Any cable ISP folks here?

[M_Six]

I need an insider's point of view. My cable company is offering much higher speed access for an additional $15/month. I have no qualms about paying the increased fees. But they also want $100 to come out and install a new cable modem they claim I need. They can't explain why I need it other than to say "it's bigger and faster." I have a DOCSIS 2.0 compliant cable modem that's been working fine for years and my wireless network is running smooth. This modem they want to install is also an 802.11g router. My entire system is 802.11b and I'm quite happy with it. I really don't want some no-experience kid messing up my system for no reason.

So my question is, do they really need to install a new modem? If I understand things right, my current modem is easily capable of the speeds they're offering (10Mbps down/1Mbps up) and only needs to have the cap raised. And they can do this by TFTP'ing a new config file to it, right? Or is there another issue I'm missing?

[davidw]

Offhand it sounds like they're just trying to make a sale. I can check on this in the morning though and give you a definate answer. The funny thing you mention this though - two years ago Cox (the cable Internet company I subscribe to, not the one I work for) the policy was as long as it was complaint with xx and yy, you could use it - and they had a list of modems. Since it is now Suddenlink, recently sold, customers have to do the exact same thing you are describing - they cannot use anything except for what they have and they have to install it for a gross fee.

The cable modems we currently are selling/renting out are the Terayon TJ716X. The only reason we use them are because of compared to the other ones the distributors have, they are the best choice for the money. Of course, we are starting to think about looking elsewhere as prices are starting to go up.

Personally it sounds like marketing, rather than some technological difference.

[M_Six]

YGPM, David.

[Shyguy]

I don't know as much as Dave, but it does sound like they're trying to make a sale on the thing, I'm guessing after paying the $100, the modem is still the cable companies, & you'll be paying a small rental fee for it as well...?

Charter did that years ago around here, pay like $5 a month or something for their cable modems, Motorola Surfboards, you could buy at Best Buy or similar, for $60-100... AND KEEP IT YOURSELF...

reason after the first time we got Charters connection (prior to when I was offline for a year), that I decided to buy my own Modem, my Current SMC one... works with Charters service just fine, though sometimes I do have to reboot the damn thing & miraculously get my near full bandwidth afterwards...?

but I too am going to raise our connection to next highest for $10-15 more a month, up to 5Mb Down 512Kb Up, from the current 3Mb/256Kb connection... wondering if they'll pull the same shenanigans as yours...?

but I want a newer modem anyways, as well as a new Wireless Router... But will buy both myself, make sure the modem is "compatible" with Charters connection first of course :rolleyes:

[Win2Kuser]

It sounds like pure marketing to me. Lots of companies are doing the very same thing over here. Your router sounds more than capable of taking 10 down and 1 up (as are just about all routers I'd have thought), not sure on the TFTP'ing a new config file to it though, thats way over my head :)

My sister in law recently rang up British Telecom to inquire about getting another phone socket installed in a nearby room to where her pc is so that she could move the pc into there. I don't know how they managed it, but she finished up agreeing to a 12 month contract to BT's broadband, and they told her she had have their BT Home Hub router in order to use it - total cost £150, then £37 a month from then on. She got the Home Hub, plugged it in exactly as she had been told, and low and behold it did nothing. They never bothered to tell her that she would also need a wireless NIC that cost an additional £42 (from BT) in order to use it.

It was lucky that I just happened to call her whilst she was trying to set this thing up and she explained what she had been told etc etc etc.

I told her that she already had a BB account which she knew, but she doesn't understand how they talked her into having to have their own service and home hub etc. She's quite a shrewd business woman (owns her own business) and is normally very quick to spot a scam, but the way they sold it to her made it sound like it was just what she needed.

Long story short, I told her that all she needed was a wireless router and that I could get her one. She sent the BT stuff back (eventually as they tried it on BIG TIME!). I bought her a £50 router complete with a wireless usb dongle, and had the whole thing up in 30 mins.

Basically, all she wanted originally was a new socket installed which BT charge about £80 - That would have been a nice bit of commision for the muppet that sold her the unwanted stuff :rolleyes:

I know it doesn't help you in your answers, but thought I'd share it just to prove the lengths some people will go to, to make a sale.