A cable box is a two way device just like a modem. It recieves signals to decode and it also sends info back such as pay per view purchases etc. That two way communication is critical to it's functioning.
The cable company keeps track of every box and knows where it is supposed to be and if it is someplace else it will be shut off. It may take a day or two but it will happen.
A box from another sytem will not work first of all because it is not authorized in the new system and will not be activated second because every system has a different version of the software.
Cable companies won't authorize a box you bought on Ebay because the manufaturers do not sell cable boxes on the open market and any cable box you can buy on Ebay likely belongs to some cable company somewhere and the person selling it is trafficking stolen merchandise.
Let me ask you if some one was stealing from you would help them to enjoy what they stole from you or would you tell them to pound sand?

That is just stupid! If the FCC says you can use your own epuipment and you have 2 of the SAME model cable boxes (one that YOU bought and the the CABLE company rents you) and the one that the cable company rents you works, and you called the cabel comapny to set up the second one and it doesnt work, isn't that ILLEGAL? because its the same DAMN thing! Not some nock off that the say will not work. IT IS THE SAME THING AND THE CABLE COMPANY SAYS IT ISN'T, THAT'S A LIE AND ISN'T IT ILLEGAL UNDER THE FCC CABLE ACT?

It may be like cellular phones: even two of the same model phone (let's say Nokia 3560's) can have different frequency band chips (where the ESN resides, I think) and/or standards. A 3560 that works with Cingular may not work with Suncom, etc. It's a firmware thing.

Unlike the phone system (where each line has a wire pair back to the central office and any phone will work on the line it's plugged into), cable TV is sent on a single cable and split a few thousand times. It's the addressability that enables the cable co. to activate a box.

When the cable co. injects a command to activate/deactivate a box, all boxes on line receive the signal (like X-10 modules), but only the specified serial number (house/unit code) responds and operates. There used to be filters you could buy that blocked this signal.

The cable co. may be forced to allow you to use your own 'compatible' box, but they're apparently not obligated to provide you with one, or even make sure you can actually find one. Maybe there's a cable co./box-maker collusion class-action lawsuit brewing here.

This issue will resolve itself in the next five years. There will be a two way cable card standard and it will be available on every TV sold.
There will be a per set fee involved to cover service calls but that is no different than Direct TV charging a monthly autorization fee for each box in the house.

I dont know wuts wrong wit ur box but it aint because its in ur hse. I let my girlfriend borrow one of my boxes and it worked fine at her hse and she doesnt even have basic cable.

Well, good luck

EZ

It is correct that, while cable boxes can be prompted to transmit data back to the CC, they can not report physical location. Any "bullet" signal sent over the line is received by every box on the system. "Addressability" is what allows a single box to be controlled individually.

Again, like with a cellphone, each box has a unique identification address (known as the ESN (Electronic Serial Number) in a cellphone). This allows the CC to communicate with the box and control services like channel tiers, premium channels, and even the box operation.

A relocated box should work properly unless and until the CC has reason to disable it, such as discovering it's been illegally moved (to allow, say, two homes to share a single account) or if it's reported as being stolen. I imagine stolen ESN's are share among CC's to combat theft.

There may be no such thing as a legally-sold box if they're only sold to CC's. I recently bought two replacement cellphones, and I checked the ESN's with my provider to make sure they were compatible and not have any issues with activation.

Interesting discussions on cable boxes. Here is one for you to think about. I have my own modem for my high speed internet at my house. No rental fee. Had to give the cable company some numbers to get it to work. This is the best part: When at work and I have to download a large file that would take 45+ minutes on dial up, I can bring that modem with me, hook it up, download the file in seconds, and be done with it. Same cable company, same town, but about 3 miles from home.
KKM

Main difference is that they sell the modem, but lease the tuner.

That one modem works anywhere shows that cable internet is basivally one big network. In contrast, I bet my Cavalier DSL "modem" wouldn't work at another Cavalier-DSL-user's place, and I paid for it.

Larry,
You are more likely correct about that DSL modem.
KKM

The GI1234567890 number identifies the box, and your account, this box can be switched to another address in the same node, or hub. Outside of that area, usually a bigger town or series of smaller towns, the box will shut off.
You can own your own box- You must tell the cable company you posses one and they are required I BELIEVE to activate service.
As for illegal black digital box, the only correct way to get digital service is so underhanded it would cost the technician you stole it from about $180 and possibly his job for letting it get stolen from his truck.
These cable company supplied boxes come preprogrammed, if you were to place an analog filter on the ingoing f-81 connection(place you screw the cable going into the box) and turn the box on for the first time, the box can't send out the "hey I'm on signal" and you get 55+ channels of nothing on- except really awesome cable.
I don't condone this activity and have never tried it.

Sherrrrrrrr! (Jus' kiddin')

ef

Discussions of cable company DVRs on this site, as regards discrete codes, have had people telling us that cable box software or firmware can be specified, or is specified, by the local cable company. I suppose if your box does not have the firmware that they use, they can claim it's not compatible.

I suggest you go to handelonthelaw.com and look up an attorney who could write them a letter. This site was started by a smartass attorney who has a talk show mornings on KFI 640 in L.A., and gives "marginal legal advice and tells you that you have no case" on Saturday mornings. But the site has real attorneys. You should also do your homework to get as much quotable law as possible so the attorney won't be able to charge you for looking it up. But a letter from an attorney might just get their attention.

Oh, yeah, another thing -- you're a beginner here so you didn't know, but don't dredge up old threads and add to them. The old subject was either resolved or forgotten by those involved, and some newbies have irritated a lot of us by reviving old dead threads just to add minor comments. You obviously didn't do that here, but you might not get the reads you want just because people might skip over an old thread.

Your issue, though related to the old thread, deserves its own thread. It's too late now; starting a new thread would just be confusing. So, a word to the newly-wise.

mistake

$10 dollars I wish...... In Florence,SC it,s $21 dollars a month with time warner. You can,t use any box but theirs. They have a chip in them that lets them (TWC) that it is theirs and will only work with their signal. I am tired of getting goudged every month. I pay for the digital signal so we should be able to own our boxes. Don,t let them kid you they could do it but they are making an absolute killing...Satilite TV is not an option in my case so I guess if I want to play I have to pay. It will take the gov. to change this. But we all know that is a joke.