Set up Wi-Fi without $5 charge from ISP?

Sooo, Spectrum (formerly Time Warner Cable) now charges $4.95 a month in order to use Wi-Fi, even if you provide your own router with Wi-Fi capabilities. I honestly think it's BS and i'm wondering if there is any way around it. I can see my router broadcasting a signal but there is no connection.

I provided my own router and they don't charge me

I provided my own router when i signed up 3 years ago and they just charge me $40/mo for 60/4.
Every year I threaten to cancel and they give me another year at the starting price.

Just call them and tell them to "turn your WiFi off." Sound really stupid about it though. Act like you know nothing about computers and only use your phone anyway.

I just set up this service about 3 weeks ago after coming back from a 6 month deployment. I told them I was using my own equipment and they told me there was a $4.95 charge per month for Wi-Fi, I told her again that I had my own equipment and she told me they no longer charge you for leasing equipment they just charge $4.95 for Wi-Fi services. I told her to not charge me for the Wi-Fi because I wanted to see if they were making it up or if I could figure out a way around it.

Maybe they are just testing out this (terrible) business strategy in select locations before rolling it out everywhere?

I don't know how they do it now, I signed up with Charter before they became spectrum, and they provide the modem for free, and the router was an additional $5/mo, but you could provide your own.

Tell them you won't be using their wifi and don't say anything else.
Did they give you a modem?

>tell them you not using wifi
>use wifi anyways

it's like summer isn't over yet..

I never signed up for the "wifi service". There is no internet connection when I try to use it.

I provided my own modem

did they even send a guy out to your house to install anything?

I think you're confusing the modem and the router

....plug a fucking router with wifi into the modem you dunce

i suppose they could ban certain OUIs (based on the CPE MAC) from getting an IP address. so it will connect up, but just not get anything from the modem.

no way around that since it's all done on the back end.

Wait, they're doing this even when you're using your own modem and own router?? You literally don't have to use their equipment.

wtf?

>not paying your wifi license
are you the kind of scum that doesn't pay his TV license either?

is your modem a gateway? i.e. does it have a router built into it?

So I made a mistake before by saying I could see the router broadcasting, that was a neighbors with a similar default name.

The option to enable WiFi is grayed out in the GUI for the router.

Yes

Good.

Now plug a router with WiFi into the thing that Spectrum gave you. Configure it and use it for your internet.

They have no way of knowing if you're using a wireless antennae or not.

TWC always did this, they always scammed people for "wifi services" that automatically came with your router. Its a load of shit and one of the reasons they're being sued by the NY AG

how can they tell if you have your own router?

Mac address

k. try doing a factory reset on it (use a pin, hold down little button on the back). go back into the router settings, do a factory reset there, but don't restart the modem if it prompts. then go back into the wireless settings and see if the primary network will be enabled.

dunno what type of gateway you have but all of them can be factory reset on the back (possibly on bottom or sides)

I use hostapd to use my pc as a hotspot but I keep my computer on all the time

1) What, they have a table of all known MAC address allotments to router manufacturers or some shit? How would that have any bearing on what the ISP can tell about your home network?
2) Any decent router, and even most indecent ones, can clone your computer's MAC address as a basic feature.

every device has a OUI (first 4 digits in a MAC address) which is unique to each vendor. so if you connect a linksys router up, they will know it's linksys based on the OUI and can ban it based on that if they wanted to.

If it's unique to a vendor, what, you're not permitted to use any Linksys network hardware on your network either? Even if it's just a switch?

no, unless you mean that they would be checking the client's table on the router itself.

Traffic coming from the LAN would all have the gateway MAC.

It Mac plus the service protocol so the can get stat on you modem.
They have Mac and protocol on all the modems they sell

if it's connected directly to the modem, yes. afaik there's no way to know what exactly the device is connected based on the MAC, only the vendor. they can't see anything past what is directly connected to the modem.

I might try this if I cannot find another way around it.. I would much rather buy another router than give into their bullshit.

I'll try this later tonight.

I'm like 99% sure there's some major autistic FUDdery going on this thread. OP just plug a fucking wireless router into the modem and you're probably golden. This whole $5 WiFi is nothing but a shakedown on the ignorant.

And they're not going to institute blanket bans on any vendor which happens to produce WiFi routers. This is all a load of malarkey.

he has a gateway so the router is built in. OP, if you go this route, make sure to turn the router feature off else you'll run into issues. there should be a way to disable it in the settings.

FFS buy your own modem and router!

i agree, they likely wouldn't do that, but it's entirely possible to do.

This and just clone the spectrum routers mac address if you're convinced they're really "blocking" wifi.
I think is right though.

>you'll run into issues

nah jut plug a cable from the main modem into a LAN port on your router and you will be fine

That is either A: their modem/router or B: yours and you bought the exact same model they use. Its either a Ubee 32cb or 36c.

If it is A: they can turn off the routing/wifi if you do not subscribe to the right level of service or pay the $4.95 and put the device in bridge mode. it will only act as a modem and only 1 ethernet port will be active (you will get conflicts if you have more than one port populated).

If it is B: first you are an idiot for buying the same shitty awg that they use. second, the account is probably coded wrong and you have the wifi opt out codes even on your own customer provided modem. since they are the same models the configuration files that they use on leased vs purchased devices are the same. they can just remove that code then you will have to factory reset it after that.

if you have this device from them and you have your own router: depending on if you had twc service and then transitioned to spectrum; or even for just whatever reason; the awg is now likely in bridge mode where prior to that it was in route mode. if your router is not connecting properly then you likely had them swapped so now your router needs to be in route instead of bride mode; or you have more than 1 ethernet port populated on their awg.

I don't think we pay for Wi-Fi... but I can believe it. They do some really stupid shit.

They finally support IPv6 where I live. My internet kept disconnecting every hour trying to renew a IPv6 address that didn't exist, and they had no idea what was wrong.

At least there's no data cap.

you CAN'T be this stupid. IF you tell them you have your own router, they will shut your wifi signal off from THEIR awg.

Can I show you how to tie you own shoes next?

>I use hostapd to use my pc as a hotspot
I'm thinking of doing that. What configuration are you using, bridged or routed? what distro? how does it work?

I wound up just using create_ap as found on the web. It works just like you want it to.

There is some funkiness about which wireless chips support which hosting modes, but just running the script made mine do what I wanted it to.

they aren't blocking wifi. they just don't know he wants to use his own router instead of theirs. Dickhead OP needs to tell them instead of bitching about fake news on Sup Forums.

This sounds like a retarded rule that only exists to steal money from tech illiterate old people. Use your own modem and router. There is no way for them to know if you are using wifi or not.

comcast does this too. if you get their bottom tier inter et only plan they disable the wifi on their modem. dumbest fucking thing ive ever experienced.

TWC / Spectrum is one of the most corrupt companies I've ever had to deal with. Just buy a $25 ASUS router off Amazon instead of paying for WiFi. They'll send you the same exact modem regardless. you'll save a little over $30 across a year

Okay, so let's clear the air here a bit... I am the OP.

When the company was Time Warner I chose the lease option on the Modem/Router combo, a Ubee something. I am in the armed forces and went on a 6 month deployment to the middle east. I cancelled my services but I forgot to return the modem/router and they fucked me by placing a collection on my credit report which I paid off while deployed because I didn't know what to do.

When I returned, the company had changed to Spectrum and I set up service with them which is when I learned about the WiFi fee.... but I told them I would use my own modem/router because I basically paid for it when I settled their credit dispute.

That's because it is BS. You get around it by cancelling service with Charter.

you mean switch?

>switched to cable after getting raped in the ass by SBC
>"just internet, no wi-fi. please"
>never told them about my other network hardware
>connect pc to modem to record its physical address on the TV network
>clone it to the router
>$45 (until promo expires) $65, still $20 less than my avg SBC DSL bill after overages
>win.

So this is really a thing in the US? I've never heard of something so preposterous. On what basis do they even do this? How can they charge you for something the equipment already does?

>pic related
pretty much

>charge extra for wi-fi
Holy shit this is why Hitler killed these guys

I would just call and complain, saying that I plugged it into my router, and tried plugging devices into the router via cat6 cable, and it didn't work.

I would stay on the line, saying it still wasn't working (nothing would be hooked up via ethernet cord, in fact) until they finally gave up and just allowed everything (at which point, my laptop would be able to connect via wifi).

Done and done. Remember how stupid the average person is, and how entitled they feel to shit, and you'll realize that most customer service reps will eventually allow everything instead of risking losing a customer. Better to lose 5 bucks per month allowing wifi for free than to lose 40 bucks per month because a tech illiterate retard can't figure out Charter's retarded rules.

As long as you are correct in the case that you actually bought the equipment/can prove it then they can technically fix it. They either still have it as a leased device or just have an erroneous wifi opt out code because sometimes that happens.

If you cant prove it and its still a leased device even if you dont pay for it it will NEVER work. Their system wont allow it you need either on or off code and on requires a charge.

Glad I live in Singapore... a literal merchant country which is paradoxically Judenfrei. We have free 100mbit internet as long as you're under a certain income bracket. Wifi is also free in most of the city.

Don't want to read the thread, I'll just suggest a solution.
Buy your own modem.
If not possible buy your own wireless router, then setup passthrough on the modem.
If not possible, cancel contract.

But you live in Singapore so it cancels out

This whole thread reeks of bullshit. First the op either doesn't know the difference between a wifi router and a modem or hes a troll. Because even if they block you, most wifi cards in PCs and laptops allow you to set up a Hotspot through your ethernet. They have no way of knowing that you are doing that unless they drive a car around. Your place with a WiFi sniffer.

This is pretty bullshit, how can they legaly charge you $5 a month to use a wifi connection that equipment you already OWN is capable of it? Im going to be pretty pissed if this happens in my area too.

haha, America

so if I have a linksys router set in AP only mode, which is connected to a switch connected to a pf sense box connected to my modem, am i really going to have to pay extra to connect to the AP? starting to get really sick of shit ISPs are pulling lately.

What the hell? You get charged for setting up Wi-Fi? In your own house? America never cease to amaze me.

>Sup Forums - Tech support for shitty American ISP clients

I'm gonna do this, thank you.
What do you say exactly?

tfw dmz my att gateway bullshit into my own router because they refuse to give me just a modem

Happened soon on every country, where i live in here i pay stb and modem rent.

As a Spectrum customer I've never heard, or gotten, any such notice.

North Carolina.

Why the hell do Americans hate/fear their government when it's large corporations that fuck them in the ass on a daily basis?
Same with the data caps. In Europe we have actual regulations that say that companies are not even allowed to have caps on home internet.
But America is the land of the free, where the very richest are free to fuck over the rest of the population I suppose?

We're going straight oligarchy over here, please stop us.