Availability Issues with Cable Modems?

[bhall 115]

Hello All,

 

Will be visiting the fort for the first time ever on March 2nd until the 7th.  This will be our 2nd trip to WDW though where we stayed at the Pop Century Resort back in 2007 :flush2:

After reading several thread on a few forums about the cable modems, I'm starting to get worried as this is going to be a working vacation for me.  I can have time off from the day job (in fact my boss will be at WDW the same week.  It's much easier if we take off the same time) however, for my evening job it's much harder to take off as I'm the only one fully trained for it other then my supervisor who works a 9 hour day.  With that being said because it's for a financial institution, I CANNOT use wireless and must use a secured LAN Cat 5/6 connection.  The laptop is encrypted and the usb ports will not allow a USB wireless adapter.  So, there's no way around it, if I want to travel, I have to find places where I can use a network jack.  Makes vacations, let alone camping very hard to schedule. 

 

Has anyone here ran into any difficulites with the availibilty of modems?  I've been ensured twice that they have that request on my reservation but I'm not holding my breath.  I need to be able to work most definitely on Tues-Thur. as my Supervisor will not be able to cover for me.  He's on call to work Monday if I can't get set up in time (9 PM to 1 am) but doesn't really want to as he starts work at 8 am the next morning picking up the processes where I left off  I already have Friday scheduled off from awhile back ago.

 

So, will I be ok or just being a worry wort.  (Difficulty:  The financial institution will not be able to function in the morning for several hours if I don't do my job)

 

Thanks,
Bob

[Travisma 1,317]

No guarantees that they will be available. Best bet is as soon as you arrive head over to the meadow trading post and attempt to get one. Do it before you set up.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Yep, I would get yourself over to the trading post as early as you can on Monday. A Monday morning IS a higher likelihood of availability than a Friday night. ooooor if there is anyway you can stretch your reservation to arrive Sunday instead of Monday, there are lots of checkouts on Sundays

[BigTom 76]

Arriving on a Monday you should have no problems getting a kit. The only time I have had a problem is on busy holiday weekends. Monday is usually a slow day. Go when you first get there Meadows Trading Post is where you get them.

[tim5055 120]

I haven't heard anyone talk about it in a while, but do they still have the "internet cafe" at the reception outpost?  Once upon a tine you could go there and find multiple places to plug in a laptop and have internet access.

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

I haven't heard anyone talk about it in a while, but do they still have the "internet cafe" at the reception outpost?  Once upon a tine you could go there and find multiple places to plug in a laptop and have internet access.

It's WIFI in the lobby.The same applies to TE porch Meadows TP and at the pool. Some sites in 600 pickup the TP signal and in 100 and 1000 some of the sites are able to connect to the cabins.

[tim5055 120]

It's WIFI in the lobby.The same applies to TE porch Meadows TP and at the pool. Some sites in 600 pickup the TP signal and in 100 and 1000 some of the sites are able to connect to the cabins.

They did away with the room with the cat 5 jacks?

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

They did away with the room with the cat 5 jacks?

Yes, as I understand it is now used by CM's.

[tim5055 120]

Yes, as I understand it is now used by CM's.

So sad....

 

I seem to also remember one cat five jack for guests in the lobby also - I wonder if that is still there, just unused.....

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

So sad....

 

I seem to also remember one cat five jack for guests in the lobby also - I wonder if that is still there, just unused.....

Still there, but I was told it's been disconnected. I've never tried it though and the lobby has Wi-Fi so that's what everybody is using.

[tim5055 120]

Still there, but I was told it's been disconnected. I've never tried it though and the lobby has Wi-Fi so that's what everybody is using.

Yea, but like bhall, my wife is not allowed to use WiFi for work.  As a matter of fact on all her work devices any RF (WiFFi, Bluetooth ect.) are disabled and are not accessible to the user.

 

I wonder if you could bring your own cable modem?  You can pick up a new one for less than $50 and a used one can be had for pennies.....  Heck, I probably have one in a drawer already from an old house.

[Travisma 1,317]

Yea, but like bhall, my wife is not allowed to use WiFi for work.  As a matter of fact on all her work devices any RF (WiFFi, Bluetooth ect.) are disabled and are not accessible to the user.

 

I wonder if you could bring your own cable modem?  You can pick up a new one for less than $50 and a used one can be had for pennies.....  Heck, I probably have one in a drawer already from an old house.

From what I've read in past blogs, no you can't use your own.

 

Their network and modems are set up to see each other and will block other modems.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I wonder if you could bring your own cable modem?  You can pick up a new one for less than $50 and a used one can be had for pennies.....  Heck, I probably have one in a drawer already from an old house.

 

All the info I've seen is that you have to use Disney's modems as they're programmed (not sure if that's the right word) to their system.

[Memphis 105]

As a last resort you could try the business center at the Contemporary. Surely they have had no wifi use come up before.

[bhall 115]

As a last resort you could try the business center at the Contemporary. Surely they have had no wifi use come up before.

Thanks for all the replies.

Like TIm's wife, my laptop has had all of the fun stuff disabled in the bios of the laptop and I am unable to re-enable it due to not knowing the bios password.  I'm also not authorized to use Satellite Internet either.  So, there is no chance of using wifi....ever.....  Also, my work hours of 9 pm to 1 am or later make it harder to find accommodations as well.

[1700SunnyLn 3]

I'm being lazy and copied this from my unfinished "the turkey diaries" trip report.

"Back at the trailer. Before I forget I should report on how I am reporting! We brought along our own route and cables. We brought our old Apple airport and am happily sitting behind the camper well reporting! So you can bring your own stuff. We tried it last year too but didn't bring cable so just used all Disney stuff in the box. This year we made sure to bring it all. So the pup cam runs while we are out and about on property. If I leave property for say groceries we load everyone in. I worry enough while here if we go farther than the Magic circle than I just sit in the car with them. "

So we brought our own cable modem, wifi router and co-ax cable thingy. For us it was to use for checking the dogs while we were at the park. We watched Netflix and posted on the Fiends. No problem.

We left it all in the camper for next time.

This was Nov2014. Hope you have a wonderful trip! With very little time spent having to work ;-). I had to work on our Disney Oct2013 trip. Yuck. So I understand the need to have guaranteed access while at the Fort. Between the dogs camera and work. I had to be sure we had Internet.

[Memphis 105]

So we brought our own cable modem, wifi router and co-ax cable thingy. For us it was to use for checking the dogs while we were at the park. We watched Netflix and posted on the Fiends. No problem.

 

So you did not need any equipment From Disney?   What kind of Cable Modem did you use?  I would love to not have to use Disney's equipment. It's a pain to have to go get it and repackage everything and return especially on weekend trips.  

[1700SunnyLn 3]

It doesn't matter for cable modem (hubby says doesn't matter for any of the items) In 2013 we brought along our WOW cable modem, whatever the WOW cable company gave us. It was our home unit and it worked fine. But we had already got the Disney box and I didn't want to use a bit of theirs and a bit of ours. So put ours modem away.

This trip we used a Motorola modem that we bought based on price only. LOL. Brought coax cable and our own (ancient) Apple wifi and it all worked fine. Ray did have issues with his iPad connecting to our wifi while sitting behind the camper but I never did. Inside we used his iPad to watch Netflix with no issues.

Diane

[Cyclonic 55]

Good info.  Next year I'll bring my own and give it a try.  It took about a day to get one on this trip, and besides, I would rather use my own equipment.

 

I was thinking about it and why they don't have more units.  I wonder if it is because of the way cable internet works.  I noticed that it seemed very slow, even with my netbook plugged directly into the modem.  With cable internet, the more modems on the line per hub, the less speed there is.  They probably have a limited number of modems because if every site had a modem the internet would become pretty much unusable.

 

Just more reason to get dedicated wifi out to the loops.

[bhall 115]

Yes, as I understand it is now used by CM's.

 

Hi neighbor!  I like your choice in trucks :)

Anyway, Arrived here later then I wanted to  on the 2nd.  Bad weather and dealing with with a headcold from PA cold temps/winds made a miserable two day trip.  After setting up the camper and settling the dogs and picking up pizza from the settlement (Yum) I was able to hook up the cable modem.  Only to find out it didn't work.  I even swapped out al the cables with what I had brought along and still nada.  So called  what sounded like India and they told me to swap out the kit, so I pack it all back up and run it back to the trading post and get another one.  Hook the replacement up and this one doesn't work either and this time the tv is fuzzy.  So, traced the fuzzy tv to a bad coax before the splitter, then found a bad cat 5 in the kit as to why no internet.  So, 10:30 PM comes around and I'm finally able to work.  Two hours later and it starts to flake out again and the internet signal was intermittent and then by 1 AM was down.  So, I had to call and wake my supervisor up and let him know that I couldn't finish my work due to no internet.  He was not happy.  Fortunately tonight I was able to get everything done without any issues.  I did bring along my own new wireless router so my wife could use her laptop and I could use my day job's laptop while leaving the bank laptop jacked in.  Hopefully Wednesday's work session is trouble free as well..

 

Bob

[Travisma 1,317]

Hi neighbor!  I like your choice in trucks :)

Anyway, Arrived here later then I wanted to  on the 2nd.  Bad weather and dealing with with a headcold from PA cold temps/winds made a miserable two day trip.  After setting up the camper and settling the dogs and picking up pizza from the settlement (Yum) I was able to hook up the cable modem.  Only to find out it didn't work.  I even swapped out al the cables with what I had brought along and still nada.  So called  what sounded like India and they told me to swap out the kit, so I pack it all back up and run it back to the trading post and get another one.  Hook the replacement up and this one doesn't work either and this time the tv is fuzzy.  So, traced the fuzzy tv to a bad coax before the splitter, then found a bad cat 5 in the kit as to why no internet.  So, 10:30 PM comes around and I'm finally able to work.  Two hours later and it starts to flake out again and the internet signal was intermittent and then by 1 AM was down.  So, I had to call and wake my supervisor up and let him know that I couldn't finish my work due to no internet.  He was not happy.  Fortunately tonight I was able to get everything done without any issues.  I did bring along my own new wireless router so my wife could use her laptop and I could use my day job's laptop while leaving the bank laptop jacked in.  Hopefully Wednesday's work session is trouble free as well..

 

Bob

I guess we lucked out when we got the modem.

 

Everything worked the first time.

 

I can imagine those parts go thru he** and they probably aren't tested before they are sent back out.

 

Glad you got connected.

[bhall 115]

The one lady did tell me that if they don't know about a problem, then they just get put back in rotation.  She also complimented on my packing skills.  She said she wished everybody else put everything back in the bag like I did.  That's just my IT background I guess.  I do intend to tell them that this current kit has a bad coax and cat 5 cable so hopefully that will be fixed for the next person.  I'm not a big Linksys fan but those cable modems are virtually bulletproof and reliable.  That is when they're hooked up and left alone.  Being hooked up, disconnected and tossed about on a weekly basis is not good for them.

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

Glad you made it safe and got things working OK

[Travisma 1,317]

The one lady did tell me that if they don't know about a problem, then they just get put back in rotation.  She also complimented on my packing skills.  She said she wished everybody else put everything back in the bag like I did.  That's just my IT background I guess.  I do intend to tell them that this current kit has a bad coax and cat 5 cable so hopefully that will be fixed for the next person.  I'm not a big Linksys fan but those cable modems are virtually bulletproof and reliable.  That is when they're hooked up and left alone.  Being hooked up, disconnected and tossed about on a weekly basis is not good for them.

They run pretty hot also. I had the modem and my wireless router in the storage bin under my dinette seat and I had to leave it propped open.

[rcarpe06 4]

I'm being lazy and copied this from my unfinished "the turkey diaries" trip report.

"Back at the trailer. Before I forget I should report on how I am reporting! We brought along our own route and cables. We brought our old Apple airport and am happily sitting behind the camper well reporting! So you can bring your own stuff. We tried it last year too but didn't bring cable so just used all Disney stuff in the box. This year we made sure to bring it all. So the pup cam runs while we are out and about on property. If I leave property for say groceries we load everyone in. I worry enough while here if we go farther than the Magic circle than I just sit in the car with them. "

So we brought our own cable modem, wifi router and co-ax cable thingy. For us it was to use for checking the dogs while we were at the park. We watched Netflix and posted on the Fiends. No problem.

We left it all in the camper for next time.

This was Nov2014. Hope you have a wonderful trip! With very little time spent having to work ;-). I had to work on our Disney Oct2013 trip. Yuck. So I understand the need to have guaranteed access while at the Fort. Between the dogs camera and work. I had to be sure we had Internet.

 

I'm just curious.  Typically with Broadband Cable Internet, the cable modems are registered with their MAC Address to the ISP.  Without this registration, the modem only receives the signal but can't read the encryption, thus no Internet access.  The Motorola modem you purchased, was it new from the store and never used?  You just plugged it in and gained access without calling anyone for any type of MAC Address registration?

 

Has anyone else tried this and able to confirm that it works automatically and with various brands of cable modems?

 

It would be a nice time saver if we can just bring our own modem.