Comcast XFINITY → Re: Comcast VOIP

Shark fins are getting out of vogue in this forum, so I am waiting for the blame the modem crowd to enter the fray.

I don't see anything in the signal data that looks problematic (although your modem stats don't report SNR). Since Comcast installed VoIP, I assume that there is separate equipment that was installed for VoIP (it would be interesting to see the upstream and downstream frequencies that your VoIP is operating on, however, I doubt that there is a way for the user to obtain this information).

One bit about your initial post that I find somewhat disheartening is the finger pointing between the voice people and the data people regarding this issue. While it is all too common for third party VoIP to have the VoIP company point fingers at the ISP when problems arise and vice versa, one of the anticipated benefits of Comcast VoIP is that the customer is (allegedly) dealing with one company - Comcast.

It now begins. The fear I had, and pointed out in an earlier post looks like is coming to fruition. Comcast will not know exactly what it is doing, it will take them months if not years to figure at how to operate the VOIP correctly. In the meantime, they will screw up there High Speed Internet and their Digital Cable. I'm waiting for drop out in signal and the other problems to multiply as they push to get this service up, despite the fact technically their systems are not ready to handle it.

I think that conclusion may be a little premature. The relationship between tuort 's issue and Comcast's VoIP offering is still unclear. There are numerous users posting in this forum with symptomatically similar issues with their HSI service from areas where Comcast VoIP will not be available for a while (with blame being assigned to bad modems, QAM256, and other things).

My previous comment was directed at the customer service aspect, where it gives the impression that the voice and data people are willing to blame each other rather than delve into the issue. From a technical side, if Comcast is actually running voice on separate channels from video and data, the interaction between services should be minimal in the HFC plant.

It is frustrating to have each group pass me off to the other like I'm chattel. I've now been "escalated" to another group (the local chapter I think). I've called 4 different 1-800 #'s.

Funny thing is that this morning my wife mentioned that when she ordered this service she specifically asked if it would affect my internet (knowing that if it did I would not be happy) and the VOIP people said "No, in fact a new line will come off the street to your house just for the VOIP". When I left home this morning I looked at the lines coming off the street and there is just 1 going to a big gray box on the side of my house. Out of this box comes my telephone and internet. Could there be some screw up in that box?

I've also done line quality tests from this site and everything comes out fine -- would posting those results help?

First off let me address that your fear is completely irrational as the 2 services do not directly effect eachother. VoIP cannot in anyway screw up our HSI or digital cable, everything runs separately.

2nd off your comment of our systems aren't ready to technically handle VoIP....Um do you even have the slightest clue on what systems comcast uses? Do you have any idea how our HSI is managed let alone what has been put in place for VoIP? Cause unless you can verify with me that you know the software/hardware we are using and how we've leveraged Docsis 1.1 in the VoIP areas to guarantee certain levels of QoS then i'd like to know what your basing your assumptions on that our systems can't handle VoIP.

Or is it just another user bashing something before they even have the slightest clue about how it works.

Well, you must of missed my earlier post. Comcast in my area moved its HSI and some of it's digital cable to 256QAM. In the process I lost 20 digital channels on my cable for a month, and my internet for 12 hours. here is my original post on that subject:

Not only is the price too high, but I know that they will have it in their Toms River, NJ system because they changed the QAM setting on some of their digital channels to make frequency room to provide phone service. I found this out because we lost about 20 digital channels, that went black because changing their QAM made their signal too weak. A tech for Comcast came to my home, and was very apologetic, saying the corporate end of the company doesn't talk to the local to actually find out if what they order will work.

It took a full month for them to put back the channels I was paying for on my digital service even though I couldn't get them. I get this sinking feeling that Comcast has no clue what they are doing with this phone service they want to offer. Comcast as a company is so monolithic that they can be worse at times then the giant phone companies they wish to compete with. It was perfectly acceptable by Comcast standards to knock out 20 channels for a large number of customers in their Toms River system if it means the can milk someone for the $39.95 fee for phone service.

I'll never forget the look on the technicians face when he said, since Comcast took over our system from Adelphia, the motto of the company is," provide as many services as possible, but don't expect any to work perfectly."

Comcast=Mediocrity

»[Other Providers] comcast voip markets?

That is exactly what I was told by a Comcast Technician. I'm not a Comcast basher, heck, I pushed for the transfer of our cable system to Comcast from Adelphia because of the bad service we were getting here from Adelphia. I pay my cable bill each month, I expect to get the service I'm paying for. Not excuses about how offering VOIP will cause you a month long outage on over 20 channels.

We pay top dollar, much more then Adelphia charged. I don't mind, but I want what I am paying for. When you are the largest cable operator in the nation, and charge top dollar, it is expected that when I turn on my computer or TV, I get the services I am paying my money for. Not an acceptable losses attitude from Comcast.