| Author |
Message |
Timothy Daniels
Guest
|
 Posted:
Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:20 am Post subject:
Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
I've read the announcement that the Tochiba PCX2600
cable modem passed the Cable Labs' DOSCSIS 2.0
certification test (see
http://www.toshiba.com/taisnpd/products/pcx2600.html),
but although they seem to have hit the market, judging
from google hits on commentary, they seem not to be
offerred for sale anywhere now. Have they been recalled?
Anyone have info?
*TimDaniels* |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Warren
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 05, 2005 8:20 am Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
Timothy Daniels wrote:
| Quote: | I've read the announcement that the Tochiba PCX2600
cable modem passed the Cable Labs' DOSCSIS 2.0
certification test (see
http://www.toshiba.com/taisnpd/products/pcx2600.html),
but although they seem to have hit the market, judging
from google hits on commentary, they seem not to be
offerred for sale anywhere now. Have they been recalled?
Anyone have info?
|
My guess would be that Toshiba didn't invest in a larger first production
run than what they needed to get certified. After that, it's a matter of
finding distributors and major retailers who want to carry it, which may not
be very easy to do until either Comcast and/or RoadRunner start offering
rebates on the modem to entice new customers. And right now, there are
plenty of other products competing for Christmas season shelf space -- and
many of the decisions have already been made. Until Toshiba gets enough
pre-orders from the distributors and major retailers, they probably won't
start another production run. I wouldn't expect that to happen until
January -- assuming that Comcast and/or RoadRunner come through with some
rebates. Maybe you'll see them in the online stores before then, but why
should it matter? Marketing copy at the Toshiba website, and reviews from
paid reviewers and reviewers who never saw a product they didn't like aside,
there's nothing special about yet another DOCSIS 2.0 modem.
--
Warren H.
==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Shop for gifts for fans of "The Simpsons":
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/simpsons |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Timothy Daniels
Guest
|
| Posted:
Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:12 pm Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
"Warren" wrote:
| Quote: | Timothy Daniels wrote:
I've read the announcement that the Tochiba PCX2600
cable modem passed the Cable Labs' DOSCSIS 2.0
certification test (see
http://www.toshiba.com/taisnpd/products/pcx2600.html),
but although they seem to have hit the market, judging
from google hits on commentary, they seem not to be
offerred for sale anywhere now. Have they been recalled?
Anyone have info?
My guess would be that Toshiba didn't invest in a larger first
production run than what they needed to get certified. After that,
it's a matter of finding distributors and major retailers who want
to carry it, which may not be very easy to do until either Comcast
and/or RoadRunner start offering rebates on the modem to
entice new customers. And right now, there are plenty of other
products competing for Christmas season shelf space -- and
many of the decisions have already been made. Until Toshiba
gets enough pre-orders from the distributors and major retailers,
they probably won't start another production run. I wouldn't expect
that to happen until January -- assuming that Comcast and/or
RoadRunner come through with some rebates. Maybe you'll see
them in the online stores before then, but why should it matter?
Marketing copy at the Toshiba website, and reviews from paid
reviewers and reviewers who never saw a product they didn't like
aside, there's nothing special about yet another DOCSIS 2.0 modem.
|
....unless it has a lower price than Motorola and D-Link, whose
prices seem to have risen back to levels seen earlier this year.
Fortunately, I can wait. Thanks for the insight.
*TimDaniels* |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Guest
|
| Posted:
Fri Oct 07, 2005 11:30 pm Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
On Wed, 5 Oct 2005 10:12:40 -0700, "Timothy Daniels"
<TDaniels@NoSpamDot.com> wrote:
| Quote: | ....unless it has a lower price than Motorola and D-Link, whose
prices seem to have risen back to levels seen earlier this year.
Fortunately, I can wait. Thanks for the insight.
|
Tim,
You're going to be waiting for a ship that has already sailed. The
PCX2600 has already come and gone. Toshiba has gotten out of the cable
modem business.
After much research I decided that was the model I wanted, though, so
I hit eBay and found one at a great price. If you buy one you'll be
pleased. There are no bugs or deficiencies in either the hardware or
the firmware. You just won't ever find one in a retail or online store
unless you find a place that has some old stock.
If my PCX2600 died tomorrow I'd move heaven and earth to find another
one.
And what some people say about all DOCSIS modems being alike is not
true. Some have troublesome ethernet ports that cause glitches hooked
up to some routers. Some lock up or reboot under heavy loads like
BitTorrent. Some are victim to lots of line errors. Some have hardware
problems like the RCA modems that have troublesome power connectors
that develop shorts.
Some say you can't go wrong with a Motorola. I almost bought one. At
the last minute though I thought it'd be wise to call my ISP and ask
them what they recommended to be used on their network. Their reply
was "Buy anything except a Motorola. We have had an extraordinarily
high amount of service calls & trouble tickets with those."
So, thank you very much, but I'll stick with the PCX2600 till it's
rendered obsolete. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Timothy Daniels
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sat Oct 08, 2005 12:02 am Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
<gray.wizard@moria.mines> wrote:
| Quote: | "Timothy Daniels" wrote:
....unless it has a lower price than Motorola and D-Link,
whose prices seem to have risen back to levels seen
earlier this year. Fortunately, I can wait. Thanks for
the insight.
Tim,
You're going to be waiting for a ship that has already sailed.
The PCX2600 has already come and gone. Toshiba has
gotten out of the cable modem business.
After much research I decided that was the model I wanted,
though, so I hit eBay and found one at a great price. If you buy
one you'll be pleased. There are no bugs or deficiencies in
either the hardware or the firmware. You just won't ever find
one in a retail or online store unless you find a place that has
some old stock.
If my PCX2600 died tomorrow I'd move heaven and earth to
find another one.
And what some people say about all DOCSIS modems being
alike is not true. Some have troublesome ethernet ports that
cause glitches hooked up to some routers. Some lock up or
reboot under heavy loads like BitTorrent. Some are victim to
lots of line errors. Some have hardware problems like the RCA
modems that have troublesome power connectors
that develop shorts.
Some say you can't go wrong with a Motorola. I almost bought
one. At the last minute though I thought it'd be wise to call my ISP
and ask them what they recommended to be used on their network.
Their reply was "Buy anything except a Motorola. We have had an
extraordinarily high amount of service calls & trouble tickets with
those."
So, thank you very much, but I'll stick with the PCX2600 till it's
rendered obsolete.
|
Thanks for the info. I was wondering why the prices for the
D-Link and Motorola cable modems had drifted back up to
their initial prices seen in July. Maybe the expected competi-
tion from Toshiba was what brought them down, and their
prices will stay up for a while until another manufacturer
introduces a DOCSIS 2.0 cable modem. I also wonder if the
high recall rate seen with Motorolas by your ISP was with the
SB5100 model - the one with the Broadcom chipset. Maybe
that's why Motorola later went with the Texas Instruments chipset
for their SB5120, a model that has identical features as described
on Motorola's website. Right now, the only feature that leans me
toward the Motorola is the quick disconnect button on the top
that allows one to quickly disconnect if there appears to be
unexpected internet traffic occurring (spyware?, spambot?
virusmail?). Do you know if any of the other DOCSIS 2.0 cable
modems sport such a "panic" button?
*TimDaniels* |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
$Bill
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sat Oct 08, 2005 12:44 am Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
Timothy Daniels wrote:
| Quote: | Do you know if any of the other DOCSIS 2.0 cable
modems sport such a "panic" button?
|
You can always put your LAN connection in the tray and right click on
it and disable the connection. Of course that only works for the
computer you're currently working on. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
$Bill
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sat Oct 08, 2005 8:20 am Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
Timothy Daniels wrote:
| Quote: |
I have a firewall icon in the system tray, and it takes 3 or 4 seconds
to reach for the roller ball, move the cursor to the icon, rt-clk, select
Disable, and left-clk. A quick reach to slap a top-mounted button
works much faster.
|
What would you do if the modem was upstairs ? :) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Timothy Daniels
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sat Oct 08, 2005 8:20 am Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
"Timothy Daniels" wrote:
| Quote: | [........] select Disable, and left-clk.
|
Of course that should have been "select Block Traffic".
*TimDaniels* |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Timothy Daniels
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sat Oct 08, 2005 8:20 am Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
"$Bill" wrote:
| Quote: | Timothy Daniels wrote:
Do you know if any of the other DOCSIS 2.0 cable
modems sport such a "panic" button?
You can always put your LAN connection in the tray and right click on
it and disable the connection. Of course that only works for the
computer you're currently working on.
|
I have a firewall icon in the system tray, and it takes 3 or 4 seconds
to reach for the roller ball, move the cursor to the icon, rt-clk, select
Disable, and left-clk. A quick reach to slap a top-mounted button
works much faster.
*TimDaniels* |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Timothy Daniels
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sat Oct 08, 2005 1:38 pm Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
"$Bill" wrote:
| Quote: | Timothy Daniels wrote:
I have a firewall icon in the system tray, and it takes 3 or 4 seconds
to reach for the roller ball, move the cursor to the icon, rt-clk, select
Disable, and left-clk. A quick reach to slap a top-mounted button
works much faster.
What would you do if the modem was upstairs ? :)
|
Good point! Maybe I'll have to resort to the old RJ45 A/B switch
box that I used to use. It's a manual rotary switch that I used to
switch my PC between DSL and cable, and it has a center OFF
position that can be used to cut the connection. It cost me $15
at Fry's Electronics a couple years ago.
*TimDaniels* |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
$Bill
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:20 pm Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
Timothy Daniels wrote:
| Quote: | "$Bill" wrote:
What would you do if the modem was upstairs ? :)
Good point! Maybe I'll have to resort to the old RJ45 A/B switch
box that I used to use. It's a manual rotary switch that I used to
switch my PC between DSL and cable, and it has a center OFF
position that can be used to cut the connection. It cost me $15
at Fry's Electronics a couple years ago.
|
That would work too. ;) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Guest
|
| Posted:
Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:43 pm Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
On Fri, 7 Oct 2005 12:02:15 -0700, "Timothy Daniels"
<TDaniels@NoSpamDot.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Thanks for the info. I was wondering why the prices for the
D-Link and Motorola cable modems had drifted back up to
their initial prices seen in July. Maybe the expected competi-
|
Don't limit your looking to just D-Link and Motorola. Linksys, Zoom,
Xyxel, Scientific Atlanta, and RCA all offer cable modems. If I were
you I'd call your cable company and ask them what they use, what they
recommend to be used, and what they recommend to not be used.
| Quote: | introduces a DOCSIS 2.0 cable modem. I also wonder if the
high recall rate seen with Motorolas by your ISP was with the
SB5100 model - the one with the Broadcom chipset. Maybe
|
My ISP never used Motorola modems. I've been with them since their
inception and they initially used Nortel modems for their first couple
years and then they moved to Scientific Atlanta modems & that's what
they offer to this day, just newer models.
They just told me on the phone that they have had many support calls
from people who bought Motorola modems on their own from Best Buy,
Circuit City, whatever...they never gave me specifics, but I do know
that some Motorola modems have trouble interfacing with some routers &
the workaround is to put a hub between the two, but I don't know if
that was the problem my ISP has been running into or not.
| Quote: | that's why Motorola later went with the Texas Instruments chipset
for their SB5120, a model that has identical features as described
on Motorola's website. Right now, the only feature that leans me
|
The opinions on the Broadcom vs. TI chipset issue are split. Some
people will swear the 5100 is better than the 5210 and some will swear
the opposite.
Just as an FYI, that PCX2600 you were eyeing sports a TI chipset.
| Quote: | toward the Motorola is the quick disconnect button on the top
that allows one to quickly disconnect if there appears to be
unexpected internet traffic occurring (spyware?, spambot?
virusmail?). Do you know if any of the other DOCSIS 2.0 cable
modems sport such a "panic" button?
|
No, I don't know of any other modems with such a "panic" button, but
it really strikes me as a non-feature anyway. Most people nowadays are
going to have some sort of router and/or firewall behind their modem &
it's going to filter out all that poo anyway.
If it is still a concern to you then make your own panic button. Just
plug the modem by itself into a surge supressor power strip and just
hit the power button on that when you "panic." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Timothy Daniels
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Oct 11, 2005 1:40 am Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
<gray.wizard@moria.mines> wrote:
| Quote: | "Timothy Daniels" wrote:
Thanks for the info. I was wondering why the prices for the
D-Link and Motorola cable modems had drifted back up to
their initial prices seen in July....
Don't limit your looking to just D-Link and Motorola. Linksys,
Zoom, Xyxel, Scientific Atlanta, and RCA all offer cable modems.
|
I'm restricting my search to those which comply with DOCSIS 2.0
so I don't have to upgrade in another 6-12 months, and not all
manufacturers have offerred products complying with DOCSIS 2.0.
Zoom does, RCA doesn't, etc.
| Quote: | If I were you I'd call your cable company and ask them what they
use, what they recommend to be used, and what they recommend
to not be used.
|
<grrrrrrrr....> I subscribe to Comcast service, and like any
large utility company, it only lists what is "compatible" with
its system, and that list is for DOCSIS 1.1 compliance. It
does not list recommendations or reliability experience,
and it does not release any field experience it may have on
various manufacturer's products. Believe me, I've tried to
wrest some information out of them, but they remain tight-
lipped and/or ignorant.
*TimDaniels* |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Warren
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:21 am Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
Timothy Daniels wrote:
| Quote: | I'm restricting my search to those which comply with DOCSIS 2.0
so I don't have to upgrade in another 6-12 months, and not all
manufacturers have offerred products complying with DOCSIS 2.0.
Zoom does, RCA doesn't, etc.
|
RCA cablemodems starting with the DCM315 are DOCSIS 2.0 compliant.
| Quote: | If I were you I'd call your cable company and ask them what they
use, what they recommend to be used, and what they recommend
to not be used.
grrrrrrrr....> I subscribe to Comcast service, and like any
large utility company, it only lists what is "compatible" with
its system, and that list is for DOCSIS 1.1 compliance.
|
They focus on DOCSIS 1.1 compliance because that's what they require if
you're connecting a new modem to their network. Note that a DOCSIS 2.0 modem
also complies with DOCSIS 1.1.
| Quote: | It
does not list recommendations or reliability experience,
and it does not release any field experience it may have on
various manufacturer's products. Believe me, I've tried to
wrest some information out of them, but they remain tight-
lipped and/or ignorant.
|
You'll never get them to bad-mouth a vendor that they may need to do
business with in the future, nor would they ever want to say something that
could not be backed-up with statistics.
Reliability is as much a function of how the customer treats their modem as
anything else. For example, the RCA models that used the molex-type power
connector did not do well in homes where the modem or it's cable was
frequently moved, but they were, for the most part, rock-solid in other
homes.
Even the crappiest constructed modem that passes the testing, and makes it
to the allowed modems list will do fine if you take care of it. And even the
best constructed will fail sooner if you abuse it.
When it comes down to it, a good, solid, well constructed modem can be had
for under $80 before any rebates. Comcast charges $3 a month to lease a
cablemodem. Even if you pay $80 for a piece of crap modem, in 26 months it
won't matter. Go buy a SB5100 or SB5120 for $60. There's no reason to
believe that you won't get at least 20 months of reliability out of it, and
it's DOCSIS 2.0 compliant, which is more than Comcast requires now. There is
little chance that it'll be obsolete in less than 20 months.
And let's say after a year it dies, or it becomes obsolete. What have you
lost? $24. If your time is worth $10/hour, how much have you already spent
researching this minor purchase? And how many more months did you pay to
lease a modem by taking your time researching?
You're not getting many answers because few people analyze such minor
purchases with such scrutiny. A trip to the grocery store often costs more,
and has more possible pitfalls.
The next time you're near Radio Shack, Best Buy, Circuit City, or whatever,
just buy it. Or decide not to buy it. The consequences of even the worst
choice are not worth the trouble. But turning the research of cablemodems
into a hobby might just be worse than making the wrong choice.
--
Warren H.
==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.
Shop for gifts for fans of "The Simpsons":
http://www.holzemville.com/mall/simpsons |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Timothy Daniels
Guest
|
| Posted:
Tue Oct 11, 2005 6:02 am Post subject:
Re: Toshiba PCX2600 cable modem? |
|
|
"Warren" <wholzem@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:p5udnRIzbcahRtfenZ2dnUVZ_sidnZ2d@comcast.com...
| Quote: | Timothy Daniels wrote:
I'm restricting my search to those which comply with DOCSIS 2.0
so I don't have to upgrade in another 6-12 months, and not all
manufacturers have offerred products complying with DOCSIS 2.0.
Zoom does, RCA doesn't, etc.
RCA cablemodems starting with the DCM315 are DOCSIS 2.0 compliant.
|
Interesting. There seems to be only ONE web retailer carrying that
modem (known as model DCM315R), and a search of the RCA
website didn't bring it up, although it does seem to have a webpage
which describes it:
http://www.rca.com/product/viewdetail/0,2588,PI700648,00.html
I wonder why it's so "popular".
| Quote: | If I were you I'd call your cable company and ask them what they
use, what they recommend to be used, and what they recommend
to not be used.
grrrrrrrr....> I subscribe to Comcast service, and like any
large utility company, it only lists what is "compatible" with
its system, and that list is for DOCSIS 1.1 compliance.
They focus on DOCSIS 1.1 compliance because that's what they
require if you're connecting a new modem to their network. Note
that a DOCSIS 2.0 modem also complies with DOCSIS 1.1.
|
Yyeeeessss..... I know that....
| Quote: | It
does not list recommendations or reliability experience,
and it does not release any field experience it may have on
various manufacturer's products. Believe me, I've tried to
wrest some information out of them, but they remain tight-
lipped and/or ignorant.
You'll never get them to bad-mouth a vendor that they may need to do
business with in the future, nor would they ever want to say something
that could not be backed-up with statistics.
|
Yes, that was my point - getting info about modem reiliability is
impossible from a large ISP.
| Quote: | Go buy a SB5100 or SB5120 for $60.
|
The cheapest retail price for a SB5120 is $75 shipped.
| Quote: | The next time you're near Radio Shack, Best Buy, Circuit City, or whatever,
just buy it. Or decide not to buy it. The consequences of even the worst
choice are not worth the trouble. But turning the research of cablemodems
into a hobby might just be worse than making the wrong choice.
|
Thanks for the advice on prioritzing my values. But that was not
part of my request.
*TimDaniels* |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Memberlist
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in