Computer systems and techniques for predicting a cable failure in a network system begin by receiving a remote alarm indicator followed by a remote alarm indicator clear as a transmission alarm indicator of an intermittent short duration failure on the transmission path of a circuit. If the transmission alarm indicator is of a duration less than or equal to a preset threshold D it is considered an acceptable short hit transmission alarm. When at least N acceptable transmission alarms have been received and the time stamps of the last N acceptable transmission alarms have been recorded, then a determination is made as to whether N acceptable transmission alarms have been received within a preset time period. A moving window time period is calculated as the difference between the time stamp of the present acceptable transmission alarm K and the time stamp of the [(K−N)+1] acceptable transmission alarm. If the difference is less than or equal to T, a cable error signature is indicated. Based on the cable error signature, a cable failure may be predicted.