Warning: The practice of modifying a cable modem violates service agreements, and hackers risk being banned for life by service providers. This book is not intended to be used for stealing Internet service or any other illegal activity.

In the beginning there was dialup, and it was slow; then came broadband in the form of cable, which redefined how we access the Internet, share information, and communicate with each other online. Hacking the Cable Modem goes inside the device that makes Internet via cable possible and, along the way, reveals secrets of many popular cable modems, including products from Motorola, RCA, Scientific Atlanta, D-Link, and more.

Written for people at all skill levels, the book features step-by-step tutorials with easy-to-follow diagrams, source code examples, hardware schematics, links to software (exclusive to this book!), and previously unreleased cable modem hacks. Many of the files and applications discussed in this book are also available exclusively at www.tcniso.net/Nav/NoStarch.

Profiled by SecurityFocus, TechTV, and the Register, DerEngel has been hailed as "the underground Prometheus of super-broadband." Since he started hacking cable modems five years ago, he has written several programs to simplify and streamline the uncapping process. He currently heads TCNISO INC., a group of hackers that has revolutionized reverse engineering techniques and produces leading-edge firmware modifications.

Inside Hacking the Cable Modem, you'll learn:

• The history of cable modem hacking
• How a cable modem works
• The importance of firmware (including multiple ways to install new firmware)
• How to unblock network ports and unlock hidden features
• How to hack and modify your cable modem
• What uncapping is and how it allows cable modems to upload and download faster