Patent ID: 7389010

Claim:
An optical cable reel, comprising: a hub for supporting a helically wound optical cable; first and second rims respectively located on first and second end faces of the hub; a support arrangement for receiving an optical monitor that is optically connectable to a proximal end of the optical cable when wound about the hub; and the optical monitor including: a source configured to launch a first optical probe signal into a first or second end of an optical cable prior to securing another end of the optical cable to a communication access point; a receiver configured to receive the first optical probe signal that has traversed at least a part of the optical cable and in which information concerning optical characteristics of the optical cable is embodied; and a controller configured to analyze the received portion of the optical probe signals for an indication of tampering, wherein subsequent optical probe signals are launched and received until the first optical cable end is secured to the first communication access point to establish optical connectivity therebetween and the second optical cable end is secured to a second communication access point to establish optical connectivity therebetween.