<p>Oh, would that I could.</p>
<p>I would utterly love to get rid of this SMC POS.</p>
<p>Thankfully, though, it isn't as bad as it used to be. They pushed some firmware updates that vastly increased reliability. But I still hate the thing.</p>
<p> - mike</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Apr 2, 2012 10:41 AM, "scott mcbrien" <<a href="mailto:smcbrien@gmail.com">smcbrien@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Here's the one I'm currently using with Comcast:<br>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XC6GJ0" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XC6GJ0</a><br>
<br>
Getting them to activate it was easy, called the tech support phone<br>
line, told them I had my own modem, they asked for the MAC address of<br>
it, sent a reset signal or two, and it was done. Took about 30'ish<br>
minutes.<br>
<br>
-Scott<br>
<br>
On Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 10:31 AM, <a href="mailto:mike@trausch.us">mike@trausch.us</a> <<a href="mailto:mike@trausch.us">mike@trausch.us</a>> wrote:<br>
> On 04/02/2012 10:08 AM, Michael H. Warfield wrote:<br>
>> On Mon, 2012-04-02 at 09:47 -0400, <a href="mailto:mike@trausch.us">mike@trausch.us</a> wrote:<br>
>>> On 04/02/2012 08:33 AM, Lightner, Jeff wrote:<br>
>>>> Does anyone know if there is a special device required for Comcast<br>
>>>> telephone and if so would they be charging an extra monthly fee and<br>
>>>> if so if one can buy one rather than rent as they can with cable<br>
>>>> modem?<br>
>><br>
>>> It is indeed some form of VoIP. That said, just like many of the VoIP<br>
>>> providers, they typically require that you use an MTA that is provided<br>
>>> by them and therefore provisioned through them.<br>
>><br>
>> Well, there's some variation in the degree of "required". AT&T Uverse<br>
>> very strongly wants you to use their RG (Residential Gateway) to provide<br>
>> HPNA network over coax, video over IP, phone VoIP, wired networking and<br>
>> wireless networking. But their RG is a serious POS. It goes dain<br>
>> bramaged every once in a while requiring a reset, sometimes loses<br>
>> setting like static mappings, has a dhcp server that's total junk, and<br>
>> doesn't support a lot of things I would personally consider mandatory in<br>
>> a modern device. (The set top boxes - STBs - even run Windows ME for<br>
>> crying out loud - stone knives and bearskins.) You CAN replace it with<br>
>> one you buy off the shelf I read on article on a person's experience<br>
>> getting it up and running. It wasn't a pleasant experience since the<br>
>> AT&T people are not familiar with provisioning the devices and are not<br>
>> encouraged or encouraging to pursue it. But they will, if forced. He<br>
>> got his running. It can be done. It likely won't be easy.<br>
><br>
> DSL networks are very different from cable networks.<br>
><br>
> In DSL networks, authentication occurs using your personal credentials,<br>
> usually over some form of PPP (PPPoE is what AT&T uses, if memory<br>
> serves). It is a PITA, but it is possible to do absolutely anything you<br>
> want; they cannot make you use a particular device, all they can say is<br>
> that your device must not interfere with the telco's network.<br>
><br>
> OTOH, cable networks use MAC addresses for authentication (wonderful,<br>
> isn't it?). A residential Comcast customer that has no services other<br>
> than Internet (or Internet and TV, the important thing here being that<br>
> they do not have the Voice package) can go out to the store, pick up a<br>
> cable modem, install it, and then call Comcast. Comcast will require<br>
> that you read the MAC address of the device, and then they will<br>
> "provision" it, which involves sending a configuration file to your<br>
> local node or hub or whatever it is on their network that your modem<br>
> actually talks to. Then, the cable modem will be able to grab a<br>
> configuration file and you'll be out of the walled garden.<br>
><br>
> Now, I have been told that the business class side works a little<br>
> differently; they use some form of PKI to provide authentication for the<br>
> routed tunnel that you obtain through them.<br>
><br>
> In the case of AT&T and having a routed block, they will just send your<br>
> routed block over your PPPoE session, once established.<br>
><br>
> I have no clue how to determine what my current cable modem is doing,<br>
> because I haven't the ability to capture or monitor the coax side of the<br>
> network. If I could only do that...<br>
><br>
>>> I don't know what Comcast's rules are; I'm not sure if they allow you to<br>
>>> swap out for your own dedicated devices or not. I know that many other<br>
>>> providers do not, because of the recent requirements that they provide<br>
>>> certain services in the same way as landlines (e.g., 911 service).<br>
>>> Therefore, they likely require that you use their own device so that<br>
>>> they can control the configuration and such.<br>
>><br>
>>> The advantage to Comcast's MTAs (which are built-in to the cable modem<br>
>>> itself) is that they have a battery back-up contained in the box, too.<br>
>>> This makes them bigger and heavier, of course, but it means that during<br>
>>> short power outages, you still have telephone service.<br>
>><br>
>> The AT&T unit has an external battery backup that includes it's DC<br>
>> supply. I would consider that a plus to having a built in one. As most<br>
>> of us know all too well, those gel cells go bad after a few years and<br>
>> are worthless. Then you replace the battery or the UPS or the device.<br>
>> I would much MUCH rather have a separate UPS that alerts you when the<br>
>> battery is failing or needs replacement. The one on the AT&T unit isn't<br>
>> anything to brag about but it doesn't have anything serious to carry.<br>
>> If it died, they could easily replace it without swapping my whole RG or<br>
>> ripping it apart to replace.<br>
><br>
> Agreed.<br>
><br>
> All-in-one devices are horrible. Evil.<br>
><br>
> The current cable modem that I have is also a router/gigabit switch. I<br>
> cannot disable most of its functionality, and I can't do complex things<br>
> with my address space, because this thing sucks so horribly. If only I<br>
> had control of my own IPv4 network... oh, well, that's what IPv6 is for!<br>
> :-)<br>
><br>
> --- Mike<br>
><br>
> --<br>
> A man who reasons deliberately, manages it better after studying Logic<br>
> than he could before, if he is sincere about it and has common sense.<br>
> --- Carveth Read, “Logic”<br>
><br>
><br>
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