Abstract: A traffic monitor listens passively on the data link used to communicate among switching systems for setting up telephone calls for call setup messages and checks the call setup messages for destination telephone number. If it determines that the destination telephone number is for an Internet service provider (ISP), the system reports the point code of the originating office. By analyzing the output of the traffic monitor according to this invention, local exchange carrier (LEC) may reconfigure its network to remove feature rich switches from the ISP call delivery network and replace them with a small tandem-like switch.

Abstract: A remote switch monitoring system and method monitors traffic between the publicly switched telephone network (PSTN) and a remote switching module (RSM). That is, the remote switch monitoring system monitors traffic through the umbilical link between a remote switching module and a host and segregates traffic between the PSTN and the RSM from other traffic on the umbilical link. This segregated PSTN/RSM umbilical link traffic information may be used, for example, by a service provider to determine the capacity of an umbilical link, the capacity of a trunk, or for host switch connection requirements when upgrading a remote switch module. In an illustrative embodiment, the remote switch monitoring system employs a computer to monitor called number, calling number, originating point code and destination point code information for calls between lines terminated at the remote switching module and lines terminated elsewhere. Out of band signaling, such as SS7 data, may be employed to obtain such information.