Comcast Digital Voice infrastructure?

[Tom Metro]

Scott Ehrlich wrote:
> ...can I go out and get a larger-capacity UPS and slap it on Comcast'
> connection and extend the life beyond 8 hours?

I don't see why not, but it probably won't make much practical 
difference. A power outage that last in excess of 8 hours is likely to 
impact more than just one residence, which means it likely affects the 
same neighborhood power that the cable system depends on for its line 
amplifiers.

Of course the cable company used to send out guys with generators to get 
around this limitation. I haven't seen them do that in a number of 
years, so maybe they have different infrastructure in place these days. 
Pole mounted UPSs?


> If Internet service goes down, so doesn't voice.  Not a good option.
> Unless I am otherwise educated (that is, if no Internet, voice is
> still possible)...

I believe the voice service is "independent" of the Internet service for 
both cable systems and FIOS, but the distinction may not be that 
significant. They both run over the same physical wires, and rely on 
common equipment at both ends of the connection and in the middle. True, 
a failed broadband router in the house or a lost Internet backbone 
connection won't impact voice service, but many other things will.

The reality is that any of these active systems (they all depend on 
powered equipment at the customer premises and at points in the middle) 
are not going to be as reliable as the old passive copper system they 
are replacing.

  -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/

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