Patent ID: 8363557

Claim:
A method for remotely evaluating and controlling voice over IP (VoIP) subscriber terminal equipment, the method comprising: using a remote test and control system comprising at least one computer: initiating test calls with the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment and obtaining test call results, wherein initiating the test calls includes initiating loopback calls with the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment and wherein obtaining test call results includes obtaining results from a test that evaluates speech quality of the loopback calls; analyzing usage information regarding the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment and determining subscriber terminal equipment usage results; remotely querying the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment and determining subscriber terminal equipment state information; determining, based on the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment test call results, the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment usage results, and the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment state information, whether to initiate a remote control action for the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment; and in response to determining to initiate a remote control action, initiating the remote control action to effect a change in state of the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment, wherein initiating the remote control action to effect a change in state of the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment includes sending a simple network management protocol (SNMP) reset command to the VoIP subscriber terminal equipment.