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Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

4 edits

Melissa2009B

Member

Re: [Speed] May have to switch to Comcast

By the way, some of you mentioned getting the best possible deals at the start.

Say they need to run the cable to the house. ( this place was put on the lot in 2005 and has never had Comcast yet )

Say we want to start out with JUST the HSI goint wirelessly to the two PC's for data and two Roku boxes for watching streaming TV and movies from Netflix.

1.) Can we do it without a contract? ( especially if we buy our own 5341J )

2.) What would be considered a "good deal" like you suggested, for starters?

Oh, as far as monthly GB usage, how many GB of HDTV is usually in an hour? I'm guessing we'd probably use the web browsing plus maybe 10 hours a week or less of streaming HDTV.

Update 8:20 PM: I just tried finding a number for Comcast ( not easy ) and calling them about new service and got some guy outside the U.S. with such broken English that I could barely understand him, and finally hung up. Is there a U.S. call center I could talk to about new service?

... OK, I looked up Comcast Denver and called and talked with a native.

They say $50 install fee for just the modem, $100 if they install wireless for everything ( wireless router? ) No contracts at all anymore on this. $45 a mo for 6 months, then $80 a mo if we rent the modem, $73 if we buy our own. Sound right?

By the way, we definitely want wireless for all this, so we don't have to run ethernet all over the house. Is there a combo modem and wireless router? Is that what they'd call it?

Ok, this

»customer.comcast.com/hel ··· y-setup/

seems to indicate that what we need is a wireless gateway. Correct?
keason
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Ann Arbor, MI
·Comcast Business
·T-Mobile

1 edit

keason

Premium Member

1 &2 . Since you have a phone line, you might want to look into "double play" internet+ phone $70-$80 for 12 mo.

Otherwise $30 for 12/2 is the best deal for 6 mo. Sometimes there are better deals, especially in college areas. I'd start with 12/2 and see if you need higher speed based on your 10hrs/week streaming comment.

HD streams use 4-10Mb typically, depending on resolution and compression. Apple TV uses less than Roku.

If you want the option to go to business, get a Motorola SB6120, not a Zoom as it is not supported under business service.

Business has uncapped powerboost , so speed tests will look crazy fast (80/40 or 70/10 depending on upstream bonding) instead of 15/5 or so on residential despite having the same 12/2 continuous capacity. The net result is that streaming an HD movie will have zero effect on browsing, short videos, email, and everyday use. With residential, you may experience some delays.
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

So internet phone - VOIP right? I tried playing with that years ago and it broke up all the time, what a mess.

It WOULD be tempting to dump CenturyLink 100% though. (BEG)

Wonder if we can keep our home phone number?

We'd have to get some other kind of cordless phones though, for around the house, right? Or could our present cordless base just jack into that thing?

Like I said, we have a 10 hour a week part time home business, so we avoid like the plague, anyone wanting to use the word "business" for an account with them, as it always means "bend over" and the prices will double, if they do!

telcodad
MVM
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ

telcodad

MVM

said by Melissa2009B:

So internet phone - VOIP right? I tried playing with that years ago and it broke up all the time, what a mess.

Comcast Digital Voice service is not just plain VOIP. CDV service runs on Comcast's own private digital network until it hits the PSTN switches.

See: »Comcast High Speed Internet FAQ »Is Comcast Digital Voice the same as other VoIP services?
and
»Comcast High Speed Internet FAQ »What is Comcast Digital Voice service?

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
Premium Member
join:2004-06-24
The Boro
Netgear CM500
Pace 5268AC
TRENDnet TEW-829DRU

1 edit

NetFixer to Melissa2009B

Premium Member

to Melissa2009B
said by Melissa2009B:

So internet phone - VOIP right? I tried playing with that years ago and it broke up all the time, what a mess.

It WOULD be tempting to dump CenturyLink 100% though. (BEG)

Wonder if we can keep our home phone number?

We'd have to get some other kind of cordless phones though, for around the house, right? Or could our present cordless base just jack into that thing?

Like I said, we have a 10 hour a week part time home business, so we avoid like the plague, anyone wanting to use the word "business" for an account with them, as it always means "bend over" and the prices will double, if they do!

Comcast runs its CDV* on a different cable channel than it uses for HSI and it stays on Comcast's network until it is passed to a CLEC** for connecting to the PSTN***, so it is not subject to the same kind of drop out that sometimes occurs with VoIP over a less than optimum connection.

You should be able to use whatever telephones (including cordless phones) that you currently use, and if you chose to port your existing phone number to Comcast, you can also use your existing in-house telephone wiring to distribute the VoIP (you just need to make sure that the current telco connection is physically disconnected).

There is no way of course, that anyone can offer you an iron clad guarantee that CDV* will be more reliable than your existing POTS****, but it sounds as if your existing POTS is already terrible, and it would not take much to be better.

* Comcast Digital Voice
** Competitive Local Exchange Carrier
*** Public Switched Telephone Network
**** Plain Old Telephone Service
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

Sounds interesting, thanks guys. Well we use a cordless system with 4 phones here, all jacked into the wall from a single base, so it would simplify all that.

Let's see how happy we are first, with HSI.
Melissa2009B

Melissa2009B to NetFixer

Member

to NetFixer
Thinking some more about this. I pulled the bills and we now pay $90 a mo for the home phone line and DSL from CenturyLink. So it sounds like we can replace all that with Comcast and come out ( after the 6 month into savings ) with about the same cost, BUT get the speed we need for streaming HDTV and movies. That would be WONDERFUL!

But being the greedy capitalist pig that I am, can the Comcast phone system also take the place of RingCentral? That could save us even more money. We currently shell out about $57 a month while working about 10 hours a week at our tiny home business, for Ring Central.

Why? Because we need simultaneous ring for the home and cell phones, that's the big one. If a customer calls and we don't pick up within 2-3 rings, they're gone, to someone else. We tried rolling over after 4 rings, from the home to the cell number and were losing customers, so we had to get Ring Central for simultaneous ring, and I can even go online and program the numbers it rings to. We also have an 800 number with them ( makes us look like a big company ), which we MUST keep if we leave them.

And we get fax to email, a separate 800 number for faxing that sends faxes to us in email as PDF's. But if Comcast could do all that, keep our 800 number, and bundle it for less money, maybe we could save some.

Anyone know?

Gosh, Comcast is sounding better and better as I converse with you guys here, I just hope it's real.

PeteC2
Got Mouse?
MVM
join:2002-01-20
Bristol, CT

PeteC2 to Melissa2009B

MVM

to Melissa2009B
said by Melissa2009B:

By the way, we definitely want wireless for all this, so we don't have to run ethernet all over the house. Is there a combo modem and wireless router? Is that what they'd call it?

Ok, this

»customer.comcast.com/hel ··· y-setup/

seems to indicate that what we need is a wireless gateway. Correct?

Melissa: Nyet, no, uh-uh, fugggedaboutit...avoid a wireless gateway like the plague! They generally have limited range and poor flexibility. Comcast wireless gateways have a very poor track-record.

If you are not getting Comcast phone, then I'd recommend buying your own Docsis 3.0 modem...if you are getting internet and phone service, then yes, rent their eMTA modem...but not a wireless gateway eMTA!

Get a decent stand-alone router and set up your own network...it is easy, and you will have a much better experience.

PS - Nothing against Amazon, but for a very few bucks more, why not simply buy a brand-new, guaranteed unused router? Staples, Wal-Mart, heck almost any retail outlet will sell them and god-forbid if you get the rare lemon, make it good.

You want a great home network, hopefully for some time to come. Do it right, do it once, and you will be gald you did...
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

We have a UBC modular house ( on a foundation ) and it has insulation and plastic sheet under it, so running ethernet cables compromises that. Plus we have a cockatoo in one office, who has destroyed every ethernet cable we tried to put in there, until we finally went wireless.

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
Premium Member
join:2004-06-24
The Boro
Netgear CM500
Pace 5268AC
TRENDnet TEW-829DRU

1 edit

NetFixer to Melissa2009B

Premium Member

to Melissa2009B
said by Melissa2009B:

Thinking some more about this. I pulled the bills and we now pay $90 a mo for the home phone line and DSL from CenturyLink. So it sounds like we can replace all that with Comcast and come out ( after the 6 month into savings ) with about the same cost, BUT get the speed we need for streaming HDTV and movies. That would be WONDERFUL!

But being the greedy capitalist pig that I am, can the Comcast phone system also take the place of RingCentral? That could save us even more money. We currently shell out about $57 a month while working about 10 hours a week at our tiny home business, for Ring Central.

Why? Because we need simultaneous ring for the home and cell phones, that's the big one. If a customer calls and we don't pick up within 2-3 rings, they're gone, to someone else. We tried rolling over after 4 rings, from the home to the cell number and were losing customers, so we had to get Ring Central for simultaneous ring, and I can even go online and program the numbers it rings to. We also have an 800 number with them ( makes us look like a big company ), which we MUST keep if we leave them.

And we get fax to email, a separate 800 number for faxing that sends faxes to us in email as PDF's. But if Comcast could do all that, keep our 800 number, and bundle it for less money, maybe we could save some.

Anyone know?

Gosh, Comcast is sounding better and better as I converse with you guys here, I just hope it's real.

I think that the latest version of Comcast Digital Voice does do simultaneous ringing to multiple phones, but I don't have that service, so I can't verify that. It definitely does not have all of the other features that the RingCentral home office product provides. You can probably get an inbound toll free number assigned to CDV (from another party if Comcast doesn't do it directly), but RingCentral may not allow their number to be ported, so that might mean a new toll free number if you leave RingCentral. Several years back (when Vonage was losing copyright and patent infringement lawsuits to multiple telcos, and it seemed that they might be sued out of existence) I migrated my VoIP services to AT&T CallVantage, and I lost my toll free number and my fax number because Vonage would not allow them to be ported.

I currently use Vonage (again) for VoIP instead of CDV or RingCentral, but I do use RingCentral for faxing because I have found that the Vonage fax service is not always reliable over my Comcast connection (even though it used to work perfectly over my slower AT&T DSL connection). That reliability problem seems to be related to the firmware version in my SMCD3G gateway rather than the Comcast service itself. Test faxes that I have sent and received using Vonage with the current SMCD3G firmware seem to work OK, but I don't trust it enough to cancel my RingCentral fax service since Comcast can and does update modem firmware frequently.

Alas, life is one big compromise for most of us.
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

1 edit

Melissa2009B to PeteC2

Member

to PeteC2
Can anyone else verify this about their wireless?

But ok, they charge $50 for installation without wireless and $100 with it, which is odd because I assume without it, they have to run wires in the crawl space?

But hypothetically, say we didn't get wireless. They run ethernet?

Our Roku boxes are wireless only. So how do we watch streaming without them, if they run ethernet to the TV's?
29393955 (banned)
Always the green wire
join:2011-09-11
Mount Juliet, TN

1 edit

29393955 (banned)

Member

What Pete was saying is don't get the Comcast Wireless Gateway - it is known to be less-than-stellar performance wise. Using YOUR OWN wireless router (no ethernet required) is perfectly OK; you just don't want the modem and router to be one unit. As far as the install fees, the $100 is if they install THEIR wireless gateway, which you DON'T want. They will NOT run ethernet anywhere, though they will give you 1 ethernet cable to plug in 1 computer next to the modem or to connect to your router, which will then provide the wireless signal to everything else. This isn't complicated really, but you may wind up having to learn a few things about networking you didn't have to know before - in the long run you'll have a network you can depend on, and hopefully save some bucks on your phone service as well. There are articles on basic networking and routers all over the internet you can peruse before making your final decision. If you are totally uncomfortable with this, find a computer-knowledgeable friend you can trust (or be prepared to pay a computer professional who comes highly recommended) who can hook all this up and get it running for you.

The good thing about getting a Comcast Digital Voice / Internet bundle is it will probably be cheaper if ordered together and you can try the CDV (they'll give you a new number) and see if you like it BEFORE you port your existing number and then cancel CenturyLink. (DO NOT cancel CenturyLink until your number is COMPLETELY ported - this can cause the porting to fail and you could lose your number)

You should be able to get great internet for your business AND entertainment needs, as well as far better phone service that does what you need, at some degree of savings; and you'll have a LOT more flexibility down the road when/if your needs change.
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

1 edit

Melissa2009B

Member

No, I set up this network here, myself. I'm just not so familiar with all the official terms. The difference between a gateway and a router, for example. They run the cable. At the cable ( if I dont want to rent ) I need a [....] and/or a [....] for wireless?

All I need to get right are the terms here ( and maybe the best models for me to buy? ), I know how to set the stuff up.

Just for some background on me, I have an ASET ( Associate in Science in Electronics Technology ), admittedly from 1969 which gives away my age and have held an advanced amateur radio license since then too.

So the big question is whether to let them set up the wireless for me first, then swap it out for better gear, or just get my own better gear to begin with.

Oh, and this house is about 80 feet from end to end, so if possible it would be nice to get a wireless unit with a little more power?

SO we need their cable run to the middle of the house ( I already have a shelf installed there, ready for this. ) Then we need one or two devices ( a [....] and/or a [....] ) to get from their cable to two of our Roku boxes wirelessly, and two of our PC's wirelessly, at full speed ahead.

And yes, I get excited about the prospect of totally dumping all services from CenturyLink ( which we refer to here, as "Banana Republic Phone Company ).

Update: I just called Comcast and added the phone service too, and the guy said that he didn't understand why people wouldn't think their wireless gizmo wouldn't be the best. he said I could google it - that it was rated #1 by PC Magazine, but he didn't know the model number. He said it's a wireless gateway modem, is the way he described it. Comments?

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
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join:2004-06-24
The Boro
Netgear CM500
Pace 5268AC
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NetFixer to Melissa2009B

Premium Member

to Melissa2009B
said by Melissa2009B:

Can anyone else verify this about their wireless?

But ok, they charge $50 for installation without wireless and $100 with it, which is odd because I assume without it, they have to run wires in the crawl space?

But hypothetically, say we didn't get wireless. They run ethernet?

Our Roku boxes are wireless only. So how do we watch streaming without them, if they run ethernet to the TV's?

I think the reason that Comcast charges more for a "wireless" installation is that they will also setup your connected PCs to use their wireless gateway if you use their wireless gateway. Using a Comcast supplied wireless gateway is not as versatile as using a separate wireless router, but perhaps for you it may be the best choice to have Comcast install one and setup your network to use it.

If you don't get a Comcast wireless gateway, you will need to supply your own wireless router, and it will be your responsibility to setup your connected devices.

I have never heard of a Comcast installer running ethernet wiring; they generally only run coax to modems and set top boxes. Any ethernet wiring that you require will be your responsibility, and is not very likely to be done by a Comcast installer.

EDIT: to answer your question from another post, the difference between a wireless cable gateway and a wireless router, is that the wireless cable gateway has an integrated modem, whereas a wireless router is just that (and it will require that you have a separate standard cable modem). The primary advantage of using a separate cable modem and wireless router, is that most wireless cable gateways are compromises (AKA, jack of all trades and master of none).
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

OK, thanks for explaining that last part. I tried googling them and was still a little confused. So the cable modem hooks up to the cable, and the router goes into that somehow ( wired or wirelessly? ) and then you route all your home devices through the router?

But doesn't that just add another speed bump or something to fail?

And does it cost double to buy both, instead of getting it all in the gateway?

When you say ; "compromises (AKA, jack of all trades and master of none)", is that something that I, as a home user, would be concerned about, or more for a sophisticated network guru in a workplace?
mrschultz02
join:2007-09-10
Wallingford, PA
Asus RT-AC88

1 edit

mrschultz02

Member

said by Melissa2009B:

I tried googling them and was still a little confused. So the cable modem hooks up to the cable, and the router goes into that somehow ( wired or wirelessly? ) and then you route all your home devices through the router?

But doesn't that just add another speed bump or something to fail?

What everyone is saying is that an "all-in-one" modem+router+wifi unit is usually not as good as separate boxes. You already said the house might need a more powerful wireless transmitter so you would be better off renting just the modem from Comcast and getting your own wireless router.

So you would have 2 boxes sitting next to each other. The cable from the street would go to the Comcast modem, then a short Ethernet cable from the modem to the wireless router that you would buy and set up. If you get phone then there would be a phone jack on the Comcast modem.

The connection between a new modem and a new router would be minimum 100Mbps and most likely 1Gbps so no problem with it being a speed bump.

Oh, and as for another thing that might fail, the odds of one box going bad are pretty much the same as if you got an all-in-one and part of it going bad. Also you can replace or upgrade your own router as your needs change. If you get an all-in-one from Comcast your are stuck with what they give you.
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

2 edits

Melissa2009B

Member

Great, thanks!

Edit: I'm looking around and see recommendations for a Docsis 3 modem and Wireless N router.

Look at this in a refurb:

»www.amazon.com/NetGear-W ··· -catcorr

Now I'm getting somewhere. Just called Comcast and they gave me:
»mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/
mrschultz02
join:2007-09-10
Wallingford, PA
Asus RT-AC88

mrschultz02

Member

Are you getting phone service as well or did you change your mind on that? Also are you getting residential or business class service?

If getting phone service I'd rent the modem from Comcast since they will replace it if there is a problem. If getting only internet now but adding phone later you'll need to decide if you want to get your own modem now that can do phone so you don't have to replace it. (a normal modem doesn't have the phone jack)

As for that router, it looks OK, although I prefer ones with external antenna. Everyone will suggest different ones, I've had good luck with Buffalo:

»www.amazon.com/Buffalo-T ··· 9&sr=1-2
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

Gonna try the phone service too, and we're getting the Blast! residential service, so it appears I need a DOCSIS 3.0 Telephony Modem from that recommended list? Or will any DOCSIS 3.0 Telephony Modem do?

That router looks like a fantastic deal though, but will I ever need everything it can do? Doubt it. I don't even know what all that stuff is, they say it can do. LOL!

Here's something on the Rangemax. It doesn't appear to suffer from lack of external antenna:

»support.netgear.com/app/ ··· chnology
mrschultz02
join:2007-09-10
Wallingford, PA
Asus RT-AC88

mrschultz02

Member

said by Melissa2009B:

Gonna try the phone service too, and we're getting the Blast! residential service, so it appears I need a DOCSIS 3.0 Telephony Modem from that recommended list? Or will any DOCSIS 3.0 Telephony Modem do?

You'll need a telephony one from that approved list. Since this is a new install maybe you should rent at first and then buy your own later to avoid the $7 a month rental fee. Especially since this is a new install, let them get everything working and if there are problems they can't tell you it's your modem that is at fault.

That router looks like a fantastic deal though, but will I ever need everything it can do? Doubt it. I don't even know what all that stuff is, they say it can do. LOL!

Well, you don't need to use all the features, but it should have the power to reach everywhere in your house. And it's new with a 3 year warranty, I didn't see what the warranty was on the refurb that was only $12 cheaper.
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

Just found a good price on the Arris TM822G Touchstone® DOCSIS 3.0 8x4 Ultra-High Speed Telephony Modem, at Amazon, but some people up until just recently said that Comcast won't activate it, then one said they can now.

That refurbed router with RangeMax says it can reach 500 feet.
mrschultz02
join:2007-09-10
Wallingford, PA
Asus RT-AC88

mrschultz02

Member

Just looked on Amazon for that modem, only available from 3rd party sellers and they look shady.

If you like that router go ahead, you could get it now, set it up by plugging it into your DSL setup and get everything connected to it, then when Comcast is installed plug the router into the cable modem. That's what I did when switching from DSL to Comcast HSI, made the switch pretty quick and seamless.

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
Premium Member
join:2004-06-24
The Boro
Netgear CM500
Pace 5268AC
TRENDnet TEW-829DRU

NetFixer to Melissa2009B

Premium Member

to Melissa2009B
said by Melissa2009B:

Just found a good price on the Arris TM822G Touchstone® DOCSIS 3.0 8x4 Ultra-High Speed Telephony Modem, at Amazon, but some people up until just recently said that Comcast won't activate it, then one said they can now.

That refurbed router with RangeMax says it can reach 500 feet.

Comcast only allows user owned telephony modems that are purchased from one of their authorized dealers (I think Bestbuy is one, but I doubt that Amazon is). As others have suggested, you may want to try using a Comcast supplied telephony modem first, and let the install tech get everything working properly with that modem. You can always replace it later with your own telephony modem from an authorized dealer to save the $7.00 per month equipment rental fee (and yes, Comcast can know if it was purchased from an authorized dealer by the serial number and the MAC address). The reason for that suggestion is that if you start out with your own modem, and there is any problem at all during the install, guess where Comcast is going to place the blame?
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

Oh ok, good idea. And if it works great, I may as well just buy one exactly like it and replace it.

Thanks!

PeteC2
Got Mouse?
MVM
join:2002-01-20
Bristol, CT

PeteC2

MVM

Melissa, not to complicate things (just the opposite) - a few "points?"

1. If you are getting internet only then bying your own modem makes a lot of sense. Buy either the Zoom 5341J (best recommendation) or the Motorola SB6121 (very close second). At any rate, you only want a Docsis 3.0 modem, and yes, it needs to be on Comcast's approved list. (even if someone says it "should" work...even if they are from Comcast...take that with a grain of salt!)

2. If you are going to get voice and internet...rent Comcast's eMTA modem...buying is very, very limited, and it is at best a crapshoot that you will save any money over renting. BTW, there is no guarantee that the Arris TM822g can be provisioned for Comcast. The only user-owned eMTA currently allowed is the Arris TM722G, and only if bought from an authorized Comcast re-seller such as select Best Buy stores - and it really is not all that good a deal.

3. Whether you go "wireless" or not, Comcast hooks you up to one cable entry point...there will be no additional cabling supplied past that point.

4. As you have already run your own network, setting up one for a Comcast connection is duck soup! As they say "So easy, even a cave man (woman) could do it!"

5. Along that line: I recommend avoiding refurb routers. Yes, you will spend a few more bucks on a new router, but keep in mind what an important role that router plays in your network (precisely why wireless gateways are such losers!). You have a lot of info flowing through your network for internet access, t.v. and movies, etc. If you want an absolute no-brainer, quality set up, consider the Linksys EA2700, 3500, or 4500 routers. Just my opinion, but do it once, do it right, and you will have no regrets later.

I know, logic would make you think that a single device such as a wireless gateway would simplify your set up and ensure more stable operation, being one less device in the chain...it is just the opposite!

If you stick with a separate modem (or eMTA if you have voice) and a stand alone router, you will find that you have better range, easier trouble-shooting if you do ever have an issue, and all around better flexibility to get the best set up for your home environment.
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

Pete,

I guess I resent that they only have a list of very old modems that are "approved" AND I have to buy them only at absolute retail price from an "approved" dealer? Sounds like they're trying as hard as they can, to make it where you HAVE to rent from them instead of buying. Yes, the prices on their older model "approved" modems may be quadruple what something like that TM822g sells for. What a coincidence.

Well if a cave man could do it, maybe a 63 year old electronics tech could even do it. LOL

And yes on the router! BUT it appears from the reviews, that in this one case ( NetGear WNR3500L-100NAS Rangemax Wireless-N Gigabit Router with USB (Factory Refurbished) ), you're getting new and wonderful guts in a refurbed router AND the Rangemax apparently means a 500 foot range, without an external antenna! Whoa!

So if I want that router, and voice, I guess I just rent their darned modem and use my own router like this one.
Melissa2009B

1 edit

Melissa2009B

Member

I called Comcast. Bless them, they're open 24/7 here in Denver.
They said I don't have to buy from an authorized dealer, just make sure not to buy a used one where someone hasn't paid their bill and it cant be activated, so only buy new and from their list. If it's not on their list and I call for troubleshooting, I'm SOL. So that's good to know.

So I just spent half an hour calling Best Buy and getting transferred all over the place. It seems that they don't carry Comcast modems in all their stores and only one store in the area has a Comcast specialist. I called that store, she was busy, but will call me back.

But one guy said I need to make sure that whatever modem I get, not only has voice, but battery backup for it, so we don't lose phones if the power goes out. hadn't thought of that. Now I need to find one on their list that does all that.

On their list at »mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/
what do IMS NCS or SIP mean?

I cant reach the "Specialist" at Best Buy, she won't call me back. I cant deal with them, which is why I never shop there.

Can someone please recommend a good lower cost readily available modem with voice and L-ion backup battery, from the above list?

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
Premium Member
join:2004-06-24
The Boro
Netgear CM500
Pace 5268AC
TRENDnet TEW-829DRU

1 edit

NetFixer

Premium Member

The information you got from the Comcast rep likely only applies to standard cable modems, not to emta voice modems (and that has always been true for standard cable modems). Unless Comcast has very, very recently changed their policy, you can only use an emta voice modem with their CDV service if you obtain it from them, or from one of their authorized resellers (such as Bestbuy..and as you have found out, not all Bestbuy stores are authorized Comcast resellers).

I think that most (if not all) emta modems come with an internal battery backup, but even if you found one that you can use that does not have an internal battery backup, you can always use an external UPS* device to power it. I have several UPS boxes for all of my modems, routers, switches, servers, cordless phone base station, etc, and I keep a charged spare UPS and several charged spare batteries.

* Uninterruptible Power Source
Melissa2009B
join:2009-12-27
Denver, CO

Melissa2009B

Member

Yeah that's true, and yes I know what a UPS is. LOL

Don't know what EMTA is though, just that I seem to need one...

NetFixer
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NetFixer

Premium Member

said by Melissa2009B:

Yeah that's true, and yes I know what a UPS is. LOL

Don't know what EMTA is though, just that I seem to need one...

Sorry, I thought that acronym had already been defined in this thread

EMTA = Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter

And here are definitions for some of the other acronyms from your previous post that you added after I replied:

IMS = IP Multimedia Subsystem

SIP = Session Initiation Protocol

This one may or may not apply to your question; it would help to know exactly where you saw the acronym used:

NCS = Network Control System

EDIT: Damn, my links keep disappearing, hopefully they are all still there now.