Location/stream universe discovery in broadband systems with overlapping streams

The structure of the combining/splitting network (10) that forms a node group is analyzed, and that information is then used to craft a set of pilot signals that efficiently and unambiguously determines the client's node group assignment. The present invention can be used in broadband networks, in which clients are organized in groups of nodes, and the grouping cannot be determined a priori. A method (110) for determining a node group to which a client is assigned: uses (111) information included in one or more pilot signals in an MPEG transport stream to determine the node group to which the client is assigned. The method (110) searches (112) for a pilot signal in the MPEG transport stream starting at a predetermined channel location in the MPEG transport stream and moves (113) to a next channel if a pilot signal is not found until a signal is found or all channels have been searched. The method (110) reports (114) an error if no pilot signal is found in any channel. An apparatus for enabling a client to discover a node group assignment includes a pilot signal carousel server (12) continuously outputting a set of pilot signals, one or more edge devices (13a-c) and a combiner/splitter network 14. Each of the edge devices (13a-c) is coupled to the pilot signal carousel server (12) and receives one or more of the one or more pilot signals. The combiner/splitter network (14) is coupled to the edge devices (13a-c) and forms one or more node groups, one for each client, each of which node groups includes one or more pilot signals.