UCI Housing Network and Cable TV Issues

Recently, Resnet installed a new version of CCA which does the Operating System detection quite differently than the old, brain-dead use of the User-Agent string.
I described some issues here.
I have now figured out when the detection is done in this version (a bit technical): The OS is determined during the SSL negotiation phase of the HTTPS login request.
I have a work-around for people who use my Perl script to log into CCA on Windows. I'll keep the exact work-around private for now, since I don't want Resnet personnel (who are known to read these pages) to dissect it already
So, shoot me an email (jfeise at feise dot com) if you want it.

My guess is that the receivers Resnet is using don't like heat all that much...
Currently, Channel 11 is out.

In the last couple of days, there have been a number of issues with CCA being reported. These issues all seem to be connected to the "software upgrades" Resnet performed on July 10.
These "upgrades" seem to be an update of the CCA database, indicating the user operating system. Interestingly, while they were able to update the database, Resnet apparently does not seem to be able to implement the recommendations from the Resnet Committee to provide an Opt-Out policy. That would just be another database field...
Also, the Resnet Committee recommended better involvement of UCI Housing residents. That hasn't happened, either. This change was implemented without any resident involvement.

A preliminary way to get around the issues resulting from the CCA update is to change the network card MAC address. This is easy on Unix-based platforms (using ifconfig), but requires a program on Windows. Here are some links to Windows MAC address-changing programs:
http://www.gorlani.com/publicprj/macmakeup/macmakeup.asp
http://www.codeproject.com/tools/MacIdChanger.asp
http://www.klcconsulting.net/smac/
I have personally used the last one, SMAC, and know that it works. Version 2 seems to be a free evaluation only, though, so I recommend the program from the first link.
After reboot, the computer would get a new IP address, and the well-known User-Agent spoofing I use in my logon script and which is explained in detail here works again.
It is not clear yet how long it works, though. I need more datapoints and experiences from users to determine that.
So let the emails coming...
(Of course, Resnet personnel, who I know are reading these pages, could just implement the recommendation from the Resnet Committee and the Resnet Survey to make CCA optional... That would keep them free to fix real network issues instead of their futile attempts to try and fix a fundamentally broken product...)

Apparently, the IP address for the UCI webserver has changed. Since my CCA login script tries to retrieve the main UCI webpage, I changed it to retrieve the webpage from the new IP address.

Since yesterday, all TV channels show a snowy picture.
And as usual, Resnet hasn't done anything about it. Since they probably don't monitor the signal quality (unlike professional Cable TV outlets,) they probably don't even know about it. The unprofessional, crappy work we unfortunately have come to expect from Resnet...

Update: I got an answer to my email complaint to Resnet:

We are aware of this issue and have notified the cabletv contractor. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.