US Cable Support > Comcast HSI > [Connectivity] what is unicast maintenance ranging

reply to loprojoe

Re: [Connectivity] what is unicast maintenance ranging

Well then, what is the problem? Who isn't playing well with whom?

When I bought this modem there was only one other maker of WiFi Modems at Best Buy.

Call me cynical but is this a "modem doesn't play well" some kind of hard wired method to make us rent from Comcast?

For the first month (maybe two) I had no problems, not one disconnect. I think it was after our northeaster storm that the problem started. I have a friend that does rent from Comcast and he has the same problem. He lives 5 miles away. His fix is to disconnect the modem and re-connect.

In the link, the problem spread across different modems --

"had a motorola 5101 and now have a Ubee D3 modem but this has not solved the issue. "

Upgrading the firmware is an odd arrangement. Apparently Comcast controls when the upgrade happens but bulks at upgrading customer owned modems.

From the Comcast link --

"I got a good answer from Comcast about this. A Comcast employee from the regional office called me Saturday and today. I was told that it was a device problem that might be fixed by the recent firmware. But that the firmware on our devices can't be updated because Comcast has yet to approve the recent firmware. I was told that that's Comcast's problem in part because the SBG6580 is listed as a compatible device and, right now, it's not compatible.

So, I was given three recommendations: return it, bridge it, or deal with it and Comcast might eventually approve the updates. The gentleman I spoke with said that he plans to pursue it farther.

If more people complain, the more likely it is that Comcast will update. I initiated the discussion with the Comcast employee by emailing We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com with my signal levels, my account number, and my phone number."

gateways suck.

youll hear that time and time again on this or any other forum with decent tech geeks.....

get a seperate modem/router and your FAR better off....

comcast isnt trying to push you to rent....they test these modems as far as the manufacturer has....thus different ratings at »mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/

yours has 1 star....
»mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/certhelp.php

honestly ratings wont go up.....its tested as far as it goes, then released....can firmware fix certain issues...yea...but if the manufacturer wont back up the device (2 or 3 star), then comcast cant do anything....

so no matter how many people complain comcast has nothing to do with motorola and why they made a POS gateway.....

the reason though- to make money....you paid $150 to moto instead of only $75-$100 for a modem then spend $50 on another company to buy a router.....
--
I'm better than you!

I have a router and the reason I went with the Moto was a WiFi issue. You are about right - it wasn't $150 but was about $140 with tax.

Guess I'll just put it in bridge mode. Too bad because I had 1>2 months of perfect service on it.

Gotta give Kudo's to Comcast for a second. I e-mailed their help that was on the Comcast link and 2 hours later I received a phone call from them. They will send a tech and I'll talk with the tech.

Odd that my friend that lives 5 miles away has the same issue. You would think since he is renting a modem that it would be a 3 star modem.

Where did you find a listing of the models and their ratings?

Bottom line is we were sold a piece of equipment that was supposed to work. And it doesn't. We don't do this professionaly so not really our fault. And if we bought this to save a few dollars, maybe it's all we could afford at the time. Wireless routers have been around for years, why would we have a reason to think it wouldn't work?
Comcast still has a responsibility so hopefully they come through. Or at least remove the item from their approved router list. Then maybe they should refund the money we wasted on the damn thing lol...Bridge mode and paying more money for another router isn't really a solution if you ask me.
Thanks for all the info.

reply to urdrwho

reply to loprojoe

Seems that Comcast sure likes the Arris Touchstone. You go to the Comcast site and move the slider to the Extreme 105 and you get these that all have 3 star ratings. Not all have check marks for IPv6 but 70% are Arris Touchstone modems.

1 Arris TM702G (NCS)
2 Arris WBM760A
3 Cisco DPC3000
4 Ubee DVM3203B
5 Arris TM722G (IMS)
6 SMCNetworks SMCD3GNV
7 Arris TM702G (IMS)
8 Arris TM722G (NCS)
9 Motorola SB6121
10 Arris TG852G (IMS)
11 Arris TG852G (NCS)

Now does the star rating matter? Not sure because the Ubee also has the same problem.

Re: Intermittent drops - Motorola sbg6580

12-19-2011 03:51 PM
"I have been having the same issue for over a month with anywhere from 1 to 10 dropouts per evening. I had a Motorola 5101 and now have a Ubee D3 modem"

Now back to the Comcast site. If you filter devices by the Extreme 105 and the latest DOCSIS 3 models and I see that this is on that list -

SBG6580-Retail SBG6580 DOCSIS 3.0 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway

So I go looking at what gives the stars -

One star =
A One Star designation indicates that the device has undergone DOCSIS testing by Comcast and has received the relevant Underwriters Laboratory ("UL"), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and CableLabs certifications. Comcast's DOCSIS certification supplements CableLabs testing by adding things like performance and interoperability tests. This helps to ensure that, for example, a given device can support a given service tier's speed.

Star 2 adds P&E testing =
Some of the things P&E tests check for include areas such as device performance and safety during overheating, power interruptions (including brown outs), radio frequency (RF) interference, electrostatic discharge, electrical surges, and network impairments.

Star 3 adds =

Full Physical and Environmental (P&E) evaluation

So aside from environmental testing of 3 and 4 stars (like using your modem in hot places, overheating situations, etc.) one star addresses performance and interoperability tests to ensure that, for example, a given device can support a given service tier's speed.

So unless you are worried about quality control for extra duty use a star one should provide the technology to work with Comcast.

Looking at all the above I can't entirely buy into the "it isn't 3 star" reason for problems with Comcast T3 drops. Looking at the event log shows that in December the drops were @ every 2 days , in January those drops are @ every 3 days.

January shows less drops soooooo is my modem getting healthier or is there something else going on?

reply to loprojoe

If they were daily I would try another modem but they are not daily. Plus when they happen it is for a short amount of time, usually enough time to watch my modem shake hands again.

I went through the same thing with Verizon DSL and that is why I ended up with Comcast. For 4 years VZ DSL was great and then it started. Within half a year I tried 3 different modems, some I bought some were straight from VZ. The problems persisted and I'm not talking a minor annoyance, I'm talking system down for days stuff.

So I have been through the blame game but in the end, I think it is nearly always on the provider side. It is the side that can and will have the quality control that will be the hardest to access and / or fix.

reply to urdrwho

Yes QC controlling the outside events such as a power surge, make sure it doesn't become a brick that it withstand the purge. Discharge -- is it going to hose your computer if it is sitting by your hard drive. RFI is a determined range by the FCC and all hardware must fall within a certain range. As a Class B device, this modem satisfies those and that range should satisfy Comcast's needs. Now if someone wants to go past normal protocol, have at it but I am not running a military operation here and don't need to satisfy a greater hierarchy of standards.

Just had a call from Comcast. Gotta say the customer service I am getting is fine, top notch. But the man said that Comcast will not send out firmware updates to a modem that they don't own.

He offered to rent me an Arris gateway - wfi.
Nah....they aren't trying to use rentals as a capital stream.

I will be contacting Moto because someone has the responsibility for firmware updates. If I can update the BIOS of my computer, if I can flash the ECU on my Jaguar's box for better shift patterns, I should be able to damn well get a firmware update for my modem.

I gave a shot at bridging it last night and speed was an issue. I'll check it out again today -- perhaps there are some setting to change on the router. Currently I have my Ethernet running off the router and when I went on bridge (same setup) my speed dropped by about 20%.

I would say that if there is a known issue then Comcast should take these Moto's off the list.

reply to gar187er

I agree that those stars are pretty much BS. If you believe in those stars you must believe that every manufacturer is making their own chips and create a new type of modem, etc. That isn't the situation. I wonder if Moto and Arris are put together in the same building someplace in China. Same thing happens in car parts. I can get a dealer part for the Caddie for $175 that was made by Delphi, it comes in a nice colored box or I can buy the same Delphi part number from a third party parts guy for $90. Same part, same manufacturer just different boxes. Happens all the time with many different products.

When our tv went digital, I went through the entire process of replacing splitters, older cable etc. There are two splitters and both are Comcast supplied splitters. We still have our On Demand drop out once in a while, certain channels won't be available, etc.

In the most recent SEC 8k report - "R&D centers in Atlanta, GA; Beaverton, OR; Redwood City, California; Chicago, IL; Kirkland, WA; State College, PA; Wallingford, CT; Westborough and Waltham, MA; Cork, Ireland; Tel Aviv, Israel and
Shenzhen, China

From the recent 10K -
"To fulfill our strategy, we develop technology, facilitate its implementation, and enable operators to put their subscribers in control of their entertainment, information, and communication needs. Through a set of business solutions that respond to specific market needs, we are integrating our products, software, and services solutions to work with our customers as they address Internet Protocol telephony deployment, high speed data deployment, high definition television content expansion, on demand video rollout, operations management, network integration, and business services opportunities."

On page 19 you find -

"Significant Customers
The Company's two largest customers (including their affiliates, as applicable) are Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Over the past year, certain customers' beneficial ownership may have changed as a result of mergers and acquisitions. Therefore the revenue for ARRIS' customers for prior periods has been adjusted to include the affiliates that are now under common control. A summary of sales to these customers for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 are set forth below (in thousands, except for percentages
"

Now are you getting the idea of why Arris is 3 star rated by Comcast. The only thing better is the filed Material Even - see above where Time Warner is one of the two significant customers.

"ARRIS Group, Inc. Appoints Andrew T. Heller as New Director
Suwanee, GA — December 12, 2011 — ARRIS Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARRS) today announced the appointment of Andrew T. Heller to the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Heller is Vice Chairman of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc"

So as a significant customer Comcast has a vested interest in pushing Arris modems. The provider with a vested interest to push Arris are not going to play well with others.

Ya get it now!

Would research find that Comcast has a long position in ARRS?

reply to not
you can buy an arris emta from best buy....and again comcast has nothing to do with availability of modems in stores.....

the reason they have 3 stars is that comcast uses mostly arris c4 cmts....

my 760 arris works like a jewel....as does my 604.....on the other hand older moto 5220s were garbage....and thats personal/work exp.

also his signals are fine...+7/50.....
--
I'm better than you!

reply to urdrwho
comcast use to be all moto, front and back end....but their backend didnt keep up...ubr CMTS were junk and couldnt handle the bandwidth, or other features....this was all within the last 7-10 years they made the switch to arris.....

all i get your going to deny anything said to which you believe otherwise.....

i was giving you an honest semi-vet techs opinion (2 years service, 4 +years line).....the moto gateway, along with every other gateway (netgear/linksys) is trash....
--
I'm better than you!

reply to gar187er
I checked Best Buy's site this morning and didn't get any hits for Arris. I was not on a local site, I was on their main site. Best Buy sells them?

"We're sorry. We didn't find any matches for ""arris modem" " in All Categories"

All modems -

Brand
Cisco (23)
Multi-Tech Systems (17)
Adtran (17)
Cables to Go (16)
Cisco Consumer Products (13)
HP (9)
NETGEAR (7)
Zoom (6)
TRENDnet (6)
Motorola (6)
Startech (5)
Belkin (5)
Tripp Lite (4)
TP-Link (4)
Startech.com (4)
U.S. Robotics (3)
American Power Conversion (3)
AddLogix (3)
Trendnet (2)
Qwest (2)
Linksys (2)
Digi International (2)
Digi (2)
Diamond Multimedia (2)
Connectpro (2)
Comtrol Corp (2)
Asus (2)
Aluratek (2)
Actiontec (2)
2Wire (2)
Zyxel (1)
Zhone Technologies (1)
Verizon Wireless Prepaid (1)
Sierra Wireless Data (1)
Qvs-Cable Zone (1)
Perle Systems (1)
Pantech (1)
Novatel (1)
Netgear (1)
Manhattan Products (1)
Lenovo (1)
Lantronix (1)
Juniper Networking (1)
Fellowes (1)
Atek (1)
AT&T (1)
AT Box Technology Inc. Dba Add (1)

not on the website...in stores....
»Arris Tm722g emta now for sale at Best Buy..
--
I'm better than you!

reply to urdrwho
Participating local stores...