dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
15065

Bucolic
@rr.com

Bucolic

Anon

[TWC] Approved modems for purchase

Will TWC not approve a customer-owned SB6141 on the Standard plan? The reason I ask is that one of the FAQ's states the approved modems are:

For Turbo, Extreme, and Ultimate Service:
Motorola SB6141 or SBG6580.

For Lite, Basic, and Standard:
Motorola SB5101, SB5101U, or SBG901

»www.timewarnercable.com/ ··· dem.html

dcurrey
Premium Member
join:2004-06-29
Mason, OH

dcurrey

Premium Member

They should be backward compatible.

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

hobgoblin

Premium Member

Yes they are backwards compatible.
Thank You

Hob

Bucolic
@rr.com

Bucolic to Bucolic

Anon

to Bucolic
I don't understand the difference between SB5101 and 5101U. I presume the "U" is for the USB port. However, my current (rented) plain old 5101 also has a USB port. So that's confusing.

I went to a store today and they had many 5101U, but no plain 5101.

Is the only difference that the 5101U does not have a standby button like the plain 5101? Or is there more difference? Thanks.

tonyram57
join:2001-11-08
Brooklyn, NY

tonyram57

Member

said by Bucolic
Is the only difference that the 5101U does not have a standby button like the plain 5101? Or is there more difference? Thanks.


That is the only difference. The 5010BN difference is that it does not have a USB port.

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

1 recommendation

hobgoblin

Premium Member

In this day and age, a modem does not need a USB port.

Hob
tragik74
join:2012-10-12
Flushing, NY

tragik74 to Bucolic

Member

to Bucolic
both modem should be the same, just SB5101U has a usb port.
5010BN is not in the list

Bucolic
@rr.com

Bucolic to Bucolic

Anon

to Bucolic
After phoning the MAC of the new modem to TWC customer service, do you have to leave the modem turned on while they activate it? i.e., does turning it off cause the activation to fail?

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

hobgoblin

Premium Member

said by Bucolic :

After phoning the MAC of the new modem to TWC customer service, do you have to leave the modem turned on while they activate it? i.e., does turning it off cause the activation to fail?

No
tragik74
join:2012-10-12
Flushing, NY

tragik74 to Bucolic

Member

to Bucolic
not really. i done both way already. plug in before call twc(level 3 support) or after. they will ask u to plug in modem
Fleeced
join:2012-10-06

Fleeced to Bucolic

Member

to Bucolic
It's better to have your equipment plugged in before you call so the person setting it up can verify the modem has the correct bootfiles.

bradenmcg
join:2000-10-26
Cleveland, OH

1 edit

bradenmcg to Bucolic

Member

to Bucolic
So here is a silly Q - why is Motorola the only vendor on the listing? If I were to purchase a device that is normally leased (an Arris or Ubee for example), surely the office should be able to activate that for me?

Since the site *only* lists Motorola devices, I am concerned that if I call in with a different modem they will feed me a policy line, "only things in that list are OK," even though I could lease and wind up with a different brand anyway.

I'm slightly Moto-shy because I've seen all of the complaints about their D3 gear and heavy upstream traffic causing it to self-reboot. I don't think I've seen this happen to me yet with my current "free" (TWC-provided) SBG6580, but why poke the fate bear if skipping Motorola is the safer option?

The Ubee DDW3611 is available on eBay, can be put into bridge mode (I don't need the router or wifi, I use pfSense and an Airport Extreme), and is on the "if you lease you could get one of these" list. If they refuse to activate it for customer-owned setups, it seems almost like collusion with Motorola to increase demand on their modems...
Fleeced
join:2012-10-06

Fleeced

Member

Call in, give them your mac address. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, then you will have to get an approved modem.

PCInTech
keeping art alive since 1953
Premium Member
join:2004-06-07
Massena, NY

PCInTech to bradenmcg

Premium Member

to bradenmcg
I called TW Central NY (Syracuse) and they told me they will absolutely NOT activate a modem that is NOT on the approved for individual purchase list, even if it is one that they provide to leasing customers.
Fleeced
join:2012-10-06

Fleeced

Member

It's probably still a divisional thing, most people I know they dont' even ask what model it is, just what the mac is.
patt2k
join:2009-01-16

patt2k to hobgoblin

Member

to hobgoblin
said by hobgoblin:

In this day and age, a modem does not need a USB port.

Hob

Yes it does , like for example in my dualband router I use my 2.0 USB Drive , I copie files from PC and then stream on laptop which makes it perfect, rather then creating media server on my pc this way my PC does not have to be on for this.

tonyram57
join:2001-11-08
Brooklyn, NY

tonyram57 to hobgoblin

Member

to hobgoblin
said by hobgoblin:

In this day and age, a modem does not need a USB port.

Hob

Especially since most people connect their modems to routers.
Fleeced
join:2012-10-06

Fleeced to patt2k

Member

to patt2k
Why not put your USB 2.0 drive directly into your laptop?
patt2k
join:2009-01-16

patt2k

Member

said by Fleeced:

Why not put your USB 2.0 drive directly into your laptop?

I prefer option with no wires
Fleeced
join:2012-10-06

Fleeced

Member

Kind of silly, but people will fight tooth and nail for perceived "convience". You have other options such as using cloud networks, getting a proper networked storage drive or other things that don't use the slow USB ports.

bradenmcg
join:2000-10-26
Cleveland, OH

bradenmcg to Fleeced

Member

to Fleeced
The Zoom 5341 ("J"?) D3.0 is working with the 30/5 in NE Ohio, list be damned.

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

hobgoblin

Premium Member

said by bradenmcg:

The Zoom 5341 ("J"?) D3.0 is working with the 30/5 in NE Ohio, list be damned.

Good until you are looking for support down the line, this will be the first thing that gets blamed.

Hob

Girl2
Premium Member
join:2008-01-19

Girl2

Premium Member

Granted TW could blame a modem fault from a modem that isn't approved. So if we have a modem that IS on the approved list, will TW blame a problem on the modem because it isn't PROVIDED by them?

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

hobgoblin

Premium Member

said by Girl2:

Granted TW could blame a modem fault from a modem that isn't approved. So if we have a modem that IS on the approved list, will TW blame a problem on the modem because it isn't PROVIDED by them?

we have had customer owned modems here in WNY for a long time, a lot of them...I have not heard of this happening.

Hob

Eagles1221
join:2009-04-29
Vincentown, NJ

Eagles1221

Member

I beg to differ with Hob, at least in CNY the CSRs like to immediately blame customer modem.

When I got my D3 service a year ago they told me no customer owned modems since they were hard to support. I asked why all the D1.1 users could have personal modems and was told they don't like that since they are hard to support and they always blame a non-leased modem.

Since the "support fee" is for leased modems I wonder what would happen when my cat knocks my coffee into the leased modem every other month.

bradenmcg
join:2000-10-26
Cleveland, OH

bradenmcg to hobgoblin

Member

to hobgoblin
I'm not sure what "support" I'd really need from TW on a modem? If it craps out, I'll call Zoom. If signal levels are terrible, it's a plant issue and not the modem, or at least a tech can test for those.

DOCSIS is a standard. The whole "supported list" seems like someone high up in TW is good friends with someone at Motorola and wants to help their sales...

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

2 edits

1 recommendation

DocDrew

Premium Member

said by bradenmcg:

DOCSIS is a standard. The whole "supported list" seems like someone high up in TW is good friends with someone at Motorola and wants to help their sales...

DOCSIS 3 is a standard that is still evolving, it's not done yet. There are things being added or changed in it recently that weren't there 2 years ago. DOCSIS 2 and many of those modems firmwares have also been updated since DOCSIS 3 has been around, both for compatibility with some of the DOCSIS 3 protocol messages and IPv6.

So what is compatible 2 years ago, may not be compatible now. (See the retail Moto 6120 with older firmware for example.) What is compatible now, may not be compatible in 2 years. Both modems and CMTSs need to be repeatedly tested as time passes and kept up to date.

So being compliant with a "standard" doesn't mean everything just works or keeps working even if it previously worked with the "standard". Every decent company will test equipment to work with the equipment they use internally and recommend or restrict equipment usage to that tested and approved list.

Think of BluRay, it's a standard too. A BD player bought and never updated from 2 years ago may not play a BD disk just released. Even if the firmware/software was great when released, the player has to be updated.

ex15
join:2000-11-30
Santa Clarita, CA

ex15 to Bucolic

Member

to Bucolic
I purchased the SB6121 on Amazon for $59.00, I have the 50/5 and it work s fine, TW only uses 4 bonded channels.
Hope this helps ?

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

hobgoblin

Premium Member

said by ex15:

I purchased the SB6121 on Amazon for $59.00, I have the 50/5 and it work s fine, TW only uses 4 bonded channels.
Hope this helps ?

4 Bonded channels at this time.

Hob
dowop8
join:2012-10-30
N.E Ohio

dowop8

Member

I have been using a Moto 6120 for over two yrs with a standard service.
Should I purchase a Moto 5101 or a 6141 to assure I dont lose service?
The standard 10-1 works fine for me.
I am in NE Ohio.