Hi...

I just received a D-Link DCM-202 modem, bought on eBay and listed as new.

I wrote down the MAC address, hooked it up and was preparing to call
Suddenlink until I noticed my PC had established an online connection. A
little browsing confirmed that the new modem is indeed connected. The MAC
address is totally different from the old Toshiba.

How is this possible?

KenB wrote:
There are a number of ways.

First, it may not really be new. It could be refurbished, or it could
just be re-shrink wrapped. Retailers are allowed to sell returned
merchandise as new if it appears to still be new, and shrink wrap
machines aren't all that rare.

It could also be that if your cable operator allows their customer
service agents to manually provision a modem, a MAC was entered
incorrectly. (This is why most operators really, really want people to
take advantage of automatic provisioning systems.)

Another possibility is that your cable system is configured to provide
an IP address to any MAC, but when the lease expires, you have to get it
provisioned properly. Encouraging people to essentially take an extended
test drive can be a great way to make sales.

It could also be bad design by your cable operator. I mentioned
automatic provisioning before. For that to work, your cable modem needs
to establish a connection. That connection should allow connection only
to the provisioning system, and not the outside world. A poorly designed
system does this only by using DHCP to configure DNS servers that will
resolve everything to the provisioning server. If that's the only
safeguard they use, browsing by IP address, or statically configuring
another DNS server are easy ways around it. (A well designed bottom-up
provisioning system may do this with DNS, but will also do things like
using private range IP addresses, or even more reliable methods to keep
unprovisioned customers from getting anywhere but the provisioning
server.)

And, of course, it could just be a mistake on the part of your cable
operator. An employee may have made a simple mistake that will
eventually be noticed. Or not.

Chances are that you won't be able to browse the Internet indefinitely
unless you get the modem properly provisioned for your account. It may
be tomorrow. Or it may be a couple years down the line. But chances are
better that it'll be corrected sooner than later.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.

Maintain your landscape with Black & Decker:
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/blackanddecker

"Warren H" <wholzem@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:y7udnZUcmbJi65TbnZ2dnUVZ_r2onZ2d@comcast.com. ..
Some time back I bought a Toshiba modem as a backup, identical to the one
I've had for years, but with a different MAC address. That one did not
automatically work. That was before Suddenlink took over my local Cox
operation.

I'll just wait and see what happens Thanks for the reply.

Last year I bought an SB5120 from Best Buy. Come to discover (the hard way)
that it had been provisioned in a Comcast system somewhere (I live in a
Comcast system as well) Took a few weeks and Chicago to get the mess all
straightened out.

--


CIAO!

Ed N.


"Warren H" <wholzem@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:y7udnZUcmbJi65TbnZ2dnUVZ_r2onZ2d@comcast.com. ..

"KenB" <none@none.com> wrote in message
news:sdeOh.185739$BK1.143038@newsfe13.lga...
I am curious as to why you had to purchase a broadband modem. Doesn't your
broadband service include the modem. I know with RoadRunner the modem is
provided as part of the service.

I was using the original Toshiba PCX1100U modem from many years back, pretty
much obsolete. I purchased the modem from the ISP to avoid monthly rental.

The DCM-202 is new and faster, according to all the reviews.

"BR549" <spammenot@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:460aacb1$0$24693$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...

BR549 wrote:
ISP modem rental can be anywhere from $3 - $5 or more per month. At $5 or
more, it might pay you to own your own. $3 is about the most I can justify
paying to have the free swap out benefit any time you want.

$Bill wrote:
And if you live in a area where thunderstorms and lightning is a non
trivial issue, being able to call up the ISP for new unit can be
cheaper. Here the RR office is a few miles away and they'll swap them there.

Also from what I've seen, the areas where RR built the network seem to
be some of the best run WANs on the planet for a public service. I've
dealt with multiple DSL and cable ISPs and RR is the only one that has
be able to deal with any issue that has come up without making you
endure the reboot, turn on cookies, etc... Now the areas where they
bought the customers from someone else is a different matter.

"BR549" <spammenot@nospam.com> writes:

$2.50 a month whree I'm at. I pay it even though I have a cable modem
sitting here in reserve. Given the signal quality and resulting
packet loss issues I've battled with these folks having absolutely
nothing in the chain they can point a finger at other than themselves
is worth the $30/year.


--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/