in a multiple service provider access network, the network having network and subscriber sides and supporting virtual local area networks (VLANs) on the network and subscriber sides, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing different services from different ones of the service providers to the subscribers as traffic over the network delivered through one or more ports on the subscriber side, with each of the ports having a physical port number; separating, through a plurality of VLANs, traffic from the different service providers, each of the VLANs having an associated VLAN numbering with the VLAN numbering on the network and subscriber sides having a structure comprising a port number part and a service number part, wherein the service number part on the network and subscriber sides comprises a service number differentiating the different services provided by at least one of the service providers while the port number part comprises a port number on the network side and has the port number stripped on the subscriber side; translating the VLAN numbering appearing in traffic on the subscriber side and flowing in a direction of the network side by adding a given port number, wherein the given port number corresponds with a particular physical port through which the services are to be delivered to the subscriber side, to the port number part and preserving the service number in the service number part so as to define translated VLAN numbering on the network side; and carrying traffic, appearing at the network side and flowing from a device to the network side, through a connection on the network side of the device with the traffic appearing at the network side containing the translated VLAN numbering.
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Specification