Cisco Cable Modem ( True )

[pol123]

Hello,

Recently we changed from adsl for hi-speed with cable so we have now a Cisco EPC2325, an old cable modem... :-/

Searching with google i find Motorola SB6141. Spec looks very interesting, very fast and new! ... I just wonder if it will work with true?.... Any suggestions and advices are welcome.

Pol.

[manarak]

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I think the only role of a cable modem is to throughput the signal from the cable to ethernet and back, i.e. it is just my WAN uplink.

I plug it into a router which then is the real "brain" in my LAN - I don't really see what "features" I could need on a cable modem.

But I never had much to do with cable modems, so maybe I'm missing part of the picture.

Edited February 12, 2013 by manarak

[noise]

Pol

You said: Recently we changed from adsl for hi-speed with cable so we have now a Cisco EPC2325, an old cable modem... Searching with google i find Motorola SB6141. Spec looks very interesting, very fast and new! ... I just wonder if it will work with true?.... Any suggestions and advices are welcome.

First, let me say a cable modem is a cable modem, any brand should work.

I should say all this agrees with what Manarak said. But fiber optics is faster than ADSL. The fiber optics to the pole in front of my house and then coax from there to the modem gives me high download and upload speeds. When I had ADSL with TOT, they checked the line for me and said the best their ADSL equipment would ever give me was 7MB down and 512KB up. So fiber optics/cable was my choice for faster download and upload speeds.

I, too, got the Cisco 2325 when I started with True's fiber optics cable internet/TV. I would say the Cisco is old only in that it is built to 801.11g standards and not 11n. Mine is a new one, not a used/refurbished unit. But I must add that the Cisco is a modem/wireless router and the 801.11 spec only applies to wireless routers as far a I know. Looking at the Motorola 6141 on the web, every site says it is a modem only.

I have my PC hard wired to the Cisco, using it simply as a modem. The performance is great. Speed tests range from 30MB to 40+MB down from the US and Europe on True's 15MB plan (guaranteed minimum). So I have no complaints about it as a modem.

As a wireless router? I would like a stronger one (e.g., a dual band 11n standard). Sometimes I have to walk to almost a line of sight location to log on, but then I can go to the corner of our property and sit in the gazebo and remain connected.

I have done a decent search in Chiangmai and found only one single cable modem wireless router and it was a 11g spec. And that vendor had only one. Not being a 11.n standard router, I could not see any obvious indication it would offer any better coverage of my yard, so I did not buy it.

The other stores' sales people either did not know what one was or had no interest in trying to get me one, they had never had any requests for one before.

If there had been a plain cable modem, I am sure I would have found it so I will say probably (repeat probably) not available in Chiangmai.

BUT: Do you have any complaints about the Cisco that were not apparent in the post?

[Pib]

The True DOCSIS system is not fiber optics. The trunk line running on the poles/down the soi is not fiber optics; it is a 75 ohm RF cable capable (approx 1/2 in diameter) of carrying cable TV frequencies with some of those frequencies reserved for the DOCSIS interent downstream/upstream signals. From the RF cable trunk line tap a 75 ohm RG6/11 cable (typical TV cable) is run to the cable modem. Now, True may use fiber optics to feed into the RF trunk lines that feed the moobaans/homes/buildings but the trunk line hanging on the soi poles is RF cable. Still super fast...capable of carrying speeds of around 400Mb.

I've been on the True DOCSIS since Jun 11...first on the 20Mb/2Mb plan at B1299/mo using a CICSO EPC2325...it worked fine for about year until True did a firmware push that caused the upload speed to be limited to 1.3-1.6Mb...True brought out a couple of other EPC2325s and they all acted the same way...they finally gave me a Thomson 740 (I think that's the part number) and said their engineers had confirmed a firmware capability issue with the system upgrade and EPC2325...but that was about a year ago...I expect that problem has been fixed...if you are getting the rated upload speed then your EPC2325 don't have the issue.

A person just can't go to the store and buy a another cable modem and hang it on the system like you can with an xDSL modem. Cable modems are married to the DOCSIS system via MAC address and serial number....kinda like how True cable TV settop boxes and subscription cards are now married together.

I'm now on the True DOCSIS 14Mb/1.4Mb plan at B699/mo...still using the Thomson model. Works fine. And since True DOCSIS implemented "bursting" on their system around 6 months ago I can pull download speeds of around twice my plan's rated speed (i.e., bursted speeds up to around 28Mb) for at least 30 seconds or so...upload speed is not bursted. Now, that 28Mb bursted speed is only to "in-Thailand" servers; not to international servers. And if I use bogus Speedtest.net results I can pulled 28Mb download speeds to pretty much any server on Earth along with faster-than-light ping times. Note: however, "if you use the True's proxy server" you do appear to get real world results using Speedtester.net...that is, valid ping times and download speeds...somehow the proxy server prevents bogus results....but I guess 95% of True customer's don't know about their proxy servers, which are "proxy.trueinternet.co.th" or "proxy.asianet.co.th".....both use Port 8080.

Please, please "do not" generally believe speed test results to international servers (outside Thailand) from "flash-based" speed test programs like Speedtest.net. Flash-based speed testers are easily fooled by in-country/in-Thailand cache servers....easy to get bogus speed test results like faster-than-light ping times (like around 50ms or less to US/Europe...like the server is across the soi) and download speeds equaling or exceeding your plans advertised "in-Thailand" speed. The Flash-based speed test results are probably bogus because the test file download really occurred from an "in-Thailand" server versus that far off Farang Land server. Instead, use a "Java-based", repeat Java-based speed tester which is much, much harder to be fooled by local cache servers. Expect a real world single-threaded DOCSIS or xDSL international download speed in the 3-6Mb ballpark whether on a 10Mb plan or a 50Mb plan. Single-threaded internet operations are use in browsing, emailing, live video streaming, etc; however, but, if using a torrent or download manager program which uses multi-threaded operations for file downloading you can reach the plans rated speed for international server downloads. Repeat: flashed-based speed testers are easily fooled; java-based speed testers are not....use a Java-based tester like testmy.net or dslreports.com

[pol123]

Hello,

. Thanks all for reply !

. In fact the cisco cable modem work well exept the port redirect!.. I explain : in my net work i have a NAS ( dlink dns 320 ) and from internet i could access to the files inside, with my old adsl linksys router ( wag 320 n ) it worked perefect. Now with the modem cable cisco it dont, i try all the way but nope, cannot see my NAS... (

Of course i went to cisco and dlink communities but no solved, and now i think to simply change the modem cable. I try to check shops but no one accept to send item to thailand, but we have friends in Taiwan who may help

Edited February 14, 2013 by pol123

[Pib]

As additional FYI, below are some links/images of a True cable TV/internet trunk line, amplifiers, taps, etc., on a DOCSIS-equipped trunk line. The trunk line itself is RF coaxial cable going by the part number of P3 500 (or similar) which is commonly used for cable TV trunk lines and as mentioned cable TV lines can also be equipped to use some of the frequencies to utilize DOCSIS internet. It's stiff cable especially since it outer shield is a solid aluminum tube for the best possible shielding...sure beats braided wire shielding like you see in common pencil diameter TV cable...and it's center copper conductor is a healthy size also. The trunk line itself is about a half inch in diameter and on the outside looks similar to multi-pair telephone trunk lines....kinda hard to tell the difference between black, thick telephone, cable TV, etc., trunk lines running along poles unless you following them for a length and see what type of amplifiers, boxes, devices, etc., they connect into to help determine if it a phone trunk line, cable TV/internet trunk line, etc. Anyway, here is a couple of images/links.

Link 1: picture/specs of a P3 500 trunk line cable

Link 2: pictures of True Cable TV/Internet line and components installed in my western Bangkok moobaan

Link 3: close up of a "tap" on a trunk line trunk where the RG6/11 cable screws onto to feed the TV/interent signal to your TV settop box or cable modem in your residence. Usually for a internet hookup, the cable run can be no more than 75 meters otherwise True won't hook you up. Quite a few posts on ThaiVisa where people can see the trunk line a soi over, but when the True technician comes out to evaluate if they can hookup a DOCSIS connection they say no because the distance from the trunk line tap to the modem would be too far due to signal attenuation/loss.

The use of fiber optics in Thai advertisements is quite often misused...but I guess that because most people here about "fiber optics" quite often in media...but RF coxial cable doesn't ring such a bell. Thai's also use misuse the word "fiber" a lot when talking about many items made of common plastic, but "fiber" is another one of those technology buzz words.

[Dork]

Hello,

. Thanks all for reply !

. In fact the cisco cable modem work well exept the port redirect!.. I explain : in my net work i have a NAS ( dlink dns 320 ) and from internet i could access to the files inside, with my old adsl linksys router ( wag 320 n ) it worked perefect. Now with the modem cable cisco it dont, i try all the way but nope, cannot see my NAS... (

Of course i went to cisco and dlink communities but no solved, and now i think to simply change the modem cable. I try to check shops but no one accept to send item to thailand, but we have friends in Taiwan who may help

Member Jayman's setup should solve your problem. Link here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/545272-true-docsis-cable-modem-cisco-epc2325/page__st__25#entry5713482

Then you only need to buy a cheap router which you can get anywhere.

[pol123]

Hello,

. Thanks all for reply !

. In fact the cisco cable modem work well exept the port redirect!.. I explain : in my net work i have a NAS ( dlink dns 320 ) and from internet i could access to the files inside, with my old adsl linksys router ( wag 320 n ) it worked perefect. Now with the modem cable cisco it dont, i try all the way but nope, cannot see my NAS... (

Of course i went to cisco and dlink communities but no solved, and now i think to simply change the modem cable. I try to check shops but no one accept to send item to thailand, but we have friends in Taiwan who may help

Member Jayman's setup should solve your problem. Link here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/545272-true-docsis-cable-modem-cisco-epc2325/page__st__25#entry5713482

Then you only need to buy a cheap router which you can get anywhere.

Thanks. Topic interesting but i want to use only one device so no bridge ( already have one for wifi extension downstairs in the house .. )... As Jayman says this cable modem cisco firmware is a crab and completly outdate.. Grrrrr'..

I definitily go for new one...

[Pib]

Thanks. Topic interesting but i want to use only one device so no bridge ( already have one for wifi extension downstairs in the house .. )... As Jayman says this cable modem cisco firmware is a crab and completly outdate.. Grrrrr'..

I definitily go for new one...

Be sure to check with True regarding buying a new cable modem to confirm they will let you use that on their system. Or, they may require you to use another one of their cable modems. Everything I've read is the cable modem is married to the ISP's DOCSIS system via the modem's MAC address and Serial number....it's not like you can just go buy another modem and just enter the access User ID and Password issued to you by the ISP like how xDSL connections/modems work. For example, a cut and paste from this Cisco customer support page.

You must also give your cable service provider the serial number of your modem and the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the modem.

Quote from another Cisco link

I Already Have an Existing High-Speed Internet Access Account

If you have an existing high-speed Internet access account, you must give your cable service provider the serial number and the MAC address of the cable

modem. Refer to the serial number and MAC address information listed

Just google something along the lines of "cable modem MAC address and serial number" and numerous weblinks about above. Good luck.

[pol123]

@Pib

Hum.. Ok i will check with them! Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dork]

Just a quick warning to the op in case you haven't already bought a new cable modem.

TRUE won't provision a modem not supplied by them under (apparently) any circumstances. I don't have time to tell the whole story right now but just wanted to let you know so you don't waste time & money - like I have.

Cheers