Patent ID: 7290046
Filing Date: 2007-10-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system for determining that a router is coupled between a piece of customer premise equipment and a cable modem in a data-over-cable system comprising: a network management agent executing on a customer premise equipment (CPE) component that encapsulates its Media Access Control (MAC) address in a network management message; a head end server that compares the encapsulated MAC address to a source MAC address so that the head end server detects a device being coupled between the CPE component and a cable modem through which the CPE component communicates; a MAC address encapsulator for encapsulating the MAC address of the CPE component in a network management message; and a router detector for determining whether a router status element in a network management message response indicates that a router is coupled between the CPE component and the cable modem through which the CPE component communicates.