Many people who have been involved with the more technical aspects of home computers have at least heard of things like cable modem "uncapping" or "hacking." Some may have even tried to do it once or twice. Before now there hasn't been a comprehensive guide to modifying cable modems -- just an array of tutorials and small programs scattered around the Internet. No Starch Press' Hacking the Cable Modem is an attempt to satisfy the documentation needs of cable modem hackers everywhere. Unfortunately, none of the information in this book is at all useful to people who aren't either designing cable modems or intending on executing the hacks, which even the author says will get you in trouble with either your ISP or the police.

Writing analysis

"DerEngel" is the author's handle; his real name is not given in the book, though there is a photograph of him on one of the last few pages. Apparently he lives in Taiwan, where he messes with cable modem hardware, firmware, and utilities, and was the original author of the first few cable modem hacking articles on the Web.

Hacking the Cable Modem is at times very interesting, at other times too heavy with technical details, and in the latter chapters often covers information that applies only to specific devices. The first several chapters, which deal with the history of cable modem hacking, an explanation of cable modem service and networks, and an overview of some popular cable modems, is very interesting. After that it takes a dramatic downhill turn. I thought the author's individual reviews of cable modems were terrible -- he seemed more interested in the cosmetics of cable modems (the color and design of the plastic case, how many LEDs it has and what they do, etc.) than the functionality they were capable of. I was also pretty disappointed in the lack of information on the modems that were covered. Considering how hackable routers are, I found it extremely disappointing that modern cable modems only had a few sporadic hacks available for them.

The book's discussion of software is limited to Microsoft Windows which, along with the author's bio in the back of the book in which he extols the virtues of Visual Basic and Microsoft's .NET platform, dramatically reduces DerEngel's credibility as a hacker, from my frame of reference. Microsoft Windows is the training wheels of desktop computing; if you're still riding around on it in this day and age, I question your ability to tell me how to me to do something technical with a PC. The same goes for Visual Basic -- it is not the preferred language of any credible computer hacker I have ever met.

Putting the book to the test

I did not put Hacking the Cable Modem to the test for several reasons. First of all, my cable modem (or anything remotely like it) is not mentioned in the book and none of the hacks listed were likely to work. Secondly, I've no problem paying extra money for more bandwidth and all of the ports that I need opened are open, so I don't have any inclination to hack my modem. Third, if I were to get caught hacking my cable modem and changing its settings for my benefit, I would certainly lose my Internet service, which means that my Web sites would be taken offline. Why would I want to risk that? The author tells a story in Hacking the Cable Modem in which someone he once knew uncapped his modem and subsequently had all of his computer equipment seized by the police. After a lengthy court battle, the man was out $1000 for a fine and more for whatever it cost him to hire a lawyer. Again I ask: Why would I want to risk that?

If you do decide to put these hacks into practice, you will be limited in your choice of modems and will likely have to do some soldering and/or some disassembly of the modem to modify its hardware. This is not a book for people who lack a history of disassembling electronic devices (or rather, successfully re-assembling them).

Conclusions

There is virtually nothing useful in this book that you can put into practice without risking some sort of punishment. DerEngel himself makes that very clear. There are many book ideas that sound like they encourage illegal activity but could be used for good purposes. For instance a book on how to break into a home would be very useful for improving home security. A book on how to cheat on your taxes would be a helpful tool for IRS auditors and ethically-minded accountants. But what about a book on hacking a cable modem? If you can't legally use the hacks in such a book, then to whom is it useful? People who design cable modems, perhaps, but who else? I can't really think of anyone, myself, so I can't really recommend this book to anyone. It is interesting from a technical standpoint, but the information it contains is practically useless to the majority of PC users.

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Copyright 2006 Jem Matzan.