Could Somebody Explain How This Queer High Speed Connection Works?

[Ornery]

Went to a friend's, to help get his email functioning. He said he was able to connect to the Internet, so I figured it would be a piece of cake. When I booted it up, there was no functioning connection. It has a cable modem and Comcast is the provider. I checked out the modem, and saw there was no network cable to it! I said, "WTF, how is this supposed to connect?" He said Comcast hooked it up, and the PC was connected via his phone line.

We rebooted his PC and the modem a few times, yet it still wouldn't connect, and I wasn't too surprised. I mean WTF, how could it? But, after a while, the Cable LED went to a steady green light, and the damn thing was connected! Put his email together in short order, but it still bugged me about that weird setup. The device list showed a V90/DSL modem, which came installed from HP. Anybody else have such a setup? WTF is the point of that cable modem anyway?

 

[EatSpam]

Isn't there a network type that works over standard phone lines... something like HPNA?

 

[Ornery]

You're asking me?

All I can say is, when he gets his new Dell hot deal, there's NO WAY it's going to be connected in this fashion again!

Do I need an Ethernet or NIC (Network Interface Card) for your service?

• Yes, and network card will be provided as part of the Comcast High-Speed Internet Service installation. If your computer already has a network card, you may use it. However, if you have a laptop, you must provide your own PCM/CIA card. Many cable modems can also utilize USB connections rather than standard network/ethernet ports, so this is also an option.

 

[Ornery]

WTF, is this the only guy on the planet with such a setup?

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: Ornery
WTF, is this the only guy on the planet with such a setup?

Sounds like it.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: Ornery
WTF, is this the only guy on the planet with such a setup?

Yes.

 

[Wallydraigle]

I think that guy from Pi who made his house into a computer with wires all over the walls and stuff got ahold of his computer for a while.

 

[TGS]

It's called Cable Lite or something goofy depending on your ISP. Basically the download is via cable, and the uploads are via normal dialup.

IE slower than broadband, but downloads are much faster than dialup.

A buddy of mine has a DSL lite service, same deal just DSL modem for downstream and phone line for upstream.

 

[nakedfrog]

Uh... shouldn't the cable modem be connected to something if it's actually doing anything?

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Uh... shouldn't the cable modem be connected to something if it's actually doing anything?

QFT

 

[dman]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Went to a friend's, to help get his email functioning. He said he was able to connect to the Internet, so I figured it would be a piece of cake. When I booted it up, there was no functioning connection. It has a cable modem and Comcast is the provider. I checked out the modem, and saw there was no network cable to it!

Possibly connected to PC via USB. The cable modem would need to connect to the cable line, power, and one connection has to go to the PC, some of them use a built in USB Adapter. If that's not there, I guess they could have a wireless 802.11 connection but somehow I doubt it.

In the old days I had a Cable modem that also had a dialup modem for the upstream, but, it still used the cable wire for the downstream.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: TGS
It's called Cable Lite or something goofy depending on your ISP. Basically the download is via cable, and the uploads are via normal dialup.

IE slower than broadband, but downloads are much faster than dialup.

A buddy of mine has a DSL lite service, same deal just DSL modem for downstream and phone line for upstream.

Well thats silly. Why do that?

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: tyler811

Originally posted by: TGS
It's called Cable Lite or something goofy depending on your ISP. Basically the download is via cable, and the uploads are via normal dialup.

IE slower than broadband, but downloads are much faster than dialup.

A buddy of mine has a DSL lite service, same deal just DSL modem for downstream and phone line for upstream.

Well thats silly. Why do that?

Money?

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: tyler811

Originally posted by: TGS
It's called Cable Lite or something goofy depending on your ISP. Basically the download is via cable, and the uploads are via normal dialup.

IE slower than broadband, but downloads are much faster than dialup.

A buddy of mine has a DSL lite service, same deal just DSL modem for downstream and phone line for upstream.

Well thats silly. Why do that?

The early generation of cable internet was that way - I think it was because cable modems as we know them now require fibre optic lines to sustain both up/down traffic. I could be 100% wrong, but I know that's how the cable internet in my city was and I seemed to remember hearing a technician for the company say once they got fiber everywhere the need for the dialup lines would cease.

 

[Ornery]

Thanks for the effort and info, but there is no USB, or any other cable from the Cable modem to the PC. It's GOT to be DSL, and using the Cable to verify the user's ID. There's no way I'm going to be able to network it to his new Dell with that setup. Time to start shopping for a cheap NIC...

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Thanks for the effort and info, but there is no USB, or any other cable from the Cable modem to the PC. It's GOT to be DSL, and using the Cable to verify the user's ID. There's no way I'm going to be able to network it to his new Dell with that setup. Time to start shopping for a cheap NIC...

Realtek 8139-series. They're like $10 retail, $5 if you can find a good deal.

 

[Raduque]

That is VERY VERY weird, sounding.. Can you take some pics of the back of everything? Maybe call the cable co. and verify the setup or something?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

You, my friend, have just witnessed the spawn of Satan - the Cable to HPNA home networking setup.

- M4H

 

[Auryg]

Ugh, I had two friends that had the same thing, but it was somehow split between their computers.

They needed me to fix it and I just said "screw it, i'll buy you guys a wireless router and card" and then I hooked up the cable line the right way..freaking weird.

 

[Ornery]

Awesome, I guess that's what it is. When I looked up properties for the modem, and networking, there were no phone numbers, usernames, passwords or IP addresses listed anywhere. No dialog box ever appeared, and he's been using this setup for over three years without a hitch.

Thanks! :thumbsup: