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Free Comcast Internet --Hack???
- Thread starter meionm
- Start date
I have to admit I am curious myself as how this would work. Since working as a network engineer for past year, routing and what not has been a bit interesting. Anyway onto the topic.
As far as I know this is how an ISP works when it comes to a business. So Router goes hooks up to a local box (something like 1-3 miles away), the local box is part of a large fiber ring that hooks up to directly to these same boxes and a master box. The router points to this first box. So if you were to get around this first box, everything else would be simple.
Please note this is for learning purposes only. I agree that this is borderline, but knowing something and applying is two different things.
As far as I know this is how an ISP works when it comes to a business. So Router goes hooks up to a local box (something like 1-3 miles away), the local box is part of a large fiber ring that hooks up to directly to these same boxes and a master box. The router points to this first box. So if you were to get around this first box, everything else would be simple.
Please note this is for learning purposes only. I agree that this is borderline, but knowing something and applying is two different things.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2006
and correctly as well sir, after my initial post, the discussion veered onto the correct track of how it works/ISPs work not how to hack your ISP.
I still think the podcast should be revived btw, even if it is just a weekly recap of the forum plus extras but that is a separate thread.
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2006
Wait a second...
...what the hell happened to THIS guy:
Soooo... "This thread needs to stop now".... BUT! "I've still got a thing or two to add..."
I dunno... kinda liked it the way it was before...
Yeah but I thought we were talking about the IP that you *didn't* give out.
Like somebody who's never had a comcast line before. They've got one of these doohickies and all of a sudden... there's an IP with no name attached.
How do you find THAT person?
At best you could get his MAC address... which probably also doesn't have a name attached.
It's an interesting puzzle from the IT side of things... I was probably much quicker to figure it out when I worked in IT.
EDIT: The other thing is... Comcast is no small ISP... how do you find the needle in the haystack?
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2004
Perhaps this can be used as a positive for DSL in the never-ending DSL vs Cable wars With DSL, nobody can pretend to be you without having direct access to your network. With Cable, your identity is compromised by anybody lucky enough to randomly generate your MAC and use it anywhere?
With DSL, nobody can pretend to be you without having direct access to your network. With Cable, your identity is compromised by anybody lucky enough to randomly generate your MAC and use it anywhere?
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2002
You do need to be a customer on some level, even if its just basic cable, so you can have a live cable coming into your home. The person's information would be in Comcast's system.I dunno... kinda liked it the way it was before...
Yeah but I thought we were talking about the IP that you *didn't* give out.
Like somebody who's never had a comcast line before. They've got one of these doohickies and all of a sudden... there's an IP with no name attached.
How do you find THAT person?
At best you could get his MAC address... which probably also doesn't have a name attached.
It's an interesting puzzle from the IT side of things... I was probably much quicker to figure it out when I worked in IT.
EDIT: The other thing is... Comcast is no small ISP... how do you find the needle in the haystack?
Comcast would not find out you are stealing their internet unless you brought some attention upon yourself like using massive amounts of bandwidth or distributing child porn, in which case they will look further into the issue. I'm sure they have ways to pinpoint a person down to his house if they had a reason to, but most likely it would fly under the radar unless you do something stupid. I'm not sure exactly how (I doubt anyone does..), but I suppose its pretty simple to see what node the information is coming from (100-500 people) and go from there. They have to have ways to track information on their own network, no?
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- Joined
- Jul 31, 2004
Who knows? They're Comcast. They claim that their network can't even handle modern traffic requirements, hence caps and their recommendations to the FCC to lower the definition of broadband to 256Kb up and down. I wouldn't be surprised if they can't track a connection on their own network.
If a MAC is suppose to be unique and someone spoofs it, would it not show two MAC addresses? Not only two MAC addresses that are the same, but two addresses on different nodes?
Anyway, I have no knowledge beyond the fact that Comcast uses MAC addresses (I had to call up Comcast when I ordered cable from them at one point and the modem wouldn't connect. They needed the MAC address and once it was entered, it worked.) and cable internet are tied to node points.
Anyway, I have no knowledge beyond the fact that Comcast uses MAC addresses (I had to call up Comcast when I ordered cable from them at one point and the modem wouldn't connect. They needed the MAC address and once it was entered, it worked.) and cable internet are tied to node points.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2001
- Location
- Lawrence, KS
From my understanding from a friend who worked at a local cable company, who tried to get me to do this... cloning a MAC is all that is really needed. Past that I know not of anything special or firmware. As far as tracking the person breaking the law, they can only really track it down to what node they are on, which can supply a few blocks of service area. While I am sure that given the proper motivation they would be able to track it down physically.
PS, the local cable company also is lax on hard disconnects so there is always a good chance of the basic service being on to begin with, so it would be much harder here as well.
PS, the local cable company also is lax on hard disconnects so there is always a good chance of the basic service being on to begin with, so it would be much harder here as well.
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2009
- Location
- Northern Virginia
cloning a mac already in the system would be all you need. the signal for the internet is basically a tv channel. so given you had some channels, a clone would be in the system and pickup an ip from the company. some of the guys i worked with had the little backpack of internet, which had a modem and such to clone the mac to test the servers and such for troubleshooting.
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2006
I don't think so. I work in real estate and I see it all the time:
Person moves out... leaves the cable modem and everything... new person moves in.
I've gotten bored and hooked up a laptop to the modem. Sometimes the whole damned thing is up and running. Even if it isn't... it will at least get you to that Comcast registration page.
And that's the entire point... getting AROUND that page.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2007
Be real careful. TBH I wouldn't even consider touching a network setup in this manner just in case Comcast eventually goes after this guy. He can always just say you're the one who set it up.
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2006
Yeah. I'd put the emphasis on REAL careful.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2004
Put in a call to Comcast customer support. Make sure to record the time and date, since they often record those, and if possible, record your own copy. Inform them that you serviced a person's computer, and believe they may be abusing Comcast Cable Co. property/infrastructure. Even if they don't escalate it / acknowledge the problem right away, if they later go after the guy, you're in the clear, at least.
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2003
- Location
- Fontana, CA
Ok so are two IPs assigned to one MAC address like on my home router?
Essentially, a lot of ISPs authenticate via MAC address. There's a backend system that tracks by MAC and determines what binfile/class of service to deploy to the modem. It also determines if the person should be able to be on the network or not. If the MAC isn't authenticated it will received the commonly seen "walledgarden" page where you can chose if you're a customer or technician, in Comcast's case. Simply changing your DNS servers won't get you beyond this as your MAC will be put on a very limited access list.
Hacked modems will have a custom firmware and/or bootfile to assign their own speeds. Typically this firmware blocks snmp traffic so the modem cannot be remotely modified or written over.
You would authenticate with a different modem's MAC address on a different node/CMTS. As long as the same modem doesn't try to authenticate over the same node and/or CMTS it could be authenticated and allow to pass traffic over the network.
As far as the question of, "How would you find this person stealing cable?" There's a few ways. As someone noted there would need to be some kind of active cable line where the internet is being stolen. This doesn't mean it needs to be a legit customer, just a live cable feed. Cable companies have no way of trapping out the internet signal, only video. So, person X hooks up this illegitimate cable modem. From the network end I could more or less narrow down where you are to a block or two, sometimes down to the building itself. Tech goes out and starts disconnecting drops one by one, once you drop gets disconnected he has your apartment/house/suite #.
Hacked modems will have a custom firmware and/or bootfile to assign their own speeds. Typically this firmware blocks snmp traffic so the modem cannot be remotely modified or written over.
You would authenticate with a different modem's MAC address on a different node/CMTS. As long as the same modem doesn't try to authenticate over the same node and/or CMTS it could be authenticated and allow to pass traffic over the network.
As far as the question of, "How would you find this person stealing cable?" There's a few ways. As someone noted there would need to be some kind of active cable line where the internet is being stolen. This doesn't mean it needs to be a legit customer, just a live cable feed. Cable companies have no way of trapping out the internet signal, only video. So, person X hooks up this illegitimate cable modem. From the network end I could more or less narrow down where you are to a block or two, sometimes down to the building itself. Tech goes out and starts disconnecting drops one by one, once you drop gets disconnected he has your apartment/house/suite #.
Cable as in cable TV...If yes -- what if you had strictly a modem connected? -- would it not receive the video feed? (Not sure how all that works)
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2004
I remember when I move to a new apartment a few years back I brought my old cable modem with me to a new state, it WOULD NOT WORK at the new residence until I physically brought it to a comcast office and showed them I owned it, and they recorded the MAC.
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