Adapter before the Router/Comcast Warning Letter

Posts: 64 · Posted: Sun May 02, 2004 10:08 pm Post subject:

Thanks very much Bob, we moved it back, make sure it was in NAT mode, so hopefully we're ok.

Thanks also Moto on the other thread started by goaliemn.

I had no idea we could see the setup for the Motorola Adapter.

If the default is NAT enabled, I don't know how we got two IP addresses to begin with (setting off the letter from Comcast). So far, everything seems to be working well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and will wait for the dreaded May 11th to see what happens LOL

Wish we had the option of Roadrunner too.

Posts: 104 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jan 31, 2004 Posts: 104

You should post the exact write-up from your Comcast letter which would be helpful for all in the future.

The 'net is you are not getting nor are you utilizing more than 1 IP address, irrespective of your set-up (unless they screwed something up).

Comcast DOES offer a more expensive "Home Network" package. For approx. $10 more per month, they provide you a Linksys or equal 802.11g router/hub. The downlink speed for this option is 4 Mbps and 384Kbps up. Their standard home networking service is max 3 Mbps down and 256Kbps up. (Service varies by region).

Posts: 64 · Posted: Mon May 03, 2004 12:25 pm Post subject:

ckoehncke wrote:

You should post the exact write-up from your Comcast letter which would be helpful for all in the future.

The 'net is you are not getting nor are you utilizing more than 1 IP address, irrespective of your set-up (unless they screwed something up).

Comcast DOES offer a more expensive "Home Network" package. For approx. $10 more per month, they provide you a Linksys or equal 802.11g router/hub. The downlink speed for this option is 4 Mbps and 384Kbps up. Their standard home networking service is max 3 Mbps down and 256Kbps up. (Service varies by region).

I looked up the home network package, I think it's on a reduced package price of $199.00 to start and then the extra per month (based on what we currently have). We already have the entire house wired so would hate to spend that.

This is the letter:

Dear Comcast High-Speed Internet Customer:

If you are accessing the Internet with more than one device (for example, two computers) simultaneously, please be sure to read this entire letter. It contains important information about changes being made to your Comcast High-Speed Internet account.

We hope you are enjoying your 100% Pure Broadband Comcast High-Speed Internet service. During a recent review we identified what could be a discrepancy in our records for your account. Comcast provides one dynamically assigned IP (Internet Protocol) address for each residential account.

An IP address allows Comcast to recognize your cable modem anmd provide internet connectivity. Each computer or device you wish to have connected to the internet requires an external IP address, unless you have a router or the Comcast Home Networking Package.

Our records indicate that you may be using more than one dynamic IP address with your account. If you only connect one personal computer to your cable modem at a time, you do not need to take any further action other than adhering to steps 4 a-d listed below.

(it's 2 pages, will summarize the rest)

Options:
1. Purchase additional IP address(es). If we don't here from you by May 11th, we will remove any additional IP addresses associated with your account.
2. Comcast Home Networking
3. Buy a router, blah blah
4. Only connect one device at a time and switch devices back and forth.

If you have any questions, call us, etc.

_________________

I called them, and the CS person said that even though it says "may," something definately showed we were using more than one IP address. This letter only went to customers that showed two or more IP addresses running.

We had a router, but the phone adapter was in front of the router, so that's the only thing that could have set this off.

My only lingering question: I'm wondering if when we first installed the adapter, it needed additional software updates and possibly an earlier version didn't have NAT enabled so let it grab another IP? That's all I can think of that happened. I've moved it back now, confirmed that NAT is enabled and can see that the adapter has the same IP as the main PC connected to the router.

I really appreciate everyone's help with this. With 4 kids/2 adults - each with their own PC, plus two internet appliances, TiVo running HMO, and me connecting with bluetooth several times a day... the poor phone couldn't handle us after the router. Everything is working great now.

Posts: 104 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jan 31, 2004 Posts: 104

Thanks for taking the time to post the content of the letter you received. Hopefully it might be helpful to those in the future.

As NAT is enabled by default on the Motorola box you should have been fine.

My MOT box is between the cable modem and router, with the Mot getting a Public IP address (only 1) and my router NAT'ing off it.

Generallly most cable operators will allow their own DHCP servers to provide only 1 IP address at a time for a single modem address, so you information is indeed surprising.

I'd almost guess this was a marketing ploy were it not that you almost can't buy pure hubs anymore without router functionality which is generallly enabled by default.

Posts: 64 · Posted: Tue May 04, 2004 4:26 pm Post subject:

A Vonage employee read my post here and sent me an email last night, and then called after I sent a detailed description of our setup.

The only thing he could think of was that during the initial setup, the adapter received an IP address, then instead of expiring, another was let through. Made sense and sounds like it's Comcast's problem to me, although you could be right about this being a marketing ploy - but they must be seeing something - my neighbors (no Vonage) didn't get a letter but they have broadband. I'm curious if the others who receive(d) the letter are also Comcast Digital Phone customers who are porting their number (we are). They didn't meet the target deadline of April 21st for the port.

I think everything is ok now, I can see the same IP listed on http://192.168.102.1/ and when I go to http://www.whatismyip.com/ on each PC and internet appliance.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: May 13, 2004 Posts: 2

I recently signed up for a Vonage account and I am also migrating my phone number from Comcast to Vonage. I received the same letter from Comcast two days ago, saying I am using two IP addresses and that one is going to be shut down. I live in Cambridge, MA. The first thing that came to my mind was that Comcast didn't really want me to switch to Vonage.
My setup is from the Motorola cable modem to the Vonage modem to a <icrosoft wireless router. After reading the posts I'm not sure what was the right thing to do to use only one IP address. Can anyone summarize or refer me to the specific message.

Posts: 64 · Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 12:54 am Post subject:

Hi - I got your PM and wrote the following but will post it here too..

I didn't really do anything to fix this except to make sure that the phone adapter had the same IP address as the computers did and to move the adapter back between the cable modem and the router (where we first installed it). If we were really using two IP addresses, it has to be a glitch causes by Comcast, and it's something that probably only could happen on the initial installation.

To verify that you are complying, this is what you should do:

See if you can access this link: http://192.168.102.1/

It is the setup for the Motorola VT1000v. Click on the "status" tab and write down the IP address number. Then click on the "help" tab and make sure your software version is VT20_1.1.16e. If it isn't that version, you need to keep rebooting your phone adapter until it gets all the latest updates.

Next, go to http://www.whatismyip.com/ on every PC connected to your router/hubs and verify that the IP address is the same as the one you wrote down earlier.

If the IP addresses do not match, shut down your main PC, and unplug your cable modem, your router, and the phone adapter. Then plug the cable modem back and wait several minutes, then the router and wait, then the phone adapter and wait. Then restart your computer and re-check the IP addresses using the steps above.

Also, on the "advanced" tab of http://192.168.102.1/ the box should be checked that says "Enable DHCP/NAT on LAN(PC) Port" (it should be by default).

Very interesting that you also are porting a number from Comcast Digital Phone. Mine still hasn't gone through, had a transfer date of April 21st, which is long gone. I wonder if goaliemn, who is also from my area was also porting a number from them. It might be the tip-off for the letter rather than actually using two IP addresses. I wish I'd known to check before I started moving things around.

Posts: 183 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: May 05, 2004 Posts: 183

Thanks for posting that, Paula. If this site has a "reference" section it should be put there, too, so that information isn't lost.

Posts: 40 · Full Forum Member Joined: Apr 24, 2004 Posts: 40

I have put my Motorolla adapter after the router and I get no dropped calls or any other problems. Placing adapter between cable modem and router gave me a few dropped line problems. Vonage tech may not agree but adapter after router is better imo.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: May 13, 2004 Posts: 2

Hi, thanks very much for the recommendation. I checked the IP address for the Motorola VT1000v and it is the same as the address for my desktop and my laptop. I also checked that the software version is VT20_1.1.16e, and that "Enable DHCP/NAT on LAN(PC) Port" was checked. Any ideas on why they are telling me I am using two IP addresses then? I haven’t unplugged anything lately, so it is unlikely that I fixed the problem inadvertently. Maybe I should call Comcast, but it seems like it will not be very useful judging from other posts. Any ideas? Thanks again.