Chapter 18: Baseline Privacy Interface (BPI)
STANDARD Revision 1.0
C4® CMTS Release 8.3 User Guide
© 2016 ARRIS Enterprises LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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BPI+ Enforce
This feature enables operators using the C4/c CMTS to enforce a minimum required level of Baseline Privacy Interface (BPI)
encryption when cable modems are registering. It does not enhance the BPI+ standard, it defines what level of BPI
functionality a modem must have before the C4/c CMTS will permit it to register. BPI is a required level of Baseline Privacy
but the operator may choose BPI+.
BPI+
BPI (mandatory)
none
If the minimum required Baseline Privacy level is set to BPI+ then only modems that complete BPI+ authorization are
allowed to register. If the minimum required level is set to BPI, then modems that complete BPI or BPI+ authorization are
allowed to register. If the level is set to none, then there is no minimum requirement: modems of any level of Baseline
Privacy (BPI+, BPI, or no encryption at all) are allowed to register. Modems that fail to achieve BPI authorization when it is
mandatory are placed in the Denied state.
If minimum BPI level of
chassis is set to …
Then CMs that complete the following authorization are allowed
to register:
none
any
BPI
BPI or BPI+
BPI+
BPI+
One benefit of this feature, if BPI+ is chosen as the minimum required level, is the prevention of at least one kind of theft
of service. By setting the minimum required Baseline Privacy level to BPI+, modems are prevented from registering with
cloned MAC addresses. This is done by authenticating the modem before it is allowed to become operational.
Note: If BPI+ is required for CM configuration, then no DOCSIS 1.0 modems will be allowed to register because they are
incapable of BPI+.