Method for estimating cable plant topology

A method according to claim 6, wherein, during said estimating step, the geo-encoded data is used to electronically determine a path extending along the geographic layout of streets and corresponding to a shortest walking distance along the streets between the geographic location of the network component and the geographic location of the terminal network element, and wherein the path corresponding to the shortest walking distance along the streets is used as the estimated geographic path of the cables of the network.

A signal processing electronic device for estimating a topology of a network, comprising at least one processing unit configured to:

• automatically generate an estimated geographic path of cables of a network between a geographic location of a network component and a geographic location of a terminal network element from data providing the geographic location of the network component and the geographic location of the terminal network element;
• and
• if the estimated geographic path includes an intersection of separate branches of the path located a predetermined distance from the network component in a downstream direction extending from the network component to the terminal network element, adjusting the estimated geographic path by replacing the intersection in the estimated geographic path with separate non-intersecting paths extending from different outlet ports of the network component to the separate branches.

At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

• automatically generate an estimated geographic path of cables of a network between a geographic location of a network component and a geographic location of a terminal network element from data providing the geographic location of the network component and the geographic location of the terminal network element;
• and
• if the estimated geographic path includes an intersection of separate branches of the path located a predetermined distance from the network component in a downstream direction extending from the network component to the terminal network element, adjusting the estimated geographic path by replacing the intersection in the estimated geographic path with separate non-intersecting paths extending from different outlet ports of the network component to the separate branches.