Atlantic Broad Band Equipment

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
Just signed up for ABB and wanted to know about their equipment. Is the cable modem also a wireless router?

I plan to buy my own after a month or two but just wanted to know if I should buy a new router or not?
 

spr1975wshs

Mostly settled in...
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Patron
The cable modem I have (left over from Metrocast, 2nd one, replaced original early last year) has a hard wired Ethernet port that goes to a hard wired hub.
I have a wireless router of my own.
 

Clem72

Well-Known Member
Just buy one now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00AJHDZSI/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

Motorola SurfBoard (been the best cable modem brand since forever) DOCSIS 3.0 with 8 channels, so it will wotk to 343Mbit. This is more modem than you will need for a long time to come and guaranteed compatible.

$24 shipped used-very good from Amazon warehouse.

Or get a SB6121 (only 4 channels, 172Mbit max speed) for $18 refurbished like new.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00768SBAU/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

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Cable modems aren't exactly high wear and tear and will last a good while (I used my first SB modem for damn near a decade), so I wouldn't be afraid to buy used.
 

Goldenhawk

Well-Known Member
Just signed up for ABB and wanted to know about their equipment. Is the cable modem also a wireless router?

Different purposes. The router blocks bad stuff from the outside; the modem simply turns a coaxial cable signal into a data signal your computer understands. You CAN plug a PC directly into a cable modem, but that would be like sailors without condoms in the Philippines... guaranteed badness.

You *can* buy combined units that do both in one box - cable in, wifi and Ethernet cable out.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cable-...os/pcmcat748302046324.c?id=pcmcat748302046324

But I'd suggest separating them. Modems (as Clem says) are fairly robust. Routers are (in my experience) more fragile and also need updating more often. I've replaced my router 3x as often as modem.
 

sparkyaclown

Active Member
FYI, If you are getting phone through them then they require you use their modem/router. At least they did when they were still Metrocast, I doubt that has changed.
 

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
So, if I replace their unit with my own do I have to activate it or anything? Or is it just unplug ABB's and plug mine in?
 

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
So, if I replace their unit with my own do I have to activate it or anything? Or is it just unplug ABB's and plug mine in?

You have to call them so their system can talk to your equipment. I did it with mine and it took about five minutes.
 

Goldenhawk

Well-Known Member
You have to call them so their system can talk to your equipment. I did it with mine and it took about five minutes.

Remember the word "provisioning." That's what cable modem companies call the process of establishing communication between their services and your modem.
 

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
Remember the word "provisioning." That's what cable modem companies call the process of establishing communication between their services and your modem.

That is one use of the term, usually called network provisioning but also called service mediation. It is a term used a lot in IT for various other telecommunications tasks: server provisioning, user provisioning, mobile subscriber provisioning, etc. Provisioning does the setup part of the service operation, and SysOps the ongoing support. :nerd:
 

Goldenhawk

Well-Known Member
That is one use of the term, usually called network provisioning but also called service mediation. It is a term used a lot in IT for various other telecommunications tasks: server provisioning, user provisioning, mobile subscriber provisioning, etc. Provisioning does the setup part of the service operation, and SysOps the ongoing support. :nerd:

Thanks for the clarification. It's good to know the terminology you'll hear on the phone when you call tech support; those employees tend to forget that nobody else speaks their language.
 

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
Thanks for the clarification. It's good to know the terminology you'll hear on the phone when you call tech support; those employees tend to forget that nobody else speaks their language.

You're welcome and I completely understand that. And why I as a 30+ year IT geek take great care to keep the terms I use simplified so their eyes don't glaze over when I try to explain something :lol:
 

stgislander

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
When telling the technician at the house about issues I was having with my converter/DVR the other day, told me to wait (if I could) towards the end of September when they start swapping the old units with new TiVO units. I didn't think TiVo was still around.
 
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