Thread: Which cable modem can I use with my RCN internet ?

The whole BYOM vs BYOSTB irks me.

Why would RCN (or other providers) allow an end-user to purchase his/her own modem, and have RCN provision it -- if it is on the "approved" list, but won't do the same for STB's ?

As long as it is a Motorola "xyz", which RCN provides, why isn't purchasing (even from RCN directly) not an option ?

My understanding (I could be wrong) is that the firmware on the STBs can be different among providers. Some boxes may be running firmware that the RCN network doesn't even know how to talk to. As a result, it may be impossible for the firmware to be updated through the network. This could end up being a support nightmare for RCN.

Of course this is why cablecard was invented. Unfortunately, it's been all one-way to this point, which has basically doomed it.

Cable modems are different... DOCSIS standardizes all the details, so, theoretically, any DOCSIS modem can work on any DOCSIS network. The correlary to the STB is OpenCable, which is the whole cable card thing.

So, if you want to buy your own STB, you need to buy one with a cable card slot, and rent a card from RCN, and deal with the fact that it's one way only.