Vodafone cable changes

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freitasm

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#180657 16-Sep-2015 21:14

Heard a story today that the entire Vodafone cable network will need to have its modems upgraded - even if you are on an old plan, or an existing plan that is working just fine, due to difference in DOCSIS standards to be implemented as part of a "revitalisation" project...

I really hope they get a firmware update for their new modems/routers to allow bridge mode.

Brumfondl

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#1388729 16-Sep-2015 21:20

Wonder if they are doing this because they are planning on implementing faster speeds, especially upstream...

michaelmurfy

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#1388740 16-Sep-2015 22:17

You'll have UFB by then anyway.

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Brumfondl

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#1388750 16-Sep-2015 22:26

michaelmurfy: You'll have UFB by then anyway.

Heh, I've had UFB since mid last year, though I only finally dumped cable in August. Trying to encourage my sister to get cable instead of her crap ADSL. She is in Karori and they are not scheduled to get UFB for another 3-4 years.

Cable served me well for the 16 years I was on it. UFB just serves me faster and cheaper now.

DjShadow

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#1388751 16-Sep-2015 22:28

Pity they couldn't give users the option: A Cisco modem if planning to use own router or Technicolor if needing an all in one solution

Shoes2468

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#1388753 16-Sep-2015 22:38

freitasm: Heard a story today that the entire Vodafone cable network will need to have its modems upgraded - even if you are on an old plan, or an existing plan that is working just fine, due to difference in DOCSIS standards to be implemented as part of a "revitalisation" project...

I really hope they get a firmware update for their new modems/routers to allow bridge mode.

Makes sense, probably trying to move everyone over to DOCSIS 3 to free up some bandwidth and implement new features. Im not an expert but surely running DOCSIS 2 and DOCSIS 3 along the same cable must lead to inefficiencies.

Lias

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#1388774 17-Sep-2015 00:32

They will pry my lovely Cisco modem from my cold dead hands if the replacement is one of those Technicolor monstrosities.

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NZCrusader

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#1388929 17-Sep-2015 11:24

I thought they would be upgrading to a newer DOCSIS standard sooner than later.

Cable network is still viable and especially with the massive HFC networks overseas, I think we can expect for more technological advancements for some time yet.

If VF can maintain and upgrade this network, it would continue to be sufficient for the majority of users for the foreseeable future.

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MikeB4

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#1388948 17-Sep-2015 11:44

michaelmurfy: You'll have UFB by then anyway.

I think I will be lucky to have UFB this side of 2030 and I am only 4KM from the City Centre. I will probably be living in Auckland before it arrives here

michaeln

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#1389175 17-Sep-2015 16:32

Shoes2468:
freitasm: Heard a story today that the entire Vodafone cable network will need to have its modems upgraded - even if you are on an old plan, or an existing plan that is working just fine, due to difference in DOCSIS standards to be implemented as part of a "revitalisation" project...

I really hope they get a firmware update for their new modems/routers to allow bridge mode.

Makes sense, probably trying to move everyone over to DOCSIS 3 to free up some bandwidth and implement new features. Im not an expert but surely running DOCSIS 2 and DOCSIS 3 along the same cable must lead to inefficiencies.

Not really. DOCSIS 1.0/1.1/2.0 all use a single channel (frequency). It's a TV channel because it shares the network with 'real' TV.
There are some improvements in modulation techniques (throw some significant DSPs at the signal:noise problem) that mean more recent modems can get more bandwidth out of a singe channel, but DOCSIS is very strict about backwards compatibility. A DOCSIS 3.1 headend can talk to modems all the way back to DOCSIS 1.0 and likewise a DOCSIS 3.1 modem is supposed to be able to talk to a DOCSIS 1.0 headend—however the speed you'll get is the minimum of the two ends. Upgrading your 1.0 modem to 3.1 won't make any difference if the headend is DOCSIS 1.0.

DOCSIS 3.0 added support for multiple bonded channels. The Cisco DPC3008 supports 8 downstream and two upstream channels. That is, it has 8 downstream RF tuners and 2 upstream. (Which is why no mere firmware upgrade can get you from DOCSIS 2.0 to 3.0).

The old Motorola Surfboards consume only a single channel. They can't support the higher speeds but they don't really negatively impact anything.

The new Technicolor modems have far more channels in both directions and can thus support much higher speeds: but at the expense of consuming more bandwidth (channels).

Lias

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#1389270 17-Sep-2015 19:52

michaeln: The Cisco DPC3008 supports 8 downstream and two upstream channels.

And vodafone's offerings don't even come close to the bandwidth those channels can provide, let alone anything with more channels.

antoniosk

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#1389302 17-Sep-2015 20:45

NZCrusader: I thought they would be upgrading to a newer DOCSIS standard sooner than later.

Cable network is still viable and especially with the massive HFC networks overseas, I think we can expect for more technological advancements for some time yet.

If VF can maintain and upgrade this network, it would continue to be sufficient for the majority of users for the foreseeable future.

________

Antoniosk

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#1389381 17-Sep-2015 23:35

MikeB4:
michaelmurfy: You'll have UFB by then anyway.

I think I will be lucky to have UFB this side of 2030 and I am only 4KM from the City Centre. I will probably be living in Auckland before it arrives here

4km from a city centre could put you in the middle of the countryside.