DOCSIS Question

[ComcastUser]

Firstly, hi! I'm new here. Secondly, I've opted to purchase my own modem at BestBuy rather than continue to give Comcast $7/mo. I don't know much about the differences in the cable modems and that's how I stumbled on this forum. I purchased a Motorola SB5101U. On a previous thread someone mentioned DOCSIS-3 capability and provided a Link. Now, I have no idea what DOCSIS-3 is and also it appears that the Motorola that I have doesn't support it and also doesn't support IPv6. The modem that Comcast provided me, Ubee DDM3513, does support all the aforementioned features. I don't know if I should keep the current Comcast provided modem, use my Motorola, or buy a different, better, cable modem to use.

TLDR; The modem I bought, Motorola SB5101U, doesn't support DOCSIS-3 or IPv6. The modem that Comcast is charging me monthly for does support those features. What is the significance in having those features and should I return my modem and get a better one or would I be okay with using it?

Thanks!!

 

[kevnich2]

Based on your post - I would recommend continuing to lease comcast's modem. If you have any problems and call into comcast for support - if you own your own modem that will be where all the fingers are pointing to, no matter what the issue actually is. Unless you are very technically inclined and never call for support...EVER, then I would recommend keeping comcast's modem and pay the rental fee. That modem is 100% supported by comcast and if something goes wrong, they take care of it.

 

[ComcastUser]

Thanks kevnich2. I have seen others post similar thoughts as yours. I have also seen posts where users claim that Comcast takes care of the situation no matter who the modem belongs to. I'd rather no longer have to pay Comcast to lease their modem and go with my own if possible.

 

[cmetz]

ComcastUser, you want DOCIS 3 support. It enables features like channel bonding and better modulations that in turn enable higher speed tiers, and the more sophisticated parts inside will probably help your signal quality, helping your reliability at the speed tier you're at. At this point, I'm surprised there are non-DOCSIS 3 modems even for sale.

IPv6 is a good someday feature to think about, but not relevant today. There's also a good chance that it's a feature that could be added by firmware updates later if folks really wanted to. (many times, for SOHO gear, manufacturers intentionally don't, just to make you buy another one)

$7/month is egregious. Get your own modem. Keep good records and a receipt for your modem because many cable providers have a habit of letting you use your own modem but trying to charge you for it and even trying to require you to return "their provided cable modem" when you disconnect. They want their money, it's a profit center, they will do things designed to make life painful for you if you don't pay up.

kevnich2, you're right that they will aggressively try to blame customer owned equipment, both as an excuse to get out of doing their jobs and as a way to punish you for not paying them. So the magic phrase is "okay, send out a technician with one of your modems and see for yourself." Their techs know this game and I haven't seen them care which modem you use as long as it works. (long ago, there were some that were junk and caused no end of headaches, but I think in the current generation they're all okay)

Even if you had their modem, their tech support will make excuses and try very hard not to do their job. So you save $7/month and you know what excuse #1 is going to be. You're still going to have to push them and more often than not you're still not really going to get anything fixed until you have a tech at your house.

 

[cmetz]

I have also seen posts where users claim that Comcast takes care of the situation no matter who the modem belongs to.

Comcast's job is to provide adequate service to any paying customer using gear that they've certified to be on their network. They're supposed to help you just the same, their modem or yours.

In practice, like any large company's tech support, many of the folks in the phone center support will try very hard to make excuses and point the finger at anything other than them. It's not a Comcast-specific problem, it's a technology industry plague and why we all hate most vendors' "tech support." If you have your own modem, it's just one more excuse they might try, and you just have to not let them get away with it. Like all tech support, you have to be patient and you have to be persistent.

It's not a big deal. They have lots of customers with their own modem, I don't know the actual numbers, but really I don't know anyone with cable modem service who does rent the modem, so it's gotta be a very significant part of their customer base, maybe even like half. So it's not like you'd be in some rare situation they'd not be able to handle.

 

[ch33zw1z]

http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/

Supported device list.

I currently use the Motorola SB6120. No problems so far.

You may have to call Comcast to get a replacement provisioned onto their network.

 

[raf051888]

If you are purchasing your own modem I would recommend a DOCSIS 3. I would purchase a DOCSIS 3 modem from their supported list.

 

[Cabletek]

Firstly, hi! I'm new here. Secondly, I've opted to purchase my own modem at BestBuy rather than continue to give Comcast $7/mo. I don't know much about the differences in the cable modems and that's how I stumbled on this forum. I purchased a Motorola SB5101U. On a previous thread someone mentioned DOCSIS-3 capability and provided a Link. Now, I have no idea what DOCSIS-3 is and also it appears that the Motorola that I have doesn't support it and also doesn't support IPv6.

You are correct that modem is D2 and IP4 only however not to fret too much I suspect it will be years before comcast, or anyone else, forces either of those relatively new standards on its customers. If you were to buy another modem, I would suggest looking into getting a D3, but for now, a D2 should suffice just fine. the main deal is if you plan to subscribe to a speed faster than 20-25 Mbit/sec, you will need a D3 modem to actually get those speeds.

The modem that Comcast provided me, Ubee DDM3513, does support all the aforementioned features. I don't know if I should keep the current Comcast provided modem, use my Motorola, or buy a different, better, cable modem to use.

The choice is yours, what speed do you subscribe to, and how likley are you to go return this modem and spend more on a D3 one?

TLDR; The modem I bought, Motorola SB5101U, doesn't support DOCSIS-3 or IPv6. The modem that Comcast is charging me monthly for does support those features. What is the significance in having those features and should I return my modem and get a better one or would I be okay with using it?

Thanks!!

I work for comcast, I go to houses using D2 modems every day they still run fine. There will eventually be a day they cut them off but its not going to be soon, we still actually hand them out in on area I work becasue its fed from a different head end, and that area has not gone only D3 like the rest of the FFO has. That has to do with finances and the cost of scrapping working equipment, but none the less they are still used in D3 areas by this company so it will be a while before they are killed off for support, but it will be sooner than a D3 modems support will be cut off and they will be marked end of life. Again I believe you are talking years, so depending on what you paid, what the D3 modem will cost and what you need for your home network, you may or may not opt to stick with D3 or D2 modems.

Comcast will fix what they can, they will not give you a NEW modem if yours goes bad, but they will put in a leased modem and let you resume paying $7/month just like that though. Regardless of the modem you have and what DOCSIS standard it is.

 

[wirednuts]

there has to be something else to docsis 3 other then speeds. the cable companies are pushing people to upgrade like docsis 2 is near death. my mom keeps refusing, telling them she likes her modem, and they keep telling her its necessary to have a new one. her internet works fine, she pays for 16Gb/sec and she gets 16Gb/sec. Only 2 users in her house too, so shes never noticed a slowdown.

i think docsis 3 has some sort of data tracking that the cable providers want.

 

[loki993]

there has to be something else to docsis 3 other then speeds. the cable companies are pushing people to upgrade like docsis 2 is near death. my mom keeps refusing, telling them she likes her modem, and they keep telling her its necessary to have a new one. her internet works fine, she pays for 16Gb/sec and she gets 16Gb/sec. Only 2 users in her house too, so shes never noticed a slowdown.

i think docsis 3 has some sort of data tracking that the cable providers want.

I think its because of the channel bonding. It eases the load on the network.

As for the OP what speed is your internet? Anything under 25, actually 30 probably, you don't need DOCSIS 3.

If you still want it the ZOOM is pretty good and a lot cheaper then the Moto.

If you got the money go for the 3.0, if you dont and you have anything 30meg and under you can get by fine with a 25 dollar refurb sb 6120/21

 

[Cabletek]

there has to be something else to docsis 3 other then speeds. the cable companies are pushing people to upgrade like docsis 2 is near death. my mom keeps refusing, telling them she likes her modem, and they keep telling her its necessary to have a new one. her internet works fine, she pays for 16Gb/sec and she gets 16Gb/sec. Only 2 users in her house too, so shes never noticed a slowdown.

i think docsis 3 has some sort of data tracking that the cable providers want.

I think you mean Mb? No cable operator that I have heard of has broken 500Mb/s much less 1 Gb or 16 Gb.

It's load balancing, you have multiple channels to spread the data across [both coming and going] and speed. Pure and simple. IN the old days you did load balancing by telling modems to change the channel, this required they reboot and renegotiate with the cmts, interrupting the customers service now you have 4 or 8 channels bonded to the modem and it spreads it across those at will. There is talk it will reduce noise issues, but in all honestly I rarely seen noise that's so super selective it only hits ONE upstream carrier it usually spreads across them pretty good so that's a lot of pipe dreams of lab techs and not people who put their hands on it every day. Ever so often you find it, but most of the time it hits all upstream carriers the same.