A physical layer device including a first port and a second port comprises a cable tester that communicates with the first and second ports and that determines a cable status, which includes an open status, a short status, and a normal status. Opposite ends of a cable selectively communicate with the first and second ports. The cable tester includes a test module that transmits a test pulse on the cable, measures reflection amplitude, calculates a cable length, and determines the cable status based on the measured amplitude and the calculated cable length. A frequency synthesizer communicates with the cable and that selectively outputs a plurality of signals at a plurality of frequencies on the first port. An insertion loss calculator receives the signals on the second port and that estimates insertion loss.