Basic Internet Connectivity And Modem Help

[geogator]

If I leave home for more than 2 days, my cable box loses its IP address and I have to call and get a new one. That is a pain, but there is more.  With triple play phone system, you must remove the battery from the cable box to truly reset it.  Comcast's agent did not mention this when giving me instructions to reset the system.  I found out from my son, who has similar problems in NJ and CA.  Unless all the lights on your cable box go out when you turn off the power to it, it is not "off" (usually the two end lights stay on to indicate the battery is working).  Take a screw drive, remove the panel, unlock the battery and remove it.  Now with the power cord disconnected, the cable box is truly off.  Simple plan.  Leave the battery out.  Put it in, if and when the power to your house goes off.

[steve-baker]

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geogator wrote:

With triple play phone system, you must remove the battery from the cable box to truly reset it.

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Maybe you have to remove the battery to "truly" reset the modem, but there's a small recessed button on the back that will reset the modem enough to allow the downstream device (router or computer NIC) to get the new IP address.

[EG]

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geogator wrote:

With triple play phone system, you must remove the battery from the cable box to truly reset it.  

This should really only be done if there is a hardware malfunction of the recessed reset button. The reset button must be depressed and held in long enough until you see the front panel indicator light begin to cycle.

 Simple plan.  Leave the battery out.  Put it in, if and when the power to your house goes off.

Doing this doesn't insure that the battery will be in a fully charged state if and when it is needed.

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[PeteC2]

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geogator wrote:

Take a screw drive, remove the panel, unlock the battery and remove it.  Now with the power cord disconnected, the cable box is truly off.  Simple plan.  Leave the battery out.  Put it in, if and when the power to your house goes off.

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Not a good plan.  Comcast does not want you to be without phone service (particulalry 911!) if there is a power outtage and ensuing emergency.  It is easy to misplace a battery, especially in the dark without power.

The batteries are very long life (several years) lithium ion that are designed to be left in the eMTA modem all the time.

Best plan.  If you need to power-cycle the eMTA modem, utilize the reset button on the back.  That is what it is there for, no need to remove the battery.  If the reset button does not work, then you have a malfunctioning modem which needs replacement.

[PeteC2]

Whoops!  Sorry EG, you already said it all...my bad...

[EG]

No worries. Reinforcement is a good thing !