Patent ID: 8406620

Claim:
A system comprising: (a) a network equipment including: (i) an optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) transmitter operationally connected to a link and configured to transmit an OTDR signal at a first wavelength, and (ii) an OTDR receiver operationally connected to the link, configured to receive said OTDR signal at said first wavelength; (b) a network device operationally connected to the link, said network device configured to transmit data signals at a second wavelength and receive data signals at said first wavelength, said network device configured to actuate said OTDR transmitter to transmit said OTDR signal on the link during a determined test time, said determined test time based on a communications protocol of the link, wherein during said determined test time data signals are not transmitted to said network device at said first wavelength, and wherein said network device is allowed to transmit said data signals during said determined test time at said second wavelength; and (c) a processing system operationally connected to said OTDR receiver, said processing system being configured to process said OTDR signal to provide OTDR test results.