Re: [PLUG] Comcast "OPEN IMMEDIATELY" but don't

[Jason Costomiris <jcostom@jasons.org>]

On Sun, Feb 10, 2002 at 12:36:33AM -0500, Michael F. Robbins wrote:
: So can someone please clarify on what exactly Comcast's executable
: does?  Does this cause the activation of the filtering by MAC address?

I can clarify what they're doing.  I'm not saying who, but let's just
say, "I know a guy."  Here's my understanding of our discussion on this
very topic...

Comcast's DHCP server is using your MAC address to hand out IP addresses.
For the time being, only one IP per cable modem is being issued.  Very
shortly, you'll be able to go back to the good ole days of having multiple
IPs.  This time, however, it will be better than the @home days, as 
Comcast is slicing up their address space by /20's, rather than /24
or /23, as @home did.  Why is this better for the customer?  In the olden
times, if you had two machines with two addresses, you most likely had
IPs in different subnets, and they actually had to talk through @home's
infrastructure to talk to each other.  This new config will alleviate
that particular problem.

Until you can get multiple IPs, if you change the MAC address attached
to your cable modem, you get a new address, and lose the old one.
That is, it goes back into the pool.

: But then again, doesn't the cable modem (physical box unit) have a MAC
: address of its own?  

Yes, but the cable modem is a bridge, not a routing device, so your MAC
will not be replaced in the packet headers until somewhere else in the 
network.

Also - who cares if they block Linksys/Netgear/Whoever's MAC addresses?
You all DID get an ethernet card when you signed up.  All of those boxes
support changing the MAC address.  Change it to whatever's on the card
you were originally given.  Don't have a card?  Get creative.  How
about 00:01:de:ad:be:ef?

For instance, a guy I work with is using a Linksys with Comcast.  He
put the MAC from the little @Home USB Ethernet adapter on his Linksys.
Cute, huh?

I saw someone else posting about how Comcast "did something" to his
Windoze ME, and now it can't talk to certain machines any longer.  I'm
not buying it.  I can't see this as anything other than a PEBCAK[1]
condition.  

Really folks, why did you think you needed to run this special piece 
of software on your machine, just so you can get email???  I called 
Comcast and asked them for the hostnames for the POP3 and SMTP servers, 
and they gladly gave them to me.  I then configured and went about 
my merry way...





[1] PEBCAK == Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard

-- 
Jason Costomiris <><           |  Technologist, geek, human.
jcostom {at} jasons {dot} org  |  http://www.jasons.org/ 
          Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.
                    My account, My opinions.

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