Here's some really cool news: Comcast has finally unveiled its new DOCSIS 4.0 / Wi-Fi 7 gateway -- the XB10.
This new gateway is based on Broadcom's new DOCSIS 4.0 chipset, and will support both Full Duplex DOCSIS (aka FDX, which uses frequencies up to 1.2 GHz -- what Comcast is now starting to roll out (and what Rogers presumably will too)) and Extended Spectrum DOCSIS (ESD), which can use frequencies up to 1.8 GHz but allocates separate bands for Upstream and Downstream channels.
Comcast also unveiled a new Wi-Fi 7 Router, the XER10, which appears to be purpose-built for FTTH installations. (An XB10 without the cable modem??) I have not been able to track down any detailed specs yet but, like other Wi-Fi 7 routers on the market, I would presume that this device will have at least two 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports. If you look close, you will also see that this router has a telephone jack for Home Phone.
Rogers currently provides (XGS-PON) FTTH customers with an XB7 or XB8 gateway, and uses the (one and only) 2.5 GigE port as a WAN connection to an external ONT. This leaves customers with only Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity for their devices, making impossible for them to use their multi-gig service to its full potential. It looks like the XER10 router is just what Rogers needs.
I will post more information as it becomes available.
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"It would be hard to tell whether they upgraded a node or R-PHY gear"
Last time I was in there, about 6 years ago, it was just splitters on the coax.
@JKnott wrote:
"spectrum above that could be used for downstream traffic, usually above108 MHz to avoid interference with FM radio."
I don't know about now, but back in the analog days, upstream started at 54 MHz, which was TV channel 2 (54 - 60 MHz). It went all the way up, so you could directly tune the TV and even FM stations with ordinary broadcast receivers. I don't know if anything between 42 & 54 MHz was used, but interference with other services was a constant concern, as anything that wasn't on a broadcast frequency could interfere with those other services.
I think you are talking about out-of-band communications for set-top boxes. Early STBs used proprietary schemes. Motorola and Scientific Atlanta eventually published their OOB communications and they became documented as SCTE 55-x standards. Newer boxes used DOCSIS. RPDs need to deal with these where digital cable exists. However, it's even better when you can retire old equipment and old protocols.
At one time, Rogers also carried FM radio stations on their coax plant. Not something that you can do in a high-split config.
@JKnott wrote:
"You also run either pfSense or OPNsense router/firewall, correct? If you look the MAC address for your firewall's default gateway (via the ARP table or similar means), is it a Casa OUI or some other vendor?"
pfSense. I had seen Casa in the past, but now it's AxyomCore. I use Wireshark to read the frames directly.
Axyom is the branding for Casa's software platform. I believe that Rogers uses their vBNG in addition to their vCMTS. That does not preclude using R-PHY nodes from other vendors. DAA is supposed to support multi-vendor interoperability. However, without access to debug logging on the cable modem, you can't really tell what RPD vendor is being used.
"Another telltale sign that Rogers is planning a DOCSIS 4.0 rollout, of any flavour, is that they would (almost certainly) be vacating spectrum below 684 MHz."
I don't have any way to see that, at least not that I'm aware of.
Log into the cable modem, go to "Gateway > Connection > Rogers Network", and look at the downstream channels that have been allocated.
In my case, I have a downstream OFDM channel at 350 MHz and various QAM channels allocated between 579 and 861 MHz..
@-G- wrote:
@JKnott wrote:"You also run either pfSense or OPNsense router/firewall, correct? If you look the MAC address for your firewall's default gateway (via the ARP table or similar means), is it a Casa OUI or some other vendor?"
pfSense. I had seen Casa in the past, but now it's AxyomCore. I use Wireshark to read the frames directly.
Axyom is the branding for Casa's software platform. I believe that Rogers uses their vBNG in addition to their vCMTS. That does not preclude using R-PHY nodes from other vendors. DAA is supposed to support multi-vendor interoperability. However, without access to debug logging on the cable modem, you can't really tell what RPD vendor is being used.
"Another telltale sign that Rogers is planning a DOCSIS 4.0 rollout, of any flavour, is that they would (almost certainly) be vacating spectrum below 684 MHz."
I don't have any way to see that, at least not that I'm aware of.
Log into the cable modem, go to "Gateway > Connection > Rogers Network", and look at the downstream channels that have been allocated.
In my case, I have a downstream OFDM channel at 350 MHz and various QAM channels allocated between 579 and 861 MHz..
Channel IDLock StatusFrequencySNRPower LevelModulation
Downstream | Channel Bonding Value | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 |
Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked | Locked |
693 MHz | 279 MHz | 849 MHz | 855 MHz | 861 MHz | 579 MHz | 585 MHz | 591 MHz | 597 MHz | 603 MHz | 609 MHz | 615 MHz | 621 MHz | 633 MHz | 639 MHz | 645 MHz | 651 MHz | 657 MHz | 663 MHz | 669 MHz | 675 MHz | 681 MHz | 687 MHz | 699 MHz | 705 MHz | 711 MHz | 717 MHz | 723 MHz | 825 MHz | 831 MHz | 837 MHz | 843 MHz | 350000000 |
40.9 dB | 41.2 dB | 41.4 dB | 41.4 dB | 41.6 dB | 41.3 dB | 41.4 dB | 41.4 dB | 41.2 dB | 41.3 dB | 41.1 dB | 40.9 dB | 41.3 dB | 41.3 dB | 40.9 dB | 40.9 dB | 41.1 dB | 41.0 dB | 41.1 dB | 41.2 dB | 40.7 dB | 41.2 dB | 40.9 dB | 41.1 dB | 41.1 dB | 41.3 dB | 41.0 dB | 41.2 dB | 41.7 dB | 41.6 dB | 41.7 dB | 41.6 dB | 40.7 dB |
-1.0 dBmV | 2.3 dBmV | 0.5 dBmV | 0.5 dBmV | 0.5 dBmV | 0.6 dBmV | 0.8 dBmV | 0.6 dBmV | -1.0 dBmV | 0.5 dBmV | -1.1 dBmV | -1.0 dBmV | 0.9 dBmV | 0.7 dBmV | -1.4 dBmV | 0.9 dBmV | 0.3 dBmV | 0.8 dBmV | 0.5 dBmV | 0.4 dBmV | 0.4 dBmV | 0.5 dBmV | 0.9 dBmV | 0.6 dBmV | 0.6 dBmV | 0.8 dBmV | 0.8 dBmV | 0.8 dBmV | 0.9 dBmV | 0.7 dBmV | 0.8 dBmV | 0.7 dBmV | 1.6 dBmV |
256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | 256 QAM | OFDM |
*Channel ID 23 is the Primary channel
@JKnott You too have a bunch of channels using spectrum under 684 Mhz. Keep an eye on that. If you see Rogers vacating that chunk of spectrum, that could be indicative of them making space for DOCSIS 4.0.
When you actually get a DOCSIS 4.0 node installed, it will (likely) only support D3.1 and D4.0, so, technically, you won't even need those QAM channels anymore and I would expect them to disappear altogether,
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