Cable Modem Uncapping Theory
http://www.talkbroadband.com/articles/6/1/Cable-Modem-Uncapping-Theory
Barry Jenkins
Another new member of the team. Barry owns his own 'broadband for businesses' consultancy company, and has plenty of rich experience to share with us! Go Barry!! By Barry Jenkins
Published on 10/16/2005
 | Imagine if you could uncap your cable modem and unleash your cable modems potential! It's possible alright, but is it advisable? We've lost count of the amount of times that we've been asked to provide a guide describing how to uncap cable modems. Do you really think your ISP would be so blind that they wound't notice? Well I guess that is a matter of opinion :) While we can't provide you a guide on how to uncap your cable modem, we are allowed to explain the theory behind it.... |
What is Uncapping?
The phrase "uncapping" refers to the method of increasing the amount of bandwidth assigned to a cable modem by an Internet Service Provider. If a cable modem is assigned more bandwidth then it receives a proportional speed enhancement accross all aspects of the Internet.
Be aware that cable modem uncapping is considered as theft and can lead to very serious consequences. Your ISP will detect your uncapping and will take action. Please treat this article as infromation on the concept of uncapping only as talkbroadband.com strongly suggest that you do not uncap your cable modem!
DSL Uncapping?
This cannot be done as the technology that supports xDSL connections will not allow an xDSL connection to be uncapped.
TFTP Emulation
DOCSIS is a standard used by most cable modem operators around the world. The system works by transferring a file (a DOCSIS) file to a cable modem as it goes online. This DOCSIS file contains within it the settings necessary for the cable modem to operate on the cable modem operators network. Also embedded in this file are the speeds that the modem is allowed to operate at. The DOCSIS file is produced by the cable modem operator and distributed via a TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) server. The theory of TFTP emulation is that modem speeds could be increased by modifying the cable modem operators DOCSIS file and therefore increasing the bandwidth available to the modem. Then by emulating a TFTP server using a computer on a LAN attached to the cable modem it is possible to trick the modem into receiving the DOCSIS file locally rather than from the cable modem operators TFTP server. Using this method the speed of the cable modem can be governed by modifying the local DOCSIS file.
How Could I Change a Cable Modem MAC Address?
The MAC address is hardware programmed however to save designing each cable modem seperately they are stored within a memory chip inserted during the manufacturing of the equipment - as it is stored in memory it is possible to reprogram this memory chip with a different MAC address. To acheive this access to the debug shell within the cable modem is required however most cable cable modems are supplied with this feature disabled.
What is the debug shell?
The debug shell is simply a command line interface that can be accessed via within the cable modem via telnet or in some cases a graphical interface available via a web browser.
Can Your ISP Detect If You Are Using An Uncapped Cable Modem?
The simple answer here is yes they can. Due to the fact that uncapping a modem is classed a theft and based on the ease that your ISP would detect your speed increase talkbroadband.com strongly suggest that you do not uncap your cable modem. However feel free to tweak the registry settings on your computer as this is a safe, and legal way to increase your connection speed.
Remember that "Some bandwidth is better than none at all" - As most ISP's will suspend or terminate your connection if you are found stealing bandwidth.
Be aware that cable modem uncapping is considered as theft and can lead to very serious consequences. Your ISP will detect your uncapping and will take action. Please treat this article as infromation on the concept of uncapping only as talkbroadband.com strongly suggest that you do not uncap your cable modem!
Well, there's the legal shit out of the way ;) if you'd like to find out more information and how/to's, then we recommend that you read: Hacking the Cable Modem: What Cable Companies Don't Want You to Know
;) ;) ;)
DSL Uncapping?
This cannot be done as the technology that supports xDSL connections will not allow an xDSL connection to be uncapped.
TFTP Emulation
DOCSIS is a standard used by most cable modem operators around the world. The system works by transferring a file (a DOCSIS) file to a cable modem as it goes online. This DOCSIS file contains within it the settings necessary for the cable modem to operate on the cable modem operators network. Also embedded in this file are the speeds that the modem is allowed to operate at. The DOCSIS file is produced by the cable modem operator and distributed via a TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) server. The theory of TFTP emulation is that modem speeds could be increased by modifying the cable modem operators DOCSIS file and therefore increasing the bandwidth available to the modem. Then by emulating a TFTP server using a computer on a LAN attached to the cable modem it is possible to trick the modem into receiving the DOCSIS file locally rather than from the cable modem operators TFTP server. Using this method the speed of the cable modem can be governed by modifying the local DOCSIS file.
How Could I Change a Cable Modem MAC Address?
The MAC address is hardware programmed however to save designing each cable modem seperately they are stored within a memory chip inserted during the manufacturing of the equipment - as it is stored in memory it is possible to reprogram this memory chip with a different MAC address. To acheive this access to the debug shell within the cable modem is required however most cable cable modems are supplied with this feature disabled.
What is the debug shell?
The debug shell is simply a command line interface that can be accessed via within the cable modem via telnet or in some cases a graphical interface available via a web browser.
Can Your ISP Detect If You Are Using An Uncapped Cable Modem?
The simple answer here is yes they can. Due to the fact that uncapping a modem is classed a theft and based on the ease that your ISP would detect your speed increase talkbroadband.com strongly suggest that you do not uncap your cable modem. However feel free to tweak the registry settings on your computer as this is a safe, and legal way to increase your connection speed.
Remember that "Some bandwidth is better than none at all" - As most ISP's will suspend or terminate your connection if you are found stealing bandwidth.