A method and apparatus for testing communications within a broadband network between a network edge device and a customer premises device. Network data traffic is diverted from the customer premises device to a test device. The test device emulates the customer premises device through the use of identifying data associated with the customer premises device. In one embodiment, data is diverted from the customer premises device to a test port loop back converter, which performs a DSL conversion of the data. The converted data is backhauled from the test port loop back converter to a test network edge device. The data is then sent from the test network edge device to a test customer premises device. The test customer premises device can be located at a site remote from the network edge device or can be collocated with and directly coupled to the network edge device.