Connecting to Comcast

[Greg Bonnette]

You can connect to Comcast with Linux (or a Broadband router etc.), but
I believe the initial connection requires a Windows PC in order to run
the setup CD they supply you with. In my experiences, to activate your
account, you need to provide your Comcast account number and some other
number that should be highlighted on the service invoice that the
installer should have given you a copy of. This information is put into
the GUI that I believe contacts some internal Comcast server, allowing
you to then connect to the internet. There is no MAC address registering
like the old mediaone/attbi system, you are free to use any NIC once you
have completed the initial registration. This could all be sidestepped I
guess by calling Comcast and doing it manually over the phone with a
technician. You will of course have to lie and say that your setup CD is
not working, and then pretend to reboot your "windows" machine when they
ask you to, etc. I have done it that way, but I find it is much easier
to deal with them as infrequently as possible.

Also update your kernel, and patch your system completely. You are
entering an entirely new world of exposure by having a Linux box on the
outside. If you are unfamiliar with Linux security, I recommend running
the Bastille script (http://www.bastille-linux.org/) before connecting
your machine to the internet.

-----Original Message-----
From: gnhlug-discuss-admin at mail.gnhlug.org
[mailto:gnhlug-discuss-admin at mail.gnhlug.org] On Behalf Of
plussier at mindspring.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 12:13 AM
To: gnhlug-discuss at gnhlug.org
Subject: Connecting to Comcast


Hi All,
I've *finally* got a cable modem (after waiting about 7 years:) 
however, I can't seem to get Linux to connect.

I've tried getting a dhcp address from the modem, but nothing happens.
The "PC/Activity" light is flashing an awful lot, but it seems to do 
this even when the interface is down (I'm assuming this is lowlevel 
link-layer traffic).

I've tried using pump to get an address, and watched daemon.log and 
an ethereal trace, and both show a bootp request going out, but 
nothing ever comes back.

Does Comcast require you to register MAC addresses?  I know MediaOne 
did, but the guy came today and just hooked up the cable modem and 
left.  I just got basic installtion, so he didn't muck with the system
at all in order to get a MAC address from it, nor did he mention to 
my wife that I'd have to do this.

Anyone have any ideas?  So far I've if[up|down]ed the interface 
(eth1, netgear), I've power-cycled the cable mode, etc.
No firewall script yet, so that's not causing any problems.

  Kernel 2.4.19 (yeah, I need to upgrade)
  Debian sid
  Comcast
  Motorola Surfboard SB5100
  Netgear NIC

Any info would be great, thanks!


-- 

Seeya,
Paul
--
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	It may look like I'm just sitting here doing nothing,
   but I'm really actively waiting for all my problems to go away.

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