A system and method permits a network management agent executing on a customer premise equipment (CPE) component to determine whether a router is coupled between the CPE component and the cable modem through which the CPE component communicates with a data-over-cable network. The network management agent executing on the CPE component encapsulates the MAC address of the CPE component in a network management message that is sent to a server at the head end of the data-over-cable network. The head end compares the encapsulated MAC address with the MAC address of the device coupled to the cable modem that sent the network management message. If the MAC addresses are not the same, the server at the head end sets a router status element in the network management message response and sends it to the agent executing on the CPE component. The agent may then interrogate the router status element and determine whether a router is coupled between the CPE component on which it is executing and the cable modem through which it is coupled to the data-over-cable network.