[UFO Chicago] Re: Comcast installs [was: Comcast Cuts Off Bandwidth Hogs]

[Carey Tyler Schug]

Their procedures must have changed.  Yes they needed a windows/IE 
computer (to set the Comcast password and install their agent software), 
but later I stuck a Linux firewall in between and everything still 
works, except when I bring up that windows computer the Comcast software 
agent fails to connect.  It hasn't connected for 3-4 (?) years but still 
tries....  IIRC, this was before they gave out a free anti-virus 
program, maybe that's what they need the mac address for.

sten wrote:
>
> Anyway, my fun came when I had to activate the line- there's no PPPoE or
> anything weird, but there's some magic they have to do, I think to
> register your modem's MAC address on their side. This was a few months
> ago, so the details are sketchy in my mind, I just remember having to
> bust out the work laptop, because (of course) their automated process
> requires Windows and IE, which also wants to go through and install AV
> software, their customized/branded/screwed-with version of IE, and
> probably a bunch of other trash. After all that, the automated install
> still failed, and I had to call Comcast and read off my MAC address over
> the phone. Fun!
>
>   

-- 
--Carey Tyler Schug