Downstream spectrum analysis without the expensive equipment and no truck roll.
RF Inspector is an App designed for cable operators that allows a technician to view the full downstream RF signal passing through any compatible customer premises equipment (CPE), such as cable modems or set-top-boxes, without the use of a meter, and without the need to drive to the customer premises.
While downloading the RF Inspector app is free, there is a subscription price of $9.95 per year to use the app. This is a substantial savings over the cost of traditional test equipment.
**IMPORTANT NOTE ** -- You must have the RF Inspector Admin software running on a server in your cable plant TO AUTHENCATE USERS AND for RF Inspector to display THE CAPTURED spectrum information. You will not be able to sign up for a subscription until the Admin Software is in place. The RF Inspector Admin Software is available for FREE for all NCTC Provider Member Companies on the NCTC website.
If your company is not an NCTC member please send an email to [email protected] for pricing and additional information about how to obtain the Admin software.
-- Save on Test Equipment and Truck Rolls --
With RF Inspector you don’t need to roll a truck to the customer’s home to view the full spectrum. You can see all video and data channels without being at the customer site, and without connecting a meter, regardless of what channel the device is tuned to. RF Inspector gathers the spectrum data from any compatible CPE and displays it on a tablet or smartphone wherever you happen to be. You can also overlay the RF signal from a second CPE device so that you can make a quick comparison of the spectrum at two different points on your cable plant.
RF Inspector allows you to significantly lower capital expenditures for test equipment, as well as save on operational costs by reducing the number and duration of truck rolls. With RF Inspector you will see the same familiar spectrum signature that you would see on a meter, including issues like:
- Excessive tilt
- Overdriven channels
- Spectrum suck outs
- RF notches
- Standing waves
- Resonant peaking
- Ingress and other interference
With RF Inspector you control who in your company can have access to a powerful, spectrum analysis tool, not your capital budget.
-- Cable Modem and Set-Top-Box Compatibility --
RF Inspector is compatible with DOCSIS cable modems and set-top-boxes that have the ability to capture the full spectrum passing through the device. This feature is supported on the hardware side by CPE that have the Intel Puma 5 and 6 chipsets with MaxLinear receivers and CPE that have these Broadcom chipsets: 3128, 3383, 33843, 3384, 3385. Compatible CPE includes cable modems and set-top-boxes from Arris, Cisco, Hitron, Motorola, Netgear, Ubee and others. Note: While the CPE hardware may already support spectrum capture, the firmware on the CPE must also be updated to a version that also supports that ability. ** Please check with your OEM to confirm hardware and firmware compatibility. For the latest list of CPE hardware that should support spectrum capture go here: http://www.zcorum.com/rf-inspector/modem-compatibility/
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