Toledo Uncappers Getting Shafted

Jacob writes "Broadband Reports has a well written article detailing the plight of those Ohio cable modem users who found themselves facing gun wielding FBI agents for uncapping their cable modems. Buckeye Cable has clearly crossed a line and the tech community and consumer groups should be all over them like a wet, angry rag. Kudos to Broadband Reports for not letting this thing die." Granted, those who were indicted were violating their service contracts, but having their posessions siezed by FBI agents is overkill.

Comments

Spinning bodies

[ryants]

There's been a sig going around, something to the effect of solving the world's energy problems if we could just harness the rotational energy coming from Orwell's grave.

I think we can add the Founding Fathers to that as well.

Re:*SIGH*

[FirewalkR]

r u mad??? The freakin' FBI in your house coz you uncapped your modem?? Sheesh! :|

Re:Isn't this America?

[macdaddy357]

Didn't you know that anyone who uses a computer is a terrorist?

Re:Astounding..

[Spazholio]

" I don't know maybe I sound juvenile but punishment for a virtual crime such as this seems like a total overkill..."

I dunno man...if that's juvenille, than I don't know if a word exists for what passes for conversation here sometimes....

Re:*SIGH*

[antis0c]

Exactly. Just like if I stole some twinkies from my local store so the police create a dragnet and shut down 12 city blocks.

Its called Excessive Force.

Re:Violating Service Contracts?

[hendridm]

> I'd be curious to know if the service contract mentions anything about modifying your system to increase bandwidth.

I don't think the FBI would show up unless they had a somewhat valid case. The ATF, maybe, but not the FBI.

Re:Seriously?

[Anonymous Coward]

here we get 1 Gbit/s for only ~$30,000/year :D

(cwru)

Re:Actually they were just being cheap.

[muertos]

Not necessary. Anyone with sufficient technical ability can set a CMTS to only accept a few possible QOS configurations. Apparently, no one at Buckeye had the wondrous skill called "literacy" or the amazing object called "the manual". Cheap don't factor into it, these techs are stone stupid.

Re:$11,000 for 2.5MBps

[Alarion]

And really, 16 hours times 2.5 MBps, thats... 144 GB. What's he transferring anyways? No home user can use that much bandwidth.

you don't look at porn, do you?

Re:The FBI

[outsider007]

...you have exactly 30 seconds to recap your modem and delete the porn from your hard drive.

stoners have it easy, how long does it take to flush a baggie down the toilet?

whatchoo gonna do when they come for you?

Re:Not Well thought out

[StrawberryFrog]

Well, next time you get caught speeding on the highway, I ask that you be executed on the spot. After all, it's called ILLEGAL.