[jlogajan]

THey can't turn basic cable off and have cable modem work...

They can and they often do. They put either a pass filter or a stop filter out at the box on your line.

[HamiltonJay]

Well they don't around here, basic cable isn't blocked with cable mode... first 13 or 21 channels work without any problem if you get a cable modem without paying a dime more.