Understanding Loopback Testing

Layer 1–4 loopbacks (MAC address, IP address, and port swap frame reflection) enable remote QoS testing for Ethernet, IP/MPLS, and triple-play services. You can establish a loopback by using any of the following parameter combinations:

• Source and/or destination MAC address
• VLAN ID
• Source and/or destination IP address
• Source and/or destination UDP/TCP ports
• Service level

You can run loopbacks in-band or out-of-band, avoiding impact on customer traffic while you run tests.

The Sensor Control supports the following loopback types:

• Local (private) loopback: Loops back all traffic matching the custom loopback parameters you define
• Remotely controlled loopback: Loops back traffic upon the reception of a predefined frame type from a JDSU/Acterna™ test set.