How do you test and troubleshoot ADSL lines in the field?

One very handy piece of test equipment is the Netopia 3342 pocket modem (PDF data sheet). We use this with a battery-powered notebook computer to test our ADSL circuits in the field. The 3342 requires no AC adaptor and draws its power from the USB port of the computer. Thus the test equipment is able to operate from the battery of the notebook computer.

A typical test can be done even if the subscriber is not at home. We go to the network interface and unplug the inside wiring from the line that carries the ADSL signal. We then run a phone cord from the network interface to the 3342, and the 3342 is plugged into the notebook computer.

The end-user's IP address is static, so it is necessary to program the end-user's IP address as well as the default gateway into the router of the 3342. We do this using the web-based configuration utility of the 3342.

We have prepared a knowledge base article detailing how to configure the 3342 to work with the Copper Mountain DSLAM.