Road Runner Guide to the Internet
Frequently Asked Questions
updated 11/22/08
1. i cant get online, help!!!
2. my power light is blinking! whats wrong?
3. can i scan for macs using the snmp protocol?
4. how do i disable filters via telnet?
5. can i upload a config file to my own tftp server?
6. what kind of info can i get from a config file name?
7. i cant access my sigma page!
8. can i use a mac that is very far from my node?
9. what is the community string for my area?
10. wtf is factory mode?!
11. how can i find my hfc address?
12. what is a hfc address in the first place?
13. what does stealth mode mean?
14. how can i change my public ip?
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1. i cant get online! help!!!
yeah, i wish it was always that easy. there are a shit ton of reasons why, but here are the most common causes & fixes:
the mac: you must use a mac from another node that is valid. this can be discovered while at home using the snmp protocol [refer to snmp guide] or running "cmsniff" on another computer a few miles away [or more] that uses roadrunner service.
disable: filters, forced network access, watchdog resets, hfc firmware updates, & stealth mode in the web interface[it should still work with stealth mode enabled but u may go offline later on, only time will tell]
enable: baseline privacy, aka: "bpi". but be sure "bpi+" is not enabled as they are both two different things. [refer to telnet guide]
change: nic, mac, & computer name [you dont need to change serial in most places, but u should if your not sure just in case]
possible bad flash: if uve never been able to get the modem in question online, you may have to reflash [refer to unbrick guide]
2. my power light is blinking & all other lights are on, whats wrong?
very simple, most likey ur modem has been given the disabled.bin 'o death config file. there are a couple reasons why this might happen.
a. the mac u are using simply is no longer active[eg: canceled account] or
b. the mac u entered is not from a valid range, try try again. [snmp guide]
3. can i scan for macs using the snmp protocol?
yes! and no, mostly yes. but it really depends on the security restrictions in your local area. i once moved only a few miles to another town and could not snmp scan until i manually removed the port filters via telnet.
4. how do i disable filters via telnet?
if i disabled filters via web interafce it wouldnt let me scan. but when i disable filters via telnet, presto, scannig unblocked [refer to telnet guide]
5. can i upload a config file to my own tftp server?
yes! and no. mostly no. heres how it goes...
a) you cannot modify the config file. there are security features that are changed when you do this, which in turn disables the mac when it attempts to get registered at the cmts.
b) the config you have cannot be dynamic. you must obtain a config before they went dynamic [binaries page]but theres a catch
c) the config must use identical 'keys' & other security features that ur local configs use. which means, the non-dynamic config must come from a local tftp in order for it to work. however...
d) this not always tried'n true. it is possible for multiple tftp servers to use the same security keys as other tftp servers especially if there close to one another. [tftp config upload video]
6. what kind of info can i get from a config file name?
prefix:
isao = aol
isel = earthlink
isrr = rr residential
isrc = rr business/enterprise
vacs = vacation status [possible?]
^determines what network the config is using and provisioned for
m:
isrcIP6 = number of ips associated. this config has six ips on the account. most isrr config will only have one, most isrc configs will have many.
suffix:
isrrIP1BW20VIP = VoIP
isrrIP1BW20 = docsis 1.0 [no underscore]
isrrIP1BW20_1 = docsis 1.1
isrrIP1BW20_2 = docsis 2.0
isrrIP1BW20_3 = docsis 3.0* [to be released]
this is a way u can tell which versions of docsis ur local rr supports. currently rr does not support docsis 3.0 but plans are in the making to upgrade specific markets [eg: tampa] by the end of this year into next.
7a. i cant access my sigma page!
type in web browser address bar:
192.168.100.1 [for sigma-x 1.06]
192.168.100.1:1337 [for sigma-x2]
7b. still doesnt work?
temporarily change ur ip settings to the setting below
IP: 192.168.100.10
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.100.1
DNS: leave blank
8. can i use a mac thats very far from my node?
this can be tricky, but heres a quick breakdown. i noticed the only macs that i got to work were the ones using the same tftp server as me. ex:
say i just found a mac after a snmp scan. my hfc ip is 10.98.1.11 and my tftp ip is 65.32.5.82. the new macs hfc ip is 10.162.1.127 and its tftp server ip is 65.32.5.86
in this scenario, the mac in question is too far away to be a valid mac. so far away in fact that it uses a different tftp server which in turn uses different security keys & authentication [note: adding the tftp oid to your snmp scan can be a very useful & a quick way to determine a valid range]
if you try and use the distant mac, your modem will get assigned the disabled.bin o'death config. ur power light will start to blink, and at this point you may need to change ur computer name, nic, mac, etc in order to get back online even with a valid mac for the area.
9. what is the community string for my location?
BH01T1P4A0C4FL: central fl/tampa [cfl.rr.com, tampa.rr.com]
84ish3r3t0d4y: north east ohio [neo.rr.com]
s3uw4d: north/south carolina [nc.rr.com, sc.rr.com]
Sh13ld3d: texas [dtw.rr.com]
Swou9riu: southern ca [socal.rr.com]
FUA6aW1o: west.biz.rr.com aks wi/ centeral
Kj60ZBif : west.biz.rr.com aka wi / centeral
m1k3r0ph0n3: nyroc.rr.com
t0m4h4wk: Maine
bigmac: Maine
yZaK4E8l: universal [doesnt pick up everything]
10. wtf is factory mode?!
when enabled it allows certain features to be enabled and values to be changed. such as frequency, filters, bpi, etc. you should always have this feature enabled. must enable via telnet [telnet guide] & web interface
11. how can i find my hfc address?
for sigma-x 1.06 type:
192.168.100.1 [in web browser]
click the "diag" link at the top
show "dhcp settings that are being used by the IPstack"
look for " Your IP Address (yiaddr) = 10.*.*.*" <------thats ur hfc ip
12. what is a hfc address in the first place?
hfc ips are the internal address cable isps assign to their cable modems. every modem online has its own hfc ip that can and will change over time.
13. what does stealth mode mean?
stealth mode enabled simply means that sigma hides your hfc ip info from rr which makes it more difficult to discover u using conventional methods
14. how can i change my public ip?
i suppose the process requerments can differ from localtion to location. there is a method that should garantee results regaurdless of location when the following steps are followed in order:
change nic mac
change valid mac
change modem serial
change computer network name [reboot when it asks]
unplug modem while ur computer is booting
plug modem back after reboot
type ipconfig in cmd.exe to verify