An optical network unit (ONU) includes an optical interface, a detector producing an output signal based on a characteristic of an optical input received via the optical interface, a radio-frequency (RF) interface, an opto-electrical (O/E) converter in a first path from the optical interface to the RF interface, an electro-optical (E/O) converter in a second path from RF interface to the optical interface and a controller operatively connected to the detector, the controller being configured to adjust an optical output of the ONU based on the characteristic, where the characteristic may be a level of the received signal. Also a method of adjusting an optical output of an ONU based on a characteristic of a received signal.