CM8200a Misconfigured? Bad Wallgarden

Hi,

First, thank you all for your assistance! So, had a roommate (Level three tech with matress firm) and he had better equipment. A SB8200 modem, that I connected to the network. He asks I upgrade to gigabit service, no problem!

Well his mother's cancer matastized and he had move out... Again, no problem. I reconnect my CM8200a touchstone only to find, after provision ing, it can't access domains outside my local network...

As you might guess, what ensued was an insightful lesson. Chat support is a game of Russian roulette where 5 of the 7 individuals have been nightmares...

A quick note, the Guadalajara call center is amazing! The young woman I started with was happy, calm, engaging! Just made the 8 hour run around I experienced the day before ok. (At this point, no one had been able to establish contact to my modem... Except me, a point I reiderated constantly). While she couldn't do anything, she dud something no other chat has, she passed to that angel that is Edgar!

David or Bill, whos actual name is Edgar, resolved what was the core issue! He figured out that the gigabit plan was non complaint (Docsis 3.1) with my modem (Cm8200a Docsis 3.1 "compatible"). Not to diminsh the pleasure that is talking to him (He listened to me and offered excellent explaintions that were in no way patronizing ) but his real value came out next. The easy option, the one that most hurts the customer, is say you're gonna need a new modem, 3.1 docsis native too... But no, he rolled back my setvice to 200mbs (making communication possible with my modem) Pushed a boot file (and I assume config files) and said "Its gonna take 10 minutes but after your restart you should be alright"...

He, and the tech before him, were people who didnt try and cheat me. And I know that may seem hyperbole, but really it not... Lol, in my experience, everyone outside of Guadalajara everyone is motivated by ignorance, anger, and greed 🙂

Unfortunately, after 30 minutes , I started interacting with my nerwork I was met with that lovable Wallgarden service. Thinking nothing of it, submitted to its whims only meet url parameter ?e1e6

Oops! Contact us at ...

Ok, I call... Automated services requires a 10 minute reset. Then wait for a tech, then get passed a tech wow issues one command! A reboot 🙂 Proceeds to go into a 17 minutes of storytelling, when I have to cut him off "Hey, did you get a response from modem?"

Oh, let me check...
.
.... On hold now
. what's your mac?

??? 12:::::78

Ok, one sec

On hold

Hey man, that device is Docsis 2.0!

2.0?!

Yeah man, sorry.

I was so jarred that was end of it. I should have said, " Its reporting 3.1 on my network, or 'Every spec page in existence would disagree with you!" But no...

There is hopelessness that befalls some when someone tells me 2+2 is 5... How can you reason with that?

No... I went bed. The next day another two chats... Each lovely in their own way, but Ill end my rendition of Dante's Inferno. Thr last individual said she could reach my modem,but couldnt quite grasp that I couldnt leave my local network. "The issue has to be layer 3-4, its a database error or some other on the ISP's end?" "I don't know what to say, my (gui based) software sees you?" An hour and 17 later she finally saiys look, all I can do is send a technician. But a technician is going to investigate my cabling? Its not a layer 1 issue...

Its scheduled 2 days from now...

I'm going to need to speak to your Superior...

With great indignity, that I can appreciate in the face of how difficult this has been in her, "Alright"

The hold music starts... Its been 3 days, I had a modem coming in the next day. I hung up...

She did identify something very important to my mind. The modem wasn't responding to her requests to remove the Wallgarden file.

I recently.read about similar issues, it seems misconfigured files (likely on my modem or router, not ruling out ISP Serverside) can cuase similar issues. ISP's DHCP didnt function properly sticks out on rare occasion on my routers admin page.

DNS errors seem a good bet, Interfaces on my PC populate ips appropriately. I can ping everything on my local network... But I cant access my modems file system. I did read about how their config is a system Key Value Pairs? 03 01 01.... Nope, not ready for that yet...I dont think i can telnet or Ssh... So, Im somewhat limited to its admin page.

The modem l, SB61XX got here today. Went to provision it only to find the power cable didnt fit. And none of my 12v 1a 's did either 🙂

I need help.

I understand that this explanation is wanting in the diagnostics department. Im not that familiar with sysadmin, and I know what little knowledge I have msy be complicating things rather than helping.

It might be a hardware issue, they happen inexplicably sometimes (and that modem had gigabit service pushed on for a long time).

What I mean to say is, while I have my suspicions I lm willing to abandon them to pursue a resolution. ...

Last Bit of Data
1. My roommate couldnt provision his SB8200. Seems it was nt provisioned properly here before he left. Its sense been uncoubled from my account.

2.CM8200a seems to register as SB8200 on xfinitys software. And both seem be rife with forum entries. Theres potential there...


Any way l, thank all of you for reading this. Thats a good in itself 🙂 And if any should see Edgar, would you please let him know I'm looking fo him?