Frequently Asked Questions About Promptlink's Broadband Testing and Network Monitoring Solutions
Is Promptlink testing software available to the public?
Promptlink sells solutions for Internet Providers, manufacturers, equipment testers and 3rd-Party 3PL/4PL Logistics companies
Does Promptlink have local resellers?
We do have resellers in many regions, depending on the product you are interested in. Please Contact us for your local reseller, or to have Promptlink contact you directly.
What types of Customer Premise Equipment can Promptlink's CPE ATLAS test?
CPE ATLAS can test DSL, DOCSIS cable modems, PacketCable/SIP EMTA voice devices, PON and GPON fiber ONT/ONU devices, wired and wireless standalone Wi-Fi routers, Powerline devices, and even 4G/LTE Wi-Fi router devices.
Can Promptlink CPE test solutions be used on a live plant?
While most installations are independent of a live or production plant, Promptlink does have solutions to run production environment deployments. These are ideal for deployments to retail stores, malls or other areas where self-service or distributed test environments are needed.
Can CPE ATLAS only perform high-volume screening of devices for refurbishment? What about lab certification testing?
CPE ATLAS was initially designed for high-volume screening of devices, testing 20 devices at a time. Due to popular demand, we have designed a CPE ATLAS Mini product, which offers advanced, scaled-down testing or certification of devices in a smaller footprint, supporting 4 devices in parallel. Please Contact Us for more information about this product.
Does CPE ATLAS provide a shielded environment for Wi-Fi testing?
One of the main new and innovative features in CPE ATLAS is the Wi-Fi shielding provided by the "Faraday Cages" surrounding each testing cell. The shielding allows for Wi-Fi bandwidth testing and other Wi-Fi tests, even in a crowded environment with many Wi-Fi signals.
I have older Promptlink products like CMTP (Cable Modem Test Platform) version 1, WRTP (Wireless Router Test Platform), and DSL Test Platform. Are these products still supported?
While we currently support these test platforms, they will all be end-of-life products within the next 12-14 months. We are offering favorable upgrade paths to CPE ATLAS, which offers improved support for all of the devices supported in Legacy products. Contact us to see how we can upgrade you to the latest technology at an affordable price.
What types of Set Top Boxes can Promptlink's Set-Top Box Test Platform (STBTP) test?
STBTP can test IPTV boxes, DAC, and DVB-C, DVB-S and other DVB STB. STBTP can test standalone or by interfacing to existing testing infrastructure.
How many STBs can be tested in parallel on the Set-Top Box Test Platform (STBTP)?
16 boxes can be tested at the same time, 8 per each rolling rack.
With Promptlink Network NoiseHawk, do I need to add any special hardware to my HFC network?
No, NoiseHawk works with a server installed in your network, with visibility to the various network components. No additional hardware needs to be installed in the headend nor used by field technicians.
Will Network NoiseHawk work in my new Remote PHY network?
Since Network NoiseHawk does not depend on hardware connections to the RF network, it should be unaffected by the change to an R-PHY infrastructure.
Does NoiseHawk need to replace my current Network Monitoring System (NMS) or can it be complementary to my existing NMS?
Since Network NoiseHawk runs as part of the Promptlink Cable Plant Monitoring (CPM) system, it can be run in parallel to an existing NMS or can completely replace your NMS - the choice is yours. CPM is a full-featured Broadband NMS system with support for DOCSIS and GPON devices, also offering Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) and the exclusive Upstream Noise Localization with Network NoiseHawk.
Can I link data from Promptlink software solutions to my existing Business Intelligence (BI) and other systems?
All Promptlink software products offer API options to connect to existing systems. These APIs can link to Billing Systems, Centralized Event Collection systems or Business Intelligence systems. Any external application can utilize these APIs.
Is IPS Integration limited to CPM?
No, IPS has APIs to allow integration to another system. The integration to Promptlink Cable Plant Monitoring (CPM) is simply built-in to the Integrated Provisioning System (IPS), providing a seamless exchange of customer and device information between the two products.
What does IPS support?
IPS supports provisioning of Cable Modems, EMTA, and Wireless Cable Modems in a DOCSIS environment.
Does IPS Support Voice Provisioning for PacketCable devices?
Yes, IPS provides support for PacketCable and SIP provisioning of voice devices.
What is an ONT and how is it used in a fiber network?
Optical Network Terminal, or ONT, is a customer device that provides internet connectivty from an operator’s network to a business or residential customer, using a fiber-optic backbone. An ONT connects to an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) in the operator’s facility, and can achieve varying high-speed connections depending on the technology used, up to 10G.
What causes cable ingress?
Cable ingress is caused generally by a lack of integrity in the closed RF network of an HFC network. Typical causes of ingress are bad splitters or open cables in a customer’s home, or breaks in an external cable line on the cable operator’s network. Loose cables and other such connection issues can also allow the signal into an HFC network, causing ingress,
What is DOCSIS Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM)?
DOCSIS PNM is a standard developed by CableLabs that allows for the proactive prediction of network issues in an HFC cable plant. PNM uses pre-equalization to monitor how well devices are communicating back to the “cable headend” and to both allow for adjustments to overcome minor transmission issues, and to predict how long it might be before such issues become too severe to be corrected without fixing the physical issue in the cable plant. PNM can also provide guidance about where to go to fix such issues.