Shared LAN emulation method and apparatus having VLAN recognition and LLID management functions on EPON

A shared Local Area Network (LAN) emulation apparatus, comprising:

• means for storing a Logical Link Identifier (LLID) management table for assigning unique LLIDs to a plurality of Optical Network Units (ONUs) and managing the assigned LLIDs so as to identify the plurality of ONUs connected to a single Optical Line Terminal (OLT);
• means for storing a Media Access Control MAC address table for the LLIDs learning MAC addresses of the ONUs;
• a LLID management unit for assigning the unique LLIDs to ONUs and managing the assigned LLTDs when the ONUs request registration from the OLT;
• and
• a bridging unit for bridging data frames, which are received by a Shared LAN Emulation (SLE) layer of the OLT, using the LLIDs, VIDs of Virtual LANs to which the ONUs belong and destination MAC addresses of the data frames so as to provide a single matched port between a Logical Link Control (LLC) layer and a MAC layer of the OLT,
• wherein the LLIDs management unit comprises:
• means for, if the ONUs having requested registration have been already registered and LLIDs having been already assigned to the ONUs exist in the MAC address table, assigning the LLIDs having been already assigned to the ONUs having requested registration;
• means for, if the ONUs having requested registration have been already registered but the LLIDs having been already assigned to the ONUs do not exist in the MAC address table, assigning available LLIDs to the ONUs having requested registration;
• and
• means for, if the ONUs having requested registration have been already registered but the LLIDs having been already assigned to the ONUs and the available LLIDs do not exist in the MAC address table, assigning new dynamic LLIDs or LLIDs appointed by an operator to the ONUs having requested registration.