Abstract: The present invention presents a method of identifying faults in a DSL line using upstream and downstream attenuation measurements, which can be obtained directly from the DSLAM or CPE, thus requiring no specialist test equipment nor disrupting service. A downstream over upstream attenuation ratio is calculated for a line, with calculations repeated over a population of lines. The distribution of ratios, as well as upper and lower thresholds, is determined based on the population. A line is identified as being potentially faulty if it has an attenuation ratio above the upper threshold or below the lower threshold. Specifically, an attenuation ratio below the lower threshold is identified as having a high resistance joint fault (caused by an imperfect connection or corrosion at a joint in at least one of the pairs of a line), and a ratio above the upper threshold as a shunt (caused by degradation of the insulation between the pairs of a line, and often coupled with water ingress).

Abstract: The invention presents a method of identifying faults on a DSL line, typically intermittent faults arising from unstable joints in the DSL line. The method collects errored seconds data at the DSLAM and at the customer's premises equipment (CPE, typically a home hub or router). The error data collected at the DSLAM are termed near-end errors, and the error data collected at the CPE are termed far-end errors. The near-end and far-end data is then analyzed by applying regression analysis to determine if there is a correlation or match between the two sets of data. Matching data patterns are indicative of unstable or bad joints in the DSL line, and are typically intermittent and located near the customer's premises.

Abstract: Proposed is an improved method of determining the location of a common fault on a line in a telecommunications network. An overall performance measure is generated for each of the lines in the network based on various electrical measurements, highlighting potentially faulty lines. Nodes within the network also have a performance measure calculated based on the performance measures of the lines passing through the node. Examples of nodes include cross connection points, junction boxes, cabinets, and sections of cabling. A common faulty node is identified from all nodes along a line, based on the overall performance measures associated with those nodes. Then, all other faulty lines running through that node are identified. A distance to fault measurement is estimated for each of the identified faulty lines, using capacitance measurements for each line. A common fault location is determined based on aggregating the estimated distances to fault calculated for each of the identified faulty lines.

Abstract: The invention presents a method of identifying faults on a DSL line, typically intermittent faults arising from unstable joints in the DSL line. The method collects errored seconds data at the DSLAM and at the customer's premises equipment (CPE, typically a home hub or router). The error data collected at the DSLAM are termed near-end errors, and the error data collected at the CPE are termed far-end errors. The near-end and far-end data is then analysed by applying regression analysis to determine if there is a correlation or match between the two sets of data. Matching data patterns are indicative of unstable or bad joints in the DSL line, and are typically intermittent and located near the customer's premises.

Abstract: The present invention presents a method of identifying faults in a DSL line using upstream and downstream attenuation measurements, which can be obtained directly from the DSLAM or CPE, thus requiring no specialist test equipment nor disrupting service. A downstream over upstream attenuation ratio is calculated for a line, with calculations repeated over a population of lines. The distribution of ratios, as well as upper and lower thresholds, is determined based on the population. A line is identified as being potentially faulty if it has an attenuation ratio above the upper threshold or below the lower threshold. Specifically, an attenuation ratio below the lower threshold is identified as having a high resistance joint fault (caused by an imperfect connection or corrosion at a joint in at least one of the pairs of a line), and a ratio above the upper threshold as a shunt (caused by degradation of the insulation between the pairs of a line, and often coupled with water ingress).

Abstract: Proposed is an improved method of determining the location of a common fault on a line in a telecommunications network. An overall performance measure is generated for each of the lines in the network based on various electrical measurements, highlighting potentially faulty lines. Nodes within the network also have a performance measure calculated based on the performance measures of the lines passing through the node. Examples of nodes include cross connection points, junction boxes, cabinets, and sections of cabling. A common faulty node is identified from all nodes along a line, based on the overall performance measures associated with those nodes. Then, all other faulty lines running through that node are identified. A distance to fault measurement is estimated for each of the identified faulty lines, using capacitance measurements for each line. A common fault location is determined based on aggregating the estimated distances to fault calculated for each of the identified faulty lines.

Abstract: A method of measuring the performance of a DSL line is proposed, providing an indication of potential faults in the line. Analysis of broadband DSL is less straightforward than for other technologies, since ‘normal’ behaviour depends on a number of factors, including line length and line quality, where normal behaviour for a long line could be regarded as poor for a short line. The data transmission characteristics of a DSL line under test are measured with reference to its upstream line attenuation, then the results are compared with the model for the corresponding data transmission characteristic. A performance measure is calculated for each characteristic indicative of the difference between the measured characteristic and the observed ‘average’ for other lines having the same upstream line attenuation. A final line performance indicator is calculated based on the combination of all the individual performance measures, which provides a quantitative measure of a line's performance.