Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

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Removing SuSE 9.0 from System that...

Terry Eck

7 Dec 2003 7 Dec '03

21:58

I'm currently running SuSE 8.2 and plan to subscribe to the Comcast Internet service. I purchased a Linksys NIC (LNE100TX) and a Linksys Router (BEFSR41 - V2). After I install the card and reboot will the system automatically detect the card and allow me to configure it via YAST? I guess I want some assurance that I'm not getting into something which is not supported. Any Comcast users on this list who will help me out if I have problems? The Comcast site makes no mention of Linux at all. Regards, Terry -- SuSE Linux 8.2 (i586) 2.4.20-4GB-athlon || Sun Dec 7 15:50:00 CST 2003 3:50pm up 106 days 20:49, 3 users, load average: 0.55, 0.34, 0.18

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Russ

7 Dec 7 Dec

22:06

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

Although I have not tried SuSE yet (disks are in the mail), if it is as easy as Mandrake, you will not have to do anything. I am a Comcast customer and I have had no problems at all using their services under Mandrake. Mandrake detected my LAN and away I went. No extra imput from me, and I have 4 comps connected to the same cable connection through a router. I just bought this new computer and I am going to set up a multi boot system (including SuSE). At the moment, all it has is XP. Russ ----- Original Message -----

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I'm currently running SuSE 8.2 and plan to subscribe to the Comcast Internet service. I purchased a Linksys NIC (LNE100TX) and a Linksys Router (BEFSR41 - V2). After I install the card and reboot will the system automatically detect the card and allow me to configure it via YAST? I guess I want some assurance that I'm not getting into something which is not supported. Any Comcast users on this list who will help me out if I have problems? The Comcast site makes no mention of Linux at all.

Regards, Terry

David Herman

22:18

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Sunday 07 December 2003 01:58 pm, Terry Eck wrote:

...

I'm currently running SuSE 8.2 and plan to subscribe to the Comcast Internet service. I purchased a Linksys NIC (LNE100TX) and a Linksys Router (BEFSR41 - V2). After I install the card and reboot will the system automatically detect the card and allow me to configure it via YAST?

Don't know how automatic you expect, but you can just run yast yourself go to the proper setup page and the automatic detection "should" work.

...

I guess I want some assurance that I'm not getting into something which is not supported. Any Comcast users on this list who will help me out if I have problems? The Comcast site makes no mention of Linux at all.

I have a different nic (old rtl 8029 ?) but the same router, no problems. I didn't hook up the router until the cable guy left but (in Seattle) the technician didn't even make me boot into winders to do the hookup. Comcast does not officially support linux users, just depends on the tech. I did install their software under winders98 and was totally impressed w/ its ability to screw up my connection in windows. Had to copy my linux settings down to repair the winders side. As an aside, during the last big M$ vulnerability Comcast shut down their servers (and my service) for a day and a half. I guess they don't run a particularly secure operating system ;-( Hope you can sleep better now - -- dh Don't shop at GoogleGear.com! -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQE/06dFBwgxlylUsJARAkgJAJ94XepOP29JVAakOl81Nh1I4UIiKQCcDLTz jBhktFkaYE0XQOeZFD5Zjok= =yvhn -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Peter N. Spotts

23:39

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

Terry, If you are signing up as a new customer, Comcast does not support Linux formally. But there are a few Linux users on its staff who try to help out on the sly. I signed up for Comcast about three months ago. I had to use a Windows machine to make the initial log-on after the tech came to the house and provided the modem. But for reasons too Byzantine to go into here, I couldn't use their Win 98/XP connection software. Instead the phone-support people walked me through the use of a proxy server (on Internet Explorer) to ensure that Comcast and my cable modem were communicating. Once that connection was established, the help tech sent me to a website where I could actually log in for the first time to initiate my "always on" connection. Once that connection was established, I could hook my Linux laptop up to the router, and SuSE immediately detected the connection. I hope this helps. In fact, you have prompted me to go over to my wife's computer to jot down the proxy settings. I suspect (but don't know) that if you know the settings, you can use them from just about any browser to make that initial test to ensure Comcast "sees" your cable modem. Best, Pete -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peter N. Spotts Science and technology correspondent | The Christian Science Monitor One Norway Street, Boston MA 02115 Office: 617-450-2449 | Office in Home: 508-520-3139 pspotts@alum.mit.edu | www.csmonitor.com | www.peterspotts.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Art Fore

8 Dec 8 Dec

01:24

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

I would be interested in that also. We should have Comcast internet access by the end of March. (right now I am on ISDN which I hate, and cannot get DSL) The only good thing about ISDN is it is faster than dialup here. Art On Sun, 2003-12-07 at 15:39, Peter N. Spotts wrote:

...

Terry,

If you are signing up as a new customer, Comcast does not support Linux formally. But there are a few Linux users on its staff who try to help out on the sly. I signed up for Comcast about three months ago. I had to use a Windows machine to make the initial log-on after the tech came to the house and provided the modem. But for reasons too Byzantine to go into here, I couldn't use their Win 98/XP connection software. Instead the phone-support people walked me through the use of a proxy server (on Internet Explorer) to ensure that Comcast and my cable modem were communicating. Once that connection was established, the help tech sent me to a website where I could actually log in for the first time to initiate my "always on" connection. Once that connection was established, I could hook my Linux laptop up to the router, and SuSE immediately detected the connection.

I hope this helps. In fact, you have prompted me to go over to my wife's computer to jot down the proxy settings. I suspect (but don't know) that if you know the settings, you can use them from just about any browser to make that initial test to ensure Comcast "sees" your cable modem.

Best,

Pete -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peter N. Spotts Science and technology correspondent | The Christian Science Monitor One Norway Street, Boston MA 02115 Office: 617-450-2449 | Office in Home: 508-520-3139 pspotts@alum.mit.edu | www.csmonitor.com | www.peterspotts.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- Sent using SuSE Linux and Ximian Evolution.

mjt

01:45

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 15:58:20 -0600, Terry Eck wrote:

...

I'm currently running SuSE 8.2 and plan to subscribe to the Comcast Internet service. I purchased a Linksys NIC (LNE100TX) and a Linksys Router (BEFSR41 - V2). After I install the card and reboot will the system automatically detect the card and allow me to configure it via YAST?

... that has been my experience, but if the system does not automagically detect on boot up, you CAN execute yast to do it in a manual fashion. the h/w itself is acceptable -- /// Michael J. Tobler: motorcyclist, surfer, skydiver, \\\ \\\ and author: "Inside Linux", "C++ HowTo", "C++ Unleashed" /// "The algorithm to do that is extremely nasty. You might want to mug someone with it." - M. Devine, Computer Science 340

E.F.Maurer

05:15

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

On Sunday 07 December 2003 4:58 pm, Terry Eck wrote:

...

I'm currently running SuSE 8.2 and plan to subscribe to the Comcast Internet service. I purchased a Linksys NIC (LNE100TX) and a Linksys Router (BEFSR41 - V2). After I install the card and reboot will the system automatically detect the card and allow me to configure it via YAST? I guess I want some assurance that I'm not getting into something which is not supported. Any Comcast users on this list who will help me out if I have problems? The Comcast site makes no mention of Linux at all.

Regards, Terry

Hi Terry, I actually work for comcast(NE philly) Comcast's policy ... What's linux? and third party routers aren't supported. However if anybody tells you it won't work with linux please hang up and call again. Eventually you'll get someone with a clue. I'm pretty sure you'll need to run comcast's setup disk on windows first. Then run lynksys setup disk. After that on linux ... Step 1. enable dhcp for your nic. Step 2 put the router info into yast's router section. It's in network services. enter 192.168.1.1 for lynksys routers. Step 3 enter comcast's dns addresses in /etc/resolv.conf . To get the list of your nameservers, with a web browser go to 192.168.1.1. When your router prompts you for a password enter admin for the password with no username, that's if you haven't changed it... Then change the password. The nameservers are listed in the status tab. Step 4 set up your mua by entering mail.comcast.net and smtp.comcast.net in the appropriate places. Step 5 have fun. If you run into any problems, turn everything off ( remove power to the router and modem). Plug the modem in, wait for the lights to come on steady, then plug the router in, then boot linux... that's the default first step for comcast support . About a month ago I had a problem with dhcp while using comcast. Please see the archives about it. Joe Morris had me switch to a different dhcp client which solved the problem. Thanks Joe... no more pinging the gateway. Also if you do call comcast for support please admit to running linux and having a router. We can still tell you if your modem is showing up ok, and if not either roll a truck or fix it on our end. -- E.F.Maurer Using SuSE 9.0 Pro

mjt

12:23

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 00:15:51 -0500, "E.F.Maurer" wrote:

...

Also if you do call comcast for support please admit to running linux and having a router. We can still tell you if your modem is showing up ok, and if not either roll a truck or fix it on our end.

.... i've also heard, with some services, you have to clone the NIC's MAC address onto the router, so that it sees the 'original' box that was logging in to the ISP -- /// Michael J. Tobler: motorcyclist, surfer, skydiver, \\\ \\\ and author: "Inside Linux", "C++ HowTo", "C++ Unleashed" /// Xerox does it again and again and again and ...

E.F.Maurer

15:30

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

On Monday 08 December 2003 7:23 am, mjt wrote:

...

On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 00:15:51 -0500, "E.F.Maurer" wrote:

...
Also if you do call comcast for support please admit to running linux and having a router. We can still tell you if your modem is showing up ok, and if not either roll a truck or fix it on our end.

.... i've also heard, with some services, you have to clone the NIC's MAC address onto the router, so that it sees the 'original' box that was logging in to the ISP

Not with comcast you don't. We know the modem's mac address, and the computer's ip address. I realize we have to have the computer's mac address somewhere, but it's not something we check. All we really care about is if people are screwing with the .ini file on the modem, to get more bandwidth or more ip addresses. I know of no one that has been screwed with for running a router. I do know a few ex-comcast users that have messed with their modem's file, or have been running a server and gobbled up all the bandwidth. If you admit to having a router we'll try to troubleshoot with it connected, if we can't we'll ask you to remove the router and see if it was causing the problems. The one grey area with routers is that comcast is now running a home networking system. It's a linksys router / modem in one. I'm not sure if their policy on routers will change or not. -- E.F.Maurer Using SuSE 9.0 Pro

Jerry Feldman

15:57

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 10:30:22 -0500 "E.F.Maurer" wrote:

...

On Monday 08 December 2003 7:23 am, mjt wrote:

...
On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 00:15:51 -0500, "E.F.Maurer" wrote:

...
Also if you do call comcast for support please admit to running linux and having a router. We can still tell you if your modem is showing up ok, and if not either roll a truck or fix it on our end.

.... i've also heard, with some services, you have to clone the NIC's MAC address onto the router, so that it sees the 'original' box that was logging in to the ISP

Not with comcast you don't. We know the modem's mac address, and the computer's ip address. I realize we have to have the computer's mac address somewhere, but it's not something we check. All we really care about is if people are screwing with the .ini file on the modem, to get more bandwidth or more ip addresses. Those of us who had cable modem networks acquired by Cmcast (eg. mediaone-->attbi) used to have our MAC addresses registered. Hostnames on our Comcast network are in the format of: hxxxxxxxxxxxx.ne.client2.attbi.com where xxxxxxxxxxxx is our MAC address. Eventually this will change to be our ip address as former ATTBI infrastructure is migrated to the native Comcast infrastructure. I believe that sometime after ATTBI acquired MediaOne, they stopped registering the computer's MAC address.

- -- Jerry Feldman Boston Linux and Unix user group http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9 PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.2-rc1-SuSE (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQE/1J9i+wA+1cUGHqkRAlC4AJ9gv4QkGdgT7puCdTDUTlQW83atxgCeLzWp 6P/Q7cawIXpFHAt6fGK+LMU= =Ye3u -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

E.F.Maurer

17:09

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

On Monday 08 December 2003 10:57 am, Jerry Feldman wrote:

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On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 10:30:22 -0500

"E.F.Maurer" wrote:

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On Monday 08 December 2003 7:23 am, mjt wrote:

...
On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 00:15:51 -0500, "E.F.Maurer"

wrote:

...
...
Also if you do call comcast for support please admit to running linux and having a router. We can still tell you if your modem is showing up ok, and if not either roll a truck or fix it on our end.

.... i've also heard, with some services, you have to clone the NIC's MAC address onto the router, so that it sees the 'original' box that was logging in to the ISP

Not with comcast you don't. We know the modem's mac address, and the computer's ip address. I realize we have to have the computer's mac address somewhere, but it's not something we check. All we really care about is if people are screwing with the .ini file on the modem, to get more bandwidth or more ip addresses.

Those of us who had cable modem networks acquired by Cmcast (eg. mediaone-->attbi) used to have our MAC addresses registered. Hostnames on our Comcast network are in the format of: hxxxxxxxxxxxx.ne.client2.attbi.com where xxxxxxxxxxxx is our MAC address. Eventually this will change to be our ip address as former ATTBI infrastructure is migrated to the native Comcast infrastructure. I believe that sometime after ATTBI acquired MediaOne, they stopped registering the computer's MAC address.

I'll have to check that out at work tomorrow. Was the xxx your modem's mac address or your nic's? What happened if you changed your nic? Did you have to call and tell them the new nac address? However I've never been told to check if the computer's mac address matches the one on file. But in my area Comcast has been the only online provider(cable), besides @home. In our account system, comtrac, if the modems mac address is wrong you'll get no connectivity. My point was that we really don't want to stop people from using routers. In fact I've been advised not to sell people an additional ip address because someday they'll find out they could have used a router instead of a monthly charge of $7. When that happens they'll go somewhere else and take a few friends with them. So its losing $7 a month or $42.95 a month. I can't tell them to get a router either, I just have to say that we don't support third party routers, eventually they'll get the hint. Some people think that using a router is stealing from comcast. I've been assured that there is no legal action that could be taken against a normal internet user with a router. If you had it set up where your selling access that would be an entirely different story. This happened a few years ago with an internet cafe in Philadelphia. All they did was sell him a commercial account, but that was only after they found out why his node was always running slow. It took about a year to figure out why this node was pitifully slow. -- E.F.Maurer Using SuSE 9.0 Pro

Jerry Feldman

12:57

New subject: [SLE] Comcast Cable and SuSE 8.2

...

I'm currently running SuSE 8.2 and plan to subscribe to the Comcast Internet service. I purchased a Linksys NIC (LNE100TX) and a Linksys Router (BEFSR41 - V2). After I install the card and reboot will the system automatically detect the card and allow me to configure it via YAST? I guess I want some assurance that I'm not getting into something which is not supported. Any Comcast users on this list who will help me out if I have problems? The Comcast site makes no mention of Linux at all. This is nearly what I have. I have a Linksys BEFW11S4 with a SuSE 8.2 desktop connected, a SuSE 9.0 laptop connected and a Windows ME box connected. I have not had any problems with this. I used to have an

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 15:58:20 -0600 Terry Eck wrote: older BEFSR41 that also worked perfectly with Comcast's predecessors. I also have a LNE100TX in the desktop. The only issue is that when calling Comcast support, they can't speak any language that is not Windows, so I maintain a dual boot on my desktop. - -- Jerry Feldman Boston Linux and Unix user group http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9 PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.2-rc1-SuSE (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQE/1HU/+wA+1cUGHqkRAoUuAJ93B44ibkzPszURJzcKC4ebBn3bzACcD+gw 1FgtrgQ9A2uuBncV/5GdGyA= =WOVl -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Art Fore
David Herman
E.F.Maurer
Jerry Feldman
mjt
Peter N. Spotts
Russ
Terry Eck