Link performance monitoring via in-band management channel

A transceiver that comprises:

• a receive chain that derives a received digital symbol stream from a receive signal, the received digital symbol stream including an error-correction coded data stream from a remote node with added test blocks;
• an error analysis module configured to derive a link performance indicator from the added test blocks;
• and
• a transmit chain configured to convey the link performance indicator to the remote node.

A cable that comprises:

• a first connector having a first transceiver configured to provide a first digital symbol stream having a first error-correction coded data stream from a first network port with added test blocks;
• a second connector having:
• a second transceiver configured to receive the first digital symbol stream and to convey the first error-correction coded data stream to a second network port;
• and
• an error analysis module configured to derive a first link performance indicator from the added test blocks,
• the second transceiver being further configured to convey the first link performance indicator to the first connector.

A computer network that comprises:

• a network cable connected between a first network port of a first network node and a second network port of a second network node, the cable including:
• a first transceiver configured to provide a first digital symbol stream having a first error-correction coded data stream from the first network port with added test blocks;
• a second transceiver configured to receive the first digital symbol stream and to convey the first error-correction coded data stream to the second network port;
• and
• an error analysis module configured to derive a first link performance indicator from the added test blocks,
• the second transceiver being further configured to convey the first link performance indicator to the first transceiver