One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates
registration of remote nodes in an Ethernet passive optical network
(EPON). The system includes a central node and at least one remote node,
wherein a number of virtual remote nodes are coupled to a common physical
remote node and transmit upstream data through a common transmitter
within the common physical remote node. During an initial discovery
cycle, the system receives a solicitation message from the central node
at a remote node, wherein the solicitation message assigns a discovery
slot in which an unregistered remote node may transmit a response message
to the central node for registration. The system then transmits a
response message from an unregistered remote node to register within the
assigned discovery slot. If multiple virtual remote nodes coupled to the
common physical remote node seek registration concurrently, the system
controls the transmission of response messages from these virtual remote
nodes to the central node so as to avoid collisions between response
messages from different remote nodes.