Linux for Comcast connection?

[bfx]

Anyone using Linux to connect to Comcast cable internet?

bfx

[mrapples]

i am, having trouble with it or something?

[bfx]

haven't tried it yet but want to - fed up with M$

can you give some details on setting it up?

or a link that covers setting it up?

thanks

bfx

[mrapples]

running it through a router or directly connected to the modem?

[bfx]

at present directly to the cable modem - may add non-comcast router/firewall used as firewall only.

thanks

bfx

[mrapples]

if you run it through usb, you might need the usbnet driver in your kernel
otherwise you should just connect it, make sure the proper modules are loaded, and dhcpcd <whateverinterface>

[bfx]

connect via high speed pci card.

but which version of linux and how to set it?

bfx

[mrapples]

umm, whichever version you want? if you are just starting try ubuntu or fedora
gentoo otherwise

[bfx]

gee - thanks

I've checked into Linux/Comcaat enough to know that some versioms of Linux don't come with provisions for enabling conection to comcast internet while others do to varying degrees.

And that even those reqiire a specific setup at install time.

bfx

[craig588]

I think my ISP is Comcast right now, they have gone though 4 name changes though, I can't remember exactly. I have my modem running though a router because the modem is a nightmare to configure if you ever switch NICs, OSes, or pretty much any setting at all in your computer. I told Comcast to configure the modem to treat my router as the computer (I never told them it was a router either, I just told them I need it reconfigured for the new computer connected to it and they do everything though software on their end) and it works fine now. I think Comcast has lots of weird securty stuff to prevent people from sharing the connection by switching the cables around beteen houses....or something. Also by using this router I avoid Comcasts extra 5$ per computer fees that would double my monthly bill.

You just need to plug the modem into your computer and make sure your computers networking setup is correct, then you call Comcast and complain that the modem isn't working with your "new" computer. I really recommend getting a router and plugging the modem into that, then you can switch computers and run multiple ones without ever calling them again, just don't ever unplug it from the router.

[mrapples]

any worthwhile router will let you clone the mac address of the computer you have registered, that way they wont bother you

[bfx]

If I go the the 'router' bit it'll be a single port version (only one of my computers is allowed access to the i-net or things downloaded from it) - I'm mainly interested in the hardware firewall that's built into some of them.

But the problem of setting up Linux so Comcast will recognize it remains.

As far as I can tell not many people have been able to do that.

bfx

[craig588]

Once the router is recognized by Comcast you don't need to deal with them. I ran a SUSE file server for a long time though that router without any problems. The router is able to trick Comcast into thinking it's only one computer and the router will handle all of the traffic. You never need to tell Comcast about any other computers.

I'm using a Cisco router and it has pretty much every feature imaginable. If you're using a cheaper one it might not be as painless.

[bfx]

I am not interested in having any other computers hoked up to Comcast or the internet. They are work computers and are not allowed access in any form to the 'net or things downloaded from the 'net.

I just want to have this computer hooked to comcast.

Looks like it'll a lot easier to just dump comcast and go with a different provider that is both faster and very linux friendly.

Or even buy a low end apple - comcast doesn't support apple's either but at least you can connect and the os is more resistant to tampering.

bfx

[join nbk]

I think my ISP is Comcast right now, they have gone though 4 name changes though, I can't remember exactly. I have my modem running though a router because the modem is a nightmare to configure if you ever switch NICs, OSes, or pretty much any setting at all in your computer. I told Comcast to configure the modem to treat my router as the computer (I never told them it was a router either, I just told them I need it reconfigured for the new computer connected to it and they do everything though software on their end) and it works fine now. I think Comcast has lots of weird securty stuff to prevent people from sharing the connection by switching the cables around beteen houses....or something. Also by using this router I avoid Comcasts extra 5$ per computer fees that would double my monthly bill.

You just need to plug the modem into your computer and make sure your computers networking setup is correct, then you call Comcast and complain that the modem isn't working with your "new" computer. I really recommend getting a router and plugging the modem into that, then you can switch computers and run multiple ones without ever calling them again, just don't ever unplug it from the router.


hold on,


comcast charges you 5 dollars a computer if you dont have it setup

becuase i have 3 ocs and i have a router of my own on thare, so they can charge me 5 bucks a month if i hjave it hooked up




:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:s

[uOpt]

Comcast's stupid setup program has to run under Windoze. However, once that is through you can use Linux.

The setup program also doesn't have to run from the same MAC address that will be put into the modem. So borrowing anybody's Windoze notebook does fine for the setup.


I highly recommend having the Comcast dude run the setup program. In my case it turned out Comcast had only half-edited my move info into their system and the setup wouldn't run. Took more than 90 of my airtime minutes to sort that out, doing nothing but wait for the Comcast guy to edit my customer info at their end.

Very old versions of dhclient (pre 2001) had problems getting the IP address, BTW.