Proactive network maintenance (PNM) and DOCSIS pre-equalization are important tools to mitigate upstream impairments. When a CMTS has pre-equalization enabled, it can look at the quality of the signals being received from all of the cable modems on the network, and then have them adjust their signals to compensate for impairments like micro-reflections and group delay. CableLabs-developed PNM technology to give operators the ability to leverage DOCSIS pre-equalization data to identify and locate those cable network impairments.

PreEqualization Analyzer is a web-based application that gathers and analyzes the pre-eq data to determine the severity of upstream impairments and their approximate location. It then presents that information in a way that cable operators can “proactively” address those issues—before the customer's service is affected. The application can also identify when a common impairment is affecting more than one device on the network.

Watch the video below to see how you can identify upstream impairments that are impacting multiple subscribers.  

Interested in more on this topic?  Brady Volpe, an active member of the CableLabs InGeNeOs™ group,  has prepared a technical paper on Correlation Groups and vTDR using DOCSIS Proactive Network Maintenance.  You can download that for free compliments of ZCorum.