[ale] Cable modem recommendation

[Michael H. Warfield]

On Mon, 2012-04-02 at 09:47 -0400, mike at trausch.us wrote:
> On 04/02/2012 08:33 AM, Lightner, Jeff wrote:
> > Does anyone know if there is a special device required for Comcast
> > telephone and if so would they be charging an extra monthly fee and
> > if so if one can buy one rather than rent as they can with cable
> > modem?

> It is indeed some form of VoIP.  That said, just like many of the VoIP
> providers, they typically require that you use an MTA that is provided
> by them and therefore provisioned through them.

Well, there's some variation in the degree of "required".  AT&T Uverse
very strongly wants you to use their RG (Residential Gateway) to provide
HPNA network over coax, video over IP, phone VoIP, wired networking and
wireless networking.  But their RG is a serious POS.  It goes dain
bramaged every once in a while requiring a reset, sometimes loses
setting like static mappings, has a dhcp server that's total junk, and
doesn't support a lot of things I would personally consider mandatory in
a modern device.  (The set top boxes - STBs - even run Windows ME for
crying out loud - stone knives and bearskins.)  You CAN replace it with
one you buy off the shelf I read on article on a person's experience
getting it up and running.  It wasn't a pleasant experience since the
AT&T people are not familiar with provisioning the devices and are not
encouraged or encouraging to pursue it.  But they will, if forced.  He
got his running.  It can be done.  It likely won't be easy.

> I don't know what Comcast's rules are; I'm not sure if they allow you to
> swap out for your own dedicated devices or not.  I know that many other
> providers do not, because of the recent requirements that they provide
> certain services in the same way as landlines (e.g., 911 service).
> Therefore, they likely require that you use their own device so that
> they can control the configuration and such.

> The advantage to Comcast's MTAs (which are built-in to the cable modem
> itself) is that they have a battery back-up contained in the box, too.
> This makes them bigger and heavier, of course, but it means that during
> short power outages, you still have telephone service.

The AT&T unit has an external battery backup that includes it's DC
supply.  I would consider that a plus to having a built in one.  As most
of us know all too well, those gel cells go bad after a few years and
are worthless.  Then you replace the battery or the UPS or the device.
I would much MUCH rather have a separate UPS that alerts you when the
battery is failing or needs replacement.  The one on the AT&T unit isn't
anything to brag about but it doesn't have anything serious to carry.
If it died, they could easily replace it without swapping my whole RG or
ripping it apart to replace.

> The disadvantage, of course, is that you don't have control of the
> thing.  I know that on the business class services, you don't get to buy
> your own cable modem, at least not yet.  They have told me that they
> plan to allow this in the future, but it seems that for now, they rely
> on having control of the device in order to setup whatever tunnel
> mechanism they use to deliver static IP blocks to the customer premises.
> 
> 	--- Mike

Mike
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Michael H. Warfield (AI4NB) | (770) 985-6132 |  mhw at WittsEnd.com
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