An efficient scheme for accommodating synchronous traffic in a cable-modem network while avoiding segmentation of asynchronous packets

Cable-modem (CM) technology is being developed to provide high-speed multimedia services to the subscribers’ homes over the existing hybrid-fiber-coax (HFC) infrastructure of cable TV networks. The paper proposes an efficient scheme for combining asynchronous and synchronous traffic on the upstream channel of a CM network when segmentation of the asynchronous packets is to be avoided, e.g. because of cost considerations. The new scheme guarantees the synchronous sources the same quality of service provided by the FDDI timed token protocol. That is, a guaranteed average delay between consecutive transmissions, a guaranteed maximum delay between consecutive transmissions, and a guaranteed bandwidth on the upstream channel.