DYNAMIC DMA BUFFER MANAGEMENT

1 . A cable distribution system comprising:

(a) a head end connected to a plurality of customer devices through a transmission network that includes a remote fiber node that converts received data to analog data suitable to be provided on a coaxial cable for said plurality of customer devices;

(b) said remote fiber node configured to receive a maximum transmission unit having a first number of bytes of data and a buffer pool including buffers sized based upon said first number of bytes;

(c) said remote fiber node, in response to receiving a maximum transmission unit having a second number of bytes of data from said head end where said second number of bytes of data is different than said first number of bytes of data, reconfiguring said buffer pool including buffers sized based upon said second number of bytes.

2 . The cable distribution system of claim 1 wherein said first number of bytes is 1,500 bytes and is a default configuration upon starting said remote fiber node.

3 . The cable distribution system of claim 1 wherein said remote fiber node is a R-PHY device.

4 . The cable distribution system of claim 1 wherein said remote fiber node is a R-MACPHY device.

5 . The cable distribution system of claim 2 wherein said second number of bytes is at least one of 2,000 bytes and 2,200 bytes.

6 . The cable distribution system of claim 1 wherein said remote fiber node locates data in said buffers using direct memory access.

7 . The cable distribution system of claim 1 wherein said second number of bytes of data is greater than said first number of bytes of data.

8 . The cable distribution system of claim 1 wherein said second number of bytes of data is less than said first number of bytes of data.

9 . The cable distribution system of claim 1 wherein said buffer pool is a level 1 cache.

10 . A node that includes a processor comprising:

(a) said node configured to receive a maximum transmission unit having a first number of bytes of data and a buffer pool including buffers sized based upon said first number of bytes;

(b) said node, in response to receiving a maximum transmission unit having a second number of bytes of data from an external source where said second number of bytes of data is different than said first number of bytes of data, reconfiguring said buffer pool including buffers sized based upon said second number of bytes.

11 . The node of claim 10 wherein said first number of bytes is 1,500 bytes and is a default configuration upon starting said node.

12 . The node of claim 11 wherein said second number of bytes is at least one of 2,000 bytes and 2,200 bytes.

13 . The node of claim 10 wherein said node locates data in said buffers using direct memory access.

14 . The node of claim 10 wherein said second number of bytes of data is greater than said first number of bytes of data.

15 . The node of claim 10 wherein said second number of bytes of data is less than said first number of bytes of data.

16 . The node of claim 1 wherein said buffer pool is a level 1 cache.

17 . A data distribution system comprising:

(a) a head end connected to a plurality of customer devices through a transmission network that includes a remote fiber node that receives data and provides analog data suitable to be provided on a coaxial cable for said plurality of customer devices;

(b) said remote fiber node configured to receive a maximum transmission unit having a first number of bytes of data and a buffer pool including buffers sized based upon said first number of bytes;

(c) said remote fiber node, in response to receiving a maximum transmission unit having a second number of bytes of data from said head end where said second number of bytes of data is different than said first number of bytes of data, modifying said buffer pool including buffers sized based upon said second number of bytes.