As its name suggests, proactive network maintenance (PNM) allows cable operators to get ahead of the curve in being able to diagnose issues in the cable plant. When network impairments are concentrated in an area, it’s easier to locate the problems if technicians can zero in on multiple cable modems that are having the same problem and group those modems together.

PreEqualization Analzyer does exactly that with its correlation groups feature. Correlation groups are a cluster of modems that are affected by the same outside network impairment and can be used to easily identify which modems and customers are being affected. Using correlation groups’ data, you can also decide which cable plant issues you want to resolve first.

Along with the correlation groups' data, TDR and vTDR ratings are available within the DOCSIS PNM tool and can help identify the source of upstream impairments before they affect your subscribers. The video below provides more detail on understanding TDR and vTDR. 

After watching the video, be sure to download a free technical paper on Correlation Groups and vTDR using DOCSIS Proactive Network Maintenance by Brady Volpe of Nimble This and an active member of the CableLabs InGeNeOs™ group.