This sets the number of midspan repeaters in the circuit path that far-end DS0 testing needs to punch through, or traverse, to reach the test loop point. Some repeater types need to be told how many hops of repeater equipment lie between this port and the far-end loop so the correct inband signaling sequence is used to reach past them, so an incorrect count here on this specific circuit can prevent the far-end loop from being established at all. A DS0 circuit routed through two midspan repeaters before reaching the customer's CSU would need this set to 2 on this port for the loop-up sequence to successfully punch through both repeaters.