Media access layer ping protocol for diagnosing cable modem links
US6594305B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 23, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 15, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 23, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L43/10
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media are disclosed for performing diagnostic tests of a communication link between a headend and a cable modem without having to assign an IP address to the cable modem. The diagnostic tests are performed at the MAC layer and test the state of the hardware between and including the cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a selected cable modem. By doing so, a network operator is able to more easily focus in on a potential problem in cable RF/MAC connectivity between the two components by first eliminating (or identifying) a problem with hardware before focusing on problem-solving at the software level, typically at the Network layer, at which point the cable modem is assigned an IP address. A network command is received from a network operator causing the CMTS to place a service identifier corresponding to a cable modem in possible need of diagnosing into a poll list. The service identifier is placed in the poll list the number of times specified in the network command as the number of polls desired for the test. This causes the cable modem to receive a map message with a station maintenance time slot for itself from the CMTS the specifi…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.