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Mirus
join:2009-03-07

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Re: What is a good cable modem supported by cox?

The problem with temperatures is quite interesting. Right now we have a SB4100 out in the garage where in Arizona it can get quite hot (over 104 for sure), and its survived since 2001.
AZWildcats - do you have your modem in your garage or inside?

Fubar16
join:2001-02-20
Phoenix, AZ

Fubar16

Member

I have mine inside.

CoxTech1
join:2002-04-25
Chesapeake, VA

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I would seriously consider moving that modem into the house somewhere. Exposing it to extreme temperatures over long period of time can do permanent harm to the equipment. Terayon's have been out of production for quite some time now so that option should be off the table. As for the DOCSIS 3.0 modems, interestingly enough I've encountered a few technician that have dealt with customers that lied about the model they had to get one provisioned and simply put our system doesn't have the correct provisioning data form them therefore they just end up not working at all (not even in DOCSIS 2.0 mode).
daveinpoway
Premium Member
join:2006-07-03
Poway, CA

daveinpoway

Premium Member

I was just in the Fry's San Marcos (north San Diego County) store, and they have the SB6120 for $120 (an amazingly low price, in my opinion, so early in the DOCSIS 3.0 game). Cox's call center folks should start preparing themselves for a lot of inquiries about this model.

One thing that Motorola should have done is to allow the SB6120 to be provisioned as a SB5120 (or some other DOCSIS 2.0 model) now, and have it operate in 2.0 mode. Then, later, when the customer's ISP upgrades to 3.0, a different configuration file could be sent out to enable the modem to operate in this mode.

Since (to my knowledge) none of the San Diego area ISP's are presently providing DOCSIS 3.0 service, I suspect that Fry's started stocking this model too early, and they will have a lot of them returned by frustrated customers who can't get them provisioned.

CoxTech1
join:2002-04-25
Chesapeake, VA

CoxTech1

Member

We currently have a handful of employees beta testing 6120's on our network provisioned in 2.0 mode but our primary provisioning system cannot handle this. As a result if you call in to get one provisioned it simply will not work. I'm already personally aware of a few instances of this happening.
daveinpoway
Premium Member
join:2006-07-03
Poway, CA

daveinpoway

Premium Member

As I indicated, in order to encourage sales of the SB6120, Motorola should have allowed it to appear as a DOCSIS 2.0 model in the ISPs' provisioning systems until the customer upgrades to DOCSIS 3.0 service. Apparently, they didn't do this.

Out of curiosity, if the SB6120 is used in DOCSIS 2.0 mode, does it offer any advantages (better tolerance of marginal signal levels, perhaps) over models like the SB5101 (due to improved chipsets)?

CoxTech1
join:2002-04-25
Chesapeake, VA

CoxTech1

Member

I have not heard any feedback either way concerning that model. The primary benefit of course is the channel bonding which is lost when running in 2.0 mode.
daveinpoway
Premium Member
join:2006-07-03
Poway, CA

daveinpoway

Premium Member

In the 7th post on this page (» Buying a DOCSIS 3 Compliant Cable Modem), "thively" claims that the SB6120 is channel-bonding on Comcast's "Blast" service, which I believe is DOSCIS 2.0. He could be mistaken, however,

CoxTech1
join:2002-04-25
Chesapeake, VA

CoxTech1

Member

It's my understanding that Comcast has publically announced DOCSIS 3.0 deployments in several of their larger markets so I wouldn't be suprised if his claims are valid although I certainly wouldn't have specific knowledge as to how their network functions.
daveinpoway
Premium Member
join:2006-07-03
Poway, CA

daveinpoway

Premium Member

So far as I know, Blast is 16 Mbps download speed, which wouldn't require DOCSIS 3.0 technology.

CoxTech1
join:2002-04-25
Chesapeake, VA

CoxTech1

Member

That is correct, 16Mb/sec is well within DOCSIS 2.0 specifications.
rinky
join:2009-04-09
Mesa, AZ

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I ran into the same problem in the Phoenix market today after picking up the SB6120. Can't be provisioned. Here's hoping they get it up and running soon, or I just wasted $79.

CoxTech1
join:2002-04-25
Chesapeake, VA

CoxTech1

Member

Yes, no DOCSIS 3.0 modems are approved for non-DOCSIS 3.0 markets as how they will not work properly on a non-DOCSIS 3.0 headend. It's also worth mentioning that for the time being, only Cox provided DOCSIS 3.0 modems can be used on any Cox headends, no retail modems are approved as of yet.

odog
Minister of internet doohickies
Premium Member
join:2001-08-05
Atlanta, GA
Nokia BGW320-505

odog

Premium Member

Just wanted to chime in with some info on how bonding works. First you need a D3.0 modem. Once you have that you need a CMTS with bonded service feeding your modem multiple bonded carriers. At that point CMTS and modem "know" each other are wideband capable and it will split your data across the bonded carriers. If you have a 50mbps package its 17Mbps each on three carriers etc etc. bonding doesn't really have a number in Mbps where it "kicks in". it gets turned on when the devices on both ends are capable of it, regardless if the device "needs" it to achieve it speed.
daveinpoway
Premium Member
join:2006-07-03
Poway, CA

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Interesting that DOCSIS 3.0 modems aren't working properly on non-3.0 headends, as it was my understanding that these modems were supposed to be backwards-compatible with older systems.

tubbynet
reminds me of the danse russe
MVM
join:2008-01-16
Gilbert, AZ

tubbynet

MVM

said by daveinpoway:

Interesting that DOCSIS 3.0 modems aren't working properly on non-3.0 headends, as it was my understanding that these modems were supposed to be backwards-compatible with older systems.
i would assume that this would have something to do with the firmware pushed to them. if the incorrect code is pushed to from the cmts to the modem (or no code at all), then i could see issues arising with new modems.

q.