A communication device (110, 112, 114) comprising: a processor configured to generate a first signal; a digital to analog converter DAC, configured to process the first signal to generate a second signal; a power amplifier PA, that is coupled or connected to the DAC and configured to process the second signal to generate a third signal; characterized by: the communication device further comprising a diagnostic analyzer (234, 332, 732) configured to: based on an output node of the PA, capture a sample of the third signal when said third signal is being transmitted an upstream, US, communication channel between the communication device (110, 112, 114) and another communication device (110, 112, 114); and process the captured sample of the third signal on the US communication channel to generate at least one of a sample of a frequency spectrum of the US communication channel or an integrated power per symbol histogram of the US communication channel; and a communication interface configured to transmit the third signal to the another communication device (110, 112, 114), and transmit at least one of the captured sample the third signal on for the US communication channel, the sample of the frequency spectrum of the US communication channel, or the integrated power per symbol histogram of the US communication channel to and for use by at least one of the another communication device (110, 112, 114) or a proactive network maintenance, PNM, communication device (110, 112, 114) to determine at least one characteristic associated with a performance of the US communication channel. a processor configured to generate a first signal; a digital to analog converter DAC, configured to process the first signal to generate a second signal; a power amplifier PA, that is coupled or connected to the DAC and configured to process the second signal to generate a third signal; characterized by: the communication device further comprising a diagnostic analyzer (234, 332, 732) configured to: based on an output node of the PA, capture a sample of the third signal when said third signal is being transmitted an upstream, US, communication channel between the communication device (110, 112, 114) and another communication device (110, 112, 114); and process the captured sample of the third signal on the US communication channel to generate at least one of a sample of a frequency spectrum of the US communication channel or an integrated power per symbol histogram of the US communication channel; and a communication interface configured to transmit the third signal to the another communication device (110, 112, 114), and transmit at least one of the captured sample the third signal on for the US communication channel, the sample of the frequency spectrum of the US communication channel, or the integrated power per symbol histogram of the US communication channel to and for use by at least one of the another communication device (110, 112, 114) or a proactive network maintenance, PNM, communication device (110, 112, 114) to determine at least one characteristic associated with a performance of the US communication channel. the communication device further comprising a diagnostic analyzer (234, 332, 732) configured to: based on an output node of the PA, capture a sample of the third signal when said third signal is being transmitted an upstream, US, communication channel between the communication device (110, 112, 114) and another communication device (110, 112, 114); and process the captured sample of the third signal on the US communication channel to generate at least one of a sample of a frequency spectrum of the US communication channel or an integrated power per symbol histogram of the US communication channel; and a communication interface configured to transmit the third signal to the another communication device (110, 112, 114), and transmit at least one of the captured sample the third signal on for the US communication channel, the sample of the frequency spectrum of the US communication channel, or the integrated power per symbol histogram of the US communication channel to and for use by at least one of the another communication device (110, 112, 114) or a proactive network maintenance, PNM, communication device (110, 112, 114) to determine at least one characteristic associated with a performance of the US communication channel. based on an output node of the PA, capture a sample of the third signal when said third signal is being transmitted an upstream, US, communication channel between the communication device (110, 112, 114) and another communication device (110, 112, 114); and process the captured sample of the third signal on the US communication channel to generate at least one of a sample of a frequency spectrum of the US communication channel or an integrated power per symbol histogram of the US communication channel; and a communication interface configured to transmit the third signal to the another communication device (110, 112, 114), and transmit at least one of the captured sample the third signal on for the US communication channel, the sample of the frequency spectrum of the US communication channel, or the integrated power per symbol histogram of the US communication channel to and for use by at least one of the another communication device (110, 112, 114) or a proactive network maintenance, PNM, communication device (110, 112, 114) to determine at least one characteristic associated with a performance of the US communication channel.