The ability of the modem to grant access to customer premises equipment (CPE) devices is controlled by the "MAX CPE" field in the DOCSIS configuration file. The modem defaults to one MAX CPE address unless this option is set to a higher number. The valid MAX CPE address range is 1 to 3 or 1 to 254 (depending on the Cisco IOS release) for bridging operation.
It is also important to know the following:
The modem and Cisco IOS software release may have a lower CPE limit
The CMTS might enforce a lower CPE limit
The CPEs are not "aged out." Aged out means that after you connect a PC to a modem, the modem learns the PC's MAC address. This address counts as one CPE device. To delete this MAC address (CPE device), the modem MUST be turned off and powered back on to reset the MAC address (CPE device).
The following information is entered by the user to determine the maximum number of CPE devices connected to the cable network via the modem and to configure the modem with the MAC address for each CPE device.
Determines the maximum number of CPE devices that can use the modem to connect to the cable network. The default value is 1. The maximum number of CPE devices depends on the modem being configured. For non-Cisco modems, refer to the manufacturer's modem configuration documentation.
For the Cisco uBR924 cable modem, a maximum number of either 3 or 254 CPE devices are supported, depending on the Cisco IOS release.
Configures the modem with the MAC addresses for one or more CPE devices that are allowed to connect to the cable network. The CPE Ethernet MAC address is specified by the modem manufacturer.
Example:
00.10.7B.43.AA.3D <Return>
00.50.73.66.22.DD