[ale] Question about cable modem connections

[Pat Regan]

Jeff Lightner wrote:
> "untrue" meaning "lie"?

For it to be a lie it would have to be an intentional inaccuracy :).  I
certainly didn't mean to imply that your experience didn't happen.  What
I am trying to say is that your experience is more likely an anomaly.

> Your experience with Comcast may be different from mine (and what others
> have posted on this list in past) but that doesn't make our experiences
> "untrue".
> 
> Also we're talking about Atlanta so far as I know - perhaps there is a
> difference in the way it is operated in the Northeast - most major
> companies do have geographic "divisions".  It isn't unusual to see
> differences in the way companies operate in such "divisions".   I once
> worked for a major telephone company and the difference in the way my
> UNIX team operated from that in another area lead to quite a culture
> shock when they combined the two operations.

If Comcast in this region actually forces you to run through their
automated cable modem setup they would be the first cable company I've
heard of that do that.  I would bet it depends more on who you talk to
than anything else.

About a year ago I replaced an ancient, expensive, and slow DSL line at
a small office with a Comcast cable modem (business class service, or
whatever they call it).  After it was installed I showed up to move our
VPN router to the new connection.

It turned out they gave me a router+modem hybrid that was only capable
of running NAT.  I wanted to get it replaced with a old school standard
cable modem.  The gentleman I talked to said I couldn't buy my own and
that I couldn't go to the local Comcast store and swap it and he
couldn't ship me one.  I had to wait for the installer to come and swap it.

So they sent the installer.  When he got there he called me and
explained that he wasn't allowed to give me a standard modem and that he
didn't even have one with him.

The next fellow I talked to told me I couldn't go to the store and swap
it but that I could certainly purchase one.  So I did.  I would love to
know why, but when I called up to get it activated they couldn't make it
work.  I don't remember much of what he told me, but I seem to remember
the problem involving the fact that the MAC on the modem I bought wasn't
already in his database.

On the plus side, this wonderful gentleman told me that there was
absolutely no reason I couldn't just take this fancier modem to the
Comcast store and swap it.

Im my experience, going way back before this incident, Comcast has
terrible and inconsistent customer service.  Just because one customer
service guy doesn't know how or want to do something for you doesn't
mean the next one will be the same.

I would gamble real money that you could activate a Comcast cable modem
over the phone anywhere in any of their territories.  What I wouldn't
risk that money on is how many less-useful reps you'll have to talk to
before it happens.  I haven't got any statistics on that :).

I apologize for the long

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