System and method for determining whether DOCSIS-enabled devices in a HFC cable network are co-located

1. A co-location processor for a hybrid-fiber-coax (HFC) cable network comprising:

a co-location alert manager; and

a co-location agent, wherein the co-location agent is configured to perform operations comprising:

acquiring a first ranging offset value associated with a first DOCSIS-enabled device (DED) and a second ranging offset value associated with a second DED, wherein the first and second DEDs are associated with a subscriber account;

acquiring a first ranging offset normalizing factor for the first DED from a normalizing factor datastore, wherein the first normalization factor accounts for a packet handling delay characteristic of the first DED;

applying the first normalization factor to the first ranging offset value to obtain a first normalized ranging offset value;

acquiring a second ranging offset normalizing factor for the second DED from the normalizing factor datastore, wherein the second normalization factor accounts for a packet handling delay characteristic of the second DED;

applying the second normalization factor to the second ranging offset value to obtain a second normalized ranging offset value;

determining a “delta” offset value equal to the absolute value of the difference between the first normalized ranging offset value and the second normalized ranging offset value;

determining that the first and second DEDs are not co-located when the delta offset value exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

sending an alert to the co-location alert manager when the first and second DEDs are not co-located.

2. The co-location processor of claim 1 , wherein a DED comprises a standalone cable modem.

3. The co-location processor of claim 1 , wherein a DED comprises a component within a device connectable to the HFC cable network.

4. The co-location processor of claim 1 , wherein the co-location agent is further configured to perform operations comprising acquiring subscriber account data for the subscriber account, wherein subscriber account data comprises a subscriber account number, a first MAC address associated with the first DED and a second MAC address associated with the second DED.

5. The co-location processor of claim 4 , wherein the first and second ranging offset values are acquired from a cable modem termination system using the first and second MAC addresses.

6. The co-location processor of claim 4 , wherein the alert manager is configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving an alert from the co-location agent; and

routing the alert to a customer support center, wherein the customer support center is associated with the subscriber account number.

7. The co-location processor of claim 1 , wherein the co-location agent is further configured to perform operations comprising:

acquiring a first cable MAC domain identifier associated with the first DED and a second MAC domain identifier associated with the second DED;

determining whether the first MAC domain identifier differs from the second MAC domain identifier; and

sending an alert to the alert manager if the first MAC domain identifier differs from the second MAC domain identifier.

8. The co-location processor of claim 1 , wherein the co-location agent is further configured to perform operations comprising:

sending a confirmation command to the first and second DEDs;

receiving a first response from the first DED to the first confirmation command and a second response from the second DED to the second confirmation command;

determining from the first and second response whether the first DED and second DED are co-located; and

sending a confirmed alert to the co-location alert manager if the first DED and second DED are not co-located.

9. A cable theft of service alert system comprising:

a co-location agent, wherein the co-location agent is configured to perform operations comprising:

acquiring a first ranging offset value associated with a first DOCSIS-enabled device (DED) and a second ranging offset value associated with a second DED, wherein the first and second DEDs are associated with a subscriber account;

acquiring a first ranging offset normalizing factor for the first DED from a normalizing factor datastore, wherein the first normalization factor accounts for a packet handling delay characteristic of the first DED;

applying the first normalization factor to the first ranging offset value to obtain a first normalized ranging offset value;

acquiring a second ranging offset normalizing factor for the second DED from the normalizing factor datastore, wherein the second normalization factor accounts for a packet handling delay characteristic of the second DED;

applying the second normalization factor to the second ranging offset value to obtain a second normalized ranging offset value;

determining a “delta” offset value equal to the absolute value of the difference between the first normalized ranging offset value and the second normalized ranging offset value; and

creating a discrepancy record comprising the DED values and the delta offset values if the delta offset value exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

a rules engine configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving the discrepancy record associated with the subscriber;

receiving subscriber account data from a subscriber datastore;

applying a theft rule to the delta offset values and the subscriber account data;

determining whether a theft of service has occurred; and

sending an alert to a theft of service server if the theft of service has occurred.

10. The cable theft of service alert system of claim 9 , wherein a DED comprises a standalone cable modem.

11. The cable theft of service alert system of claim 9 , wherein a DED comprises a component within a device connectable to the HFC cable network.

12. The cable theft of service alert system of claim 9 wherein the co-location agent is further configured to perform operations comprising acquiring subscriber account data for the subscriber account, wherein subscriber account data comprises a subscriber account number, a first MAC address associated with the first DED and a second MAC address associated with the second DED.

13. The cable theft of service alert system of claim 12 , wherein the first and second ranging offset values are acquired from a cable modem termination system using the first and second MAC addresses.

14. The cable theft of service alert system of claim 12 , wherein the alert manager is configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving an alert from the co-location agent; and

routing the alert to a customer support center, wherein the customer support center is associated with the subscriber account number.

15. The cable theft of service alert system of claim 9 , wherein the co-location agent is further configured to perform operations comprising:

acquiring a first cable MAC domain identifier associated with the first DED and a second MAC domain identifier associated with the second DED:

determining whether the first MAC domain identifier differs from the second MAC domain identifier; and

sending an alert to the alert manager if the first MAC domain identifier differs from the second MAC domain identifier.

16. The cable theft of service alert system of claim 9 , wherein the co-location agent is further configured to perform operations comprising:

sending a confirmation command to the first and second DEDs;

receiving a first response from the first DED to the first confirmation command and a second response from the second DED to the second confirmation command;

determining from the first and second response whether the first DED and second DED are co-located; and

sending a confirmed alert to the co-location alert manager if the first DED and second DED are not co-located.

17. A method for confirming that DOCSIS-compliant devices operating in a hybrid-fiber-coax (HFC) cable network are co-located comprising:

a co-location processor acquiring a first ranging offset value associated with a first DOCSIS-enabled device (DED) and a second ranging offset value associated with a second DED, wherein the first and second DEDs are associated with a subscriber account;

the co-location processor acquiring a first ranging offset normalizing factor for the first DED from a normalizing factor datastore, wherein the first normalization factor accounts for a packet handling delay characteristic of the first DED;

the co-location processor applying the first normalization factor to the first ranging offset value to obtain a first normalized ranging offset value;

the co-location processor acquiring a second ranging offset normalizing factor for the second DED from the normalizing factor datastore, wherein the second normalization factor accounts for a packet handling delay characteristic of the second DED;

the co-location processor applying the second normalization factor to the second ranging offset value to obtain a second normalized ranging offset value;

the co-location processor determining a “delta” offset value equal to the absolute value of the difference between the first normalized ranging offset value and the second normalized ranging offset value;

the co-location processor determining that the first and second DEDs are not co-located when the delta offset value exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

the co-location processor sending an alert to a co-location alert manager when the first and second DEDs are not co-located.

18. The method for confirming the co-location of DOCSIS-compliant devices operating in an HFC cable network of claim 17 , wherein a DED comprises a standalone DED.

19. The method for confirming the co-location of DOCSIS-compliant devices operating in an HFC cable network of claim 17 , wherein a DED comprises a component within a device connectable to the HFC cable network.

20. The method for confirming the co-location of DOCSIS-compliant devices operating in an HFC cable network of claim 17 further comprising acquiring subscriber account data for the subscriber account, wherein subscriber account data comprises a subscriber account number, a first MAC address associated with the first DED and a second MAC address associated with the second DED.

21. The method for confirming the co-location of DOCSIS-compliant devices operating in an HFC cable network of claim 20 , wherein the co-location processor acquiring the first ranging offset value associated with the first DOCSIS-enabled device (DED) and the second ranging offset value associated with the second DED comprises the co-location processor polling a cable modem termination system using the first and second MAC addresses.

22. The method for confirming the co-location of DOCSIS-compliant devices operating in an HFC cable network of claim 17 further comprising:

the co-location processor acquiring a first cable MAC domain identifier associated with the first DED and a second MAC domain identifier associated with the second DED;

the co-location processor determining whether the first MAC domain identifier differs from the second MAC domain identifier; and

the co-location processor sending an alert to the alert manager if the first MAC domain identifier differs from the second MAC domain identifier.

23. The method for confirming the co-location of DOCSIS-compliant devices operating in an HFC cable network of claim 17 further comprising:

the co-location processor sending a confirmation command to the first and second DEDs;

the co-location processor receiving a first response from the first DED to the first confirmation command and a second response from the second DED to the second confirmation command;

the co-location processor determining from the first and second response whether the first DED and second DED are co-located; and

the co-location processor sending a confirmed alert to the co-location alert manager if the first DED and second DED are not co-located.