Systems and techniques relating to channel degradation detection for communication systems are described. A described system includes a processor and an interface to transmit signals and receive signals via a channel that includes a cable. The processor can be configured to perform echo cancellation based on echo tap values to remove portions of the transmitted signals that appear as echoes within the received signals, signal equalization based on equalizer tap values, or both. The processor can be configured to determine a channel quality indicator of the channel based on one or more of the echo tap values, one or more of the equalizer tap values, or both. The processor can be configured to generate a warning indication based on the channel quality indicator indicating a degradation of the cable or the channel.