Own your own cable modem.

Hi,

Was just looking at my TelstraClear bill because we're about to ditch
cable telly, I noticed the $17/month cable modem rental fee and it got
me thinking:

Now that the cable modem infrastructure must have settled down, it seems
unlikely that any wholesale changing of standards is unlikely to happen.
Is it getting to the point where it is worth owning your own cable
modem? Anyone done this? Did it work?

Cheers,
Dave

 

I have generally been very pleased with the service in my 2+ years of
usage. The only real problem I observed early on was a tendency to over
rate traffic usage, which I suspect was due to rounding errors in the billing
algorithms that tended to over rate usage for unsolicited junk traffic
(even with CM powered off). As far as I can tell
this issue has been resolved (to my satisfaction at least).

Last time I checked a cable modem connection was more economical than an
equivalent ADSL connection and certainly less problematic as far as I can
tell after lurking on the ADSL and broadband lists for a couple of years.
A static IP address is a great boon, especially if you want to run your
own servers.

I run my own mail server, Paradise.net (our ISP) provide mail bagging and
secondary DNS (no extra charge)- I've had no problems with either.

No personal experience with gaming, but whenever I've looked over the shoulder
of my son or his mates playing network games on a PC or his X-Box they
appear to be achieving very good real-time responsiveness (and he hasn't complained to me, which has
to be a good sign)....

 

I was told when I got mine that the _only_ option was to hire theirs
(nearly a year ago)

I wasn't very happy about _having to hire_ it at the time, but
at $17 per month I figured that by the time I'd paid the full price of it
in rental there'd be something faster that I'd want to switch to anyway!

- Scott

 

Welcome back David
We had a discussion here about this a while ago and one poster went to the
trouble of asking Telstra Clear about whether they would connect a cable
modem provided by the customer and the answer was no, unfortunately.

 

When I signed up for cable modem with Telstra/Saturn in 2001 I was
informed via authoritive contacts in the organisation there was a plan to
eventually allow users to provide their own DOCSIS compliant Cable Modems,
at least in those areas where DOCSIS CMTS equipment was installed (e.g.
Christchurch). That was one reason why the $17 CM hire was listed separately.

Since that time T/S became Telstra/Clear and management policy on this may have
changed. However, as far as I'm aware they still don't permit you to connect your
own CM at this time - someone checked this with T/C and reported back to the ng
late last year.

 

I called TC late last week and was informed that they still do not allow you
to use your own cable modem and that things are likely to change mid-year
.... but then again they were saying xmas when I joined with them last year
.... so i aint holding my breath. Are people out there satisfied with the TC
cable service ... any hiccups with mail/news servers ... how is gaming??
Looking at taking the plunge soon. Any comments appreciated ...J

 

In the US that would be illegal, you must be able to use your own modem..

 

I'd never go back to dial up (given a choice)
Haven't had any hiccups with anything at all, maybe the odd slow day, but
nothing major. I don't do online gaming though, so I can't comment on
that one.

- Scott

 

Hmm, interesting. . .
Ever since I came to oz from NZ, I swore to myself I'd never go back to
dialup.
I'm on cable here in oz and always wondered how broadband ISP's supplied
their customers with cable modem's.
For me, I had to sign a 12 month contract and they threw in a Motorola
SB4100 cable modem and a network card. The SB4100 has support for either USB
or NIC.
At the end of my contract I was allowed to keep the modem.
That was almost 3 years ago.
About a year ago, I ended my contract and went shopping around for better
options with regards to broadband ISP's.
I live a wee bit to far from the phone exchange for ADSL so I decided to
take on cable again.
When they re-connected me they asked if I still had my old cable modem. I
told them no, I didn't, ( /me crosses fingers and hides them behind my
back ).
I'm the proud owner of 2 Motorola cable modem's, a SB4100 and a SB4200.
Only problem though is that I had to pay for another NIC, if I wanted one,
which I refused to buy 'cause I still had my old one.
If cable ISP's in NZ can handle a Motorola SB4100, I got one for sale, lol.
.. .

 

Robert Mathews startled all and sundry by ejaculating the following words
of wisdom

Perhaps you could move there. Everyone else is quite happy not to be under
the US legal system.

 

I'd chip in $10 for his airfare.

;-)

 

Wow. Of all the responses I had expected to get, that was not one of
them. My absence was missed? This is usenet - the famously pseudo
anonymous "drain" of the Internet. All I ever seemed to do was rant
about Microsoft

So, thanks.

BTW, I'm trying to tone back the MS hating - New Year's resolution. But
I *am* becoming an increasingly rabid Mac fanboy

That's vaugely what I had thought. I think they configure up the rate
limiting at the "edge" of the network - i.e. on my cable modem - and
breaking the management interface would obviously not go down all that well.

Oh well, it was worth asking. And perhaps next time I'll have the good
manners to google for it first

Cheers,
Dave

 

David Preece allegedly said:

It's not an option they offer.

You need to rent their modems as far as I know......

 

Robert Mathews allegedly said:

Nope.....

 

Rob Singers allegedly said:

What legal system?

It's been replaced by the "Bush-Crony System".

 

David Preece allegedly said:

Mac are just as proprietary as MS...and less responsive.

Try buying Quicktime Pro legally in NZ...and you'll see what I mean.

Oh they have it on the web site: "Upgrade now!"

But you wuickly find out that you can't actually - legally - buy it if
you're located in New Zealand.

It's been that way for 2 years at least - and still is that way today ...and
they have done nothing to address it.

When I found that out, it reminded me of all the OLD complaints you used to
hear from mac-heads about Apple would be so much more successful if they
just listened to their customers.

Mac OS X looks awesome......but it's just another WinXP-like proprietary
leg-iron.

 

The rate limiting is at the modem, and its set by tftp I believe.
There are hacks out there to trick it

 

I reckon you are right. Iposted a while back about the Com21 modems having
a plug in the back with a 4 pin header behind it. I was told that Tesltra
use that interface to set the speed, and no, they won't tell you how to do
it.

 

TelstraClear rep told me March on the phone last night.

 

I wonder if the cable modem presently on rental will be offered for
sale to existing subscribers? I would certainly be interested in
purchasing the modem if a deduction was given for previous rental
payments.

Regards,
John.