Method and system of testing video access devices

A system to test video access devices, the system comprising:

• particular test equipment;
• the video access devices each having a wideband link and a test port, wherein the particular test equipment and each of the video access devices are remotely located as compared to one another and wherein the video access devices include a particular video access device that is disposed within a housing, wherein the housing is exposed to an outdoor ambient;
• wherein the test equipment is located within a central office and wherein the video access devices each comprise a switch that directs content from the wideband link towards a customer premise equipment device or to the test port of the video access device and wherein the switch is controlled by a signal received at a control port of the video access device from the element management system;
• an element management system bidirectionally coupled to each of the video access devices;
• and a test controller that is coupled to the particular test equipment and the element management system, wherein the test controller:
• detects that a first particular video access device has initially become part of the system;
• sends a command to connect the test port of the first particular video access device of the video access devices to its corresponding wideband link in response to detecting the first particular video access device;
• establishes connectivity directly between the test equipment and the first particular video access device of the video access devices in response to detecting the first particular video access device;
• and
• receives measurements transmitted from the particular test equipment.

A method of testing video access devices, the method comprising:

• detecting that a first video access device has initially become part of the system;
• connecting a test port of a first video access device to a wideband link of the first video access device in an internet protocol television system, by sending a command to connect the test port of the first video access device of the video access devices to its corresponding wideband link in response to detecting the first video access device;
• establishing connectivity directly between test equipment and the test port of the first video access device in response to detecting the first particular video access device;
• transmitting a video signal to the first video access device;
• transmitting a first video access device signal to the test equipment in response to the first video access device receiving the video signal, wherein the test equipment is remotely located from the first video access device;
• and
• receiving, at a test controller, a first measurement from the test equipment;
• wherein the video access devices include a particular video access device that is disposed within a housing, wherein the housing is exposed to an outdoor ambient;
• wherein the test equipment is located within a central office and wherein the video access devices each comprise a switch that directs content from the wideband link towards a customer premise equipment device or to the test port of the video access device and wherein the switch is controlled by a signal received at a control port of the video access device from the element management system.