dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
6620

CharterTech
join:2012-08-06

CharterTech

Member

[HSI] Wireless Gateway Modems are Back

In the next 30-60 days.

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958

Premium Member

Sheesh! Practically forcing people to use their modems and didn't even have MODERN modems in stock to start with and now have to wait for another 30-60 days?!

Great planning Charter!

CharterTech
join:2012-08-06

CharterTech

Member

I agree it was poor planning, however Charter decided to go about it all wrong. The only reason we did away with them in the first place was tons of complaints from our 100mbps customers stating they were not getting 100mbps wirelessly.

Most laptops and other devices only have 100mbps wireless cards factor in overhead and you will not see all 100. Charter instructed us not to tell customers you need to hard wire your devices to see those high speeds. So they just took the combo units out. That way we now are instructed to blame it on your wireless router.
pinky321 (banned)
join:2002-06-05

pinky321 (banned) to CharterTech

Member

to CharterTech
Is it still included in the monthly Internet charge? Or, there is an extra charge for modem wire and wireless combo unit.

CharterTech
join:2012-08-06

CharterTech

Member

If you are on a new package outside of the old promos the modems are included. The wireless gateways are stated in the meetings to be $5.99 a month.
Craiger
join:2012-07-05
Chesterfield, MO

1 edit

Craiger

Member

So in addition to the $30 or $60 a month you will have to pay an addition $6 a month for a wireless cable modem gateway? Is that for all Charter areas?

Just curious does Charter ever plan on going to Video Over Docsis or the Cloud HD DVR? Also letting you use your own equipment as a standalone HD DVR, like a game console and PC? Thanks.
Zappa2000
join:2001-12-16
Kalamazoo, MI

Zappa2000 to CharterTech

Member

to CharterTech
said by CharterTech:

If you are on a new package outside of the old promos the modems are included. The wireless gateways are stated in the meetings to be $5.99 a month.

Um, so, if you want to get a combo modem + wireless router yourself (as in own it), to avoid the monthly fees, you can't do that ?

CharterTech
join:2012-08-06

CharterTech

Member

Zappa2000, if you want to keep your modem or the modem we provided to you if you are on a new package plus your own wireless router it will still work and you will not be charged anything. If you still have your user owned equipment gateway it will work fine at no charge, if you have your own modem and own wireless router again it will work fine no charge. If you want to give us back our provided modem and go with our gateway it will be 5.99 a month.

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958

Premium Member

So, if I would've screwed around and upgraded my current 15/3 plan to the new 30/4 plan, I would've had to have sacrificed my brand new Zoom modem (which I only had to buy because Charter screwed all those SB6120's up, which I had also just bought), been charged $2.00 more for that upgrade PLUS another $5.99 for one of your junk combo units?!

If that is the case, what a sneaky a** way for Charter to blindside (a polite way of saying rip me off) me for an extra $7.99 a month, which quite coincidentally is what the modem lease fee used to be, so even that's NOT really free, like has been stated?

Are the people that run Charter really that stupid, or are they trying to figure out another way to go bankrupt?

CharterTech
join:2012-08-06

CharterTech

Member

Maybe I am not understand you or you are not understanding what I am saying let me try and make this easy (not to be rude) just trying to make sure we are on the same page.

Example 1: Say you had the 30mbps package on 11-1-11. for 12 months at 29.99 that is considered an OLD promo you could use your own gateway or wired modem FREE or we give you a modem at anytime for 7.99 a month. Once gateways come back it will be the old 10.99 a month since you are on what we call an old package.

Example 2: You upgraded or went into a new promo on 8-1-12. You can keep using your gateway or wired modem FREE, or we will give you a wired modem FREE. Once gateways are re released you can get that for 5.99 a month.

If you own your Zoom modem then you are free to keep using that with a wireless router you buy or upgrade to one of our combos. If a Charter tech is telling you that to change your package you need to give up your user owned modem that is FALSE and that tech needs to be reported.

Also, Log into your charter account online, click on the my services tab, under current services click service details, go down to the internet section and look if it says Internet Modem Lease 7.99 (If you are on old package), or Internet Modem 0.00 (If you are on new package) you see where you stand

BUT......................... Here comes the Easter egg if you see on there another entry that says Cust Owned Modem 0.00 then the tech did you a HUGE favor this means you can go out tomorrow morning and get a gateway unit call Charter and tell them to activate the MAC address and send back the Charter modem to save the 7.99 monthly fee (old promo) or if you are not happy with it. But that entry has to appear we were instructed to take those off of accounts once customers gave up their user owned equipment in favor of ours, but myself and about 10 other techs leave those soc codes on the account, because we do not like the Charter provided modems and feel your pain as customers and we feel you deserve the right to go back to your own equipment if you want.

So if that entry is on your details then nothing is stopping you from going to best buy, walmart, a garage sale, or anything and picking up a gateway or a modem you are happy with and sending ours back.
Zappa2000
join:2001-12-16
Kalamazoo, MI

Zappa2000

Member

said by CharterTech:

If you own your Zoom modem then you are free to keep using that with a wireless router you buy or upgrade to one of our combos. If a Charter tech is telling you that to change your package you need to give up your user owned modem that is FALSE and that tech needs to be reported.

Ahh, thanks, that clears things up.
Chubbysumo
join:2009-12-01
Duluth, MN
Ubee E31U2V1
(Software) pfSense
Netgear WNR3500L

Chubbysumo to CharterTech

Member

to CharterTech
said by CharterTech:

Most laptops and other devices only have 100mbps wireless cards factor in overhead and you will not see all 100. Charter instructed us not to tell customers you need to hard wire your devices to see those high speeds. So they just took the combo units out. That way we now are instructed to blame it on your wireless router.

This is not true at all. My laptop has had wireless N since i bought it, and its over 3 years old now. Its able to do around 300mbps wirelessly over LAN transfers. The problem lies in the fact that the charter gateway combo units were using wireless G/b, which is very not capable of doing 100mbps wirelessly. IF you want me to post a wireless speedtest.net test from my laptop showing it getting the full 100mbps wirelessly via my own wireless N router, i can. In this case, I blame the combo modems because they are using old tech. Most laptops now have N in them by default.

Jerm
join:2000-04-10
Richland, WA
·Ziply Fiber

Jerm to CharterTech

Member

to CharterTech

100mbps via wireless

This makes complete sense. To get 100mbps actual wireless speed you really need a 802.11N 5Ghz 2x2 MIMO client and AP.

AKA 300mbps sync.

Channel bond two 20mhz channels to 40mhz gets you from 75mbps to 150mbps. Then MIMO with two spatial streams gives 300mbps total. Now take over 50% overhead and realize that is the theoretical maximum, you just have enough to squeeze in a little over 100mbps actual speed.

Don't even try this on 2.4Ghz. Oh wait, thats what 95% of people have deployed!
Chubbysumo
join:2009-12-01
Duluth, MN
Ubee E31U2V1
(Software) pfSense
Netgear WNR3500L

Chubbysumo

Member

said by Jerm:

Don't even try this on 2.4Ghz. Oh wait, thats what 95% of people have deployed!

Im doing this on 2.4Ghz, and its a wireless N router, with 2x2 MIMO going, and I get around 290mbps internal LAN speeds. can post proof if necessary. Overhead isnt that much, not as much as it used to be.

TheTechGuru
join:2004-03-25
TEXAS

TheTechGuru to CharterTech

Member

to CharterTech

Re: [HSI] Wireless Gateway Modems are Back

EW! Very soon I'm actually planning on disabling my wireless AP and going all wired only. It's just too unreliable.

I think it's totally stupid for a ISP to be pushing wifi devices as it's just going to generate more trouble calls when people get slow unreliable connections because they are using wifi.

I've had to go "B" only to get a reliable 5mbps to stations because G-mixed, and N-mixed kept dropping down to 1mbps all the time.

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958 to CharterTech

Premium Member

to CharterTech
"If you own your Zoom modem then you are free to keep using that with a wireless router you buy or upgrade to one of our combos. If a Charter tech is telling you that to change your package you need to give up your user owned modem that is FALSE and that tech needs to be reported."

@chartertech:
Yes, I've been told twice that I would have to give up my Zoom modem if I changed my plan in any way, shape or form.

Can't find the topic in the Direct forum, but I believe I was told that there also.

I found that topic here
»Reduce bill and although charterdylan didn't EXPLICITLY say I had to swap out modems, I made mention of it with no kind of reply to that. I know I'm free to keep my current setup and I'm not on any promo, but somebody at Charter needs to get their stuff together.

msmisfit
join:2004-09-13
Atlanta, GA
ARRIS SB6121
Netgear WNDR3800

msmisfit to TheTechGuru

Member

to TheTechGuru
said by TheTechGuru:

EW! Very soon I'm actually planning on disabling my wireless AP and going all wired only. It's just too unreliable.

I've had to go "B" only to get a reliable 5mbps to stations because G-mixed, and N-mixed kept dropping down to 1mbps all the time.

I'm curious what wireless AP you're using. I average 80% of my 30M on my wireless laptops [which is more than I need] with my Netgear router and SB 6121 modem.

I did buy a $25 adapter for the older XP laptop with a b/g NIC, to improve it's performance. Otherwise, WIFI works fine for me.
JTY
join:2004-05-29
Ellensburg, WA

JTY to cork1958

Member

to cork1958
I just did the upgrade to the new plan, and wasn't required to change modems. The sales rep confirmed that I had a DOCSIS3 modem, and channel bonding was working.

That said on the Direct forum I did ask about modems before doing my plan change. They indicated Charter would give me a modem, but I could use my own.

Jerm
join:2000-04-10
Richland, WA
·Ziply Fiber

Jerm to Chubbysumo

Member

to Chubbysumo

Re: 100mbps via wireless

said by Chubbysumo:

Im doing this on 2.4Ghz, and its a wireless N router, with 2x2 MIMO going, and I get around 290mbps internal LAN speeds. can post proof if necessary.

You're a bad neighbor chewing up 66% of the spectrum for your own use. Hey its UNLICENSED have at it! 40mhz of 60mhz is good enough for me!

I see 53 different networks from my second floor and my grid up there on 2.4Ghz. I'll keep my 5Ghz handy...

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958 to TheTechGuru

Premium Member

to TheTechGuru

Re: [HSI] Wireless Gateway Modems are Back

said by TheTechGuru:

EW! Very soon I'm actually planning on disabling my wireless AP and going all wired only. It's just too unreliable.

I think it's totally stupid for a ISP to be pushing wifi devices as it's just going to generate more trouble calls when people get slow unreliable connections because they are using wifi.

I've had to go "B" only to get a reliable 5mbps to stations because G-mixed, and N-mixed kept dropping down to 1mbps all the time.

I kind of thought with all that gobbly goop you've explained in how your network is setup in previous posts sounded like nothing but trouble.

I'm with msmisfit on the fact that my wireless N laptops all get a minimum of 80% on my slower 15M plan.

Going to call today, again, and see about upgrading my plan to the 30/4 and see if I still have to give up my Zoom modem. I know the $2 difference isn't much to some, but I'm on a fixed income so had to rob from peter to pay paul for this. Cancelled my kids XM radio!!

TheTechGuru
join:2004-03-25
TEXAS

TheTechGuru

Member

It's not my equipment, it has worked fine at other houses in the past, it's just been a problem at this one. Even my Fem2Cell that operates on a licensed frequency at a higher power level has trouble going though the walls here. It's a older house, someone told me it sounds like I have lead paint in the walls.

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958

Premium Member

Man! If that's the only issue, that sucks! Really sucks to be having lead paint too. That would have to be more of an issue than the wireless connection!

Still think you go through WAY more changes than necessary with the way you have your network setup, but if it works for you and that's how you want to do it, rock on!
Zappa2000
join:2001-12-16
Kalamazoo, MI

Zappa2000 to CharterTech

Member

to CharterTech
said by CharterTech:

If you own your Zoom modem then you are free to keep using that with a wireless router you buy or upgrade to one of our combos. If a Charter tech is telling you that to change your package you need to give up your user owned modem that is FALSE and that tech needs to be reported.

CharterTech, can you clarify again ?
Since Cork talked to 3 different people and they ALL told them he can't keep his modem... »Re: [HSI] So will we have to give up our Modems at some point?

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958

Premium Member

Yes, CharterTech,
Please clarify as I just called yesterday about 3:00pm EST, 9-10-12, and was told that I would have to give up my Zoom 5341, Docsis 3 modem, by 3 different people!!

rahlquist
Redeye
join:2001-10-30
Villa Rica, GA

rahlquist

Member

said by cork1958:

Yes, CharterTech,
Please clarify as I just called yesterday about 3:00pm EST, 9-10-12, and was told that I would have to give up my Zoom 5341, Docsis 3 modem, by 3 different people!!

You do realize CharterTech isnt listed in any of the lists as a official or unofficial ( »/faq/16224 & »/faq/8469 ) Charter employee and just created their account last month? I would much rather hear an officially sanctioned yea or nay from CharterDylan etc..

INtheKnow
@charter.com

INtheKnow

Anon

The Charter Policy is if you change your current package to the "New" pricing plan customer owned modems will no longer be supported.
I think Charter Tech is writing checks he can't cash.

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958

Premium Member

The key word there is supported. When I first got my Zoom modem, it was officially unsupported to begin with for several months! What's the difference if it isn't supported again? It is a Docsis 3 and does have Charter firmware on it now.

I think I've read or participated in a conversation in some thread about just that. Probably was at topic posted above, »Re: [HSI] So will we have to give up our Modems at some point?

rahlquist
Redeye
join:2001-10-30
Villa Rica, GA

rahlquist

Member

said by cork1958:

The key word there is supported.

Thats always the crux of the issue careful wording to limit liability and shift blame and cost.

So that said here is the question. If I call and make a change to my contract how unsupported does my wholly owned modem become? Am I required to pay rental on a modem I don't need?

msmisfit
join:2004-09-13
Atlanta, GA
ARRIS SB6121
Netgear WNDR3800

msmisfit

Member

said by rahlquist:

Am I required to pay rental on a modem I don't need?

Essentially "Yes". It is included in the new base price of your HSI service now... until it changes again.
Chubbysumo
join:2009-12-01
Duluth, MN
Ubee E31U2V1
(Software) pfSense
Netgear WNR3500L

Chubbysumo to Jerm

Member

to Jerm

Re: 100mbps via wireless

said by Jerm:

You're a bad neighbor chewing up 66% of the spectrum for your own use. Hey its UNLICENSED have at it! 40mhz of 60mhz is good enough for me!

I see 53 different networks from my second floor and my grid up there on 2.4Ghz. I'll keep my 5Ghz handy...

My spectrum :P really tho, my laptop only picks up about a dozen networks, and has 11 channels to pick from(and that elusive 12th if I feel naughty). Yes, im chewing up the spectrum, but its very limited in area, meaning that the same spectrum can be used about every 300 feet. Your place is just crazy, and I dont blame you for using the 5ghz frequencies. I have a 5ghz network, but it does not go as far as my 2.4, nor does it go thru the walls here as well.