Triple-Play Service Deployment

Chapter 5: Troubleshooting the Premises Wiring
Testing HPNA and MoCA
Testing HPNA and MoCA requires testing the physical layer and the service
layer. Leading-edge test sets provide a full suite of physical layer tests to find
impairments in the coax or twisted pair network and offer a mode that will
measure the performance of the separate nodes in the network. The purpose
of HPNA drop testing is to verify that the HPNA link to each drop (outlet) is
operating correctly and has the capacity to consistently carry data. This test
should be performed at every drop within the premises to verify the
functionality of the HPNA network, with only the host device installed. This test
can be performed on either coax or telephone cable. Final HPNA network
testing is recommended after all HPNA devices are installed and fully
provisioned to verify that the entire HPNA network is operating correctly. The
HPNA devices within the network should all be de-activated for this test to be
completed correctly. In an HPNAv3 network, the optimal data rate for each link
is 112 Mb. If the packet rate is zero and the data rate is over 96 Mb, the network
should perform properly. If the packet error rate is non-zero or the data rate is
below 96 Mb, the operator should verify that the network has been provisioned
correctly.
The HPNA or MoCA mode tests also measure signal and data performance to
ensure proper operating headroom. Future truck rolls may be reduced and
customer satisfaction increased by fully qualifying each coax outlet in the home.
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