RCA DCM205 User manual

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CABLE
M ODEM

CAUTION
Disconnect pow er
before servicing.
d o csi s-co m pl i a n t
This product w as designed according t o Data Over Cable Service
Int erface Specif icat ions. It will operat e on any DOCSIS-compliant
Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) cable syst em and offers DOCSISBaseline
Privacy to promot e secure internet transact ions.
SAFETY/ I N FORM ATI ON
CABLE I N STALLER:
This reminder is provided to call your at tent ion t o Article 820-40 of the
National Elect rical Code (Section 54 of t he Canadian Elect rical Code, Part
1) which provides guidelines for proper grounding and, in part icular,
specifies that the cable ground shall be connect ed to t he grounding
system of the building as close t o t he point of cable ent ry as pract ical.
CAUTION
To ensure reliable operation and to prevent overheating, provide
adequate ventilation for this modem and keep it aw ay from heat
sources. Do not locate near heat registers or other heat-producing
equipment. Provide for free air flow around the cable modem and
its pow er supply.
Please fill out the product regist rat ion card that came w ith this modem and return it immediat ely.
Returning t he card allow s us t o contact you if needed.
Keep your sales receipt to obt ain w arrant y parts and service and f or proof of purchase. At tach it here
and record t he serial and model numbers in case you need them. The numbers are located on the back
of t he modem.
Model No. ____________________________________________________
Serial No. ____________________________________________________
Purchase Date: ________________________________________________
Dealer/Address/Phone: _________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Produc t Re gist ration
If you purchased t his product at a ret ail outlet , please read t he following:

1
Ta bl e Of Co n t en t s
i n t r o d u ct i o n ................................................................ 2
Cable Modem Features............................................... 2
Computer Requirements ............................................ 2
Ca bl e M o d em Ov er v i ew ............................................... 3
Cable Internet Service Requirements .......................... 3
What The Modem Does .............................................. 3
What The Modem eeds To Do Its Job ........................ 3
The Right Cable Company .................................... 3
The Internet Service Provider (ISP) ........................ 3
bef o r e y o u beg i n ........................................................... 4
Contact Your Local Cable Company ............................ 4
Co n n ect i n g t h e Ca bl e M o d em ................................. 5
a ct i v a t i n g t h e Ca bl e M o d em .................................. 8
initialization mode ..................................................... 8
Usin g t h e Ca bl e M o d em .............................................. 9
Buttons ...................................................................... 9
Light Indicators – OPERATIO AL MODE ...................... 9
Reset Switch ............................................................ 10
Other Status Lights .................................................. 11
FREQUEN TLY ASKED QU ESTI ON S .................................. 12
Tr o u bl esh o o t i n g ........................................................ 13
Ser v i ce I N FORM ATI ON ................................................. 14
Qu i ck Ref er en ce ............................................................ 15
FCC I N FORM ATI ON .......................................................... 17
gl o ssa r y ......................................................................... 18

2
IBM PC COM PATIBLE M ACINTOSH* *
CPU Pent ium pref erred PowerPC or higher
System RAM 16MB (32M B pref erred) 16MB (24M B pref erred)
Operat ing System Windows* 95/98/2000/NT Mac OS* * 7.5.3 or higher
Linux
Available Disk Space Minimum 45M B (90M B preferred) Minimum 31M B (69M B preferred)
Video VGA or bet ter (SVGA pref erred) VGA or bett er (SVGA built -in pref erred)
Floppy Drive 3.5” High Densit y (CD-ROM pref erred) 3.5” High Densit y (CD-ROM pref erred)
Ethernet 10BaseT or 100BaseT 10BaseT or 100BaseT
An Ethernet card makes it possible for your computer to pass data to
and from the internet. You must have an Ethernet card and softw are
drivers installed in your computer. You w ill also need a standard
Ethernet cable to connect the Ethernet card to your cable modem.
Ca bl e M o d em Fea t u r es
• Capable of receiving dat a at rat es of up t o 6000K‡(6 Megabits per second, over
100 times f aster t han 56K)
• Ability t o send and receive dat a over t he cable line
• Plug-and-play operat ion f or easy setup and installation
• Compliance to DOCSIS specif ication (see page 12)
• ON/OFF But t on to put t he Et hernet port in st andby mode
• Email w ait ing not if icat ion capability
• Diagnostic light patt erns on the modem
• Ability t o receive aut omatic sof t w are updat es, if init iat ed by your cable
company.
‡The f ollowing may aff ect t he speed of your cable modem: your comput er
equipment and configurat ion (processor speed, amount of RAM, available disk
space); t he number of programs you are running at t he same t ime; t he capacit y
of your ISP; netw ork t raff ic levels; t he number of Ethernet or USB devices in use
on your computer. Your cable company may or may not f ully support the speed
capabilit es of this modem.
Co m pu t er Req u i r em en t s
• Personal computer w it h t he f ollow ing minimum system requirement s (note
that the minimum requirement s may vary by cable company):
i n t r o d u ct i o n
* W indow s is a trademark of the M icrosoft Corporation
* * M acintosh and the M ac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

3
W h a t Th e M o d em Do es
The RCA Digit al Cable Modem serves as a t w o-w ay high-speed bridge
bet w een your personal comput er and a cable Int ernet Service Provider
(ISP). It convert s information t hat originates f rom t he Internet or your
comput er into electronic messages t hat can be t ransport ed over the same
wires your cable company uses to transport video signals.
W h a t Th e M o d em N eed s To Do I t s Jo b
Th e Ri g h t Ca bl e Co m pa n y
Make sure your local cable company provides dat a services t hat use cable
TV indust ry-st andard DOCSIS t echnology.
Th e I n t er n et Ser v i c e Pr o v i d er (I sp)
Your cable company gives you access t o an Int ernet Service Provider (ISP).
The ISP is your gat eway t o the Int ernet . It provides you w ith a pipeline t o
access Int ernet cont ent on t he World Wide Web (WWW).
Check w it h your cable company to make sure you have everyt hing you
need t o begin; t hey’ll know if you need t o inst all special sof tw are or
reconf igure your comput er to make your cable int ernet service work for
you.
Ca bl e M o d em Ov er v i ew
ca bl e i n t er n et ser v i ce r eq u i r em en t s
• Cable company t hat offers DOCSIS-compliant internet services
power
data
cable
traffic
email
on off
Computer Internet
Cable
M odem
Cable Company
(Internet Service
Provider)

4
bef o r e y o u beg i n
Co n t a ct Yo u r Lo ca l Ca bl e Co m pa n y
You w ill need t o cont act your cable company to establish an Int ernet
account bef ore you can use your modem. You should have the f ollow ing
inf ormat ion (which you w ill find on the st icker on t he modem) ready:
• The serial number
• The M edia Access Control (MAC) address
• The model number of t he modem
CA U TI O N
Your cable company should always be consult ed
bef ore inst alling a new cable out let . Do not
att empt any rew iring w ithout cont act ing your
cable company f irst .
Pl ea se v er i f y t h e f o l l o w i n g w i t h t h e
ca bl e co m pa n y :
• The cable service t o your home support s DOCSIS-compliant two-way modem
access.
• Your Int ernet account has been set up.
• You have a cable out let near your PC and it is ready for cable modem service.
Record your inf ormat ion here:
Serial Number: _________________________
MAC Address: __________________________
Model Number: _________________________
S.N.
MODEL:
MAC:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
DCM205
001095XXXXXX

5
Co n n ect i n g t h e Ca bl e M o d em
NOTE: It is important to supply pow er to the modem at all times.
Keeping your modem plugged in w ill keep it connected to the
Internet. This means that it w ill alw ays be ready w hen you are. To
disconnect just your computer from the Internet use the ON/ OFF
button to put the modem in stand-by mode.
3
1
2
Coaxial Cable
AC Power
Et hernet
Thomson Pow er
AC Adapter
Cable In

6
You need three cables t o make t he necessary connect ions:
•Et hernet cable. M ake sure that t his cable that is straight -w ired (not “ null” or
crossover-wired). How ever, you will need a crossover-type cable if you are
connecting the modem to a hub, or a hub w it hin a port swit ch that provides
the same f unct ion.
•AC adapt er provided w it h your cable modem.
•A standard RG-6 coaxial cable or one recommended by your Cable Operator.
Connecting The Cable M odem To A Single Comput er:
Make t he connections to t he modem in the f ollow ing sequence:
1. Connect one end of the coaxial cable to t he cable connection in the wall, and
the ot her end to t he connector on the modem labeled “ Cable In.”
2. Insert t he cord f rom t he AC adapter into the “ Pow er AC Adapt er #:1544907* ” ‡
jack on t he cable modem. Then plug t he adapt er int o an AC out let .
NOTE: Use the Thomson pow er supply Stock # 1544907* ‡that is compatible
w ith this unit. Using other adapters may damage the unit.
3. Connect one end of the Et hernet cable (straight -w ired, see above) to t he
Et hernet port on the back of your comput er, and t he other end t o t he
connector labeled “ Et hernet ” on t he cable modem’s back panel. Alt ernatively,
a USB-t o-Ethernet adapter w ill allow you t o connect t his modem t o your
computer’s USB port.
4. Insert t he RCA CD-ROM int o your CD-ROM drive t o view troubleshoot ing t ips,
the internal diagnost ics and ot her valuable inf ormat ion.
CD-ROM Cont ents:
•Links to RCA w eb sit es
•Elect ronic file of t his Instruct ion Book
•Usage and t roubleshoot ing tips
•Inf ormat ion about ot her RCA product s
•Third-part y applicat ion soft w are
Co n n ect i n g t h e Ca bl e M o d em
‡Please note that t he last digit of t he stock number on t he pow er supply may
vary. The f irst 7 digit s should match t he number above.

7
Co n n ect i n g t h e Ca bl e M o d em
Connecting M ore Than One Com put er to t he Cable M odem
Yo u ’ll need t he following equipment :
•Crossover-wired, or “ null,” category 5 Et hernet cable
•10BaseT or 100BaseT Hub or Swit ch
•Straight t hrough, or standard, category 5 Et hernet cable (one for each
computer to be connected)
If you have a hub w it h an uplink port * , a straight t hrough cable can be used in
combinat ion with t hat port in lieu of t he crossover cable.
* An uplink port has a small swit ch on it t o change t he polarit y of t he
connection. It can accept eit her a cross-over or a st raight , depending on the
set t ing.

8
a ct i v a t i n g t h e Ca bl e M o d em
1. Tuning –The cable modem is funct ional and searching
for a downst ream cable modem service channel on your
cable syst em.
2. Ranging –The modem is now tuned to a downst ream
cable modem channel and can now receive dat a. Now it
searches f or an upst ream channel so that it can send
dat a.
3. Connecting –The cable modem is now communicat ing
start -up dat a both dow nstream and upst ream.
The cable company is est ablishing IP connect ivity w ith
your modem.
4. Conf iguring – The cable modem received it s IP address
and is dow nloading its configuration f ile from t he ISP.
5. Registering –The cable modem conf igurat ion is
complet e. It is registering its “ as-configured” set tings
wit h your Cable Operat or. Once complet e, t he lights will
stop f lashing and t he modem w ill ent er Operational
Mode.
i n i t i a l i z a t i o n m o d e
Af t er you install t he cable modem and turn it on for t he first time (and
each time t he modem is reconnect ed to t he pow er) it goes through f ive
steps bef ore it can be used. Each of these st eps is represented by a
different patt ern of f lashing lights on t he front of the modem.
Legend Of f On Flashing
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

9
U si n g t h e Ca bl e M o d em
Bu t t o n s
•On/Off – Turns t he modem on or put s it in st and-by mode. Placing t he cable
modem in stand-by mode (t he “ off ” position) allows for cont inued st at us
monit oring f rom the cable netw ork. This also disconnect s your computer
from t he Internet f or added securit y.
Do not press t his butt on w hen transmitting dat a over the int ernet . The
inf ormat ion w ill be lost along w it h your Int ernet connection.
Li g h t I n d i ca t o r s – OPERATI ON AL M OD E
•Pow er – Indicat es w het her cable modem is
in act ive or stand-by mode. The light is off
when t he modem is in st and-by mode, and
on w hen t he pow er is act ivat ed and in the
operat ional mode.
•PC Link – Indicates w hether t he Ethernet
connection is act ive, ready t o t ransmit/
receive, or actually t ransmit ting/receiving.
The light is of f w hen no Et hernet carrier is
present or t he modem is in stand-by mode,
on w hen t he Ethernet carrier is present but
there’s no t ransmit/receive activit y, and
flashing w hen t here is Ethernet t ransmit/
receive activit y.
•Cable – Indicates the st at us of your cable
connection. The light is off w hen no cable
connection is det ected or the modem is in
st and-by mode and f ully lit w hen t he
modem is regist ered w it h t he netw ork and
dat a can be sent.
•Activity – Indicates t he exist ence of dat a
traf f ic in the cable lines. The light is off
when no data t raff ic is present and flashing
when data act ivit y exist s.
•Em ail –This light f lashes w hen you have
mail. (Check wit h your service provider t o
make sure they offer this feat ure.)
Not e: If all of the light s are flashing sequent ially, it means t he cable
modem is aut omatically updat ing it s system sof t w are. Please w ait f or the
light s t o st op flashing. Do not remove t he power supply or reset t he cable
modem during this process.

10
U si n g t h e Ca bl e M o d em
Reset Sw i t c h
•The reset swit ch can be f ound behind a
“toot hpick hole” on the back panel. It
performs t w o f unctions:
1. Basic Reset – Press and release t he
sw it ch t o make it perf orm t he same
function as disconnect ing the pow er
from the modem. It w ill start up
again in Initializat ion M ode.
2. Fact ory Def ault Reset – Unplug t he
modem f rom t he AC power. Press and
hold t he reset sw it ch w hile plugging
the modem int o AC pow er. Cont inue
holding t he but t on. Release t he
butt on w hen all light s come on
(about 6 seconds). This w ill return the
modem to a factory “ out of box”
condition. This should only be
done if t he cable m odem has
been t aken out of service in one
locat ion and is being reconnected
to a diff erent service, or if
inst ructed t o do so by your cable
com pany.
RESET

11
U si n g t h e Ca bl e M o d em
Ot h er St a t u s Li g h t s
Three other st atus light pat terns you may see are:
Softw are dow nloading or update in progress. Light s
flash sequentially f rom t op to bot tom.
All light s are off . The Cable M odem is in St andby M ode
or is not receiving AC pow er.
De-Activat ed – Cable Service Operat or has de-activat ed
the cable modem. The Cable Light f lashes slowly.
X
X
X
X
X
X

12
FREQU EN TLY ASKED QU ESTI ON S
Q. What if I don’t subscribe t o cable TV?
A. If cable TV is available in your area, data service may be made available w it h or
wit hout cable TV service. Contact your local cable company for complet e
informat ion on cable services, including high-speed internet access.
Q. How do I get t he system inst alled?
A. Prof essional installation f rom your cable provider is strongly recommended.
They w ill ensure proper cable connect ion t o t he modem and your comput er.
How ever, your ret ailer may have offered a self installation kit , including t he
necessary sof t w are t o communicate with your cable ISP .
Q. How does the RCA DCM connect t o my comput er?
A. If you have a computer that meet s t he minimum syst em requirement s show n in
this book, you’re all set ! The RCA modem connect s t o your computer’s 10BaseT
or 100BaseT Ethernet port. If your comput er is not equipped w it h an Ethernet
interface, an Ethernet card is available f rom your local ret ailer or your cable
provider. Alt ernatively, a USB-t o-Ethernet adapter will allow you t o connect
this modem to your comput er’s USB port.
Q. Once my DCM is connected, how do I get access t o the internet ?
A. Your local cable company provides your Int ernet Service* , off ering a w ide
range of services including email, chat , and new s and information services and
a connection to t he w orld wide w eb.
Q. Can I w at ch TV and surf the internet at the same t ime?
A. Absolut ely! And your phone line w on’t be tied up while you’re online.
Q. Can I run more t han one comput er on the modem?
A. Yes –a single RCA DCM can support up to 32 comput ers.* *
Q. What do you mean by “ broadband” ?
A. Simply put , it means you’ll be gett ing inf ormat ion t hrough a “ bigger pipe,”
wit h more bandw idt h, t han a st andard phone line can off er. A w ider,
“ broader” band means more inf ormat ion, more quickly.
Q. What is DOCSIS and w hat does it mean?
A. “ Data Over Cable Service Int erf ace Specif ications” is t he industry standard t hat
virt ually all cable companies are adopting as they upgrade t heir syst ems.
Should you ever decide to move, the RCA DCM will work with virtually all
upgraded cable systems in Nort h America because it is DOCSIS-compliant .
* M onthly subscript ion fee applies. * * Addit ional equipment required. Cont act your cable
company and ISP f or any restrictions or addit ional f ees.

13
Tr o u bl esh o o t i n g
N o t h i n g h a ppen s w h en I pr ess t h e o n / o f f bu t t o n .
• Make sure that the AC adapt er is f ully plugged into a w all out let .
•Make sure that the pow er supply cord is fully inserted into the AC adapt er
connection on the back of t he modem.
•Double-check t hat t he AC outlet you are using is not cont rolled by a swit ch
that is t urned off .
Al l o f t h e l i g h t s a r e f l a sh i n g i n seq u en c e.
•This means the cable modem is automat ically updating it s system softw are.
Please w ait f or the light s t o st op flashing. The updating process t ypically lasts
less than one minute.
• Do not remove t he pow er supply or reset t he cable modem during t his process.
Th e l i g h t l a bel l ed “em a i l ” i s f l a sh i n g .
•This means you have new mail t o check.
Th e l i g h t l a bel l ed “em a i l ” d o es n o t f l a sh .
•This may mean t hat your service provider does not off er t his f eature.
I ca n ’t g et t h e m o d em t o est a bl i sh a n et h er n et co n n ect i o n .
•Even new comput ers don’t alw ays have Et hernet capabilities – be sure t o verif y
that your comput er has a properly installed Et hernet card and t he driver
soft w are t o support it .
•Check t o see t hat you are using t he right type of Ethernet cable (see page 6).
Th e m o d em w o n ’t r eg i st er a c a bl e co n n ec t i o n (Ca bl e l i g h t n o t o n
co n t i n u o u sl y ).
•If the modem is in Init ializat ion M ode, the Power Light w ill be f lashing. Call
your Cable company if it has not completed this 5-st ep process wit hin 30
minut es, and note w hich step it is get t ing stuck on. See page 8 f or det ails.
•The modem should w ork w it h a standard RG-6 coaxial cable, but if you’re using
a cable ot her than one your cable company recommends, or if t he t erminal
connections are loose, it may not w ork. Check w ith your cable company t o
det ermine w het her you’re using t he correct cable.
•If you subscribe to video service over cable, t he cable signal may not be
reaching t he modem. Confirm that good quality cable television pictures are
available t o t he coaxial connect or you are using by connect ing a t elevision t o
it . If your cable out let is “ dead” call your Cable company.
•Verify t hat t he cable modem service is DOCSIS-compliant by calling your cable
provider.
I ca n ’t a cc ess t h e i n t er n et o r m y em a il
•Check all of t he connections to your cable modem.
• Your Et hernet card may not be working. Check it’s document at ion for more
informat ion.
• The Net w ork Properties of your operating system may not be installed correct ly
or the set t ings may be incorrect. Check w it h your ISP or cable company.
For m ore Usage and Troubleshoot ing Tips go t o:
ht t p://w w w.cable-modem .rca.com /help

14
Ser v i ce I N FORM ATI ON
If you purchased or leased your cable modem directly f rom your cable
company, t hen w arrant y service f or the cable modem may be provided
through your cable provider or it s authorized represent ative. For
inf ormat ion on:
•Order Service
•Obt aining Customer Support
•Addit ional Service Inf ormat ion
Please cont act your cable company.
If you purchased your cable modem through a ret ailer, see t he enclosed RCA
limit ed w arrant y.

15
Qu i ck Ref er en ce
1. Connect one end of t he
coaxial cable to t he cable
connection in the wall,
and t he other end t o the
connector on t he modem
labeled “ Cable In.”
2. Insert t he cord f rom t he
AC adapt er into t he
“Power AC Adapt er #:
1544907* ” jack on the
cable modem. Then plug
the adapt er into an AC
outlet.
3. Connect one end of t he
Et hernet cable t o the
Et hernet port on t he back
of your PC, and t he ot her
end t o t he connect or
labeled “ Ethernet ” on t he
cable modem’s back
panel.
IBM PC COM PATIBLE M ACINTOSH
CPU Pent ium pref erred PowerPC or higher
System RAM 16MB (32M B pref erred) 16MB (24M B pref erred)
Operat ing System Windows 95/98/2000/NT Mac OS7.5.3 or higher
Linux
Available Disk Space Minimum 45M B (90M B preferred) Minimum 31M B (69M B preferred)
Video VGA or bet ter (SVGA pref erred) VGA or bett er (SVGA built -in pref erred)
Floppy Drive 3.5” High Densit y (CD-ROM pref erred) 3.5” High Density (CD-ROM preferred)
Ethernet 10BaseT or 100BaseT 10BaseT or 100BaseT
M i n i m u m Sy st em Req u i r em en t s
3
1
2
Coaxial Cable
AC Power
Et hernet
Thomson Power
AC Adapt er
Cable In
Detach Here
✂
NOTE: Use the Thomson pow er supply Stock# 15449070 that is
compatible w ith this unit. Using other adapters may damage
the unit.

16
Bu t t o n s
•On/Off – Turns t he modem on or put s it in
st and-by mode. Placing t he cable modem in
st and-by mode (t he “ off ” posit ion) allow s for
cont inued status monit oring from t he cable
net w ork.
Do not press this but ton w hen t ransmitt ing
dat a over the internet . The informat ion w ill
be lost along w it h your ethernet connect ion.
Li g h t I n d i ca t o r s
•Pow er – Indicates whether cable modem is in
act ive or stand-by mode. The light is off
when t he modem is in st and-by mode, and
on w hen t he pow er is act ivat ed.
•PC Link – Indicates w hether t he Ethernet
connection is act ive, ready t o t ransmit/
receive, or actually t ransmit ting/receiving.
The light is of f w hen no Et hernet carrier is
present or t he modem is in stand-by mode,
on w hen t he Ethernet carrier is present but
there’s no t ransmit/receive activit y, and
flashing w hen t here is Ethernet t ransmit/
receive activit y.
•Cable – Indicates the st at us of your cable
connection. The light is off w hen no cable
connection is det ect ed or t he modem is in stand-by mode
and fully lit w hen the modem is registered with the
net w ork and dat a can be sent.
•Activity – Indicates the existence of data t raffic in t he cable
lines. The light is of f w hen no dat a traff ic is present and
flashing w hen dat a activit y exists.
•Em ail –This light f lashes when you have mail. (Check with
your service provider t o make sure t hey off er t his feature.)
Qu i ck Ref er en ce
Detach Here
✂

17
FCC I N FORM ATI ON
FCC d ecl a r a t i o n o f co n f o r m i t y a n d
I n d u st r y Ca n a d a I n f o r m a t io n
FCC Regulat ions stat e t hat unaut horized changes or modifications to t his
equipment may void the user’s aut horit y to operate it .
This device complies w ith part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject t o the
following tw o conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interf erence,
and (2) This device must accept any int erf erence received, including
int erference t hat may cause undesired operat ion.
This Class B digit al apparat us meets all requirements of the Canadian
Int erference Causing Equipment Regulations.
This equipment has been t ype test ed and found t o comply w ith t he limit s f or
a Class B Digital Device in accordance w ith t he specif icat ions in Part 15 of the
FCC rules. These rules are designed t o provide reasonable protect ions
against radio and television interf erence in a resident ial inst allation. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not inst alled and used in accordance w it h the instructions, may cause
harmf ul int erf erence t o radio communications. How ever, there is no
guarant ee that int erf erence w ill not occur in a particular installat ion.
If t his equipment does cause interf erence t o radio or t elevision recept ion
(which you can determine by turning t he equipment off and on), try t o
correct the int erference by one or more of t he following measures:
Reorient or relocate t he receiving ant enna (t hat is, t he antenna f or t he radio
or t elevision t hat is “ receiving” the int erf erence).
Change t he posit ion of the Cable Modem wit h respect t o the radio or
television equipment t hat is receiving int erference.
Move t he Cable Modem away from the equipment that is receiving
int erference.
Plug t he Cable M odem int o a diff erent wall out let so t hat the Cable M odem
and t he equipment receiving interf erence are on diff erent branch circuit s.
If t hese measures do not eliminat e t he int erference, please consult your
dealer or an experienced radio/t elevision t echnician f or addit ional
suggest ions. Also, t he Federal Communications Commission has prepared a
helpf ul booklet , “ How To Identif y and Resolve Radio/TV Int erference
Problems.” This booklet is available f rom t he U.S. Government Print ing
Office, Washington D.C. 20402. Please specif y st ock number 004-000-00345-4
when ordering copies.
For more information on FCC conf ormit y: Thomson Consumer Elect ronics,
Inc., 10330 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis IN 46290; 1-800-587-5850.

18
g l o ssa r y
10BaseT – Unshielded, t w isted pair cable w ith an RJ-45 connect or, used w ith
Ethernet LAN (Local Area Net work). “ 10” indicat es speed (10 Mbps), “ Base”
ref ers t o baseband t echnology, and “ T” means t w isted pair cable.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Prot ocol) – A prot ocol w hich allow s a
server to dynamically assign IP addresses t o workst ations on t he f ly.
DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Int erf ace Specif icat ions) – A project
wit h t he objective of developing a set of necessary specif ications and
operat ions support int erface specif ications for cable modems and associat ed
equipment.
Et hernet card – A plug-in circuit board installed in an expansion slot of a
personal computer. The Et hernet card (somet imes called a Net work Interf ace
Card or NIC) t akes parallel dat a from the computer, convert s it to serial dat a,
put s it int o a packet format, and sends it over t he 10BaseT LAN cable.
F Connect or – A t ype of coaxial connector, labeled CABLE IN on t he rear of
the Cable M odem, t hat connect s the modem to t he cable syst em.
Hub – A device used to connect mult iple computers t o the cable modem.
IP Address – A unique, 32-bit address assigned to every device in a netw ork.
An IP (Int ernet Prot ocol) address has t w o part s: a net w ork address and a host
address. This modem receives a new IP address from your cable operat or via
DHCP each t ime it goes t hrough Initializat ion M ode.
M AC Address – The permanent “ ident ity” f or a device as it programmed into
the M edia Access Cont rol layer in t he netw ork archit ect ure during t he
modem’s manuf act ure.
Net w ork Driver – A f ile that is loaded on t he comput er to allow t he
comput er to recognize the Et hernet card.
TCP/IP (Transm ission Control Prot ocol/Int ernet Prot ocol) – A networking
prot ocol t hat provides communication across int erconnect ed netw orks,
bet w een computers w ith diverse hardw are archit ect ures and various operating
systems.