FDX/Unified DOCSIS

fmd · 2025-02-13T20:05:09+00:00

While we wait for the announcement that N+X deployment has officially begun... Unified is the new version of FDX that has downstream going all the way to 1.8 GHz (currently limited by old taps). The return still stops at 684 MHz. Comcast has presented this spectrum layout to begin with: This is sufficient to offer symmetrical 2 Gbps. When more of the legacy channels go away, higher speeds can be offered. 3.1 modems that get FDX-L (limited) firmware can use the FDX channels.

cypherstream

crucialcolin yes atx has the new blue 1.8 GHz GigXtend line for that.

They could put 1.8 amps / nodes now and do taps in the future, but why spend the money if they can fit all they want in 1.2. The moca filter will just get in the way anyway. With FDX being dynamic upstream allocation, it’s not fixed like Spectrum high split or ultra high split. It can change on demand.

crucialcolin

cypherstream it would be interesting to see what’s the price difference is between 1.2 and 1.8 Ghz. I’m sure there’s some mathematical equation they did.

It does seem like Xfinity has shifted more towards fitting everything under 1 Ghz of late even allowing techs to leave MoCA filters in place(The removal of TV QAM’s in of itself greatly freed up space).

hex0101

crucialcolin They still tell the techs to remove the MoCA filters during service calls.

The two issues that I have heard of are having Non-Xi6/XiOne TV boxes in the home for video customers, and having splitters. The return path energy from the FDX gateway can blast the tuner inside of the TV box, as standard in-home splitters do not provide enough isolation between the ports. Even can possibly interfere with the neighbors TV boxes if the FDX customer has a short cable run/drop. And the splitters can also wreck havoc with FDX operation and cause signal “reflections”.

crucialcolin

hex0101 They still tell the techs to remove the MoCA filters during service calls.

I guess I should say you would think so. I’ve actually seen a surprising amount of posts lately on Reddit from people getting an XB10 installed where the tech leaves a MoCA filter or even splitters in place. Someone higher up has to have gotten super lax or is dropping the ball on training.

bigcoda

crucialcolin A little FDX goodness being put in right across the street:

Nice! You got lucky to get a nice clear picture with it open.

crucialcolin Anyways it looks like my cable plant is staying 1.2 GHz since they just put these in today. Not Extended Spectrum (ESD).

My guess upgrading to 1.8 Ghz would require replacing a ton of taps or passive devices. An expensive Comcast likely doesn’t want to do.

Yea when they replaced the amps & nodes in my area, they definitely didn’t touch our old taps. The taps on my street are probably are from the 80’s & 90’s on my street. Some of them are still in the ground, in original green boxes from the Continental Cablevision days. So Comcast definitely won’t be running 1.8 Ghz in my neighborhood

hex0101

crucialcolin dropping the ball on training.

heck, some people were told that FDX isn’t even available in the area! It is just so new that many techs don’t know about it. Wouldn’t be surprised if the training was just a PDF document sent out that goes over proper installation procedures for FDX.

crucialcolin

bigcoda Nice! You got lucky to get a nice clear picture with it open.

Yeah the line tech jumped in his truck and took off for a bit. I ran out there with my phone while he was gone lol

bigcoda
Yea when they replaced the amps & nodes in my area, they definitely didn’t touch our old taps. The taps on my street are probably are from the 80’s & 90’s on my street. Some of them are still in the ground, in original green boxes from the Continental Cablevision days. So Comcast definitely won’t be running 1.8 Ghz in my neighborhood

I’d say mine are about the same age 80-90s except it was probably Johnes Intercable with the same parts. I mean I know AT&T broadband bought up a lot of the cable plants and providers operating providers in Northern California around 2000 redoing a lot stuff before Comcast took over it all.

Taps may be Scientific Atlantic off the top of my head. I know they were rated 1.2 Ghz though. There’s a broken ped in my neighborhood. I’ll have to go check it if remember…

Anyways for the current upgrades it looks like they still aren’t done. Even though they’ve been at it for two days and made it past my street my neighborhood is scheduled for more work on the 24th. Who knows maybe that will be to the node to enable FDX 🤞

bigcoda

crucialcolin Anyways for current upgrades it looks like they still aren’t done. Even though they’ve been at it for two days and made it past my street my neighborhood is scheduled for more work on the 24th. Who knows maybe that will be for the node to enable FDX

Yea they were pretty quick in my area, they were in and out in two days. A crew did come out the week before unannounced, to replace the amp doghouses, so I guess that would make it three days.

crucialcolin

bigcoda Yea they were pretty quick in my area, they were in and out in two days. A crew did come out the week before unannounced, to replace the amp doghouses, so I guess that would make it three days.

I think having to run that new fiber line under the sidewalk in two spots on the one street really slowed then down. Looking at it again I bet what happened is the roots from someones tree and/or shrubs grew in there and caused a conduit to collapse over the years.

Of course today they only had 3 or 4 trucks working.

Then as mentioned previously the doghouses got replaced weeks ago(although not quite all of them). I believe that also took them a couple of days.

crucialcolin

bigcoda I do wonder which one of us will see FDX enabled first in our respective areas 🤔

I’ll be watching my gateway stats and checking the Xfinity broadband labels page frequently no doubt.

bigcoda

crucialcolin I’ll be watching my gateway stats and checking the Xfinity broadband labels page frequently no doubt.

Yea my CODA56 is not as easy to get into the stats page compared to the other brand of modems. I honestly don’t remember how to do it. I guess I will keep an eye, for when it switches to symmetrical speeds on Comcast’s plan builder page. I will probably continue using my CODA56 for the rest of this year. With the hopes that a DOCSIS 4.0 retail modem will become available in 2027.

crucialcolin

bigcoda Yea my CODA56 is not as easy to get into the stats page compared to the other brand of modems. I honestly don’t remember how to do it. I guess I will keep an eye, for when it switches to symmetrical speeds on Comcast’s plan builder page. I will probably continue using my CODA56 for the rest of this year. With the hopes that a DOCSIS 4.0 retail modem will become available in 2027.

Does https://192.168.100.1 not work?

I too will have to switch devices although in my case XB8 to XB10. In some ways it would be nice to get a retail modem if it saves on the monthly fee but I believe all the plans come with a gateway device now.

I’m mixed on having a gateway itself instead of traditional modem. There’s the issue of bridge mode or dealing with double NAT when using consumer routers but on the plus side I don’t really have to worry about security.

I do wonder if Xfinity will ever offer the XD4 DOCSIS 4.0 standalone modem to its residential users as an alternative to gateways.

bigcoda

crucialcolin In some ways it would be nice to get a retail modem if it saves on the monthly fee but I believe all the plans come with a gateway device now.

For me I just prefer to use my own equipment, knowing Comcast no longer charges a rental fee for there gateway.

crucialcolin I do wonder if Xfinity will ever offer the XD4 DOCSIS 4.0 standalone modem to its residential users as an alternative to gateways.

Yea if they offered me a XD4 standalone modem, I would definitely take up there offer, and use there modem.

crucialcolin Does https://192.168.100.1 not work?

I don’t believe it does? I think I have to unplug my router from the modem, plug my PC directly into the modem, and set up a static IP address or something, I don’t remember? Kind of a hassle, just to pull stats page.

soxrok2212

bigcoda I had to set a static route on my router to 192.168.100.1. Then it should be in the DOCSIS WAN tab, and it takes a minute or two to load.

smilingbob

We switched to ATT Fiber just a couple of months ago, and ofcourse Comcast upgrades us to FDX from midsplit. I check it every few weeks and just saw the new speeds. ATT finished install earlier this year and started taking orders earlier this summer and Ezee Fiber is currently finishing out their install as well. Amazing what a little competition can do, glad I now have a symmetrical cable provider to go back to once ATT pisses me off (they probably will). I’d probably switch back now if I needed Gigabit because that 5yr price lock is the best deal I’ve seen.

Tshirt

smilingbob

smilingbob if I needed Gigabit because that 5yr price lock is the best deal I’ve seen.

Yup, and with low latency/PGS available soon (now testing) actually likely to roll out on DOCSIS, 1 gig symmetric HFC won’t be all that different from PON fiber.
other network management efficiencies, services and access/end points will be the deciding factors
It took longer than expected to arrive but is going to be available at a critical time point for the industry

hex0101

Tshirt Isn’t PGS is only for certain applications? And developers have to mark the packets?

PON also has an upstream scheduler, yet it does not feel like it as compared to DOCSIS.

smilingbob

Tshirt 1 gig symmetric HFC won’t be all that different from PON fiber.

Which is certainly a good thing for we the customers. I do get a kick out of Comcast’s description of the base model 300Mbps tier: “Good for catching up on email and streaming.” ha, let me finish that for them: “…and streaming a dozen HDTVs simultaneously at 4k resolution with enough leftover for everyone in the house to surf the internet.” But hey, what kind of marketing would that be? 😜

Tshirt

smilingbob

smilingbob But hey, what kind of marketing would that be? 😜

After many years of carefully planned marketing campaigns, efforts over the last years seem kind disjointed
the
’National Pricing" which seems to only apply some place some of the time, 5 year offers for everyone… when back to NEW users get deals, existing customers have to play games to get discounts, etc.
Each time these popup does more damage to their reputation which at one point seemed like they were trying to improve.
the lack of constancy is disturbing

smilingbob

Interestingly, we do not have the symmetrical “Now!” offer of 100/100Mbps I’ve seen in other areas that got upgraded to FDX. When you click on the small logo to go to the Now! offering it is the typical 100/20 & 200/20. We just got upgraded though, so maybe it will roll out eventually.

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