View Full Version : Only one cable modem?
Hi All,
First post.
I've been an NTL TV customer (along with Broadband and telephone) for several years and have finally decided to switch to Sky (it's cheaper and they have SKY+). Unfortunately I don't want to lose my broadband connection as I've had no problems and the only way I could get broadband from anyone else would be to change to a BT line - unless any broadband ISPs are allowed to use NTL phonelines.
There is a problem unfortunately. I live with my brother who is a dedicated XBOX Live gamer. For this reason he has a seperate NTL line and cable modem. I have since been told that if I cancel the NTL TV service (and hence lose my STB and broadband connection that comes through it) I am not able to have my own cable modem installed instead as NTL only supply one cable modem per house.
Now I am aware that I could share the connection with my brother's modem and it would be simplicity to up his bandwidth (currently 1MB) and connect my PC via a hub/router etc. My brother is paranoid about losing bandwidth and is likely to refuse to agree to any modem sharing solution. Aside from moving house is there any way around this situation?
TIA
Tinribs
Hi and :welcome: to cf
I would have thought you could have 2 if they was on seperate accounts,
but ive no doubt someone will be along shortly with the facts :)
If there are 2 accounts, I can't see what the argument is .... however, sharing the existing SACM should not be a problem, as long as when one is gaming the other is not downloading huge amounts of stuff.
SMHarman
20-09-2005, 10:50
^ What he said, but for the same money as your and his separate bb connections he could move from is 1Mb / 64k upload (which is the important part for gaming) to a 3Mb/ 300k upload (which is much better for gaiming).
You could buy a router with QoS and proritise all gaming traffic
Unless you file share which could cause problems. :2cents:
Think AOL do BB through ntl line.
:welcome: to cable forum.
AOL BB using SACM is through ntl.
OK,
I just got off the phone to NTL. They have confirmed that you can only have one modem per house - it's not an account thing, apparently its technical and is related to signal strength etc. - the girl I spoke to couldn't offer more information than that. The only option she could suggest (apart from networking or me switching to BT) was for me to keep the STB and use it as a modem only. This is perfectly reasonable except for the fact that I don't physically have the room for the STB plus the SKY+ box which will arrive if/when I do go to Sky.
The only other option is for me to go to AOL - a thing which fills me with dread as I used to work for Computeq technical support and am very aware of their shortcomings (Computeq and AOL are one and the same thing now FYI).
Looks like I'm stuck unless anyone else has any bright ideas!
:grind:
Tinribs
__________________
All,
I've just noticed that I've posted this in the Telewest forum instead of the NTL forum - can someone move it or tell me how to get it moved?
TIA
Tinribs
Graham M
20-09-2005, 12:45
Sounds like "something smelly" to be, because you can have a Cable Modem and a STB (which takes up more line bandwidth), so why cant you scrap the STB and get 2 modems which would surely require less signal???
Can't you just lock your brother in a cupboard?
:welcome: by the way :)
MovedGoalPosts
20-09-2005, 12:49
I anticipate that ntl expect each cable modem to have it's own direct connection to the cable coming from the street cabinet. If you were to have two cable modems there would thus need to be two cables from the cabinet to the house, no doubt something that ntl would not normally do.
With the current STB and CM arrangement, no doubt the street cable is split at the intake to the house. No doubt some tech will explain why this split cable can't be made to work with two CMs instead of the CM / STB arrangement currently present.
ian@huth
20-09-2005, 12:53
There have been many posts by members who have more than one cable modem in their house. I would call NTL and ask again. If they refuse (which cannot be on technical grounds as they say that you could still have broadband via your STB) tell them that you will get a cable connection from AOL which will lose them a direct customer and the associated revenue. Ask them to put you through to their superior and if that fails the retention team.
OK,
Firstly thanks for all the helpful replies (the unhelpful replies were worth reading at least ;) )
The plot thickens. I've just spoken (again) to NTL. This chap has told me that "although they don't normally do this for customers" I can change my STB for a modem but they require thirty days notice to do it. Initially he told me I would be "sans internet" for a month, then he said a couple of days, finally, I was told that on the day I cancel my subscription (TV) they would arrange for an engineer to visit and do the replacement before the TV service is disconnected.
It all sounds good, but also the potential for major cockups seems to be extremely high. :Yikes:
Does anyone have any advice before I do the deed and cancel the TV subscription?
TIA
Tinribs
SMHarman
20-09-2005, 13:50
Tell your brother to share and up the connection to a 3Mb one.
i dont know what your level of technical skill is but if you wanan make your brother feel all warm and fuzzy you could configure a m0n0wall or pfsense box (m0n0wall (http://m0n0.ch/wall/) pfsense (http://www.pfsense.com) ) to prioritise gaming trafic its the same pricipal as a gaming router just cheeper if you can find an old pc and get a cheep hub. dont quote me on this but i belive pf sense can also do per ip balancing so you cold guranty him atleast 1/2 the b/w more than hes getting now if you take a the 3 meg
bob_builder
20-09-2005, 17:20
I thought that the STB an SACM that are currently on the same cable would be on the same brodband segment. In that case, you are already "sharing" your internet connection with your brother and there would be no difference whether you shared it before or after the cable modem.
Cant Ntl just discontinue your TV service and leave you with the STB. They've done this before, I believe Florence had this for a time before they swapped it out for a CM when the STB failed.
May be worth mentioning to them :)
SMHarman
20-09-2005, 17:49
Cant Ntl just discontinue your TV service and leave you with the STB. They've done this before, I believe Florence had this for a time before they swapped it out for a CM when the STB failed.
May be worth mentioning to them :)They have said they can do this, but it means the OP now has a sky box and ntl box under the telly and has already said there is no room for said solution.
They have said they can do this, but it means the OP now has a sky box and ntl box under the telly and has already said there is no room for said solution.
why does the stb have to be under the telly, why not move it to the pc workstation :shrug:
They have said they can do this, but it means the OP now has a sky box and ntl box under the telly and has already said there is no room for said solution.
why does the stb have to be under the telly, why not move it to the pc workstation :shrug:
Cable length? Maybe his connecting cable isn't long enough to move the box away from it's current location.
SMHarman
20-09-2005, 18:26
The only option she could suggest (apart from networking or me switching to BT) was for me to keep the STB and use it as a modem only. This is perfectly reasonable except for the fact that I don't physically have the room for the STB plus the SKY+ box which will arrive if/when I do go to Sky. :shrug:
You can have 2 internet connections via SACM at the same address albeit in different account names, full stop, end of story.
Nowadays if you want just BB and had it through a STB previously it is changed to a Cable Modem and the STB collected.
So, your options are either share your brothers or fork out for your own ;)
I had the same problem, altho mine was as a lodger in someones house, when I finally got them to say yes they just put a splitter in the box outside the house and ran a cable up to where i wanted the sacm.
ok i gues youve already gone off the why you "cant" have 2 cable modems but can havea cm and a stb im sure its soemthign to do with the frequencies they use the stb has a higher andwidth requirement but its not working on the same frequency as the cm's so it doesent matter
SMHarman
21-09-2005, 09:27
ok i gues youve already gone off the why you "cant" have 2 cable modems but can havea cm and a stb im sure its soemthign to do with the frequencies they use the stb has a higher andwidth requirement but its not working on the same frequency as the cm's so it doesent matter
No it's because they don't want to, not because they cannot. It may also be due to the billing system being unable to cope with the concept, people may want more than one STB, but why more than once SACM when the SACM can be shared, but the STB cannot.
Furthermore, the cable to your house is on the same star of cable as the cable to your neighbours house and the one next to that etc, so in reality your SACM is on the same frequency as your neighbours etc.
Graham M
21-09-2005, 11:55
I thought that the STB an SACM that are currently on the same cable would be on the same brodband segment. In that case, you are already "sharing" your internet connection with your brother and there would be no difference whether you shared it before or after the cable modem.
Nope theres much more available on an NTL line than 3MBit, its just they wont do it just yet as there isnt enough capacity for everyone to have >3MBit yet, the only thing really limiting the speed to a cable modem is the Configuration File on it.
It is perfectly possible to run more than one SACM from the line. The digiboxes all have a DOCSIS modem built into them, so if you can run 3 digiboxes and one SACM on one line then you can run two SACM's. Indeed it may even work better than with the STB as the STB also uses DVB frequencies.
My personal guess is that the NTL billing system can't cope with more than one SACM
Graham M
22-09-2005, 08:38
Thats more or less exactly what I said a few posts up.
handyman
22-09-2005, 09:44
You can definitely run more than 2 modems I had a ntl 200 as a test modem and ran it quite happily with my 100 :-).
Although It was mentioned before a few times you really are going to benefit from having one larger 3mb connection, It will be cheaper and also in coming months (maybe next year) you will be among the first on ntl's network to be upgraded to 10mb
definitely run more than 2 modems I had a ntl 200 as a test modem and ran it quite happily with my 100 :-).
Although It was mentioned before a few times you really are going to benefit from having one larger 3mb connection, It will be cheaper and also in coming months (maybe next year) you will be among the first on ntl's network to be upgraded to 10mb
:shocked:
I'm sorry, this is totally :notopic: but I've got to do this...
Why is it that every time I read this thread title I hear people singing:
"One cable modem,
"There's only one cable modem...!"
:D
:notme:
:walk:
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