Field technicians get dispatched on a myriad of problems to restore service, especially on ADSL and IPTV circuits that are fiber to the node (FTTN). The field technician is first responsible for the cable pair, drop, inside station wire, and modem; and with TV, the set-top box.

Keeping a Triple Play customer happy requires a proactive effort from all involved. Quality testing before dispatch can save truck rolls, but when the technician is dispatched the ball is in.

The best approach is to make sure that the narrow band POTS portion riding on the cable pair is functioning properly. The cable pair must be free of DC type faults. Any short, ground cross, or crossed battery should be repaired, and the cable pair should be tested for series resistance and unacceptable capacitive balance. Can you complete this process?

Then, testing at the Network Interface for acceptable loop current, network interface ground, circuit loss, circuit noise, power influence and longitudinal balance is a must before proceeding to the wideband side of the house. Do you understand the parameters for quality POTS service?

On the wideband side of the house, first look for sync, the fast rate and the maximum rate, attenuation, margin, and errors. Use the bits-per-bin graph and the spectrum analyzer to identify interferers and disturbers. AM radio ingress is a clue to bonding problems. Continuous bonding from the central office to the customer will mitigate high frequency interferers, such as AM, ham, and short-wave radio. Does your equipment perform all of these tasks?

Don't forget the inside station wire (IW) and the modem. DC type faults such as shorted and grounded pairs are easily identified. Look for series resistance, such as a staple in the IW, a jack that was wet nod dry, or a faulty base cord. Can you proactively test from the Network Interface into the residence?

Dirty power in the house, such as reversed outlets with hot neutral wires, missing grounds, and loose connections will have an adverse affect on bandwidth. Modems lose sync, set-top boxes drop, and pixelization and freezing occurs on TVs. Do you have an AC outlet tester?

This is a tough job and we're hoping that through OSP® Magazine's monthly online column "Talk Back" you'll take advantage of this opportunity and provide feedback on your experience with Triple Play.

What are the roadblocks?

Do you have enough time to do a quality job?

Do you have the proper test equipment?

Have you been adequately trained?

Come on and Talk Back - submit your comments and stories about your experiences, and let's get the conversation started!