Dynamic changing tier service on test device

A system comprising:

• a broadband communications network;
• a policy enforcement point of said broadband communications network;
• a policy server of said broadband communications network;
• and
• a test device located within said broadband communications network, said test device being interconnected with said policy enforcement point of said broadband communications network;
• wherein:
• said policy server is configured to, responsive to commencement of a test to be conducted with said test device, signal said policy enforcement point to set a bandwidth tier for said test to be conducted with said test device;
• said policy enforcement point and said test device are cooperatively configured to conduct said test in accordance with said bandwidth tier, wherein said test determines a speed of said broadband communication network at said test device in said bandwidth tier,
• wherein:
• said test is a first test;
• said bandwidth tier is a first bandwidth tier;
• said policy server is further configured to, responsive to commencement of a second test to be conducted with said test device, signal said policy enforcement point to set a second bandwidth tier for said second test to be conducted with said test device, said first and second bandwidth tiers corresponding to different ranges of speed offered by an operator of said broadband communications network;
• and
• said policy enforcement point and said test device are further cooperatively configured to conduct said second test in accordance with said second bandwidth tier;
• and
• said policy enforcement point is configured to restore, after said first and second tests, a customer parameter to an initial bandwidth tier set prior to said first and second tests.

A method comprising the steps of:

• responsive to an indication of commencement of a first test to be conducted with a test device located within a broadband communications network, signaling a policy enforcement point, from a policy server of said broadband communications network, to handle first packets received from said test device in accordance with a first bandwidth tier, said test device being interconnected with said policy enforcement point of said broadband communications network;
• responsive to an indication of commencement of a second test to be conducted with said test device, signaling said policy enforcement point, from said policy server of said broadband communications network, to handle second packets received from said test device in accordance with a second bandwidth tier, said first and second bandwidth tiers corresponding to different ranges of speed offered by an operator of said broadband communications network;
• and
• restoring a customer parameter to a provisioned bandwidth tier previously set for a customer at said policy enforcement point prior to said first test, wherein said customer parameter is changed for at least one of said first test and said second test.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable recordable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, said computer readable program code comprising:

• computer readable program code configured to, responsive to an indication of commencement of a first test to be conducted with a test device located within a broadband communications network, signal a policy enforcement point, from a policy server of said broadband communications network, to handle first packets received from said test device in accordance with a first bandwidth tier, said test device being interconnected with said policy enforcement point of said broadband communications network;
• computer readable program code configured to, responsive to an indication of commencement of a second test to be conducted with said test device, signaling said policy enforcement point, from said policy server of said broadband communications network, to handle second packets received from said test device in accordance with a second bandwidth tier, said first and second bandwidth tiers being different,
• wherein said first bandwidth tier and said second bandwidth tier correspond to different ranges of speed offered by an operator of said broadband communications network;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to, restore a customer parameter to a provisioned bandwidth tier previously set for a customer at said policy enforcement point prior to said first test, wherein said customer parameter is changed for at least one of said first test and said second test.

A method comprising the steps of:

• facilitating location of a test device within a broadband communications network, said test device being interconnected with a policy enforcement point of said broadband communications network;
• conducting a first test with said test device in accordance with a first bandwidth tier dynamically set by an operator of said broadband communications network, wherein said first bandwidth tier corresponds to a first range of speed offered by said operator of said broadband communications network;
• conducting a second test with said test device in accordance with a second bandwidth tier set by said operator of said broadband communications network, wherein said second bandwidth tier corresponds to a second range of speed offered by said operator of said broadband communications network, and wherein said first and second bandwidth tiers being different;
• and
• restoring a customer parameter to a provisioned bandwidth tier previously set for a customer at said policy enforcement point prior to said first test, wherein said customer parameter is changed for at least one of said first test and said second test.