Buying Cable Modem

[Le Big Mac]

My broadband co. has started charging $5/mo. to rent my cable modem. THey provide the option to buy your own, which I'm thinking of doing.

But, they want $50 to come install my modem. Come on. I can screw the coax into a new modem and plug the ethernet into the new modem.

Do cable cos. (mine is RCN/Starpower) specify a given MAC address for the cable modem for each address, so they need to check the new one and put it into the system? If so, any workarounds? Should I just berate them so that they let me call in the MAC address?

 

[LethalWolfe]

AFAIK tha MAC address is attached to your NIC, not to the modem. When you connect to the serivce your ISP sees the MAC addy and "attaches" that address to your account to keep people from hooking multiple machines upto one line, but it doesn't save the addy so if you power down the modem then hook it up to a different machine it will use that machines MAC address to "verify" that only one machine is using the service. The easy way to get around this is to get a router that can spoof your machines MAC address then you can hook up as many machines as your want to the routher because your ISP will only see the MAC address in the router.

did that make any sense?


Lethal

 

[Le Big Mac]

Originally posted by LethalWolfe
AFAIK tha MAC address is attached to your NIC, not to the modem. When you connect to the serivce your ISP sees the MAC addy and "attaches" that address to your account to keep people from hooking multiple machines upto one line, but it doesn't save the addy so if you power down the modem then hook it up to a different machine it will use that machines MAC address to "verify" that only one machine is using the service. The easy way to get around this is to get a router that can spoof your machines MAC address then you can hook up as many machines as your want to the routher because your ISP will only see the MAC address in the router.

did that make any sense?


Lethal

Yes, but I'm not sure it helps. I have a router with a couple of computers hooked up. Hasn't been a problem and never needed cloning (don't know if they even check--I think not--they just don't support networking). But the cable modem is the first thing in, so it could pick of the CM MAC addy first, too. Not sure what they're preventing. I don't think I could hook up some "super cable modem" that would get me something for free.

 

[KershMan]

Originally posted by LethalWolfe
AFAIK tha MAC address is attached to your NIC, not to the modem. When you connect to the serivce your ISP sees the MAC addy and "attaches" that address to your account to keep people from hooking multiple machines upto one line, but it doesn't save the addy so if you power down the modem then hook it up to a different machine it will use that machines MAC address to "verify" that only one machine is using the service. The easy way to get around this is to get a router that can spoof your machines MAC address then you can hook up as many machines as your want to the routher because your ISP will only see the MAC address in the router.

did that make any sense?


Lethal

I am not sure this is totally correct. I have had cable modem service with both Comcast and Cox cable. I have my own cable modem (D-Link). Both providers needed the MAC (the tag says CMAC so maybe that means cable MAC) address from and serial number from the modem. The Modem does have a MAC address.

Now, the modem only supplies one IP address on my LAN, and I connect that to a Linksys router to run a home network.

Bottom line is you will need to have your cable provider activate the cable modem on your account with the MAC address.

 

[Le Big Mac]

Originally posted by KershMan


Bottom line is you will need to have your cable provider activate the cable modem on your account with the MAC address.

That's what I figured. Jerks want $50 to come out and do it when I could just call them with the number, which is exactly what the tech will do, wasting his time and mine (waiting around).

 

[KershMan]

I installed mine myself. Cox allows users to get a self-install kit. Best Buy I think even gives them away when you buy a cable modem. I took the modem into the local Cox office for them to enter all the info.

When I lived in NJ and had Comcast I did it over the phone.

I think it just depends on our provider.

 

[Powerbook G5]

Not sure about if you buy your own, but my cable company would waive the $50 install fee if you felt comfortable with them just delivering the modem and installing it yourself. I don't know if they programmed it or something special before delivering, but all you have to do it screw in the coax cable, plug it in, and plug in the ethernet cable. With Windows, you need to install a software CD, but with the Mac there wasn't even anything to install besides plugging in the ethernet. I'd say that is easy enough to save the $50 they charge to do 10 seconds of work.