Are DSL modems locked to a given ISP?

[Malpine Walis]

Are DSL modems locked to a given ISP?

Well, mine seems to be dead in the water. Right now, I am waiting for AT&T to send me a new AC adaptor, as the person whom I spoke to on the phone offered that my model in known to have an issue that can be fixed that easily.

However, I was looking at newegg last night and to no great surprise, the egg has them for half what AT&T will sell me a new one for. However (and since I had to use a friend’s computer to do that much), my friend told me that there is not point in even trying to buy one because ISPs use some type of security that he was unable to explain.

The guy usually knows his stuff so I did a quick bit of googling and it seems that ISP provided modems often come with firmware that locks the hardware in but it is possible to roll the firmware back and still use the modem on another network.

So here is my real question:

If newegg sells them, then they ought not to have locked firmware in the first place, right?

Alternatively, do I have to spend $100 to buy essentially the same thing from AT&T?

[wez]

Well I cant say how it works in the US. But my Finnish ISP doesnt use any custom firmware in the units they sell. However, if you buy a modem from another store, you'll still have to set it up correctly. Give AT&T a call and see what they say... :)

Edit: Found some info here: http://www.pcmech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208285

[Neuromancer]

Should just be a matter of logging into modem setting PPPoE and entering your user name and password.

Google the model of the modem you are looking at getting and AT&T in quotes, see if anyone is having issues with it.

[EnJoY]

Should just be a matter of logging into modem setting PPPoE and entering your user name and password.

Google the model of the modem you are looking at getting and AT&T in quotes, see if anyone is having issues with it.

:yeahthat:

Nothing special, just ensure the DNS settings and login match what your ISP recommends/requires.

[Malpine Walis]

OK, old thread may be old but even so, I thought that it would be nice to update it just in case some noob finds the thread in a search. So here is what happened: I bought the fastest modem that newegg had and I paid less than AT&T would have charged for the cheapest of what they were offering. As Neuromancer said, I had to provide the user name and password (not that I expected different but even so...). After that, the new modem has a wizard function that queries the login server, does a handshake and I am good to go. As far as the advice that I got from my friend (he is an A+/MCSE so I gave him some credence), it turned out that he was using ISP supplied equipment and had moved several times. So what he was telling me was based on taking his Toronto ISP modem to Texas and having issues, then taking his Texas ISP modem to Connecticut and having similar issues. Now he no longer has either of the old modems to test, so there is no telling. However, I would guess that just possibly, he did have firmware that locked his modems to one provider. Sort of like when you get a new cell phone from your carrier and it cannot be ported to a new carrier without flashing it to an unlocked version.