Integrated ethernet over coaxial cable, STB, and physical layer test and monitoring

A broadband communication network comprising:

• a residential gateway operative as a broadband interface between a broadband service provider and a broadband residential communication network, said residential gateway including first test hardware and a first CPU that operates under the control of a first software agent for controlling operation of the first test hardware to:
• apply a first AC test signal, a first DC test signal, or both the first AC test signal and the first DC test signal to the broadband residential communication network, and
• sample a first AC signal, a first DC signal, or both the first AC signal and the first DC signal on the broadband residential communication network;
• and
• at least one interface device (ID) operative as an interface between the broadband residential communication network and a data service receiving device, each of the at least one interface device including second test hardware and a second CPU that operates under the control of a second software agent for controlling operation of the second test hardware to:
• apply a second AC test signal, a second DC test signal, or both the second AC test signal and the second DC test signal to the broadband residential communication network, and
• sample a second AC signal, a second DC signal, or both the second AC signal and the second DC signal on the broadband residential communication network,
• wherein at least one of the first AC test signal, the first DC test signal, the first AC signal, and the first DC signal comprise a dual-ended test of the broadband residential communication network with at least one of the second AC test signal, the second DC test signal, the second AC signal, and the second DC signal.

A method of testing a residential broadband communication network, the method comprising:

• (a) outputting, from a first node of the residential broadband communication network that receives broadband services from a broadband service provider, a DC single-ended test signal, an AC single-ended test signal, or both the DC single-ended test signal and the AC single-ended test signal onto said residential broadband communication network;
• (b) determining, at the first node and in response to the DC single-ended test signal and/or the AC single-ended test signal output in step (a), an electrical condition of the residential broadband communication network;
• and
• (c) co-acting, by the first node and a second node of the residential broadband communication network, to perform dual-ended testing of the residential broadband communication network.