Get caught stealing cable internet?
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,152
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From: Golden, CO
It is possible to steal Cable Internet if you know what your doing (which I don't). I also know that cable companies will just shut off the service at the source if they find out, but won't do anything about it (legally). It's not worth their time and is too difficult to prove wrongdoing on you part.
One of my former roomates is a compsci major, and he did this for us during college. I do remember him saying it had something to do with a filter they put on your line. We had free cable TV and free internet for about 3 months. Then one day, we came home, tv and cable didn't work, and there was a couple of Comcast (the local provider) brochures stuck in our door, with a handwritten note on one that said "CALL US TO GET YOUR SERVICE BACK."
We called like a week later and they came out and did the official installation and we paid for cable for the next 2 years.
One of my former roomates is a compsci major, and he did this for us during college. I do remember him saying it had something to do with a filter they put on your line. We had free cable TV and free internet for about 3 months. Then one day, we came home, tv and cable didn't work, and there was a couple of Comcast (the local provider) brochures stuck in our door, with a handwritten note on one that said "CALL US TO GET YOUR SERVICE BACK."
We called like a week later and they came out and did the official installation and we paid for cable for the next 2 years.
CHRISTMASTIME IN IRAQ
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 12,413
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From: Bay Area
Originally Posted by yellowbastard
:insertbullshitflaghere:
I smell bullsh!t.
h: A modem must be provisioned thru a provider before it will work on their system and on a specific node. You cannot just buy a modem and disconnect the high pass filter to get free internet. The system must have the serial number and mac address of your modem in order for it to properly send/receive.
Wireless is a different story. Anyone can piggyback off of a insecure access point without paying.
I smell bullsh!t.
h: A modem must be provisioned thru a provider before it will work on their system and on a specific node. You cannot just buy a modem and disconnect the high pass filter to get free internet. The system must have the serial number and mac address of your modem in order for it to properly send/receive. Wireless is a different story. Anyone can piggyback off of a insecure access point without paying.
Bootyologist (__i__)
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 11,300
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From: Seattle
Originally Posted by JGordon
It is possible to steal Cable Internet if you know what your doing (which I don't). I also know that cable companies will just shut off the service at the source if they find out, but won't do anything about it (legally). It's not worth their time and is too difficult to prove wrongdoing on you part.
:insertanotherbullshitflaghere:
Just stop..please. I work for a very large cable company and was a field technician for 3 years before moving to IT so I know what I'm talking about. Getting free cable TV is easy especially if your lines were not properly disconnected and terminated upon the last disconnect. But you cannot steal cable internet. If you've had cable internet and got it turned off but it "never really got turned off", I can see that happening. But thats not stealing, thats called an error in billing.
Thread Starter
pukimonster
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,967
Likes: 2
From: Milwaukee, WI
Originally Posted by WideBodyEK
why do i get the feeling that brtecson's "friend" that is stealing internet is actually brtecson himself? :chuckles:
:rick: :chuckles:
Thread Starter
pukimonster
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,967
Likes: 2
From: Milwaukee, WI
Originally Posted by yellowbastard
:insertanotherbullshitflaghere:
Just stop..please. I work for a very large cable company and was a field technician for 3 years before moving to IT so I know what I'm talking about. Getting free cable TV is easy especially if your lines were not properly disconnected and terminated upon the last disconnect. But you cannot steal cable internet. If you've had cable internet and got it turned off but it "never really got turned off", I can see that happening. But thats not stealing, thats called an error in billing.
Just stop..please. I work for a very large cable company and was a field technician for 3 years before moving to IT so I know what I'm talking about. Getting free cable TV is easy especially if your lines were not properly disconnected and terminated upon the last disconnect. But you cannot steal cable internet. If you've had cable internet and got it turned off but it "never really got turned off", I can see that happening. But thats not stealing, thats called an error in billing.
Bootyologist (__i__)
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 11,300
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From: Seattle
Originally Posted by brtecson
:eh: dammit, out of all the people on han, i would have thought that a former field tech/IT guy would be able to tell me what's up... anyways, you don't have to believe it if you don't want to, dude
h: I don't believe you. The only way he could be receiving it for free is a billing error. Meaning, the modem was once provisioned on that account and not properly taken off. It is impossible to go buy your own modem, remove the high pass filter, plug it in to your coax, and have free cable modem access.
Moderator
Joined: Jun 2001
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He's right. The cable company's DHCP servers have to hand you an IP address when you connect to their network, or else you won't have access. In theory, you could use a static IP but A) you'd have to know what IPs in your company's block were available, and B) your cable company would have to be terminally stupid.
