Abstract: A troubleshooting portal method for providing connectivity between a first communication device and a second communication device. The second communication device resides in an access provider communication system. One embodiment comprises receiving a specification from a user by the first communication device, the specification comprising at least one predefined identifier that identifies the second communication device, and receiving a request to establish connectivity between the user and the second communication device; associating the predefined identifier with said second communication device; establishing connectivity between the first communication device and the second communication device based upon the specified predefined identifier; receiving at least troubleshooting data and a test from the user; and communicating the received troubleshooting data and the test to the second device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automatically configuring cross-connects in a switch. One exemplary embodiment is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer for automatically configuring a plurality of cross-connects comprising: obtaining a default logical VPI/VCI address associated with the plurality of data communications channels; defining a first plurality of unique logical VPI/VCI addresses based on a predefined set of rules for incrementing logical VPI/VCI addresses, each of the first plurality of unique logical VPI/VCI addresses associated with one of the plurality of digital subscriber line communications channels; determining a second plurality of unique logical VPI/VCI addresses based on the default logical VPI/VCI address and the predefined set of rules; and creating signal connectivity between the plurality of data communications channels and the plurality of digital subscriber line communications channels by linking the first and second unique logical VPI/VCI addresses.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automatically configuring cross-connects in an ATM-based switch between a plurality of user-side communications channels and a plurality of network-side communications channels provided from an ATM service provider. The switch comprises a plurality of user ports, an uplink interface, a backplane interface, and a switch concentration module (SCM). The SCM is a network management system for automatically configuring a plurality of cross-connects between the plurality of user-side communications channels and the plurality of network-side communications channels.

Abstract: A WAN is formed using Frame Relay Protocol and a telephone network interface unit. An originating LAN sends a message to a router which communicates with a telephone network interface unit using Frame Relay Protocol. The telephone network interface unit determines the destination of a packet received from the router by interpreting the Frame Relay Protocol, and it associates a phone number with that destination. The interface unit uses the phone number to establish at least one DSO connection over a digital telephone network to a destination network interface. A destination network interface unit receives the packet from the digital telephone network and provides the packet to a router which interfaces to the destination LAN. The network interface units add or drop additional DSO channels as required by the traffic load and thereby provide variable bandwidth.

Abstract: An interface unit connected to one end of a communication path is arranged to conduct a transmission test of the path before exchanging information with an interface unit connected to the other end of the path and to signal the results of the test by terminating the test when the results show an absence of transmission errors and continuing the test when the results show the presence of such errors, the test being the transmission and reception of a predefined sequence of signals.