Patent ID: 7028084

Claim:
A method of monitoring the status of xDSL service by a service provider, comprising the steps of: (a) sending from a user computer via xDSL service a request to which a response is expected; (b) determining if a response has been received; (c) if a response has not been received, establishing a connection from the user computer to a server of the service provider via dial-up modem; (d) monitoring by the service provider the connection via dial-up modem and determining the user's account information including whether the user is an xDSL service subscriber or customer; and (e) based upon detecting the connection to the server via dial-up modem and determining that the user is an xDSL service subscriber or customer, concluding by the service provider that xDSL service has failed and issuing by the service provider a trouble ticket requesting repair of the xDSL service.