Method and systems for verifying a connection from a gateway to a network

1. A method performed by a tester introduced into a connection between a subscriber station and a network wherein a gateway resides intermediate the subscriber station and the network, the method comprising:

requesting an IP address from a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server when the tester is introduced into the connection;

receiving an IP address assigned to the tester by the DHCP server in response to the request;

sending the received IP address to a remote host via the network;

performing at least one layer 3 connectivity test between the gateway and the network based on the received IP address and an instruction received from the remote host; and

generating an output reporting a result of the at least one layer 3 connectivity test.

2. The method according claim 1 wherein the gateway is a DSLAM.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the portion of the connection between the gateway and the subscriber station includes a copper twisted pair.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the network is a proprietary network belonging to an internet service provider.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the network is the Internet and the portion of the connection between the gateway and network is a backhaul.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the tester is introduced via a remote instruction.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the tester is introduced into the connection at the gateway.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the gateway is a DSLAM at a telephone central office and the tester is introduced using a manual connection.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

performing at least one additional connectivity test between the gateway and the subscriber station,

wherein the output reports a result of the at least one additional connectivity test.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the at least one additional connectivity test is a metal test of a copper twisted pair that forms at least part of the connection between the gateway and the subscriber station.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the instruction originates from a verification host connected to the tester and the report is outputted to the verification host.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the verification host is connected to the tester via a virtual link through the network.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one layer 3 connectivity test includes at least one of an ICMP “ping”, a test for constant bit rate, a test for time delay, a test including the introduction of jitter, noise, bad or defective packets, a cyclic redundancy check, and a test including packet loss.

14. A system for verifying a connection between a subscriber station and a network wherein a gateway resides intermediate the subscriber station and the network, the system comprising:

means for introducing a tester into the connection;

means for providing the tester with an IP address assigned to the tester, wherein

when the subscriber station has a static IP address, the static IP address of the subscriber station is assigned to the tester for use verifying a connection between the subscriber station and the network, and

when the subscriber station has a dynamic address, the IP address is assigned to the tester by a DHCP server when the tester is introduced into the connection;

means for remotely instructing the tester to perform at least one layer 3 connectivity test between the gateway and the network using the IP address assigned to the tester; and

means for generating an output reporting a result of the at least one layer 3 connectivity test.

15. A system for verifying a connection between a subscriber station and a network wherein a gateway resides intermediate the subscriber station and the network, the system comprising:

a tester for connection into the network;

a DHCP server operable to assign an IP address to the tester when the tester is introduced into the connection; and

a host connected to the tester,

wherein the tester is operable:

to receive the IP address assigned to the tester by the DHCP server,

to send the received IP address to the remote host via the network,

to receive an instruction from the host to perform at least one layer 3 connectivity test,

to perform the at least one layer 3 connectivity test over at least a portion of the connection from the subscriber station and the network using the received IP address and in accordance with the received instruction, and

to generate an output reporting a result of the at least one layer 3 connectivity test; and

wherein the host is adapted to remotely instruct the tester to perform the at least one layer 3 connectivity test and to receive reports thereof from the tester.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein the gateway is a DSLAM.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the portion of the connection between the gateway and the subscriber station includes a copper twisted pair.

18. The system according to claim 15 wherein the network is the Internet and the portion of the connection between the gateway and network is a backhaul.

19. The system according to claim 15 wherein the tester is further operable to be selectively connected to and disconnected from the network via a remote instruction from the host.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein the gateway is a DSLAM at a telephone central office and the tester is connected to the DSLAM using a manual connection.

21. The system according to claim 15 wherein the at least one layer 3 connectivity test includes at least one of an ICMP “ping”, a test for constant bit rate, a test for time delay, a test including the introduction of jitter, noise, bad or defective packets, a cyclic redundancy check, and a test including packet loss.

22. A system for verifying a connection between a subscriber station having a static IP address and a network wherein a gateway resides intermediate the subscriber station and the network, the system comprising:

a tester for connection into the network, the tester operable:

to receive an IP address assigned to the tester,

to receive an instruction,

to perform at least one layer 3 connectivity test over at least a portion of the connection from the subscriber station and the network using the received IP address and in accordance with the received instruction, and

to generate an output reporting a result of the at least one layer 3 connectivity test; and

a host connected to the tester, the host adapted to remotely instruct the tester to perform the at least one layer 3 connectivity test and to receive reports thereof from the tester,

wherein the static IP address of the subscriber station is assigned to the tester for use performing the connectivity test, and

wherein the host is further operable to provide the static IP address to the tester via the network.

23. A system for remotely verifying a connection between a subscriber station and a network wherein a gateway resides intermediate the subscriber station and the network, the system comprising:

a remote control terminal;

a tester coupled remotely to the remote control terminal, the tester operable:

to be introduced into the connection and controlled by the remote control terminal,

to receive an IP address assigned to the tester, wherein

when the subscriber station has a dynamic IP address, the tester receives the IP address from a DHCP server when the tester is introduced into the connection and is further operable to send the received IP address to the remote control terminal via the network, and

when the subscriber station has a static IP address, the static IP address of the subscriber station is assigned to the tester for use in verifying the connection between the subscriber station and the network and the tester receives the IP address of the subscriber station from the remote control terminal via the network;

to receive a connection test message from the remote control terminal and in response conduct at least one of a test of a link between the gateway and the subscriber station and a layer 3 connectivity test between the gateway and the network using the received IP address, and

to report results of the tests; and

a remote reporting terminal coupled remotely to the tester and operable to receive and process the results of the tests.

24. An apparatus for controlling verification of a connection between a subscriber station and a network from a remote location, wherein a gateway resides intermediate the subscriber station and the network, the apparatus comprising:

an interface operable to be coupled to a tester;

a processing unit coupled to the interface, the processing unit adapted:

to instruct the tester to be introduced into the connection,

when the subscriber station has a static IP address, to assign the static IP address of the subscriber station to the tester for use in verifying the connection between the subscriber station and the network,

when the subscriber station has a dynamic IP address, to receive, from the tester, a dynamic IP address assigned to the tester by a DHCP server when the tester is introduced into the connection,

to instruct the tester to conduct a connectivity test between the gateway and the network using the IP address assigned to the tester and report of the status of the connection, and

to receive an output from the tester reporting the status of the connection.

25. A test apparatus for remotely verifying a connection between a subscriber station and a network wherein a gateway resides intermediate the subscriber station and the network, the test apparatus comprising:

a first interface operable to be coupled to a remote control terminal;

a second interface operable to introduce the tester into the connection; and

a processing unit coupled to the first and second interfaces, the processing unit operable

when the subscriber station has a static IP address, to receive the IP address of the subscriber station from the remote control terminal for use in verifying the connection between the subscriber station and the network,

when the subscriber station has a dynamic IP address, to receive an IP address assigned to the test apparatus by a DHCP server when the tester is introduced into the connection,

to receive connection test messages from the remote control terminal,

to conduct a layer 3 connectivity test between the gateway and the network using the received IP address upon reception of a connection test message, and

to transmit a report of the status of the connection to a remote location.

26. A method of remotely verifying layer 3 connectivity for a subscriber station wherein a gateway resides intermediate in a connection between the subscriber station and a network, the method comprising the steps of:

remotely triggering a tester to be introduced into the connection;

providing an IP address assigned to the tester, wherein

when the subscriber station has a dynamic IP address, the tester is provided the IP address by a DHCP server when the tester is introduced into the connection and the method further comprises the tester sending the received IP address to the remote control terminal via the network, and

when the subscriber station has a static IP address, the static IP address of the subscriber station is provided to the tester for use in verifying the connection between the subscriber station and the network and the method further comprises the tester receiving the IP address of the subscriber station from the remote control terminal via the network;

performing a layer 3 connectivity test between the gateway and the network using the IP address; and

reporting the status of the layer 3 connectivity to a remote location.

27. A system for remotely verifying layer 3 connectivity for a subscriber station having a static IP address wherein a gateway resides intermediate in a connection between the subscriber station and a network, the system comprising:

a remote control terminal;

a tester coupled remotely to the remote control terminal and operable:

to be introduced into the connection and controlled by the remote control terminal,

to receive, from the remote control terminal via the network, the IP address of the subscriber station for use in verifying layer 3 connectivity between the subscriber station and the network,

to receive a connectivity test message from the remote control terminal and in response conduct a layer 3 connectivity test between the gateway and the network using the IP address of the subscriber station as an IP address of the tester, and

to report the results of the connectivity test; and

a remote reporting terminal coupled remotely to the tester and operable to receive and process the results of the connectivity test.