Comcast

Modem compatibility and configuration issues.
Post Reply
Pauley
Posts: 24
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 8:05 am
Location: New Hampshire
Contact:

Comcast

Post by Pauley »

I just update my telephone service to Comcast Digital Voice (voip). Now I am confused as to how to get Ascendis to work. When Comcast came, they took out my old broadband modem and installed the new Arris Touchstone modem.

My question(s) are:

1. Do I still need my U.S. Robotics modem?
2. Can I use the new Comcast modem for Ascendis?

I am completely lost and confused at this point in time. Can you offer some assistance?

Thanks,

Paulet
Paul Bylin
Author of: The Other Casualty Of War
www.TheOtherCasualtyOfWar.com
Bill Root
Site Admin
Posts: 1025
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 1:29 pm
Location: Perrysburg, OH
Contact:

Re: Comcast

Post by Bill Root »

Hi Pauley,
Pauley wrote:My question(s) are:

1. Do I still need my U.S. Robotics modem?
2. Can I use the new Comcast modem for Ascendis?
To answer your questions briefly:
1. Yes, you still need your U.S. Robotics modem.
2. No, you can't use your new Comcast modem directly with Ascendis Caller ID.

Your U.S. Robotics modem is a dial-up modem. It's main purpose is to connect to other computers (such as an internet service provider) over telephone lines.

Your Arris Touchstone modem is a cable modem, or broadband modem. It's main purpose is to connect to an internet service provider over cable lines.

VOIP service typically includes a telephony adapter that you can plug telephones, caller id boxes, etc. into, just like a normal telephone line. I believe your Arris Touchstone modem includes a telephony adapter. So, you would plug your U.S. Robotics modem into into the phone jack on your Arris Touchstone modem.

Assuming everything is operating within parameters and your Comcast Digital Voice service includes caller id (and it looks like it does), Ascendis Caller ID should work as it did with your plain old telephone service.

Sometimes VOIP telephony adapters and/or dial-up modems deviate from the caller id signaling specifications. If this happens your dial-up modem (the U.S. Robotics modem) may not recognize the caller id signals from the telephony adapter. In this case, the easiest solution is usually to try different modems or a Whozz Calling? device. (This probably doesn't seem easy, unless you happen to have a lot of dial-up modems lying around, but it is usually easier than the alternatives.) The other options are 1) try a different telephony adapter, which may not be an option depending on your cable company, 2) try VOIP service from a different provider, such as VoicePulse, Vonage, or one of many others, and 3) go back to plain old telephone service.

For now, lets hope that things work as they're supposed to. If you connect your U.S. Robotics modem to your Arris Touchstone modem and Ascendis Caller ID does not report caller information, let me know. If this happens it's probably best to send a Technical Support Report (on the Help menu) so I can see whether anything can be done.

At least one customer has indicated success with Comcast VOIP service and an Arris cable modem/telephony adapter, although he wasn't using a U.S. Robotics modem.

Finest regards,
Bill Root
Ascendis Software
Post Reply