A separated synchronizing scrambler/descrambler pair that removes the possibility of catastrophic error due to improper transmission of initial condition information without disrupting the OFDM modulation scheme of a system that includes error-correction coding circuitry and replay variation. A transmitting device within the pair includes a first and a second data scrambler wherein the first data scrambler couples to receive the incoming data stream and filters the incoming data stream to provide a first filtered signal using a key signal. The second data scrambler, having an initial condition, couples to receive the first filtered signal and converts it into a scrambled signal using a scrambling seed. The second data scrambler comprises a random series generator for generating the scrambling seed to convert the first filtered signal into a scrambled signal. The scrambled signal is transmitted to the receiving device. A receiving device within the pair includes a first and a second data descrambler coupled together. The first data descrambler, having an initial condition equivalent to that of the second data scrambler, couples to receive the transmitted scrambled input data stream to convert it into a descrambled signal using a descrambling seed equivalent to the scrambling seed. The first data descrambler includes a random series generator for generating the descrambling seed. The second data descrambler couples to receive the descrambled signal and filters it to provide a filtered descrambled signal using a feedforward filter and a key signal. The feedforward filter is structured similar to the feedback filter.