Testing an upstream path of a cable network

An apparatus for testing an upstream path of a cable network, the apparatus comprising:

• a packet generator to generate, at a regular time interval, an upstream data packet of a packet length no more than a predetermined value based on a probability distribution of upstream packet lengths in the cable network;
• a pre-equalization circuit coupled to the packet generator to pre-equalize the upstream data packet using pre-equalization coefficients;
• a communication circuit to:
• transmit a test request message to a headend of the cable network, the test request message including an identifier of a connected device;
• transmit the pre-equalization coefficients and the pre-equalized upstream data packet to the headend;
• and
• receive, from the headend, pre-equalized signal quality information of the upstream path of the cable network based on the pre-equalized upstream data packet;
• and
• a display to display the pre-equalized signal quality information.

A method of testing an upstream path of a cable network, the method comprising:

• generating, by a packet generator at a regular time interval, a test packet, the test packet having a packet length no more than a predetermined value based on a probability distribution of upstream packet lengths in the cable network;
• pre-equalizing, by a pre-equalization circuit coupled to the packet generator, the test packet using pre-equalization coefficients;
• communicating, by a communication circuit, the pre-equalization coefficients and the test packet to a headend of the cable network via the upstream path of the cable network;
• and
• receiving pre-equalized signal quality information from the headend based on the test packet.