Method and system for upstream priority lookup at physical interface

A method for determining a priority classification of a burst at a physical interface of a communications device, comprising the steps of:

• detecting an identifier from the burst at the physical interface;
• matching said identifier to a priority indicator, said matching being implemented at the physical interface prior to data link layer protocol processing the burst;
• postpending said priority indicator to the burst;
• and
• forwarding the burst to a priority queue associated with said priority indicator.

A method for determining a priority classification of a plurality of bursts at a physical interface of a headend controller within a cable modem network, comprising the steps of:

• processing the plurality of bursts at the physical interface to detect an identifier from each burst, wherein said processing the plurality of bursts at the physical interface occurs prior to data link layer protocol processing;
• matching said identifier from each burst to a priority indicator, wherein said priority indicator represents one of two or more available priority levels;
• postpending said priority indicator to the burst after matching said identifier from each burst to said priority indicator;
• and
• forwarding each burst to one of a plurality of priority queues associated with said priority indicator from said matching step.

A system for determining a priority classification of a burst at a physical interface of a communications device, comprising:

• a burst receiver for receiving the burst at the physical interface;
• a classifier for detecting an identifier from the burst, wherein said identifier is matched to a priority indicator and said priority indicator is postpended to the burst and wherein said detecting occurs at the physical interface prior to data link layer protocol processing;
• a high priority queue associated with a high priority indicator, wherein said high priority queue receives the burst if said identifier matches said high priority indicator;
• and
• a low priority queue associated with a low priority indicator, wherein said low priority queue receives the burst if said identifier matches said low priority indicator.