A system (100) and method (400) for monitoring a data channel for discontinuous transmission activity can include a monitoring unit (210), in which the monitoring unit can identify a source of modifying the discontinuous transmission activity based on receipt of an identifier packet, and an equalizer (214) coupled to the monitoring unit. When the monitoring unit determines that an identifier packet has been modified by a source over a communication channel, the equalizer can apply a compensatory equalization associated with the identified source to compensate for equalization applied at the source.