Method and apparatus for establishing communication between entities in a communication system

1. A method for reducing contention between customer premise equipment (CPE) devices during ranging on a plurality of upstream channels coupled to a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and to each of the CPE devices, the method comprising:

grouping a first customer premises equipment (CPE) device with a first acquisition group of the CPE devices logically assigned to range on a first group of upstream channels in response to a loss of power, the first group of upstream channels selected from the plurality of upstream channels coupled to the CMTS and to each of the CPE devices; and

grouping a second CPE device with a second acquisition group of the CPE devices logically assigned to range on a second group of upstream channels in response to the loss of power, the second group of upstream channels selected from the plurality of upstream channels coupled to the CMTS and to each of the CPE devices,

wherein the first group of upstream channels comprise different upstream channels than the second group of upstream channels.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including:

configuring the first CPE device to range on a channel of the first group of upstream channels based on a MAC address of the first CPE device; and

configuring the second CPE device to range on a channel of the second group of upstream channels based on a MAC address of the second CPE device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

randomly or pseudo-randomly assigning the first CPE device to a channel of the first group of upstream channels; and

randomly or pseudo-randomly assigning the second CPE device to a channel of the second group of upstream channels.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning a first priority to the first CPE device; and

assigning a second priority to the second CPE device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein assigning the first priority to the first CPE device includes assigning the first priority to the first CPE device based on a service provided by the first CPE device, and assigning the second priority to the second CPE device includes assigning the second priority to the second CPE device based on a service provided by the second CPE device.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein grouping the first CPE device includes grouping the first CPE device based on the first priority, and grouping the second CPE device includes grouping the second CPE device based on the second priority.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising delaying ranging of the second CPE device based on the second priority.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein grouping the first CPE device includes grouping the first CPE device based on an upstream channel utilized by the first CPE device before the loss of power, and grouping the second CPE device includes grouping the second CPE device based on an upstream channel utilized by the second CPE device before the loss of power.

9. An apparatus for reducing contention between customer premise equipment (CPE) devices during ranging on a plurality of upstream channels coupled to a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and to each of the CPE devices, the apparatus comprising:

means for grouping a first customer premises equipment (CPE) device with a first acquisition group of the CPE devices logically assigned to range on a first group of upstream channels in response to a loss of power, the first group of upstream channels selected from the plurality of upstream channels coupled to the CMTS and to each of the CPE devices; and

means for grouping a second CPE device with a second acquisition group of the CPE devices logically assigned to range on a second group of upstream channels in response to the loss of power, the second group of upstream channels selected from the plurality of upstream channels coupled to the CMTS and to each of the CPE devices,

wherein the first group of upstream channels comprise different upstream channels than the second group of upstream channels.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , including:

means for configuring the first CPE device to range on a channel of the first group of upstream channels based on a MAC address of the first CPE device; and

means for configuring the second CPE device to range on a channel of the second group of upstream channels based on a MAC address of the second CPE device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , including:

means for randomly or pseudo-randomly assigning the first CPE device to a channel of the first group of upstream channels; and

means for randomly or pseudo-randomly assigning the second CPE device to a channel of the second group of upstream channels.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

means for assigning a first priority to the first CPE device; and

means for assigning a second priority to the second CPE device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first priority is based on a service provided by the first CPE device, and the second priority is based on a service provided by the second CPE device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the means for grouping the first CPE device groups the first CPE device based on the first priority, and the means for grouping the second CPE device groups the second CPE device based on the second priority.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , including means for delaying ranging of the second CPE device based on the second priority.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the means for grouping the first CPE device groups the first CPE device based on an upstream channel utilized by the first CPE device before the loss of power, and the means for grouping the second CPE device groups the second CPE device based on an upstream channel utilized by the second CPE device before the loss of power.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the CMTS includes the means for grouping the first and second CPE devices.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grouping of the first and second CPE devices is performed at the CMTS.