UPC: difficulties getting the EPC 2425 replaced by the SA 2203

Champ

Alright last year got UPC broadband + phone.
Received both cable modem / router models of the EPC 2425 and the SA 2203 in the installation kit.

Opted to install the EPC 2425, after all modem + router for better efficency no? Mistake there and learnt about the shortcomings of the EPC 2425 firmware the hard way so flipped it into bridge mode via the now hidden page with a Linksys flashed with Tomato doing the router functions.
Regarding the phone no biggie there since we only use it as a backup system to make outbound calls and can easily flip the EPC 2425 between modes as required.

Fast forward to last Friday. Got a text to powercycle the EPC 2425 for a speed upgrade....Discovered the hard way that the "upgrade" breaks bridge mode and only gives you a small window to flip it back to router mode least you have a glorified paper weight. Done but:
(1) Phones no longer work (yes in router mode!), swapped out the phones and lines to no avail. Testing inbound calls to the number reveals it as "busy" always. I know it was working before the firmware upgrade.
(2) DMZs and IP Passthrough just aren't.... I need bridge mode (nevermind why).

So I tried factory resetting the EPC 2425 which didn't fix the phone problem. So I thought why not take the opportunity to swap out the EPC 2425 with the SA 2203 thereby having a bridge function back and having the phones available 24/7?

Swapping the SA 2203 in: no functioning internet (oddly gets an IP, gateway, DNS, etc), no phones.

So called tech support and explained the situation and was told that I'd get a callback from 2nd level support? I understand that the modems are tied to your account unlike say DSL, but I didn't think it would be any trouble to decommission the EPC 2425 and commission the SA 2203 in its place. In fact the idea seemed entirely... mmm vertical to them?

To make it more interesting I work from 9:00 - 17:00 which means I won't have access to the modem when they'll likely call and second level support lines close at 19:00 and legging it back from work means I'll only be able to try to call them at 18:00 earliest and depending on the queues...

I read the occassional thread here and others seemed to have gotten their 2425s replaced by the 2203 with less hassle?

roast

Champ wrote: »

Swapping the SA 2203 in: no functioning internet (oddly gets an IP, gateway, DNS, etc), no phones.

Reason why that's happening is because that modems unique MAC address is not provisioned on UPC's network.
Call them, advise them of the problem. Advise them you have a spare SA2203 and would like it provisioned on the network (it's an easy way out for the tech agent), provide them the MAC address, wait a bit, and then connect your gear.

Champ

roast wrote:

Reason why that's happening is because that modems unique MAC address is not provisioned on UPC's network.
Call them, advise them of the problem. Advise them you have a spare SA2203 and would like it provisioned on the network (it's an easy way out for the tech agent), provide them the MAC address, wait a bit, and then connect your gear

Tried this on both support levels 1 & 2:
Level 1: Not within our control, divert to level 2
Level 2: No we can't, its against business rules and the SA was sent out in error, if other customers managed to get it swapped out then the support agent who did it would / were disciplined

Why is it seemingly everyone else who wanted to do it got it done with zero hassle???*weeping*

Then we got around to the background of why I wanted it changed. Basically said that DMZ or IP Passthrough weren't cutting it as well as bridge mode was and acknowledged that in theory it should virtually be the same (yes I disabled the firewall etc) but for whatever reason there's intermittent performance issues on certain applications.

I did politely indicate I wasn't happy with the broken bridge mode and did get an olive branch in the sense that I was assured that the issue has been noted and a fix is been worked on. I tactfully prodded whether this was at a consideration stage or actually in the pipeline stage and was doubly reassured that actual work is been done on it.

roast

Champ wrote: »

Tried this on both support levels 1 & 2:
Level 1: Not within our control, divert to level 2
Level 2: No we can't, its against business rules and the SA was sent out in error, if other customers managed to get it swapped out then the support agent who did it would / were disciplined

Why is it seemingly everyone else who wanted to do it got it done with zero hassle???*weeping*

Then we got around to the background of why I wanted it changed. Basically said that DMZ or IP Passthrough weren't cutting it as well as bridge mode was and acknowledged that in theory it should virtually be the same (yes I disabled the firewall etc) but for whatever reason there's intermittent performance issues on certain applications.

I did politely indicate I wasn't happy with the broken bridge mode and did get an olive branch in the sense that I was assured that the issue has been noted and a fix is been worked on. I tactfully prodded whether this was at a consideration stage or actually in the pipeline stage and was doubly reassured that actual work is been done on it.

Advise them that the modem is broken. Advise them they can send a new modem to you, or just provision the spare modem you have. The latter is less hassle for them, they might bite.