I have recently moved into a condo unit located in Columbia, MD.
There are several people (myself included) who receive free basic
cable TV (it was there when I bought the unit a year ago). I am now
in a position where I need hi-speed internet for work, but I don't
want to become the guy who casued everyone to lose their free cable.
(Comcast is the only reasonable option...No DSL in the area and
Satellite connection costs way too much).

What is the install proccess if I have my own Cable Modem? Is there
anychance that I'd be able to keep my free cable TV? Any advice on
this would be appreciated.

TIA

"ron" <ron_mase@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:49ff3227.0406071415.5f8f2397@posting.google.c om...
of the condo complex is providing this service who in turn are paying the
local cable company?
a cable tv subscriber you may have to pay the monthly fee as such (check out
comcast.com for rate info).

ron wrote:
This is a tenuous issue. In many areas apartment owners/managers have
bootlegged cable service. Some cable companies will consider this to be
theft of service and those that benefit will be charged monetarily for
the loss, not to mention possible criminal charges. Are you sure that
there is not a service agreement in place with the owners? I think it
would be wise to check, since even if you do nothing, there is a real
possibility that Comcast will ferret out the bootlegged connection
eventually, and quite possibly from a Comcast service call for a tennant
initiating subscribed service

Q

In article <49ff3227.0406071415.5f8f2397@posting.google.com>,
ron_mase@yahoo.com says...
just this kind of theft of service. They said it would take about two
years. They offered an amnesty for those who fessed up and agreed to
stop stealing service.

After the amnesty period ended, persons found out to be stealing service
were to be charged maximum permitted fines and costs of retroactive
service.

Don't do the crime if you can't pay the fine.

Marc

"ron" <ron_mase@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:49ff3227.0406071415.5f8f2397@posting.google.c om...
You can buy a cable modem from Circuit City or Best Buy or CompUSA or
similar. Hook it up to the cable line and then call Cablevision.
Cablevision will walk you through activating the service yourself. It will
take about 15 minutes on the phone.

The catch is, this probably won't work. The reason is signal strength. If
there is more than one splitter between your cable modem and (outside the
building), your cable modem probably won't be able to communicate reliably
over the comcast network. The internal amp of a cable modem is strong, but
not strong enough to over-ride the signal loss caused by several cheap
splitters.

The best solution is to call Comcast and order professional installation.
During this professional install, Comcast will likely yank all the
connections in the building by simply snipping any wires that were not
installed by Comcast. You might think that's a bad thing, but it isn't.
You aren't really saving much by getting the service for free. Basic
service is only $7 per month. Yes, there are packages that cost $30, $40,
$50 or even hundreds of dollars per month. But you aren't getting all those
channels for free unless you are using illegal hardware above and beyond
simply stealing service. Also consider that Dish Network will give you a
boatload of channels for only $25 per month. Oh, and you CAN install a
satellite dish at your condo . . . and so can all your neighbors.

In short, by continuing to steal cable service, you and your neighbors are
risking way too much for such a small, insignificant benefit. The extra
$7 - $25 a month is peanuts when you consider that it will make you all
LEGIT. Plus, a professional install is the only way you are going to get
cable modem service to actually work on a cobbled-together network like the
one that exists at your condo. -Dave

Thanks for the replies. To clear up a few things and to pose a few
more questions:

1. I am pretty certain that basic cable is not included in the condo
agreement. There is at least one tenant who is paying for cable. I
have no idea how many are getting it for free. MY unit and at least
one other do not pay.

2. I did not tamper with the cable. It was on when I got there. I
have no idea where the cable comes into the building or how it's being
split/configured....

3. I have no problem going without cable TV or perhaps paying for the
"limited package" ($13/mnth for local stations). I'm never home to
watch TV. The only programming that I truly watch is Sunday NFL
Ticket (only available on Directv).

4. Bottom line is this....I need Hi-Speed internet for work. Comcast
is the only way. I don't want to be the "bad guy."

5. If I buy a cable modem from Best Buy, will I be able to get an
internet connection? Don't I need a log-in or somthing of that
nature?

Thanks again for the input.


ron_mase@yahoo.com (ron) wrote in message news:<49ff3227.0406071415.5f8f2397@posting.google. com>...

In article <49ff3227.0406091022.56c8632d@posting.google.com>, ron
<ron_mase@yahoo.com> wrote:

You need Comcast to provide the Internet service to you, and a splitter
so you have TV and Internet connections. Then you need to know how to
configure your computer to connect to the Internet.

As I wrote before, it probably won't work. If you were a legit cable
customer, all you'd probably need is one cable modem, a high-quality
splitter, a length of RG6 cable with the proper connectors on both ends*,
and a ~10-minite call to Comcast to get your Internet connection up and
running. But it is highly unlikely that this procedure will work in your
case, as there will be too much line loss for your cable modem to
communicate effectively. You will probably need a NEW line run into your
condo. -Dave

* I've never used a self-install kit, so the high-quality splitter and RG6
cable might be included in the self-install kit . . . I'm not sure. I do
know that you will need more than just a cable modem.

"Dave C." <mdupre@sff.net> wrote in news:2ip8bqFpusacU1@uni-berlin.de:

Maybe someone broke into the cable room and patched all the suites into the
cable feed. In that case, it still may work.

--
Lucas Tam (REMOVEnntp@rogers.com)
Please delete "REMOVE" from the e-mail address when replying.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/coolspot18/

If there is someone you know, close by, try their modem on your line. If they
are on the same node the head end won't know it was moved. That is a quick
go/no-go test for the cable quality. Then you can kick the legal/illegal
tarbaby by calling in for your own modem.
Have you asked the landlord if THEY are paying a building rate cable bill? It
is probably mentioned on your lease if it is legal tho.

Ron-

I don't get it. You want Comcast internet service. You're willing to
pay for it, and to pay for basic cable if need be. Just go get a self
install kit from the mall or from the Comcast office (it's in Elkridge
now, right?). Hook it up at home and call the number listed. They'll
authenticate the modem and you'll be online.

If the modem doesn't work due to splitters etc. as described in previous
posts, then they'll send out a line tech to make sure adequate signal is
delivered to their customer, and will do what's necessary.

It is possible that the freeloaders might get disconnected. Boo hoo for
them. They are committing a crime. It's people like them that contribute
towards pushing up the cable rates (granted, this is a small factor in
cable rates, but it is a REAL factor, nonetheless).

If you have any angst over this, warn them to disconnect before the
cable truck shows up. But keep in mind, you chances may be good that a
truck roll won't be needed.

Let us know how it goes.

Marc

If this is an apartment that may be harder to do than simply tacking RG6 around
the walls like they do in a residence. The landlord will have to agree to
anything they do to HIS building. That is why I suggested that he try a
provisioned modem there before he starts the process. The usual reason people
get cable "bundled" in their rent is that the building is prewired in some
cludge of splitters and amps.The owner does not want to have cable techs
drilling holes and stringing wires to homerun every apartment.

In article <20040610084801.19807.00000865@mb-m02.aol.com>,
gfretwell@aol.com says...
already wired for cable TV, and the same existing cable could be used
for the internet connection. If it's not already "legally wired," and
Comcast is willing to wire the apartment, what landlord wouldn't want
it? They can get more rent for a "cable-equipped" unit.

And, if the wire is already run but is not comcast standard, replacing
the existing wire with legal wire probably won't look any worse...

I agree, trying a provisioned modem is a good first choice.

Marc

The problem is older "prewired:" buildings were wired for a common antenna.
They can usually get away with running cable down that cludge of splitters and
amps but they may have a problem with data, particularly the upstream side.
They may still be legal but just not ready for data and the landlord may not be
willing to rewire for a few tenants.
He is probably getting a deal from the cable company.

On 2004/6/9 2:22 PM, "ron" <ron_mase@yahoo.com> wrote:


Around here, Comcast provides the connection only to modems that they
recognize as having been entered into their database - either a modem from
them or a customer purchased and registered. This is what they call
provisioning.

In article <BCF3C31A.DFFB8%bobhaar@comcast.net>, bobhaar@comcast.net
says...
To clarify, on many Comcast systems, you CAN plug in the modem you
bought at Best Buy; however, Comcast's servers will only permit a
connection to the registration web site, where you enter your account
information and modem info. After that, you power cycle the modem,
and the world's your oyster.

--Gene