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Upon detection of a trigger, such as the exceeding of an error threshold or the direction of a user, a diagnostic link system enters a diagnostic information transmission mode. This diagnostic information transmission mode allows for two modems to exchange diagnostic and/or test information that may

Upon detection of a trigger, such as the exceeding of an error threshold or the direction of a user, a diagnostic link system enters a diagnostic information transmission mode. This diagnostic information transmission mode allows for two modems to exchange diagnostic and/or test information that may not otherwise be exchangeable during normal communication. The diagnostic information transmission mode is initiated by transmitting an initiate diagnostic link mode message to a receiving modem accompanied by a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). The receiving modem determines, based on the CRC, if a robust communications channel is present. If a robust communications channel is present, the two modems can initiate exchange of the diagnostic and/or test information. Otherwise, the transmission power of the transmitting modem is increased and the initiate diagnostic link mode message re-transmitted to the receiving modem until the CRC is determined to be correct.

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What is claimed is: 1. In a multicarrier modulation transceiver, a method of communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: transmitting or receiving at the multicarrier modulation transceiver an initiate diagnostic mode message; and tran

What is claimed is: 1. In a multicarrier modulation transceiver, a method of communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: transmitting or receiving at the multicarrier modulation transceiver an initiate diagnostic mode message; and transmitting from the multicarrier modulation transceiver a diagnostic message using multicarrier modulation, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel and each bit in the diagnostic message is mapped to at least one DMT symbol, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is a central office modem or a remote terminal modem. 5. A diagnostic system capable of communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: a transceiver capable of transmitting or receiving an initiate diagnostic mode message; and a message determination module capable of determining and, in cooperation with the transceiver, transmitting a diagnostic message from the transceiver, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel and each bit in the diagnostic message is mapped to at least one DMT signal, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the transceiver is a central office modem or a remote terminal modem. 9. A multicarrier communication transceiver capable of communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: means for transmitting or receiving at the multicarrier communication transceiver an initiate diagnostic mode message; and means for transmitting from the multicarrier communication transceiver a diagnostic message using multicarrier modulation, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel and each bit in the diagnostic message is mapped to at least one DMT symbol, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 10. The transceiver of claim 9, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 11. The transceiver of claim 9, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 12. The transceiver of claim 9, wherein the transceiver is a central office modem or a remote terminal modem. 13. In a multicarrier communication transceiver, a protocol for communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: transmitting or receiving at the multicarrier communication transceiver an initiate diagnostic mode message; and transmitting from the multicarrier communication transceiver a diagnostic message using multicarrier modulation, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel and each bit in the diagnostic message is mapped to at least one DMT symbol, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 14. The protocol of claim 13, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 15. The protocol of claim 13, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 16. The protocol of claim 13, wherein the transceiver is a central office modem or a remote terminal modem. 17. An information storage media comprising instructions that when executed communicate diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: instructions that when executed direct a transceiver to receive or transmit an initiate diagnostic mode message; and instructions that when executed transmit a diagnostic message from the transceiver using multicarrier modulation, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel and each bit in the diagnostic message is mapped to at least one DMT symbol, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 18. The media of claim 17, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 19. The media of claim 17, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 20. In a multicarrier modulation transceiver, a method of communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: transmitting or receiving at the multicarrier modulation transceiver an initiate diagnostic mode message; and transmitting from the multicarrier modulation transceiver a diagnostic message using multicarrier modulation with DMT symbols that are mapped to one bit of the diagnostic message, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the transceiver is a central office modem or a remote terminal modem. 24. A diagnostic system capable of communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: a transceiver capable of transmitting or receiving an initiate diagnostic mode message; and a message determination module capable of determining and, in cooperation with the transceiver, transmitting from the transceiver a diagnostic message using multicarrier modulation with DMT symbols that are mapped to one bit of the diagnostic message, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 26. The system of claim 24, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 27. The system of claim 24, wherein the transceiver is a central office modem or a remote terminal modem. 28. A multicarrier communication transceiver capable of communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: means for transmitting or receiving at the multicarrier communication transceiver an initiate diagnostic mode message; and means for transmitting from the multicarrier communication transceiver a diagnostic message using multicarrier modulation with DMT symbols that are mapped to one bit of the diagnostic message, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 29. The transceiver of claim 28, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 30. The transceiver of claim 28, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 31. The transceiver of claim 28, wherein the transceiver is a central office modem or a remote terminal modem. 32. In a multicarrier communication transceiver, a protocol for communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: transmitting or receiving at the multicarrier communication transceiver an initiate diagnostic mode message; and transmitting from the multicarrier communication transceiver a diagnostic message using multicarrier modulation with DMT symbols that are mapped to one bit of the diagnostic message, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 33. The protocol of claim 32, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 34. The protocol of claim 32, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 35. The protocol of claim 32, wherein the transceiver is a central office modem or a remote terminal modem. 36. An information storage media comprising instructions that when executed communicate diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: instructions that when executed direct a transceiver to receive or transmit an initiate diagnostic mode message; and instructions that when executed transmit from the transceiver a diagnostic message using multicarrier modulation with DMT symbols that are mapped to one bit of the diagnostic message, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel, and wherein one variable comprises an array representing is frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 37. The media of claim 36, wherein the initiate diagnostic mode message is based on at least one of an initialization failure, a bit rate failure, a CRC error in an initialization message, a CRC error during the normal steady state transmission mode, a forward error correction error, a user request and a CO technician request. 38. The media of claim 36, wherein the diagnostic message comprises diagnostic information about the communication channel including at least one of a length of the diagnostic information, a time domain received reverb signal, a frequency domain reverb signal, an amplifier setting, a CO transmitter power spectral density, a frequency domain received idle channel, a signal to noise ratio, bits and gain information, and upstream and or downstream transmission rates. 39. In a multicarrier modulation transceiver, a method of communicating diagnostic information including a plurality of data variables over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: associating, at said transceiver in a diagnostic message and based on an initiate diagnostic mode message, each bit in the diagnostic message with at least one DMT symbol, wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 40. In a multicarrier modulation transceiver, a method of communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: transmitting, during a diagnostic mode, a diagnostic message using multicarrier modulation, wherein the diagnostic message comprises a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information about the communication channel and at least one bit in the diagnostic message is mapped to at least one DMT symbol, wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information. 41. Communicating diagnostic information over a communication channel using multicarrier modulation comprising: communicating from a transceiver a diagnostic message comprising a plurality of data variables representing the diagnostic information, wherein each bit in the diagnostic message is mapped to at least one DMT symbol, wherein one variable comprises an array representing frequency domain received idle channel noise information.