A system and method for establishing a return path in a cable television test environment. A cable television test environment comprising a plurality of head-ends connected to a plurality of set top boxes through a one-way forward matrix switch having "M" inputs and "N" outputs is adapted to provide a reverse path for each of the available "N" outputs. A low band reverse signal is received from each of a plurality of set top boxes. The low band reverse signal from each of the plurality of set top boxes is combined to produce a composite signal. The composite signal is split into a plurality of composite signal sources. Each of the composite signal sources is sent to each of the plurality of head-ends (M) via the transmission means connecting that head-end to the matrix switch. The low band composite QPSK signal from the source diplexer travels in the reverse direction to the head-end. Each head-end is assigned a unique set of frequencies for return communications from the STBs serviced by that head-end. A QPSK demodulator in a head-end demodulates its assigned return frequencies as they appear in the low band composite QPSK signal.