PDA

View Full Version : Comcast Users



VOIPoTim
01-08-2008, 07:07 AM
For those of you specifically with Comcast, have you had any problems with not being able to connect?

When this happens, the red light on the front of your adapter would be flashing red.

N9MD
01-08-2008, 08:25 AM
Funny you should ask. I was in my Boca Raton residence over the Xmas-NewYear break. While there I opened a new Comcast broadband account. Using my PAP2T-NA adapter, I experienced some curious results in attempting to register a variety of VoIP providers --- all of which work on the PAP2T-NAs in my New Jersey locations, indicating that my registration data is correctly inputted.

I refer to the Registration State on the Info page.

VOIPo - Offline

AxVoice - Offline

Free/Talk/CallDigits - Offline

FreeWorldDialUp - Offline

ViaTalk - Offline

GizmoProject - Online

StanaPhone - Online

CallCentric - Online

When I purposely enter an incorrect password for each of the "Offline" providers, the Registration State message changes to "Can't connect to login server".

I always use SIP Port 5060 for Line 1 and 5061 for Line 2. But changing to other SIP ports within the 5050 to 5099 range gave similar results.

All of this would seem to indicate that my PAP2T is reaching the Comcast server -- via my LinkSys WRT54G Router and the Comcast CableModem -- but the Line 1 and Line 2 lights are out for the "Offline" providers and glow brightly with the "Online" ones. The Power and Internet lights are on --- with no red lights.

So, is Comcast blocking ports? How could that be if some providers are useable on Port 5060 and others are not?

[Unfortunately, I am back and forth between NJ & FL so I can't always do "in-depth" experimenting with the VoIP stuff when I'm in FL. Mainly, because the 80 degree blue sky "winter" weather makes my wife force me onto the golf course daily.:)]

VOIPoTim
01-08-2008, 10:00 AM
So, is Comcast blocking ports? How could that be if some providers are useable on Port 5060 and others are not?

[Unfortunately, I am back and forth between NJ & FL so I can't always do "in-depth" experimenting with the VoIP stuff when I'm in FL. Mainly, because the 80 degree blue sky "winter" weather makes my wife force me onto the golf course daily.:)]

We don't think that Comcast is block ports per say, but it's obvious that they are playing with traffic and this seems to be causing some intermittent problems. We have a workaround to avoid this, but I want to get some more stats on how many people see random issues with them.

For once, I actually agree with Brendan on something. ;)

Montano
01-08-2008, 04:14 PM
I have Comcast here in CA. and I can't say that I've noticed any issues. I have several providers on my various TA's and they are all functioning normally.

Speaking of Brendan.... did he thank you for the gift basket ?? :)

VOIPoTim
01-08-2008, 04:47 PM
Speaking of Brendan.... did he thank you for the gift basket ?? :)

Of course not. We haven't exactly been on speaking terms for the last year or so, but I haven't missed his bday or holidays.:)

Brian
01-08-2008, 05:11 PM
No issues w/VOIPo yet, but I did have some issues with VT a few weeks ago, had to adjust my port range.

N9MD
01-15-2008, 11:37 PM
I have Comcast here in CA. and I can't say that I've noticed any issues.
The Comcast problems have mostly been reported in the SouthEast -- rather frequently in Florida. Rather than flagrantly blocking ports, they may simply be "modifying" TCP/RTP packets (whatever that means) which effectively prevents successful functioning of VoIP adapters -- even though, as my prior post indicated, I apparently can register my PAP2 with Comcast but get an "offline" indication (as opposed to "cannont register").

I'll be back in Boca Raton next week and I plan to research the issue with Comcast. (Read that as "I intend to rip them a new one.")

VOIPoTim
01-16-2008, 10:28 AM
The Comcast problems have mostly been reported in the SouthEast -- rather frequently in Florida. Rather than flagrantly blocking ports, they may simply be "modifying" TCP/RTP packets (whatever that means) which effectively prevents successful functioning of VoIP adapters -- even though, as my prior post indicated, I apparently can register my PAP2 with Comcast but get an "offline" indication (as opposed to "cannont register").

I'll be back in Boca Raton next week and I plan to research the issue with Comcast. (Read that as "I intend to rip them a new one.")

Here is an example of what we're seeing. We'll get the registration request from an ATA, but they strip the login info from it or we'll get a registration request with it redirecting media traffic to another server we don't own.

Not all the time, just basically every time I've had a Comcast problem, it's been one of those. Then later in the day it just starts working again. Side-by-side on DSL, the DSL would have no issues. It's like they are reconstructing the packets and not getting it quite right.

dswartz
01-16-2008, 10:42 AM
Tim, I wonder if this is an artifact of the sandvine traffic shaping crap comcast is doing? If this is some sort of proxy functionality, maybe (as you wonder) they are screwing up other protocols?

VOIPoTim
01-16-2008, 10:57 AM
Tim, I wonder if this is an artifact of the sandvine traffic shaping crap comcast is doing? If this is some sort of proxy functionality, maybe (as you wonder) they are screwing up other protocols?

I think it's probably related, yeah.

N9MD
01-16-2008, 09:33 PM
...We'll get the registration request from an ATA, but they strip the login info from it or we'll get a registration request with it redirecting media traffic to another server we don't own ... just basically every time I've had a Comcast problem, it's been one of those ... It's like they are reconstructing the packets and not getting it quite right.
Aha! "very interesting ... but dumb!" -- quote from Arte Johnson as the German Soldier behind the bushes on TV's Laugh-In (1968-1973).

So, since I'll be in my Boca Raton FL home from this Sat thru the next weekend, just who do I speak to at Comcast and what do I say -- and do I have any leverage with which to politely and calmly threaten them?

VOIPoTim
01-16-2008, 10:07 PM
Aha! "very interesting ... but dumb!" -- quote from Arte Johnson as the German Soldier behind the bushes on TV's Laugh-In (1968-1973).

So, since I'll be in my Boca Raton FL home from this Sat thru the next weekend, just who do I speak to at Comcast and what do I say -- and do I have any leverage with which to politely and calmly threaten them?

Honestly it's not something I'd imagine anyone on the phone would have any knowledge about. I've had Comcast twice now... Once when they took over the Adelphia territory when I lived in Boynton Beach and the other time when they took over Time Warner in Houston.

No problems ever with Time Warner, but Comcast has always been fun.

BTW, enjoy FL. Not sure if you know, but the HostGator office used to be in Boca as well off 441/7. I'll likely move back somewhere in that part of FL later on, but for now we need to go where we can hire CS employees at a reasonable cost and grow our businesses cost effectively. I'm young...plenty of time for FL in the 30s retirement phase. ;)

We're looking at a few solutions...one possibly being port 80.

gbh2o
01-17-2008, 06:43 AM
We're looking at a few solutions...one possibly being port 80.

Try a TCP implementation to really foul them up? ;-)

N9MD
01-20-2008, 09:26 AM
... but Comcast has always been fun.

BTW, enjoy FL...

We're looking at a few solutions...one possibly being port 80.

Thanks for jinxing me with the "enjoy FL" sentiment. It's rainy and windy and cold -- and I actually had to cancel our tee-off time this morning. Woe's me!

Given my exhaustive (and exhausting) review of scores of posts on the Internet (not just in DSL Reports), i have some understanding of traffic shaping and throttling as well as the Sandvine product. I vaguely understand the appending of a TCP RST command to my VOIP data stream which continually causes a reset command to occur -- effectively preventing me from registering my ATA and SoftPhone. What I don't understand is why GizmoProject, StanaPhone and CallCentric are working well on the Boca Raton PAP2T, all using ports 5060 and 5061 and 5062.

Will a call to Comcast CS yield results? In other words, can Comcast selectively remove the TCP RSTs from an individual customer's service -- or is it all or none --- especially considering that many in SouthEast Florida are having success using "YOU KNOW WHO's" VoIP on PAP2s -- such as Burris who posts in DSL Reports?

Uh oh! Just got the "call to brunch" from my lovely wife. Don't get excited -- she's not making it (G-d forbid) -- we're meeting friends up in Palm Beach Gardens. Hey, maybe the weather's better up their (40 minutes North of us). I'll check back later.

dswartz
01-20-2008, 10:36 AM
you're mixing two different things. VOIP does not use TCP, so comcast's forged RST packets are not germane (they use those to hose P2P users). What has been speculated here is that they are (deliberately or otherwise) corrupting various SIP packets. Why this affects some and not others, we don't know.

N9MD
01-20-2008, 04:45 PM
you're mixing two different things. VOIP does not use TCP, so comcast's forged RST packets are not germane (they use those to hose P2P users). What has been speculated here is that they are (deliberately or otherwise) corrupting various SIP packets. Why this affects some and not others, we don't know.Aha, I think. OK, so BitTorrent and RST packets and SandVine and all the stuff I memorized are not relevant to VoIP. Thanks for clearing that up.

I'll be chatting with Comcast CS either Monday or Tuesday -- and report the fruits of my labors (probably lemons) shorthly thereafter.

dswartz
01-20-2008, 05:29 PM
Well, yes and no. My understanding is that sandvine is a proxy (sorta) that lets ISPs make all kinds of policy decisions about packets transiting their network. One of the controversial comcast things is to use sandvine to detect when a customer is doing "too much" p2p and inject spoofed RST packets to disrupt new p2p connections. It's entirely possible (and I admit to limited knowledge here) that sandvine could do other things, such as hose non-comcast SIP packets.

N9MD
01-22-2008, 05:08 PM
I've gotten thru to Tech Level 2 Support at Comcast -- and the rep sounded clueless when I brought up my problem. He was aware of Vonage, pronounce VoIP as if it were French "vwop", and had no idea what a PAP2 or ATA was.

He promisd he will escalate the problem and he personally will call me back on my cellphone sometime tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I was in error, mistaken and just plain wrong when I noted that the following VoIP services were working: GizmoProject, StanaPhone, CallCentric.

In fact, the PAP2 showed them all to be on line and I could get a dial tone and my PAP2 Line 1 & 2 lights were on -- but I could not receive any incoming calls or make any outgoing calls. Furthermore, even though I never heard outbound call "ringing" on my side, my CallCentric billing statement showed multiple outgoing test calls that were charged as 4-minute calls. The incoming calls also appeared in the call logs as unanswered and were not charged.

Does any of this info help in figuring out the cause of the problem?

GOODY
03-03-2008, 11:21 PM
I have comcast in GA, lastnight in the developers mode when I order a # there were no issues but when the Public BETA got released I tried ordering a # but when it was called and I answered it automatically disconnected. haven't tried another # since but I will.

EDITED: Am I in the correct area? LOL.

VOIPoTim
03-03-2008, 11:29 PM
I have comcast in GA, lastnight in the developers mode when I order a # there were no issues but when the Public BETA got released I tried ordering a # but when it was called and I answered it automatically disconnected. haven't tried another # since but I will.

EDITED: Am I in the correct area? LOL.

How long did you wait for the number to be activated? Sometimes it can take up to an hour to start working.

This kind of issue would only affect users using the home/business services because they have an adapter so it uses their internet connection.

We're going to be moving some things around in the forum so there will be separate sections coming in the next day or so to seperate the different types of services.

GOODY
03-03-2008, 11:31 PM
I tried within 1 min because the last # I created took seconds. Ok now I know about the time frame. Thanks!

VOIPoTim
03-03-2008, 11:41 PM
I tried within 1 min because the last # I created took seconds. Ok now I know about the time frame. Thanks!

Yeah sometimes it's quick, sometimes it'll take a bit longer depending on what all is pending/queued up.

GatorCRose
03-05-2008, 07:36 PM
Hey guys i need a little Help please
I bought my Voipo adatper to day and plugged it into my phone and my router it does not work. Also a comcast user

HELP

VOIPoTim
03-05-2008, 09:07 PM
Hey guys i need a little Help please
I bought my Voipo adatper to day and plugged it into my phone and my router it does not work. Also a comcast user

HELP

This likely is not a comcast issue. I have someone looking at your account and it looks like something wasn't done on our end when you got it. VOIPoBrandon is going to fix it and will PM you in a few minutes.

GatorCRose
03-05-2008, 09:57 PM
Ahh okay
Thanks Again Tim

VOIPoTim
03-05-2008, 10:23 PM
Ahh okay
Thanks Again Tim

Hey Chris,

You can also give our office a call tonight if you want and ask for Brandon. Should be in for at least a few more hours...

281-617-2000

gbh2o
03-06-2008, 05:56 AM
you're mixing two different things. VOIP does not use TCP, so comcast's forged RST packets are not germane (they use those to hose P2P users). What has been speculated here is that they are (deliberately or otherwise) corrupting various SIP packets. Why this affects some and not others, we don't know.

I had earlier suggested doing a TCP implementation to get around some of these problems. VoIP _CAN_ be used for VoIP. It is so far rare. There have been many the have analyzed the degree of difficulty and trade-offs vs benefits. Results, a bit of a toss up I think. TCP definitely can work as some demonstrations have shown and even can have some benefits, [waffle here] depending on the situation.

GatorCRose
03-06-2008, 12:12 PM
I got this issue Fixed
It was User error
I had custom Dns settings set up that
is why my adapter would not work