Hi there

rossies · 2025-01-18T18:14:01+00:00

I hope this becomes a lively forum for all things Spectrum. I'd have restarted the Hi-Split thread from Broadband Reports but I don't have any news to share except we're still waiting in the Tampa area. So I'll let someone else get that going again. ;-)

Slab_Bulkhead

Nothing new to report here in the Dayton, Ohio area. I have two fiber providers available to me, so no big loss.

fmd

SPC-Texas Is there any upgrade they could have done last year, other than the node swap, that would have required me to have the HSC to keep the Tivo in business?

I don't think so.

So updating the node is specifically what would kill the legacy OOB? It doesn't make a lot of sense

The node and any amplifier between you and the node. There is a hard split between upstream and downstream (diplex filter in each device), so when upstream is extended to 204 MHz, the downstream OOB can no longer be transmitted, because that part of the spectrum is now upstream.

SPC-Texas

Good news and Spectrum is communicating well for a change about the impending completion of high split upgades in Rockwall, Texas. Text message on "Spectrum Upgrade" doesn't mention high split but that's what it is. Text with attached notification answers all the who, what, when, where questions, so props. Upgrade is "To provide you with the fastest internet speeds . . ." The work will affect internet, video, and voice including 911 and will be done from the 11th to the 14th in overnight 8-10 hour windows.
So, apparently, my "event" last year when I needed the high split converter to keep my Tivo going was only the start of high split upgrades. Seems they did something at the headend that killed tuning adapters but not the OOB signal. Now they will actually upgrade/replace the nodes and the legacy OOB will go away. Fortunately, the HSC does a good job emulating the OOB for the Tivo.

Motorola870

SPC-Texas

From what I have seen posted they seem to activate the expanded upstream about two months before they launch the speed upgrade. So when they deem Rockwall complete it will likely take a couple more months. My area had the new upstream channels according to a tech that visited for SNR issues last july but they turned on the speeds in August.

SPC-Texas

Yes, I have also noticed quite a variation in these reports. Your observations may be about right for DFW, but in other areas I have seen comments about only offering symmetrical to new customers (for a while) or waiting to turn on an entire area at once. Seems like at that point it becomes more of a marketing thing than a technical thing.
My mistake was in thinking for a while that I was high split ready but not turned on. Just because they kill your tuning adapter and you need an HSC does not mean you are high split ready. I now believe that during the coming week they will upgrade or replace my node and then I can wait to be "turned on." :-)

Motorola870

SPC-Texas I got offered a free modem and wifi for a year just to switch to their modem and they mentioned getting faster upload by taking the offer. There have been a lot of reports in DFW of existing customers just noticing the speed upgrade when doing a speed test without calling in now. I suspect they are doing global modem reboots in areas that have been activated.

SPC-Texas

So, Monday night there was the scheduled service outage, but nothing has changed. I suspect they did something at the hub or with other customers but not yet to my node. The overall window is from the 11th to the 14th, so they may take another shot over the next couple of nights. I have one interesting thing to report: the HSC passes non-SDV QAM video even when turned off and disconnected from the USB. Last year when I tried this it didn't work and I concluded the HSC needed power to pass non-SDV channels (the old TA's do not). Must have been another problem.

Motorola870

SPC-Texas They usually take down portions of the node each day as they swap out the node and amplifiers. You likely won't see outages the entire upgrade window. I also wonder if the rain this week has delayed the upgrades that were planned. Not sure if they replace electronics that can get wet in rain.

Motorola870

I am curious as to what equipment they are using in phase 2 for the upgrades.

I know phase 1 high-split has these amplifiers:

Technetix:
Arlington, Dalworthington Gardens, Pantego TX (Dallas headend)
Burns OR
Carson City NV
Cincinnati OH cluster
Denton TX cluster
Areas fed from the Fort Worth TX headend
Lake Tahoe CA/NV
Park Cities area of Dallas TX
Spring TX

ATX:
Rochester MN
St. Louis metro

Arris/Commscope/Broadband International/ACI (GI/Motorola style)
Dallas TX headend fed areas minus Arlington
East St. Louis Suburbs
Reno/Sparks NV
Louisville KY
Lexington KY

ACI:
Rochester NY metro

They seem to be moving away from CCOR style amplifiers with high-split upgrades.

Not sure about the Greenville, Rockwall, and Waxahachie headends yet in North Texas.

These are observations based on updated google streetview.

CBusdude

Motorola870 I'm in a phase 2 market (Columbus Ohio) I'll have to check and see if I notice any new amps and what brand they are.

CBusdude

Looks like the one near me was replaced towards the end of last year (the first photo is the Google streetview from 2022 and the 2nd is from September 2024) I unfortunately can't tell what make/model the 2nd one is from the streetview photo.

Motorola870

CBusdude The second node is a GS7 or GS7000 ATX node. I thought they were using Vecima nodes in phase 2 and 3.

I noticed an entire area in a portion of Dallas had a complete respacing of amplifiers looks like they installed ACI line extenders in what looked like a previously node +0 area.

cypherstream

CBusdude That looks like the CCOR/Arris OM4120 Node.
https://www.commscope.com/product-type/broadband-access-network-systems/optical-hubs-nodes-passives/optical-node-platforms/om4120/

SPC-Texas

Something weird is happening with my Tivo. It is still getting a legacy OOB signal but the (Tivo reported) SNR is only 3 to 4 dB (normal 30) and it's talking about "spectral inversion." During the four day planned maintenance window, I only had one 8-hour outage. There are no noticeable changes. Maybe they didn't upgrade my node or could they have done it but left it in some sort of legacy mode until they decide to turn on symmetrical?

Motorola870

SPC-Texas More than likely the HSC is translating a OOB signal from a DOCSIS channel and converting it to 75.25MHz in the device.

The 8 hour outage likely was the node being replaced and the amplifer(s) on your cascade being swapped out.

CBusdude

Motorola870 hmmm that is really interesting because it looks like the GS7000 nodes are not DAA but Charter said all phase 2 markets would be! I wonder if this is temporary until they get a DAA node in or something, but then again that’d give them double the work so I’m not sure what’s going on!

SPC-Texas

Thanks. I should just be patient and wait for Spectrum to do their thing, but when I don't understand something my curiosity nags at me. I am getting just a tad (3-4 dB) of OOB with the HSC off. Of course, when powered up the HSC provides an emulated OOB at 30 dB as designed. It is interesting that this smidgen of OOB is enough to maintain CA for the Tivo (even though it does not get OOB "lock")

Motorola870

CBusdude They can drop in 1.8GHz GS7 node modules into the housings. What I found interesting is that they are discontinuing the 5-204MHz digital return path modules for GS7000 nodes so they are essentially ending support for high-split on the legacy GS7000 nodes.

Charter was looking into Vecima nodes for phase 2 and 3 but they could order NC4000 and GS7 nodes and install RPD modules into the housings and pair them with Harmonic vCMTS racks.

My area is using NC4000 housings with drop in node modules that can do 5-204MHz return paired with legacy CMTS racks in the headend.

Charter seems to be moving away from CCOR style housing gear in general. Not surprised they are phasing out OM4100 nodes in certain areas.

fmd

Motorola870 What I found interesting is that they are discontinuing the 5-204MHz digital return path modules for GS7000 nodes

CommScope's 204 MHz digital return can be fitted into those nodes. Maybe Charter is only using these?

MacLeech

Motorola870

Motorola870 What I found interesting is that they are discontinuing the 5-204MHz digital return path modules for GS7000 nodes so they are essentially ending support for high-split on the legacy GS7000 nodes.

ATX already had this planned out:
https://www.lightreading.com/cable-technology/atx-plots-upgrade-path-to-docsis-4-0

ATX is ending sales of the LEGACY high-split node transmitters. rPHY DAA modules will used in Charter phase 2 and higher, which support high-split and better.

Harmonic announced their GS7000 compatible RPD:
https://www.harmonicinc.com/press-releases/harmonic-breathes-new-life-into-cisco-gs7000-node
Vecima announced their GS7000 compatible RPD::
https://vecima.com/press-release/vecima-announces-next-generation-remote-phy-device-rpd-with-upgrade-paths-for-third-party-cable-access-nodes/

For the legacy high-split nodes, as FMD stated, Commscope transmitters are available, by way of an GS7000 adapter.
https://quotes.digicomm.com/product-category/nodes/gs7k-digital-return-commscope/
That includes the Commscope DT4600 high-split digital transmitter, which also fit in the OM4120 nodes.
https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/724624-dt4600.pdf

Motorola870

fmd

This is what the ATX website mentions:

Last day to order is August 1st 2025 while supplies last.

https://atx.com/products/nodes/204mhz-digital-return-solution/gigaxtend-204mhz-digital-return-transmitter-module-gs7000-compatible/

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