Triple play phone

[Frank]

Finally talked Mrs. Frank into having home phone ported over from
Verizon to Comcast.

Our one year triple play offer expired and this was brought in as part
of the renegotiation. We had just ignored their phone for most of the
year except for her making long distance calls.

Should I expect them to hook modem connection into existing home phone
lines? Also wonder if that buck or two we pay a month for in house
service will cover the phone inside lines?

[Adam H. Kerman]

Your inside wire must be permanently disconnected from Verizon. Typically
the Comcast tech will cut the wire going into Verizon's gray box to
eliminate the network interface.

If your eMTA (cable modem with telephony) is in a room in your home,
it must be located reasonably close to a telephone jack. Your inside
wire is then backfed from this telephone jack. They can plug a splitter
into the jack so you can still plug an extension phone in.

Assuming you own your own router, you'll want an eMTA with DOCSIS 3.0
without a built-in wireless router like an Arris TM822G. My experience
trying to obtain the correct eMTA was pretty bad; I reported on this a
few months ago. The techs had no clue as to which ones were DOCSIS 2.0
and 3.0, so before the tech disconnects your current cable modem, look up
what the tech proposes to install on Comcast's list, because they take
a painful amount of time to register themselves on Comcast's network,
like close to a half hour.

Before the installer shows up, make sure this instruction about which
eMTA to bring makes it onto the work order: eMTA DOCSIS 3.0 without
wireless gateway (assuming you own your own router).

Is maintenance of inside phone lines covered in your area? I have
absolutely no idea. You'll have to negotiate for that if that's what
you want.

btw, long distance, both in state and out of state, is amazingly
cheap these days from long distance providers you can get with your
traditional land line. I use TCI and Pioneer Telephone, but there are
others. Comcast Triple Play includes their notoriously overpriced VoIP
telephone service. Are you sure you'd be saving money?

[Barry Margolin]

In article <knd7d9$2kn$1...@dont-email.me>,

Frank <frankdo...@comcast.net> wrote:

> Should I expect them to hook modem connection into existing home phone
> lines?

Yes, they should connect the modem to the phone lines. If you have a
phone extension jack near the modem, it's pretty simple: they just
disconnect from Verizon at the NID, and plug the modem into the
extension.

> Also wonder if that buck or two we pay a month for in house
> service will cover the phone inside lines?

I don't think Comcast will manage your in-house phone wiring for you.
Their responsibility ends at the connection to the modem.

--
Barry Margolin
Arlington, MA

[Frank]

We ditched my modem and router for theirs last year when we got triple play.

Verizon phone lines come in via FIOS to box in basement back out to
another box connected the to the old phone box. One goes around house
to my den for business phone and other into basement where it splits to
go to kitchen and back out to upstairs bedroom.

If all they have to do is plug in a splitter, there is no problem as
bedroom phone already has splitter for an extension in the bedroom where
the modem resides. If that back fills to the kitchen then is should be
simple.

Tech is coming Friday, time yet unknown. Don't know when they will make
the conversion but I want it to have no aggravation for Mrs. Frank.

For two old retired folks, we were way over phoned with the two land
lines, the triple play and two different cell phones. Mrs. Frank will
often rather over pay than put up with disruptions.

Neighbor across the street goes back and forth between FIOS and Comcast
locking in their long term introductory offers for two years. That
would be too much for me.

[Adam H. Kerman]

The point being, then, continue to use Comcast's router and obtain an
eMTA without wireless gateway.

>Verizon phone lines come in via FIOS to box in basement back out to
>another box connected the to the old phone box.

I guess you would snip near the old phone box.

I wonder if the FiOS battery should be removed and disposed of.

[Frank]

I'm keeping the FIOS line that I use for part time consulting business.
I bill the whole thing out to biggest client so it does not cost me
anything. Have to make sure tech does not cut this phone line.

The Comcast modem has router built in and I was told at time I could not
get phone without it. My old router was getting old and one old modem
replacement was a PITA so I'll put out a couple of extra bucks a month.

Verizon called today, I assume to try to talk me out of getting rid of
one phone but said they called to tell me they were doing area upgrades.
We already got this when they removed copper and put in FIOS last year.

Besides the constant mailings on FIOS offerings, they even sent out a
rep a couple of weeks ago. Hate to chase away a pretty girl, but I did ;)

[Adam H. Kerman]

Frank <frankdo...@comcast.net> wrote:
>On 5/20/2013 3:10 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:

>>I wonder if the FiOS battery should be removed and disposed of.

>I'm keeping the FIOS line that I use for part time consulting business.

I'm just pondering if a battery like that serving no purpose should be left
on the side of the house after terminating FiOS. Keep it by all means.

However, good luck with keeping Comcast from disconnecting the wrong line.

>The Comcast modem has router built in and I was told at time I could not
>get phone without it.

You saw the link to the equipment list I posted? This is a lie. There's
no rental charge for a Comcast router. If you can get Comcast to put
the correct equipment on your account, then you'll have a separate eMTA
and router.

[Frank]

I assume the rental is on the modem and the router is built in.
I'll discuss your note with the tech.

[Adam H. Kerman]

I'm telling you to check the eMTA the tech brings out to your home on
the equipment list I cited before he disconnects the existing cable modem.
For instance, if it's not DOCSIS 3.0, don't accept it. It just takes too
damn long to get them registered with central control, and you'll just
have to go through it again.

[Frank]

Guess I don't understand.
Why would modem change be needed since we've had the triple play for a
year and existing modem works?
I have printed out your comments with others to discuss with tech.

[Adam H. Kerman]

I suppose I'm confused, then. What becomes of the number on the Comcast
VoIP phone line, then, are you simply changing its number to the Verizon
FiOS number, or after porting, will you have a second Comcast VoIP number?
Typical Comcast eMTAs support two phone numbers.

The reason I'm confused is because you keep saying cable modem and not
eMTA. If you already have Comcast voice, then your existing cable modem is
an eMTA. Check the model number here: http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/
If it's DOCSIS 3.0 and you don't care that the wireless gateway is built in,
then by all means, keep it.

I apologize for misunderstanding that you may not be swapping eMTAs.

[Frank]

Yes, basically getting rid of the Comcast number and having it replaced
by our old Verizon number and getting existing Verizon phones to receive
it. Mrs. Frank has some old TV issues to resolve so it will be good to
have a tech in to make the wiring changes etc.

I do appreciate the discussion as I'll be better prepared. Last year
when we transitioned to HD TV's and got the triple play to save money,
it was a PITA and took a day or so to shake out.

[Adam H. Kerman]

Frank <frankdo...@comcast.net> wrote:

>Yes, basically getting rid of the Comcast number and having it replaced
>by our old Verizon number and getting existing Verizon phones to receive
>it. Mrs. Frank has some old TV issues to resolve so it will be good to
>have a tech in to make the wiring changes etc.

>I do appreciate the discussion as I'll be better prepared. Last year
>when we transitioned to HD TV's and got the triple play to save money,
>it was a PITA and took a day or so to shake out.

What's the eMTA make and model number?

[Frank]

Says ARRIS TG862

like this

http://www.arrisi.com/products/product.asp?id=79

with Xfinity label too

[Adam H. Kerman]

Frank <frankdo...@comcast.net> wrote:

>Says ARRIS TG862

DOCSIS 3.0. That's a newish one.

Hm. There's a note:

Special Note on this Device

Comcast has identified a software defect on the Arris TG852
and TG862, which may cause problems for a small number of
users attempting to use third party DNS services. Arris
and Comcast are working to correct this issue and will
deploy updated device firmware to resolve the issue. If a
customer does not wish to wait for the updated firmware,
the customer may go to Connectivity and Modem Help
http://forums.comcast.com/t5/Connectivity-and-Modem-Help/bd-p/5
to arrange to have a replacement device provided at no cost
to the customer.