 jimkPremium
join:2006-04-15
Raleigh, NC
 ·RoadRunner Cable
 ·voip.ms
2 edits | reply to ke4pym
Re: [TWC] Approved Modem list gets bigger. said by ke4pym:This is great and all. But as I told the CSR yesterday:
What if I buy my own modem, TWC sends a firmware update to it and bricks it. Who's responsible for replacing it?
What if the modem is blown up from a lightning strike that their system picks up and sends my way?
Last I looked, the SB6141 is about $115-$125. At $3.95 a month, ROI is about 29 months.
In that time, what if TWC says I need super modem SB6141d to stay on the plan I am on or to move to the Super Uber RoadRunner turbo extreme wild bore 9000 package? Do I have to buy a new modem for that?
Bricked modems due to bad firmware updates are quite rare.
Lightning strike = bad luck, but to be honest, if that happens the modem may be the least of your worries. Far more expensive things may be damaged in this case. Personally, if a $100 modem got fried in a lightning strike and nothing else was damaged, I would be considering myself lucky.
Expect the $3.95 fee to increase over time. Also, with the additional options such as the $100 Motorola SB6121 and the $80 Zoom 5341J, you now have options that will have a faster ROI.
To avoid having to replace the modem again in the future, pay attention to the specs. For example, the Zoom 5341J and Motorola SB6141 are DOCSIS 3.0 8x4 (up to 343 Mbps download), while some other modems such as the Motorola SB6121 are 4x4 (160 Mbps max download). TWC isn't know for being the most aggressive at offering extremely fast speeds, so any of these newer modems should be fine for a long time.
**edit regarding rental fee - here's what other providers charge**
Comcast: $7, option to own your own
Frontier: $7 and up, no way out of it
AT&T U-verse VDSL: $4, no way out of it (proprietary equipment, rental only)
AT&T U-verse ADSL2+: $75 and up, modem is proprietary to AT&T
AT&T DSL - ADSL non-U-verse: Can buy industry standard modem
Lots of other providers haven't been included, but as you can see, it could be a lot worse. Some ISPs have no way out of a modem fee, or require proprietary equipment. Right now, TWC's fee is also lower than average, but I would expect to see it increase over time. |
DampierPhillip M Dampier
join:2003-03-23
Rochester, NY | Thanks to the notice from Hob, we posted on this on Stop the Cap! today. »stopthecap.com/2012/11/13/time-w···se-list/
Key bits:
The 6121 is back on the list but we still don't recommend it because the 6141 can bond more channels.
The 6141 gouging has eased on eBay. Prices are now ranging from $86-99 for this compared to $80 for the 6121. The extra few bucks is worth it.
Reviews are very mixed on the Zoom and Netgear models.
A tier 3 rep in Rochester told us they will activate -any- modem they currently send out in the field to rent. That's nice if you get a Tier 3 rep to talk to. The national call centers remain sticklers for that list of approved models only.
I personally bought the 6141 and am very happy with it.
--
Phillip M. Dampier
Editor, Stop the Cap!
»stopthecap.com |
