dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
uniqs
102
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
Westell 6100
Cisco PIX 501

1 edit

cramer to j1349705

Premium Member

to j1349705

Re: [TWC] Raleigh, NC TWC - which modem is best to purchase?

TWC claims they can't push firmware to customer owned modems.

The word they're looking for is "won't". They learned their lesson screwing up everyone's SB6120 with bad firmware -- in some cases bricking them, in others making them inoperable (unable to sync.) It screwed up their modems, too... they screwed that pooch in every possible way. While I agree with the "don't f*** with customer owned hardware", when it's necessary, it has to get done; and they're the only ones who can.

Bottom line: test the firmware. only push an update to a customer device when they ask for it. They're absolved of liability at that point.

What bothers me the most is that they keep insisting that the customer can update them.

This is a simple education problem... very few understand the "physics" of the system. *I* know because I've read the standards and certification requirements. CSRs and techs don't -- and I expect they wouldn't understand them if they did.

99% of the people in the business today either weren't around in the days of modem uncapping, or have completely forgotten about it. That was the origin of the "never accept firmware from the customer side" rules.

Any RF device connected to the network that interferes with the network will have the FCC involved. It hasn't happened yet, because Cable Labs (despite all their BS) does thoroughly tests these things. We did actually learn alot from 10base2.

DocDrew
How can I help?
Premium Member
join:2009-01-28
SoCal
Ubee E31U2V1
Technicolor TC4400
Linksys EA6900

4 edits

DocDrew

Premium Member

Click for full size
Motorola release note
said by cramer:

The word they're looking for is "won't". They learned their lesson screwing up everyone's SB6120 with bad firmware -- in some cases bricking them, in others making them inoperable (unable to sync.) It screwed up their modems, too... they screwed that pooch in every possible way.

It wasn't a modem firmware update that caused the problem. It was a CMTS software update to meet updated DOCSIS 3 specs that wasn't compatible with older 6120 firmware, specifically version 1.0.1.8.

The bigger problem was Motorola was still distributing version 1.0.1.8 in it's retail modems several months after the problem came to light (1.0.1.8 was over a year old at that point, the new firmware release on retail was 1.0.3.3). The 1.0.1.8 modems wouldn't sync on CMTSs with the newer software, but the modems weren't bricked. TWC or the other cable companies couldn't update them normally since they wouldn't sync. TWC had updated the 6120 modems on their network before the CMTS update. I'd guess this is why TWC doesn't officially support new customer owned 6120s on their network, since there are still ones with 1.0.1.8 new in the box wandering around. 6121s had newer firmware from the start.

This hit all the MSOs: Charter, Comcast, Cox, BrightHouse, Optimum, and TWC all had threads about the issue here on DSLR.

If anything, TWC learned to update customer owned modem firmware more often. As far as I know TWC does update customer modem firmware, when they update other modems of the same make and model. It's can't be requested from customer support, they can't do it, most don't even know how it's done so you get a bunch of odd and wrong answers about it. Modem firmware updates are pushed by an automated process initiated/scheduled by TWCs Engineers.

hobgoblin
Sortof Agoblin
Premium Member
join:2001-11-25
Orchard Park, NY

hobgoblin

Premium Member

"If anything, TWC learned to update customer owned modem firmware more often. As far as I know TWC does update customer modem firmware, when they update other modems of the same make and model. It's can't be requested from customer support, they can't do it, most don't even know how it's done so you get a bunch of odd and wrong answers about it. Modem firmware updates are pushed by an automated process initiated/scheduled by TWCs Engineers."

I agree totally with this paragraph.

Hob