Time Warner Cable to stop letting you use your own modem?

[KeithP]

Charter said that Time Warner and Bright House customers who want to stick with their existing plans would be allowed to after the acquisition deals are approved. But Charter expects most customers to switch to its plans because of generally faster speeds and competitive pricing.

-KeithP

 

[Sonikku]

They also promise broadband at a discount to Low Income costumers, but those railing against the merger are saying that that is just a fluff piece to reduce some of the opposition until after the merger is complete. After that, they are basically under no obligation to keep their promises and with no competitor to compete with them no one will have any recourse against it. They aren't merging to reduce your costs and pass along savings people... They're merging to limit your options.

 

[momeNt]

Considering the FCC is about to bring down the hammer on cable companies over set top box monopolies, i can't imagine that trying to monopolize the modem market by the same companies is something they would suddenly start doing.

 

[Anubis]

Charter said that Time Warner and Bright House customers who want to stick with their existing plans would be allowed to after the acquisition deals are approved. But Charter expects most customers to switch to its plans because of generally faster speeds and competitive pricing.

-KeithP

itll be interesting if that holds true where I live, as 30/5 if the fastest plan TWC offers here without paying 300$ a month for "business class"

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Same. Seems to me it would be illegal to charge a rental fee for services not rendered. The telcos got in trouble for that a few decades back when you were allowed to start buying your own telephones.

No because the price includes the modem. Sounds similar to FIOS, you have to have a modem even if its TV only so they don't charge extra for the modem. This and one HD box should be included in all cable packages that way its easier to make fair comparisons.

 

[ultimatebob]

I figured that this is like Comcast, where they want you to lease their shiny new Wi-Fi modem for $8 a month. As an added bonus, your access point becomes a public "XfinityWiFi" access point for the whole neighborhood.

 

[Sonikku]

No because the price includes the modem.

So instead of it being like TWC where 15/1 is $50 + $10 modem fee for $60 (which can be $50 if you buy your own modem) Charter will probably just be like, the 15/1 internet plan is $60 but the modem is "free".

 

[zinfamous]

I figured that this is like Comcast, where they want you to lease their shiny new Wi-Fi modem for $8 a month. As an added bonus, your access point becomes a public "XfinityWiFi" access point for the whole neighborhood.

Oh, you don't need to lease their modem for that. They will broadcast it over your own modem--ask me how I know.

This sucks, though. I just sent my mom a modem of her own and reduced her ridiculous TW service to content she actually watches (meaning: nothing). She had been leasing their crappy modem for some 7 or more years now.

 

[who?]

sb6121 may be an obsolete model.

 

[gorcorps]

Oh, you don't need to lease their modem for that. They will broadcast it over your own modem--ask me how I know.

This sucks, though. I just sent my mom a modem of her own and reduced her ridiculous TW service to content she actually watches (meaning: nothing). She had been leasing their crappy modem for some 7 or more years now.

how do you know?

 

[zinfamous]

how do you know?

Because my modem is broadcasting "XFinity Wifi" next to my own SSID. Though, I haven't checked it directly by turning off the modem and checking to see what is available, but it is one of the 2 strong singles that I can pick up, so I assume it can only come from my modem. There is plenty of open space between house here...

 

[gorcorps]

Because my modem is broadcasting "XFinity Wifi" next to my own SSID. Though, I haven't checked it directly by turning off the modem and checking to see what is available, but it is one of the 2 strong singles that I can pick up, so I assume it can only come from my modem. There is plenty of open space between house here...

That doesn't make any sense... you're using your own modem and router but see an extra wifi signal? I have the same setup on Comcast and don't remember seeing such a thing. I don't even understand how that would be possible.

 

[who?]

Isn't Comcast the company that uses customer equipment to provide wi-fi everywhere to all it's customers?

 

[MixMasterTang]

Because my modem is broadcasting "XFinity Wifi" next to my own SSID. Though, I haven't checked it directly by turning off the modem and checking to see what is available, but it is one of the 2 strong singles that I can pick up, so I assume it can only come from my modem. There is plenty of open space between house here...

Which modem do you have? If it doesn't have built in wifi/routing capabilities there is no way that would be possible.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

So instead of it being like TWC where 15/1 is $50 + $10 modem fee for $60 (which can be $50 if you buy your own modem) Charter will probably just be like, the 15/1 internet plan is $60 but the modem is "free".

Yup you got the idea but I say the $50 would stay looks better in ads. I'd expect a larger activation fee.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Isn't Comcast the company that uses customer equipment to provide wi-fi everywhere to all it's customers?

Yup but supposedly it goes thru a different data path to not impact your speed but I'm not sure I believe that.

 

[zinfamous]

Which modem do you have? If it doesn't have built in wifi/routing capabilities there is no way that would be possible.

It's the motorola DOCSIS 3.0 modem/router that is standard with them, I think.

 

[zinfamous]

That doesn't make any sense... you're using your own modem and router but see an extra wifi signal? I have the same setup on Comcast and don't remember seeing such a thing. I don't even understand how that would be possible.

I'm not sure, and I'm not positive that it's happening, but it's the only "XFinity free WiFi" SSID in my area. Everyone else is on Verizon (I almost switched, but Comcast offers me more and better free stuff for the same cost in the end, despite shitty bandwidth throttling).

I know that when I moved to this place (account transfer from CA to MD), I brought my same equipment, same service, but rather than the shitbox "digital box" that I was using, I now have the X1 box (also shitty--this is the first replacement within 6 months and it started breaking again), I now have to have the X1 box active (it is always on) to get any internet signal. It has that separate powered coax box that must be plugged into the power outlet as well as the primary cable output in the house. If you have one, you know what I'm talking about.

It's the first time I've had this sort of setup, and it rather pisses me off. No internet without TV....fuck that. Always on cable box that breaks once per day, forcing reset. The nice thing about the box is that it outputs HD that I don't have to pay for (the previous shitbox had HDMI out, but it was inactive in my non-HD service. This one works with my non-HD service). Also, "basic cable" here isn't simply Network/already free OTA channels (like with Comcast in CA or TWC in NC), but also includes AMC, History, Discovery,CNN/Fox/Food Network and some random channels like that.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Yes, Comcast leased modems are providing public wi-fi spots on customer leased CPE equipment. Personally, if I was forced I would simply wrap the fucker with Aluminum foil.

I am waiting for intelligence from the cable industry to re-invent the pedestals. They could simply remove the last 100 meters that go into a house and provide wireless only Internet service from the pedestals. I thought of this way back in 2001 when I got BellSouth's IFITL (integrated fiber in the loop), which used Cat5e from their fiber pedestal into the homes.

Oh no's, I just gave the the idea.

 

[Sonikku]

sb6121 may be an obsolete model.

How so? It has docsis 3.0

 

[VirtualLarry]

No because the price includes the modem. Sounds similar to FIOS, you have to have a modem even if its TV only so they don't charge extra for the modem. This and one HD box should be included in all cable packages that way its easier to make fair comparisons.

No, for new subs currently, FIOS does charge extra for router rental, and they have always charged extra for the "cable box" (STB).

 

[VirtualLarry]

Oh, you don't need to lease their modem for that. They will broadcast it over your own modem--ask me how I know.

I don't see how that's possible, you must be mistaken. If they don't have the admin password, and your personal router doesn't even support multiple / guest SSIDs, then how do you propose that they do that?

 

[ControlD]

That seems low. I guess people like paying fees



They also go on sale for $40-50 for a new one

You also have to factor in the people that have their phone services through TW. There is no option to purchase your own modem in that case.

*edit*
Maybe that's not 100% accurate. I think you can buy your own modem but you have to use a TW one for at least the phone portion. Seems like too much hassle for me to pursue it.

 

[FerrelGeek]

I despise TWC and can only hope that Lexington moves forward on a 1Gbps municipal network. Just got 15% rate hike this month. Need to call and either get them to lower it or start dropping more services.

I've been able to get them to drop the price a bit, but if you mess with the bundle package, they screw you royally. We have no other good option in our area. Also, my wife still insists on having a home phone vs just using our mobiles. Took a quick look at the modems from the above link and didn't notice a phone adapter on any of them, so I guess I'm stuck with TWC's modem.

 

[ControlD]

I've been able to get them to drop the price a bit, but if you mess with the bundle package, they screw you royally. We have no other good option in our area. Also, my wife still insists on having a home phone vs just using our mobiles. Took a quick look at the modems from the above link and didn't notice a phone adapter on any of them, so I guess I'm stuck with TWC's modem.

We are in the same situation with the phone service and I looked into getting my own modem quite some time ago, so this information might be out of date.

There is no modem you can buy to give you phone service through TW. You can however buy a normal cable modem AND keep the TW modem just for phone service. When I asked about doing this a couple of years ago the TW representative told me the modem rental fee would be dropped but I never pursued things further. I didn't really fancy having two cable modems, splitting the cable, etc.