Comcast Modem Recommendation

Well i'm on the hunt for a new modem... Comblast doesn't seem to be cooperating anymore with my Motorola Surfboard 6120

No clue what happened, two weeks ago speedtests rip out a 26MBPS 5+ phone calls to clueless tech support and a tech visit early this morning tells me "I DUNNO KNOW... duhhhhh it must be your Modem cause our signals are perfect from the server"

No disconnects just a **** poor speed drop from 16MBPS to 3.2 completely unsat.

Any recommendations for a new modem, who to ***** at at comcast, or any advice would be welcome. (yes already tore up google and nobody seems to have an answer for the SB 6120 modem)

Anyone having a SB6121 or a UBEE 3513 input would be much appreciatedd..

I suggest you contact them again, ask them to elevate your case until you speak with a tech in the internet division, then ask them to verify that you have the correct DOCSIS config file assigned to your modem.

My guess (having been a tech a while ago) is that they tweaked some stuff on their end and in the process, your modem got refeshed with a faulty or incorrect config.

There are other things that could be considered, but that is by far the most likely cause of your speed change.

Comblast..What a load of crap

Well after 30 minutes on the phone with a girl that said she was from the internet department, rolling over and pushing my modem "saying" that she verified I had the correct Docsis config file, pinging my modem with no packet loss............

am I still left with a garbage Motorola SB6120 that worked ROCK solid until last week!

hardwired modem to rig (always faithful Wrt54G Router removed) a pitiful download speed of 4.7MBPS

Now the fight with Newegg to return a modem still under 2 year warranty (in the meantime hoping to hell i didn't screw up by buying the Motorola SB 6121.

I'd all but sell my soul and boot every comcast service out of this household if I only had Verizon FIOS option. Thanks for the help...

Still looking for input from anyone with recommendations or kick butt modems you guys may be running

Comblast Broke a Good Modem

Oh and here's the modem log: Obviously somethings not working right if my modem is reading dates and times from 1970

Pretty sure i have no control over these config files:

I wasn't just saying that they put a different file (by name) in your modem. It is quite possible that they updated the instructions INSIDE the file on their server, and that the new changes included an error. Perhaps they need to roll-back the contents of the file.

It happened here to me about 6 weeks ago. Nobody else complained. When I suggested that they screwed up the DOCSIS file on the server, they looked, and found out that indeed they screwed up. I was the only customer to notice. Mainly because I am one of the very few with that particular modem and internet speed subscription.

Your screenshot pretty much indicates that the modem recently reset and has not updated the time yet. Anytime your unit resets (by you or by the ISP), the time goes back and needs to update. It doesn't have a persistent clock.

Comblast again

Vic,

Gonna call them again and ask for a roll back... at this point i don't care how bad i irritate someone there. I think after that call my next step is emailing the vp of Comcast for busting a good modem .. will post after this tech call...

THANKS for the extended info... much appreciated that I keep having something to go on with them and this issue.

Db.

I have Comcast here, same as you do. Odds are, what happened in my area will happen other places. Comcast implements changes in different areas at different times, not all at once. So, unless they get additional reports that have the same solution, they will continue to roll out a bad config file. If they discover that a file is affecting more than one area, they will stop sending it to new areas until it is corrected.

This may not be the cause of your problem, though. Likely, but not definite.

Going back to your screenshot:
The reboot from SNMP was a reboot command sent from the ISP.
Your cable MAC is blacked out (wisely), therefore I can't tell if anything is obviously wrong with that.
The T3 timeout means your modem is not being provisioned and more specifically that indicates a problem with baseline privacy (in the config) or something that is closely related to modem certification info (which is unique from one modem to the next).

Since you have a SB6120, I am guessing that it is DOCSIS3 related, and not DOCSIS2, as indicated by CM VER=3.0 at the end of each line.

It also occurs to me, after a bit of thought:

Perhaps Comcast did a firmware upgrade push on your device and the update may not be such a good one. It does happen sometimes, when it comes to updates of all sorts...

If it was a firmware issue, they need to roll it back, patch it and re-push, or you need a replacement modem. If you own the modem, they inappropriately altered a device that they do not own. If it is a rental modem from Comcast, they can do what they want with it.

Regarding what control you have over the contents of the modem: The DOCSIS file is provisioned by the ISP and you have no normal means to access the nonvol of the unit, but JTAG and a different DOCSIS file could be managed (might violate TOS, but some legal jurisdictions allow it if you own the device). If you own it, you have ultimate control of the firmware, but no normal means to alter that. To alter the firmware of your own device, again you would benefit from JTAG.

Via JTAG, you could see exactly everything about your modem, whether you decide to modify anything you discover is an entirely different consideration.

Probably not something you are interested in, but there's a suggested direction you can investigate if you like.

Modem Issues

Thanks Vic for all the info.

After nearly fighting with a comcast rep I talked to (5th time today) I threw him the validity of a rollback and a config file issue and mentioned COMCAST most like did throw a not up to par config at, yes (my own personally purchased modem) . Demanded my problem be elevated. His reply:

Okay all we can do is send a tech to your house (again) [one was just here at 7am] but i'm notifying my technical supervisor with all the info provided (thanks to your details) so that he can assign a tech tomorrow at 5pm that is more experienced with these issues than the everyday tech they normally send out..

then gave me a spiel about how i'd be charged 40 bucks if it wasn't a comcast error.. lol

Again, Thanks for giving me first hand knowledge of how to get this monopoly to provide service when they take your money every month..

I'll look into the jtag things here shortly .. valuable info i never knew. I looked at sb.hacker.net forums but didn't get past the front door because i wasn't paying to join into a forum just to read about motorolas

appreciate the help... i'll post tomorrow what the "real" tech seems to think might cure the problem(s)

A visit from a tech won't help you with a DOCSIS related problem or a firmware issue. A tech can help with wiring and signal related issues. The support people should know that and they were wrong to schedule you a tech. Basically, they already know the tech won't find a problem and they tried to discourage you by mentioning the $40.

Call back and cancel that appointment then ask to speak to a supervisor. Read my statement in the previous paragraph to the supervisor, then lodge a complaint against the support rep for trying to scam you.

will do.. thanks...

Comblast Update

Called comblast to start round 2 (Day 2) of my pathetic download speeds [4.5MBPS down 3.3 up]

Explained in EXPLICIT detail that had perfect service / Comblast pushed bad config file to my own purchased modem and yada yada yada. Says he was a senior tech and to keep my 5pm appointment. Said he ran diagnostics and there was an electrical short SOMEWHERE in my line most likely not in my house. Explained good signals on modem config page and he stopped me mid sentence and said there's definitely a problem with your lines..

--WHY THE F**** did it take 2 days of fighting them and waste of a tech visit to finally get someone to admit there was a problem and send an experienced rep out????



Can't believe he actually admitted he said my router looked excellent, he did not think in any way that it was my cable modem SB6120 and that he added detailed notes to instructing tech coming at 5pm to check entire house coax / outside / and pole

don't really know since my coax are clean splits from the street.


[ ===== cable modem
==== [
[ ===== [ ------------ tv
[ ------------ tv
[ ------------ tv

and to diagnostic headend line even said i'd get $$$ credit for poor service last 2 weeks.. Guess i'll wait to see what they really say when they get here today..


** they lost more money NOT doing the job right the first time...THEN JACK OUR BILLS UP as CONSUMERS... TOTAL BULL****... Soon as FIOS gets here.. GOODBYE COMCAST!!

Not sure they are on the right track yet. If the line was shorted, I don't see how they could get any reliable reading from your modem or router. But hey, strange things are sometimes true.

I'll be here later to see how it works out. I'm intrigued.

Good luck this time around.

Finally.....

Well @ 8:00pm last night it was finally resolved!.

2nd Tech came out to house. Ran signal test on every splitter and line back to outside house. Cuts ends outside house, new connectors, new splitter, re-hooks.

Goes to truck pulls down little ladder climbs up side of house tightens cable from pole to house. Puts little ladder back up on truck Pulls down 32 foot extension ladder climbs up pole, gets to top and says "****" asked what was up. Tells me stand back, takes out the wire cutters "snip" down comes my line. Unhooks drop, climbs down and shows me cable attached to pole nearly frayed down to center copper cable.

(assume this happened last summer when the garbage truck almost took it off the house driving under it) [my line crosses my dead end street]

Climbs back up the pole with new cable hooks into new drop, restrings to house re crimps all new connectors "again" lol and comes inside.

Checks signal.. "perfect" runs speed test on my desktop.. 4.2 down on my laptops 4.3 down Hooks in new cable modem, provisions....... 4.2 down calls headend.. NO SOLUTION.. rehooks my SB 6120 re provisions .. 4.2. plugs COMCAST laptop in.. 26.8 MBPS down. reboots modem plugs MY laptops in 26.5 Down... plugs my desktop back in... 5.2 down... ... Okay... got it from here........... Windows 7 Ultimate .... clean installed in 20 mins back up... desktop cranking out 26/27's again... FINALLY!

No clue or explanation WTH that was all about but I got $20 credit & 3 months of free movie channel cause the first tech never even checked the drop...

Now the only thing I'm out [but not really] is the $90 i chunked out for my brand new SB 6121 coming tomorrow because they told me I had a bad modem.. oh well, maybe I can get rid of it here in the classifieds.

Thanks Vic for all the help and givin me ammo to keep firing at them to get them out here again.. It may not have been a config file but who knows how long I would have gone or dealt with not knowing the line was ready to fall off the pole but still pushing a signal through.. Much thanks bro..

Well, overall, great news for you. Now you're closer to getting the service that you pay for.

This kinda crap is what turned me away from AT&T. Spent all day on a Saturday at our office while the tech ran a bunch of tests inside (note that our business is all online so a dead internet connection is NOT ok), and it turned out that one of their installers left a wire shorting out our building's DSL connection somehow.

Funny that I went to CC business as a service alternative, but there aren't really any other options given US local mono/duopolies.