Ingress testing of CATV system utilizing remote selection of CATV node

摘要

A CATV system in which a technician in the field requests via a field client that a node of the CATV system be tested for ingress. The CATV system includes a headend facility that is coupled to a CATV distribution network. The CATV distribution network includes a plurality of nodes through which upstream signals are transmitted to the headend facility. A method of ingress testing for use in the CATV system includes one step of receiving at the headend facility a first reverse telemetry signal transmitted by a first field client that is coupled to the CATV distribution network at a first location downstream from the headend facility. Another step of the method includes selecting at the headend facility a first test node from the plurality of nodes of the CATV distribution network, wherein the selection is based upon the received first reverse telemetry signal. The method also includes the step of measuring first upstream signals from the selected first test node to obtain a first plurality of measurement values for the first upstream signals. Finally, the method includes transmitting from the headend facility via the CATV distribution network a forward telemetry signal that includes the first plurality of measurement values.