Lub passive optical network tsis siv cov khoom siv hluav taws xob los faib cov teeb liab. Siv beam splitter rau teeb liab faib. Qhov sib txawv ntawm cov chaw tsim khoom, txhua qhov splitter feem ntau faib cov fiber ntau rau hauv 16, 32, lossis 64 sub-fibers, thiab qee qhov sib cais tuaj yeem sib sau ua ke ib leeg. Lub beam splitter tsis tuaj yeem muab kev hloov pauv lossis tsis muaj peev xwm; qhov kev sib txuas no hu ua point-to-multipoint link. Rau qhov kev sib txuas zoo li no, tus neeg siv-sab kho qhov muag network davhlau ya nyob twg yuav tsum ua qee yam haujlwm tshwj xeeb uas tsis tuaj yeem siv los ntawm lwm txoj hauv kev. Piv txwv li, vim tsis muaj peev xwm routing, txhua lub teeb liab tawm hauv lub hauv paus chaw ua haujlwm (co) yuav tsum tau tshaj tawm rau txhua tus neeg siv nyob rau hauv tib lub splitter (xws li cov teeb liab uas tsis xav tau). Yog li ntawd, lub optical network davhlau ya nyob twg lim tawm cov teeb liab xav tau rau lwm tus neeg siv.
Tsis tas li ntawd, thaum lub beam splitter tsis tuaj yeem ua buffering, txhua tus neeg kho qhov muag network davhlau ya nyob twg yuav tsum ua hauj lwm hauv kev sib koom tes nrog multiplexing system los xyuas kom meej tias cov teeb liab tawm ntawm tus neeg siv tsis sib tsoo ntawm kev sib tshuam. Ob txoj kev multiplexing tuaj yeem siv tau: wavelength division multiplexing thiab time-division multiplexing. Hauv wavelength division multiplexing, txhua tus neeg siv siv lub wavelength cais los xa cov teeb liab. Nyob rau hauv lub sij hawm-division multiplexing, cov neeg siv "sib hloov" xa cov ntaub ntawv. Nyob rau hauv thaum ntxov 2007, tsuas yog lub sij hawm-division multiplexing yog technically ua tau. Piv nrog active optical tes hauj lwm, qhov zoo thiab qhov tsis zoo ntawm passive optical tes hauj lwm yog pom tseeb heev. Lub passive optical network tsis txhob siv cov khoom siv hluav taws xob sab nraum zoov. Passive optical tes hauj lwm kuj tso cai rau kev sib kis ntawm yooj yim analog TV teeb liab rau analog teeb liab tshaj tawm. Txawm li cas los xij, vim hais tias txhua lub teeb liab yuav tsum raug thawb rau txhua tus neeg siv nyob rau hauv tib lub teeb hluav taws xob splitter (raws li qhov tsis sib xws rau ib lub teeb liab hloov khoom), lub hauv paus chaw ua hauj lwm yuav tsum tau nruab nrog ib tug tshwj xeeb haib kis tau tus mob ntaus ntawv hu ua ib tug optical terminal (OLT).
Tsis tas li ntawd, vim hais tias txhua tus neeg siv lub tshuab kho qhov muag network yuav tsum xa txhua txoj hauv kev mus rau qhov chaw ua haujlwm hauv nruab nrab (tsis yog mus rau cov khoom siv hloov chaw ze tshaj plaws), cov neeg siv tsis tuaj yeem nyob deb ntawm lub chaw ua haujlwm hauv nruab nrab raws li lub koom haum kho qhov muag.
