Fully disable wireless on modem

MatthewSVan
Grasshopper

I have noticed that even with my XB6 modem in bridge mode it still outputs hidden SSID radios. I would like to complete disable all radios to reduce RF congestion. The XB6 also draws a lot more electricity than my old Hitron modem, about 20-25watts, vs 10-15 watts on the old Hitron, which I wonder if this has to do with the radios being on.

I would also be interested in non-Bluecurve modems I could purchase outright which don’t have built on wireless. 

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-- I would also be interested in non-Bluecurve modems I c...

mdk
Legendary Grand Master

@MatthewSVan -- I would also be interested in non-Bluecurve modems I could purchase outright which don’t have built-in wireless

At this time, I think that Shaw does not allow "other" cable-modems to be connected to their network.

 

Note that Shaw Business customers get a different model of the HITRON cable-modem -- up to 1000 Mbps/second, no internal fan, 4 Ethernet ports, and no "hidden" SSIDs, because Hitron cable-modems can use MoCA ("Media over Cable A-something") to communicate via coaxial-cable to "slave" TV-boxes.

Do you still have your previous HITRON cable-modem?

 

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Yes I still do have a Hitron CGNM-2250 which I bought out...

MatthewSVan
Grasshopper

Yes I still do have a Hitron CGNM-2250 which I bought outright from Shaw last year. I suggested that to tech support on the phone but said they can only activate XB6 modems as all other modems are being phased out.

I should mention I’m on the “Fibre Plus” 300(100 up) plan. I would be willing to sacrifice a bit of my upload speed if it meant getting rid of the obnoxious XB6 modem. Otherwise it seems I will need to go Telus true fibre and use my own SFP/Fibre accepting router.

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--  I suggested that to tech support on the phone but sai...

mdk
Legendary Grand Master

@MatthewSVan --  I suggested that to tech support on the phone but said they can only activate XB6 modems as all other modems are being phased out.

Interesting, both that they did not mention the brand-new XB7 modem, and that I have seen no announcement by Shaw that the Hitron cable-modem/router is being phased out. I renewed my Two-Year Value Plan in February 2021, and they had no problem with me continuing to use my HITRON for the next 2 years. Shaw Speed Test just reported as 331 Mbps second and 16.1 Mbps.

From: Fibre+ Internet Plans & Packages | Shaw

new subscribers to "Fibre+ 300" (or slower) get the "Advanced WiFi Modem", while subscribers to the next step up (Fibre+ 750) get the "Fibre Gateway modem".  I presume that the HITRON is the former modem, and the XB6 (and XB7) are the "Fibre Gateway" modems.

> I should mention I’m on the “Fibre Plus” 300(100 up) plan. I would be willing to sacrifice a bit of my upload speed if it meant getting rid of the obnoxious XB6 modem.

If you revert to the HITRON, your upload speed drops to 15 Mbps.

If you upgrade to "Fibre+ Gig", you should get the new, fan-less, XB7 cable-modem/router.

> Otherwise, it seems I will need to go Telus Fiber and use my own SFP/Fiber accepting router.

I wonder if TELUS will allow you to supply your own router that has a fiber-optic WAN connection ??? [Especially if TELUS also wants to route their TELUS TV box through their router. Doing a "mix-and-match" could lead to lots of finger-pointing, if something goes wrong with your services.]

Certainly, Shaw does not allow customers to supply their own cable-modem/router, unless, of course, they have purchased it from Shaw.

 

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Whats interesting is that a low cost provider such as "Su...

MatthewSVan
Grasshopper

Whats interesting is that a low cost provider such as "Surf Internet" which runs on Shaw's coax lines allows you to use your own modems such as the Technicolor TC4400-AM or Motorola MB8600 both which support Surfs 1000down 100up plan. Both of these modems mentioned are plain old modems, no router or access point in them. I would like it for Shaw to allow me to use one of those modems since it appears they are compatible with their coax network.

 

As for Telus, I don't believe they officially support the customer using their own SFP/Fibre converters, however from what I read is it will work since each fibre line is dedicated per customer.

 

I might reach out to Shaw and see if they can provide me an XB7, maybe the fact its fanless means it won't consume as much electricity, and switches off wireless fully.

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-- from what I read ... each fibre line is dedicated per...

mdk
Legendary Grand Master

@MatthewSVan -- from what I read ... each fibre line is dedicated per customer.

Don't believe what you read on the Internet, about "dedicated" versus "shared".

The Shaw coaxial-cable from Shaw's "demarcation box" on the outside of my house is "dedicated" to me, until it reaches the Shaw "concentrator" up on the nearest telephone-pole. Then, it is "shared", going down the street, and to the Shaw office in your city. Maybe, that Shaw line up-and-down the street is coaxial, and maybe, as Shaw says, "over 99% of their network is fiber-optic".

The Telus fiber-optic cable from the Telus modem is "dedicated" from the inside of the house to the nearest telephone-pole, where it "taps" into the fiber-optic cable going up-and-down the street. Then, it is "shared".

You cannot believe that connecting your house to a fiber-optic cable means that the Telus installer runs a "dedicated" fiber-optic cable for a few miles to the nearest Telus "CO" (Central Office), going up-and-down many telephone-poles along the streets, like hanging multiple strings of Xmas lights in a "daisy-chain" manner.

If all the Telus fiber-optic cables were "dedicated" lines, then, in a big city, the nearest telephone-pole to the Telus "CO" would be totally covered by thousands of fiber-optic cables that lead inside the "CO". That's not going to happen -- each of the "incoming" fiber-optic cables needs to connect into a box, and that box does not have thousands of sockets.

 

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From what I meant by dedicated is that the fibre has one...

MatthewSVan
Grasshopper

From what I meant by dedicated is that the fibre has one IP attached to that line, where as with coax the modem needs to decide which customer it needs to go to. As I believe coax can be split and delivered to multiple customers (as I'm in a condo building and essentially each floor is just coming off a coax splitter)

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-- fibre has one IP attached to that line Not really "att...

mdk
Legendary Grand Master

@MatthewSVan -- fibre has one IP attached to that line

Not really "attached to the line".

Both a Telus fiber-optic cable and a Shaw coaxial-cable just "carry" the signal from the nearest telephone-pole into your home. Inside your home, either cable connects to a "modem" (modulator-demodulator) that converts the traffic into the IP-protocol. The modem (Telus or Shaw) receives (usually) one IP-address. [Shaw customers can be provided a second IP-address, at no extra cost, if they ask for it, and know how to use it..]

Years ago, all the modem did was to act as a "modem", and customers directly connected one computer to the modem. A printer would have a cable (parallel or USB) to connect directly to the computer.  There was no "WiFi" network inside the home.

But, now, the device is both a modem and a router, packaged into one box. It is the router that provides several Ethernet ports, and a WiFi access-point, enabling the connection of multiple computers, and multiple WiFi-capable devices (printers, mobile phones, doorbell camera, et cetera).

Internet access inside a MURB (Multiple Unit Residential Building) is quite different.

For a MURB that was wired with Shaw cables (originally for TV) when it was built, there usually is multiple "splits". One coaxial-cable runs from the telephone-pole into a "wiring closet" in the basement of the MURB. There, there is a coaxial-splitter, and one coaxial-cable runs to a smaller "wiring-closet" on each level of the MURB.  In that smaller wiring-closet, there are more splitters, and there is one coaxial-cable running into each unit on that level.  Years ago, one TV was connected to the one wall-plate in each unit.  Now, there usually is another splitter inside each unit, to provide feeds to up to three Shaw boxes: Shaw cable-modem/router, Shaw PVR (or Digital Terminal), and the Shaw Phone box. Only the cable-modem/router gets an IP-address. The other two devices communicate via a different communication protocol.

When it was built, a MURB usually was also wired with copper-cables, to provide telephone-outlets in each unit. So, each Telus customer would have a Telus "modem" to split the incoming signal into "telephone-only" and "network" components.  Typically, those copper-cables were limited to about 75 Mbps.

Now that Telus is doing FTTH (Fibre To The Home), new wiring must be added. First, to run a fiber-optic cable into the MURB's primary wiring-closet, and fibre-optic cable into each of the minor wiring-closet on each level, and fiber-optic cable from that wiring closet into each unit.  That is a major expenditure, but it does allow Telus customers to get much-faster speeds (even over 1000 Mbps) than when they were connected by copper cables.

Obviously, adding FTTH to an individual residence is a much smaller update of the wiring -- one new fiber-optic cable from the telephone-pole to the residence, and a compatible Telus modem/router at the customer's end of the fiber-optic cable.

 

 

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An update, contacted Shaw again they are unable to provid...

MatthewSVan
Grasshopper

An update, contacted Shaw again they are unable to provide an XB7 as it’s incompatible with my Fibre 300 plan, I guess what I’m hoping for in the future is a way to 100% turn off the modems radios. Maybe that means opening the modem up and physically disconnecting something internally?

 

And you have provided really good information in how the whole system works, and it’s always great to learn something new.

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-- [Shaw] are unable to provide an XB7 as it’s incompatib...

mdk
Legendary Grand Master

@MatthewSVan -- [Shaw] are unable to provide an XB7 as it’s incompatible with my Fibre+ 300 plan, 

I wonder if you upgrade to Fibre+ Gig (1000 mbps), then you would instantly be eligible for the XB7 ???

I can imagine that XB7 devices currently are in short supply, and that Shaw is "reserving" them for Fibre+ Gig & Fibre+ Gig 1.5 customers.

Current listed prices, taken from: Fibre+ Internet Plans & Packages | Shaw

$100/month -- Fibre+ 300 (Hitron or XB6)

$110/month -- Fibre+ 750 (XB6)

$115/month -- Fibre+ Gig (XB7)

$165/month -- Fibre+ Gig 1.5

I don't know if you can "negotiate" a better price/month.

So, is it worth it to you to pay $15/month more to (hopefully!) get what you want?

 

 

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