mb8611 firmware

@Jlavaseur​ I'm a software engineer, not a network engineer, but sure I could look at it. I've been running a Linux firewall (at home and hosted offsite), web server, and email server for over two decades, so I know a little. Having known several bonafide network engineers, I know enough to be really dangerous.

Hello @asheahen. Thank you for sharing your experience. I wanted to check in to see if you're still having issues. If so, I'd be more than happy to review your account, and troubleshoot to help find a solution. To get started, can you please send a direct message with your name and service address to "Xfinity Support"? You can do this by clicking on the "Direct Messaging" chat icon in the top right corner of the page, then click on the pen and pad icon and enter "Xfinity Support" in the "To" section of the chat. 

Ok, I’ll send a direct message later today - thanks.

We look forward to hearing from you! And please keep in mind, that no matter the time, we're here! Our team is available 24/7! 

@Jlavaseur​ Well mine is a pfsense firewall with generally poor Realtek interface being shown to the modem.  Mine has the realtek driver patches and has proven stable for several years until this modem was on the other side of it with this cruddy firmware.  With the exact same hardware every other device has proven fine, and at no time does the firewall/router side note any interface errors.  I can see this 'mystery' being possible if there were errant ethernet frames being pushed out...but there aren't. 
Searching anything with 'network', 'error', and 'Microsoft' together will surely lead you down a fruitless path of endless side quests.

Personally my second MB8611 is confirmed rubbish.  24 hour disconnect log attached.

@Jlavaseur​ 

I been running Linux, FreeBSD since ‘97, I remember running all those from a dialup connection

My past was quite similar. I used to have a firewall, router, and caching DNS server running on a Compaq Presario 4716 over a dial-up connection for the Internet and a single 10 Mbps hub for my internal LAN. I also had three desktops and a laptop connected to the hub. When I got DSL, I added a mail server and web server. That system had a Pentium 200-MHz processor and was maxed out at 128 MB of RAM. Amazing that it all worked.

it’s common knowledge that some network cards, broadcom being one of them, that sometimes don’t play nice with certain routers, I am thinking if it’s possible that the new firmware doesn’t want to play nice with existing router firmware, who knows if folks keep it current, sometimes with new router firmware it has issues and you have to revert back to a earlier version

I'm thinking along similar lines. Some thoughts I have had:

• The older firmware tolerated certain network cards better than the new firmware.
• The older firmware tolerated certain signal conditions on the coax line better than the new firmware.
• Some MB8611s have bad NAND storage. It can store the factory firmware as it comes out of the box, but the new firmware gets corrupted when saved or read. After several tries, the modem reverts to the factory default.
• The firmware image from Xfinity gets corrupted when downloaded to the modem. It stores and reads just fine, but it is bad.
  
  • This would assume that no checksum is computed on the firmware, which seems unlikely.

Xfinity probably gets the base firmware file from Motorola but has to make updates with things like the frequencies they use, some protocol setup, and configuration items. (Nothing major, but they could still get it wrong.)

We're deeply sorry to hear that you've been having intermittent connection issues as well. I would love to help you with some troubleshooting to see how we can find a resolution for you. Please send us a DM with your full name and address to Xfinity Support. 

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@user_db1346​ 

That's super interesting since the firmware/software versions are supplied from the ISP.

@user_db1346​ 

Do you have a Motorola Support ticket number? I am currently in session with someone from Moto Support and want to reference this acknowledgment of the problem.

@denn73 my support number is 314623.

Update: Motorola is telling me that while they will pay to send me the new modem I have to pay to send my modem to them. I'm currently trying to debate why I should pay for it and this is what he said:

"to be honest, We are not 100% sure if this problem started because of a PWR frequency issue or anything related to the coaxial connection. That's why We cannot cover the shipment."

@user_db1346​

Noted, thanks for the ticket number. That is some useful information which you've shared, at least now I know what to expect if/when I get to the RMA phase of my conversation with Moto Support.  Someone from either Comcast or Motorola needs to step up and publicly admit the problem and transparently begin taking responsibility for it. The MB8611 is clearly displayed on Comcast's device compatibility list, and we, as both Comcast customers and Motorola end-user hardware consumers, deserve to know what is being done to restore consistent internet service. If the resolution cannot be accomplished within a reasonable time frame, then fair compensation is due. Being required to pay return shipping for a modem that does not function reliably, as advertised, does not seem fair.

I contacted Xfinity and demanded they lease me their gateway for free until this issue gets fixed. They're sending it to me with a $15 charge for self install kit which they swear will be credited back to my account. Also I'm still being charged for leasing the gateway but once I return it I will be credited the amount I've been charged. We'll see if they follow through.

@m_designs​ Same here. Still had my 8600 in the garage and hooked it back up. Will try to return 8611 to Best Buy. 

I have an 8611.  It has the same problem.  Drops 5/10 times per day

@user_62871 Thanks for contacting our Xfinity Support Team, and we are happy to work together to help with your connection issues. In order to get started, can you please send me a private message to Xfinity Support with your full name and full address by clicking the chat icon in the top right?

@bamnet​ I'm anot on the reboot party. I cannot work from home with such an issue. Also interested to see what I can do as Motorola has been very little help.

@bamnet Thank you for reaching out on the Xfinity Community Forums. There has been some great advice provided by the community in this thread. You are more than welcome to take a look at Using Approved Third-Party Equipment for Xfinity Internet and Xfinity Voice to see if there is a modem that would work for you by signing in. Other members have recommended reaching out to Motorola as well as it is a known issue. 

Hello there @user_0a1b53!  Thanks so much for taking the time to reach out to Xfinity Support here on our Community Forum.  We are so glad to hear from you and want to help out in any way that we can.  No worries!  You have reached out to the right team, and we are going to get things straightened out for you.  So that we can get started, please feel free to shoot us a message with your full name and service address.  That way we can access your account and get started.  

To send a "direct message" / "private message" message to Xfinity Support:

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 • Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window

 • Press Enter to send it

@schpliz​ I may not have understood this correctly, but I believe the number of downstream channels is always 32 for DOCSIS 3.0 and DOCSIS 3.1 modems that can handle 32 downstream channels. What speed you get through those channels depends on your plan. That is, your plan determines how many channels are actually in use. Each channel (and the type of modulation on that channel) taken as an aggregate determines your downstream speed. Upstream speed is similar, but it seems that rather than always having 8 upstream channels in use, only the number of channels necessary to support the upstream speed being supported is configured. My cable modem has 5 upstream channels configured. I have 800/20 Mbps service. The 1000/40 Mbps and 1200/40 Mbps probably need 6 upstream channels. All 8 upstream channels would only get configured for some speed above 40 Mbps. Maybe 100 or 200 Mbps upstream, for example.

It doesn't work that way.