Local area network for the transmission and control of audio, video, and computer data

A local area network (LAN) comprising:

• a plurality of user stations, said user stations each having a digital key telephone arranged to receive and transmit digital voice signals,
• a user terminal equipment (UTE) adapter at each user station connected to the digital key telephone, said UTE adapter having at least one network port, said UTE adapter including SAR means for segmenting and reassembling digital voice signal segments at first pre-selected locations within master Ethernet packets of fixed length and transmitting said master Ethernet packets at a fixed constant rate,
• a communications switching module (CSM) having a plurality of user ports, said CSM having means for switching Ethernet packets and SAR means for segmenting and re-assembling voice signal segments at first pre-selected locations within master Ethernet packets of fixed length and transmitting said master Ethernet packets at a fixed constant rate, said CSM including means for setting up a permanent virtual connection (PVC) between a user port and a network port by means of said master Ethernet packets when a digital telephone is first connected to the LAN, and
• a plurality of LAN cable segments, each said cable segment connected between a UTE adapter network port and a CSM user port, said LAN cable segments being adapted to transport Ethernet packets between connected ports.