Abstract: A method is described including determining if a packet length parameter included in received data matches a first pre-determined value, determining if an address parameter included in received data matches an address of a receiving device, determining if a length parameter included in received data matches a second pre-determined value, determining if a packet destination port number parameter included in received data matches a third pre-determined value, determining if a packet payload type parameter included in received data matches a fourth pre-determined value and dropping the packet responsive to the matches.

Abstract: A method is described including determining if a packet length parameter included in received data matches a first pre-determined value, determining if an address parameter included in received data matches an address of a receiving device, determining if a length parameter included in received data matches a second pre-determined value, determining if a packet destination port number parameter included in received data matches a third pre-determined value, determining if a packet payload type parameter included in received data matches a fourth pre-determined value and dropping the packet responsive to the matches.

Abstract: A method, system and computer readable medium box is disclosed for determining a networked device connection status of an IP set top. A signal strength parameter request is generated associated with the networked device's operation. This request is transmitted to a specific point in a network system where it is received at specific hardware and/or software point. Then a reply or signal strength parameter is generated in response to the signal strength parameter request. This reply or signal strength parameter is transmitted across the network system from the specific hardware and/or software point back to the networked device. There it is loaded into a signal strength parameter variable and displayed to the user.

Abstract: A method, device and computer readable medium that measures the error rate in a network data stream to a device, for example a Set Top Box. The method including joining one or more multicast groups representing audio and or video data for a requested channel; discarding a predetermined number of received packets for each of the joined multicast groups; and comparing a sequence number of a first packet received subsequent to the predetermined number of discarded packets to a sequence number of a next subsequent received packet in order to determine a sequence error. The method may further include tracking sequence numbers of received packets for one or more of the joined multicast groups; incrementing a packets received counter for each received packet for one or more of the joined multicast groups; and comparing each received sequence number with the next received sequence number in order to determine sequence errors.