Patent ID: 8144580

Claim:
A method of provisioning an interface device, the interface device interfacing between an access network and a back-bone network, the access network including a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection to an end user terminal and a transceiver device including a DSL transceiver for modulating and demodulating signals sent to and from the end user terminal over the DSL connection, the method comprising: providing a management device for managing the interface device, the management device communicatively coupled to the interface device; receiving a plurality of line rate data readings at the management device from the transceiver device indicative of a current or recent line rate of the DSL connection; calculating at the management device from the received line rate data readings a consistent rate indicative of a consistently achievable net data rate of the DSL connection based on the plurality of data readings for the DSL connection from the transceiver device; and provisioning the interface device to restrict data flowing from the interface device to the transceiver device to a maximum data rate selected by the management device in accordance with the calculated consistent rate.