redpenguin
join:2010-06-17
united state | redpenguin Member 2023-Dec-18 7:31 pm Old Breezeline modems still Breezeline property?I just had a quick question for anyone who knows about the BL model rental specifics. At local thrift stores near me, I constantly see modems that appear to not be consumer bought because they are models I swear sold only to ISPs (often some with phone ports) but they often are old 3.0 models. So they appear to either be BL’s or Comcast’s. I never see BL or Comcast stickers or similar on them. Does BL require any modem even old and outdated to be returned or do they actually tell Consumers they don’t care about really old ones? |
· actions · 2023-Dec-18 7:31 pm · |
hundredgig
join:2020-08-20
Rochester, NH | hundredgig Member 2023-Dec-18 7:52 pm We generally don't want old electronics back. A nice D3.1 modem we would, an older 8 channel D3.0 or even a D2.0 we don't. However the billing system isn't always cooperative and may try to charge you, so should you be told to just dispose of it properly, just make sure to ask the rep to ensure the equipment is off your account. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-18 7:52 pm · |
redpenguin
join:2010-06-17
united state | redpenguin Member 2023-Dec-18 8:01 pm Oh thank you! I always wondered if BL would even activate the ones with phone ports for a "non-phone" customer. I always told a buddy of mine that it's best to stay away from them as not just being mostly old, but they claim some ISPs have "blacklist lists" and may refuse to activate even if it's something that would for a fact still work. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-18 8:01 pm · |
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GoHabs007
join:2023-05-21
Columbus, OH | GoHabs007 to redpenguin
Member 2023-Dec-18 10:04 pm to redpenguin
When I switched the StreamTV, I was told to not bother returning my Ultra equipment since it wasn't on the list of equipment they want back. So I was going to keep it with some movies I had recorded on it. But when I had a technician out for a different issue and he saw the boxes sitting in the corner, he told me that they would keep charging me if I didn't return it, so he took it all and removed it from my account. So it's like hundredgig said... Breezeline doesn't actually want older equipment back, but you might still have to fight billing about not returning it. If I'm not mistaken, you can't even return equipment that isn't on their list, unless a technician takes it, since they closed the drop boxes and you have select an approved drvice to get a shipping label. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-18 10:04 pm · |
Body Count
join:2010-09-11
Columbus, OH
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter ER-4
Ubiquiti U6-Pro
| Body Count to redpenguin
Member 2023-Dec-19 2:17 pm to redpenguin
said by redpenguin:I always told a buddy of mine that it's best to stay away from them as not just being mostly old, but they claim some ISPs have "blacklist lists" and may refuse to activate even if it's something that would for a fact still work. If the modem is still on someone's account and it was sold to another person who tries to activate it on the same ISP, chances are they won't activate it. That's what happened with my old SB6190. I already changed modems with WOW cable. Then gave the SB6190 to a friend to use until he could buy another one. He was using WOW cable as well and they wouldn't activate it until it was off my account. It just took one quick call to get it off my account. But that's why buying used modems is a gamble. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-19 2:17 pm · |
| your moderator at work |
| brad152
join:2006-07-27
Chicago, IL | brad152 to redpenguin
Member 2023-Dec-19 8:02 pm to redpenguin
Re: Old Breezeline modems still Breezeline property?My aunt still had an Analog Scientific Atlanta box that was branded for Americast. They told my aunt/uncle to throw it out nearly a decade ago and they kept it afraid they'd be back charged for it eventually. They even had the original Americast remotes.. the "kid" one that looked like a fox, and the regular one... |
· actions · 2023-Dec-19 8:02 pm · |
redpenguin
join:2010-06-17
united state | redpenguin Member 2023-Dec-19 8:34 pm Am I misremembering something? I thought ABB/Breezeline put stickers on the modems like schools do like “Property of Atlantic Broadband”? I keep seeing the really old looking talk gateways like DPC3216 or similar that are talk, black, and bulky with phone ports. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-19 8:34 pm · |
| your moderator at work |
| brad152
join:2006-07-27
Chicago, IL | brad152 to redpenguin
Member 2023-Dec-19 11:07 pm to redpenguin
Re: Old Breezeline modems still Breezeline property?said by redpenguin:Am I misremembering something? I thought ABB/Breezeline put stickers on the modems like schools do like “Property of Atlantic Broadband”? I keep seeing the really old looking talk gateways like DPC3216 or similar that are talk, black, and bulky with phone ports. I mean they can put stickers on them, that does not mean people do not remove them. And they're old modems.. ISP's dump them, they end up in wholesale channels.. people leave them in apartments, etc.. they just end up "around" If someone is foolish enough to buy something from the thrift store like that for $5, that's a $5 gamble they took and will likely not be able to use for much if anything. said by WheelsUp:Ah, Americast. I'll never forget. It was the worst winter in a long time, yet Ameritech had trucks with people tromping through the snow in backyards, in the howling wind, working poles all winter long. I mean, they went at it HARD. Next thing you know we had a second coax option available. Was that the winter of 97-98 and Americast rolled out in 98? Or was that a year later? I think it might have been a year later. A month later, Time Warner decided to get competitive and also eliminate the converter box requirement. And drop prices. And increase customer service levels, big time--with actually friendly and helpful reps.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa....so long, TW. on topic: I still have a WOW D2.0 cable modem from probably 20 years ago. It was listed on my WOW account until the end, as far as I know; it was still there the day I left them in...2019? something like that. We got Americast in 1996. I think we were one of the earlier parts of the city to get it. I do find it funny though, as Ameritech could never even sell us DSL so we ended up on TW/RR in 1997 as a beta tester because we knew someone at TWC, and then the parents just got used to the "high speed" so they kept it, as they tried to go back to dial up when the beta was done in our neighborhood and they were just distraught having to wait on 28.8k I do recall my grandparents having "scrambled" channels outside of the locals/basic cable in the bedroom as they did not pay for a box in there, and some old Pioneer cable box in the living room with no on screen guide, and Channel 1 was the "Prevue" channel, and they did not pay extra for disney. I was talking to my uncle who worked at TWC. I guess Columbus had one of the highest rate of cable theft in the country, so that's why TWC was so hardcore about scrambling everything |
· actions · 2023-Dec-19 11:07 pm · |
| WheelsUp
join:2012-06-16
united state | WheelsUp Member 2023-Dec-20 7:01 am said by brad152:I guess Columbus had one of the highest rate of cable theft in the country, so that's why TWC was so hardcore about scrambling everything kids today. WE didn't need no stinkin' internet or social media; the Qube box safety pin hack spread through town like wildfire 45 years ago. When you practically beg your customers to steal, you get what you get... But the point was, scrambling even the base level and requiring a box on every TV in the house clearly became a money grab for box rental money. The fact that they gave it up in a minute once competition came shows that. Not to mention it was damned inconvenient for all involved. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-20 7:01 am · |
Body Count
join:2010-09-11
Columbus, OH
Ubiquiti EdgeRouter ER-4
Ubiquiti U6-Pro
| Body Count Member 2023-Dec-20 9:28 am said by WheelsUp:When you practically beg your customers to steal, you get what you get... But the point was, scrambling even the base level and requiring a box on every TV in the house clearly became a money grab for box rental money. The fact that they gave it up in a minute once competition came shows that. I remember when I gave up my Ultra TV setup. Two side boxes and the main box. Basically when I first cut the cord way way back in 2017 I think. Tech came to grab all the stuff. Told him I had to find one of the remotes and he quickly said to just throw all the remotes away, that he didn't want them. I laughed. Can't believe I was paying $135 a month for cable TV and 30/2 internet speed. And this was in 2017 dollars. Now the same package would be at least $200 |
· actions · 2023-Dec-20 9:28 am · |
redpenguin
join:2010-06-17
united state | redpenguin Member 2023-Dec-20 11:43 am said by Body Count:Can't believe I was paying $135 a month for cable TV and 30/2 internet speed. And this was in 2017 dollars. Now the same package would be at least $200 This is why I am still surprised how many people complain about the streaming prices of like Netflix, Prime, Disney+, Hulu, etc. For one, it seems most of those services will give crazy Black Friday deals every year. Like I seen many at 99c-$3/mo for a year. Yet I never seen any streaming services charge the level that cable TV does. I mean box rental, local TV fees, Sports fees, and random surcharges. Sometimes I think that the elderly are really cable/sat TV’s only subscribers as I’ve even seen people making good money say, “No more cable for me!”. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-20 11:43 am · |
| brad152
join:2006-07-27
Chicago, IL | brad152 Member 2023-Dec-20 11:54 am I do not mind DirecTV Stream's strategy of just baking everything into "one price", as that is upfront with what's being charged (and $30-50/mo cheaper than Comcast here for the same level of programming) But the Cable company being $150ish easy for essentially basic cable now due to box/sports/broadcast fees, and none of that being advertised in the base price is just wild to me. said by WheelsUp:But the point was, scrambling even the base level and requiring a box on every TV in the house clearly became a money grab for box rental money. The fact that they gave it up in a minute once competition came shows that. Not to mention it was damned inconvenient for all involved. Actually, talking to my uncle they were originally planning to unscramble and trialing CFT2200's in 1995, as the Digital Cable system they were setting up for did not have descrambler modules in them, and they'd have to leave all standard cable channels free and clear unless they went 100% Digital off the bat About the time that TWC launched that ~120ch analog lineup, apparently that was them testing the system capacity for the 750MHz upgrade to see if they "needed" to deploy Digital Cable - In which that trial lasted maybe six months if I recall correctly. RR was put out pretty soon after and Digital Cable launched in 1998. Then for a few years TWC was back in the lead due to Americast not having enough nodes/fiber in the network and WOW having to add all of it to enable Digital Cable a few years later, as Ameritech just planned on selling everyone DSL for Internet out of the CO. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-20 11:54 am · |
| WheelsUp
join:2012-06-16
united state | WheelsUp to brad152
Member 2023-Dec-21 12:47 pm to brad152
said by brad152:said by redpenguin:Am I misremembering something? I thought ABB/Breezeline put stickers on the modems like schools do like “Property of Atlantic Broadband”? I keep seeing the really old looking talk gateways like DPC3216 or similar that are talk, black, and bulky with phone ports. I mean they can put stickers on them, that does not mean people do not remove them. And they're old modems.. ISP's dump them, they end up in wholesale channels.. people leave them in apartments, etc.. they just end up "around" If someone is foolish enough to buy something from the thrift store like that for $5, that's a $5 gamble they took and will likely not be able to use for much if anything. said by WheelsUp:Ah, Americast. I'll never forget. It was the worst winter in a long time, yet Ameritech had trucks with people tromping through the snow in backyards, in the howling wind, working poles all winter long. I mean, they went at it HARD. Next thing you know we had a second coax option available. Was that the winter of 97-98 and Americast rolled out in 98? Or was that a year later? I think it might have been a year later. A month later, Time Warner decided to get competitive and also eliminate the converter box requirement. And drop prices. And increase customer service levels, big time--with actually friendly and helpful reps.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa....so long, TW. on topic: I still have a WOW D2.0 cable modem from probably 20 years ago. It was listed on my WOW account until the end, as far as I know; it was still there the day I left them in...2019? something like that. That may in fact have been the winter of 1999/2000 when Americast became available here. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-21 12:47 pm · |
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OSUGoose
join:2007-12-27
Columbus, OH
Apple AirPort Extreme (2013)
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OSUGoose to brad152
Member 2023-Dec-31 6:46 pm to brad152
said by brad152:I was talking to my uncle who worked at TWC. I guess Columbus had one of the highest rate of cable theft in the country, so that's why TWC was so hardcore about scrambling everything Not hard to steal when they were lazy about putting traps on disconnected accounts, etc. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-31 6:46 pm · |
| OSUGoose |
OSUGoose to brad152
Member 2023-Dec-31 6:48 pm to brad152
said by brad152:Then for a few years TWC was back in the lead due to Americast not having enough nodes/fiber in the network and WOW having to add all of it to enable Digital Cable a few years later, as Ameritech just planned on selling everyone DSL for Internet out of the CO. Yep, typical Baby Bell thinking. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-31 6:48 pm · |
| brad152
join:2006-07-27
Chicago, IL | brad152 to OSUGoose
Member 2023-Dec-31 11:13 pm to OSUGoose
said by OSUGoose:said by brad152:I was talking to my uncle who worked at TWC. I guess Columbus had one of the highest rate of cable theft in the country, so that's why TWC was so hardcore about scrambling everything Not hard to steal when they were lazy about putting traps on disconnected accounts, etc. Even if they put traps, everyone just got up there and removed them anyway. I'm 99% sure over half my neighborhood on the south side growing did not have "paid for" service. |
· actions · 2023-Dec-31 11:13 pm · |
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OSUGoose
join:2007-12-27
Columbus, OH
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OSUGoose Member 2024-Jan-1 12:10 am Fair |
· actions · 2024-Jan-1 12:10 am · |
