View Full Version : COMCAST Info
Skywalker
10-12-2015, 14:22
Just thought some of you may be experiencing or have experienced problems that this may cover.
Just took a walk with Odin "my dog". Hot spots everywhere from COMCRAP. People not knowing any better are suddenly having router problems..... Not to worry, we will send a tech or bring it in for a new one. Never told the new one will be broadcasting for their wifi hotspot at our expense. My neighbors directly across the street, just went through this "supposedly broken router -- not end of life either" and I'm seeing their wifi hot spot. You can search for xfinity hot spot and plug in your 80922 and see private and business addresses for hot spot areas. As I walked and listened to Pandora I would pick up wifi hot spots and it actually would interrupt my 4G connection as it connected or tried to connect to said hot spot. I now have to turn off my wifi to stop the Pandora app from stopping due to the interruption. Now, we want to know what COMCRAP was running the neighborhood these past two weeks pretending to have problems? Even bombarding my router with maintenance request that locked up my router. Pushing firmware is what it's called until I explained I understand they are pushing to me, either to kill my modem in hopes I come get a rental so I can pay to expand their wifi hot spot they are cramming down the throats of unsuspecting paying customers. As well, I have lost speed. No doubt! But hey, its an up to speed advertisement. So, I guess if your pulling 1kb per second their providing a service per contract. Please share this with peeps as most do not know the truth. Their routers are turned on even if you don't want it. Security concern? Not at my house!
http://mobile.pcmag.com/opinions/45533-4-concerns-about-comcasts-xfinity-wi-fi-hotspot-rollout?origref
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2476444/mobile-security-comcast-xfinity-wifi-just-say-no.html
You can request they disable WiFi on the Comcast modem/router. This is what I did because I didn't want to secure and manage it. The "hot spot" went away as well. Although I see my neighbor's!
I have my own WiFi router which I use to connect devices (wired too).
The only service interruptions I have is when it's 100% down. In the last 3-5 years that has always been someone cutting a line (not on my property).
Skywalker
10-12-2015, 14:35
From what I have read, they will push firmware and turn it back on. I hope that is not true. Thanks for your inputs.
You can request they disable WiFi on the Comcast modem/router. This is what I did because I didn't want to secure and manage it. The "hot spot" went away as well. Although I see my neighbor's!
I have my own WiFi router which I use to connect devices (wired too).
The only service interruptions I have is when it's 100% down. In the last 3-5 years that has always been someone cutting a line (not on my property).
I'm having that issue. Everywhere I go it tries to connect with xfinitywifi
Sent by a free-range electronic weasel, with no sense of personal space.
Also having that problem. Pandora us unusable on WiFi right now.
Slowly taking over the world... get used to it.
I really don't know what I just read. If you are going to rant it has to be coherent english.
USMC88-93
10-12-2015, 15:09
The only devices that have the Xfinity hotspot are the newer and devices that have dual band capability (but not all of them).
From those devices you have:
1. A private subscriber 2.4Ghz network that you can personalize with a name and a private password (as well as choose the level and type of security you want on it)
2. a private subscriber 5.0Ghz network that you can personalize with an name and a private password (as well as choose the level and type of security you want on it)
3. a completely separate public WIFI network that you can in fact choose to have disabled. This network has its own antenna and in no way can gain access or cause a security concern for the private subscriber networks broadcasting from their own antennas on the router.
There are in some cases a lot of networks in the immediate vicinity of each other (Apartment complexes and town-homes etc..) In this instance sometimes you have multiple networks broadcasting on the same channel (Same frequency band) You can in this instance if you are experiencing degraded WIFI change the channel that the router is broadcasting on within the routers settings.) This is normally set so the router chooses its own channel.
There are cases that when new firmware is pushed to devices that the devices either become inoperable or degraded in some manner due to the firmware not being properly accepted by the device.
All devices these days have some sort of firmware or base operating system that is updated on some regular schedule. Even your television these days checks for updates when a network connection is present.
It is not some sort of nefarious effort on Comcast part to screw with you or your equipment. There is also a good percentage of equipment in subscriber homes that has come to the end of its service life (DOCSIS 2.0 modems are a good example of this) in those cases specifically if a customer has refused repeated attempts by the company to have the equipment swapped out the modem may be turned off to encourage them to schedule a service call but only after repeated efforts to swap the device are made with the customer.
If your devices repeated attempts to connect to an Xfinity hotspot around town are becoming bothersome than you need to forget or delete the network in your devices memorized network list. Or just turn off WIFI unless you need to use it, it is just that simple, if you then need access to the network at some point you just need to reconnect and enter a password and have it not memorize or store a password for Xfinity WIFI
Also related to your personal residence you can also either get into the devices settings or call in to request that the device be put into "Bridge Mode" in which case only one of the four ethernet ports on the back of the device will be active and you can plug in your own personally owned router with your own personal security and management settings. In this case the Comcast router then becomes a simple modem with one output available to output to customer owned devices and the wireless is totally disabled both public and private networks)
In a nutshell what you are complaining about is the new normal from all providers and if you are strolling around your neighborhood or anywhere else for that matter and you do not want your device to connect to available WIFI networks either turn off your WIFI or look through your memorized network list and delete those networks from that list that you do not want to connect to when they are in range. This will provide you with the added benefit of extending your mobile devices battery life. It is not a "problem" that you might have to turn off your WIFI when out and about in fact your carrier probably explains such issues within the 10,000 pages of contractual nonsense and recommends you turn off WIFI on your device when not in use to conserve battery life
You are going through a technological revolution where providers are creating infrastructure for WIFI Anywere and it is not something isolated to Comcast. Terrestrial phone and power companies, cellular, cable, and satellite companies are all trying to predict the future and survive in a wireless world. There is only more of this type of type of stuff to come that will undoubtedly cause the same presumption of some evil intent on the public's part.
I must add that I took a different route to solve my issues with a public WIFI network being available from a device in my home. I use a Comcast provided modem but own and mange my own wireless router. It would in my eyes be stupid to do it any other way, as I can choose my own router with the price point and features I want (They sell anywhere from $50 to $300 dollars) and I can manage the security and access features in the manner I wish (anywhere from an open network to the most modern security protocol). Solve your issue quick and easy in this manner.
cfortune
10-12-2015, 15:16
I really don't know what I just read. If you are going to rant it has to be coherent english.
lol agreed.
Aloha_Shooter
10-12-2015, 15:45
My reliable D-Link 802.11gn router suddenly started having problems with dropouts a month or two ago. It's had occasional dropouts in the past but now seems to have them every 20 minutes or so. Xfinity made me replace the old cable modem (Them: "it's end-of-life" Me: "Really? Usually electronics like this die in the first year if at all.") with a new gateway. Didn't like it but I got a slight reduction in my rate and some compensation for the week I had to spend using my phone to get Internet access. I also got a set top box that I told them in advance I have no use for. Maybe I can get a cheap TV for the garage (if I ever get the other clutter cleared out enough to put a TV in!) and start actually working on guns and cars in the garage ...
Personally, I think all their new gateways are creating interference for my home wifi. I tried putting the gateway in bridge mode and it didn't work. I saw no options in the gateway configuration to turn off the public wifi network as USMC88-93 states. OTOH, I can now get "free" xfinitywifi all over the darn city.
USMC88-93
10-12-2015, 15:54
My reliable D-Link 802.11gn router suddenly started having problems with dropouts a month or two ago.
If those drop outs were also occurring on a wired connection meaning a computer accessing the internet via Ethernet off the device and occurring on wireless than the problem is more likely to be the modem or a signal issue into the home. If your problem was only wireless with bad connectivity and your wired connection was fine than the issue is more likely to be a wireless issue with your router. Though as always there are 10,000 possible solutions to any one problem the issue is figuring out the 1 in 10,000 possibility and fixing it
From what I have read, they will push firmware and turn it back on. I hope that is not true. Thanks for your inputs.
For the whole time I've had this new Motorola combo modem/router it has remained off. The WiFi light on the front is off. It sits ~5 feet from my desktop. The only strong WiFi I have is my router (which has it's own SSID). I do check every so often just to make sure.
There is no customer access to disable public WiFi from the modem. Has to be done from your online account. Even if I were to login to your modem and turn it off with admin access, the online account setting supercedes it.
Skywalker
10-12-2015, 16:22
Wasn't a rant. Just info. Always can tell the COMCAST reps. After 27 years of IT and lead IT for the USAF....... this is a security concern. If folks don't understand what they read then don't worry about it. Just some of us will and I see a few of you do already. Lot of reading for sure, but all the "this is normal and it's fine is covered in the very lengthy link". My setup is my own equipment. Their firmware pushes is maintenance broadcast or firmware pushes. Either trying to kill my owned cable modem or just not configured to push to their equipment only. My three routers work in conjunction with my server and are secured...... but then nothing is really secured.
Explain "security concern"
cfortune
10-12-2015, 16:45
Explain "security concern"
That's kind of where I'm at. I run my own equipment because I choose to have control over it. Guest networks are often a security concern if proper controls aren't in place to deny traffic to your LAN or sniffing on the outgoing WAN interface (then again, why would you be sending information that you care about to the internet without encryption?). I'm guessing Comcast has covered their asses with this. It's probably isolated to its own L2/L3 domain with its own NAT rules in place. That way someone using your public hot spot doesn't get you in trouble for torrents, DDoS, etc.
Would I sign up for it? No. Not because I'd be worried about intrusion but because I don't want to share my bandwidth with strangers. I'd like to think your service is over provisioned in the event you participate and QoS is preventing you from losing any of the bandwidth you're "subscribed" to. I can't say for sure though. Fire it up with some iperf running and find out.
I don't work for Comcast but I understand the technology enough to understand how they could do it in a safe, non intrusive manner.
Aloha_Shooter
10-12-2015, 16:46
Explain "security concern"
A wifi connection exists that we have no control over exists through a piece of equipment which is intimately tied to our own home network and numerous devices that probably have PII and other sensitive information. Are you ABSOLUTELY certain there's no way for someone to tunnel in from the public to the private network? Willing to indemnify every single Comcast customer for potential losses from such an event?
When it was a non-broadcasting cable modem, I and only I determined access from the modem to my equipment. I can't say that now -- if you don't think that's a security concern, I have some ocean front property in Arizona I'd like to talk to you about ...
Skywalker
10-12-2015, 16:50
Exactly. pg2............ http://www.computerworld.com/article/2476444/mobile-security-comcast-xfinity-wifi-just-say-no.html
A wifi connection exists that we have no control over exists through a piece of equipment which is intimately tied to our own home network and numerous devices that probably have PII and other sensitive information. Are you ABSOLUTELY certain there's no way for someone to tunnel in from the public to the private network? Willing to indemnify every single Comcast customer for potential losses from such an event?
When it was a non-broadcasting cable modem, I and only I determined access from the modem to my equipment. I can't say that now -- if you don't think that's a security concern, I have some ocean front property in Arizona I'd like to talk to you about ...
USMC88-93
10-12-2015, 17:20
I guess my only reply is those with that kind of deeply held concern are better served by purchasing their own modem and router as the only thing that the cable company would then have control of is the boot file on the router to place the device in the correct speed tier for the account.
I am not here to defend Comcast nor do I want to color them anything other than the giant corporate entity they are, I am just suggesting that there is nothing sinister in their motives. And those smart enough the realize on some root base level there might be some security concern are also those that protect themselves from those concerns. (purchase, set up, and maintain their own devices and access to them).
I was more concerned with activity being related to my IP than anything else. Yes, Comcast says they differentiate devices/users but I don't trust that and have no log of users.
I always thought my phone lasted longer connected to wifi. Is that not the case?
trlcavscout
10-12-2015, 21:29
I always thought my phone lasted longer connected to wifi. Is that not the case?
it will as it's usually not working as hard to maintain a connection similar to batteries in wireless devices like home alarm sensors.
So when you connect to the "xfinitywifi" connection how do you know which gateway you are connecting to? It could be any gateway within reasonable distance or one of the mainline mounted units which are not tied to any account. The speeds on the public wifi are capped and do not cause speed issues with the private side hard wired or wireless unless you are running 802.11n still or really have that much interference on the 802.11ac 5ghz. But with the 150mb service I can still pull 170-180 meg wirelessly with "quality" end user devices. I like having wifi to connect to to save my data usage when out shopping so I am not complaining. I also don't have any more concerns over security using their wifi then I do using anyone else's wifi.
spongejosh
10-13-2015, 02:53
1. Log into customer.xfinity.com
2. At the top of the screen click "My Account"
3. Under "My Account" click "My Services"
4. The screen will show you an overview tab with the services you pay for. Locate "Xfinity Internet in the middle of the page and click "Manage" under it.
5. This puts you on the Internet tab. The bottom icon of the 5 shown in the middle of the screen says "Manage your home hotspot" Click that.
6. This page has 2 options, Enable and Disable. Click disable then click the save button at the bottom of the screen. Wait for the page to refresh.
Congratulations! You've just disabled the Xfinity hotspot on your modem.
Three steps towards minimizing your dependence on dealing with Comcast customer service:
1. Buy your own modem (Motorola DOCSIS 3.0 is all you need to know. Buy the cheapest one you can find)
2. Buy your own wireless router
3. Learn to optimize your router including security
trlcavscout
10-13-2015, 18:50
if you don't have phone service buy your own modem and router. Buy a Docsis 3 modem with at least 16 downstream channels and a good 802.11ac router. The speed package you are on will determine your need for down stream channels but as speeds increase the lower end modems will become inadequate sooner. If you are in a house with less wireless interference in the area you can get by with an older router but it's rare to get full wireless speeds on 802.11n anymore. I run 2 Cisco 802.11n AP's (basement and 2nd floor) and it works great but I have very little interference here, the newer neighbor hoods and apartment buildings are more of a challenge. I also have DSL so in reality I could get my full speed on an 802.11b router, but like everyone else with a wife and kids now days we have wireless devices everywhere. I have 12 down on every device everywhere in the house haha!
if you don't have phone service buy your own modem and router. Buy a Docsis 3 modem with at least 16 downstream channels and a good 802.11ac router. The speed package you are on will determine your need for down stream channels but as speeds increase the lower end modems will become inadequate sooner. If you are in a house with less wireless interference in the area you can get by with an older router but it's rare to get full wireless speeds on 802.11n anymore. I run 2 Cisco 802.11n AP's (basement and 2nd floor) and it works great but I have very little interference here, the newer neighbor hoods and apartment buildings are more of a challenge. I also have DSL so in reality I could get my full speed on an 802.11b router, but like everyone else with a wife and kids now days we have wireless devices everywhere. I have 12 down on every device everywhere in the house haha!
At least 16 down channels? Why the hell does anyone need that? A single down channel on DOCSIS 3.0 is capable of 43MBps. The minimum for DOCSIS 3.0 modems is 4 bonded channels up and 4 bonded channels down. 4 bonded channels down are capable of 171.52Mbit/s (152 after overhead) & 4 bonded channels up are capable of 122.88 (108 overhead) so why would anyone need more than that for the foreseeable future? Suggesting 16 as a minimum seems like an especially odd baseline since 16 bonded downstream channels is capable of in excess of 600Mbit/s and ain't nobody getting anywhere near that around these parts anytime soon. Even if someone offered Gig service (keep dreaming) here you would have a modem that isn't capable of the speeds you'd be paying for so you didn't really even future-proof yourself. I've seen 4/4ch modems for around $50 on sale or refub'd. 16 channel down modems are quite a bit more expensive so IMO you're paying for tech you can't use and odds are good you won't be able to use it before the modem craps out. DOCSIS 3.0 (of any variety) can do 152Mbit/s down which will exceed easily any plans available to us around here.
How many people here even have plans that will do that? Most people might have 50MBps and in some rare instances where the network allows some may see just over 100MBps (and assuming people justify the additional price tag). Just over 100Mbit/s is what I have and any DOCSIS 3.0 modem can handle that nearly x2. Don't overpay for bonded channels because those modems are the newer/more expensive and you likely have an option to utilize that many channels before the modem craps out. No need to pay extra. Buy cheap right now and when the almighty ISPs decide to allow us higher speeds (Google Fiber isn't breathing down on them in this area so don't hold your breath anytime soon) worry about upgrading once those modems are cheap and you decide you need the speed. We waited decades for speeds we have now so I wouldn't plan on it skyrocketing anything soon however.
Don't confuse a modem's # of bonded channels with how many simultaneous connections one can have on their network because that's all router stuff, not modem stuff. The modem just brings connection. The channels are about how much of that connection it can bring to the network at once. The router will determine how many clients get to talk to the outside world and how quickly (via Qos roles).
I also wouldn't suggest that the average home owner rush out and buy an AC router for reasons that would require paragraphs more explanation here. Do some digging and pay special attention to all the negatives. IMO they far outweigh the positives and not the least of which is price compared to non-AC router options. Just getting something with multiple radios & both 2.4Ghz & 5Ghz will be more than plenty for most homes since they likely don't even have 5Ghz devices yet unless they recently bought a new smartphone or laptop/tablet. Using two AC AP's in a home setting is just asking for performance/interference trouble. I'm sure you're more adept at handling that than the average user but again, it's risk v reward for most personal networks. In short, I'm sure you know you could get those speeds with a lot less hardware.
When it comes to modems, just buy the cheapest that will get your your speeds right now because it's likely you'll have that speed for a long... long... long time. If by some miracle your ISP offers faster speeds down the roads go buy a lottery ticket and then get a modem capable of that speed because it will likely be so many years down the road that that same modem now can be had for $50.
I'm sure you know a lot of what I said but this was more for the casual reader wondering what modem/router to get to limit the BS they deal with from Comcast.
Great-Kazoo
10-14-2015, 10:08
I'm sure you know a lot of what I said but this was more for the casual reader wondering what modem/router to get to limit the BS they deal with from Comcast.
I like probably 1/2 the board had no clue what you or trav posted.
I'm sure you know a lot of what I said but this was more for the casual reader wondering what modem/router to get to limit the BS they deal with from Comcast.
I like probably 1/2 the board had no clue what you or trav posted.
Refer to post #25. That's why I kept it real simple. Buy the cheapest DOCSIS 3.0 modem manufactured by Motorola (theirs are more reliable and will last years w/o issue) and you'll be just fine for years to come and light years ahead of the average Comcast customer.
PugnacAutMortem
10-14-2015, 11:10
Jer, thank you for all of the information in this thread. I literally was looking at buying a modem and router as I found this thread and your info saved me from buying items that I absolutely didn't need. [rockon]
Jer, thank you for all of the information in this thread. I literally was looking at buying a modem and router as I found this thread and your info saved me from buying items that I absolutely didn't need. [rockon]
Awesome! Glad my incoherent tech babbling late at night was of benefit to someone. lulz
WillysWagon
10-14-2015, 13:16
Good info all around guys !!
I just switched to Comcast and hooked up my own cable modem and wifi router.
Will be reading this thread again tonight as I want to make sure I've got things covered.
I know just enough to get myself in trouble !!
trlcavscout
10-17-2015, 21:43
At least 16 down channels? Why the hell does anyone need that? A single down channel on DOCSIS 3.0 is capable of 43MBps. The minimum for DOCSIS 3.0 modems is 4 bonded channels up and 4 bonded channels down. 4 bonded channels down are capable of 171.52Mbit/s (152 after overhead) & 4 bonded channels up are capable of 122.88 (108 overhead) so why would anyone need more than that for the foreseeable future? Suggesting 16 as a minimum seems like an especially odd baseline since 16 bonded downstream channels is capable of in excess of 600Mbit/s and ain't nobody getting anywhere near that around these parts anytime soon. Even if someone offered Gig service (keep dreaming) here you would have a modem that isn't capable of the speeds you'd be paying for so you didn't really even future-proof yourself. I've seen 4/4ch modems for around $50 on sale or refub'd. 16 channel down modems are quite a bit more expensive so IMO you're paying for tech you can't use and odds are good you won't be able to use it before the modem craps out. DOCSIS 3.0 (of any variety) can do 152Mbit/s down which will exceed easily any plans available to us around here.
How many people here even have plans that will do that? Most people might have 50MBps and in some rare instances where the network allows some may see just over 100MBps (and assuming people justify the additional price tag). Just over 100Mbit/s is what I have and any DOCSIS 3.0 modem can handle that nearly x2. Don't overpay for bonded channels because those modems are the newer/more expensive and you likely have an option to utilize that many channels before the modem craps out. No need to pay extra. Buy cheap right now and when the almighty ISPs decide to allow us higher speeds (Google Fiber isn't breathing down on them in this area so don't hold your breath anytime soon) worry about upgrading once those modems are cheap and you decide you need the speed. We waited decades for speeds we have now so I wouldn't plan on it skyrocketing anything soon however.
Don't confuse a modem's # of bonded channels with how many simultaneous connections one can have on their network because that's all router stuff, not modem stuff. The modem just brings connection. The channels are about how much of that connection it can bring to the network at once. The router will determine how many clients get to talk to the outside world and how quickly (via Qos roles).
I also wouldn't suggest that the average home owner rush out and buy an AC router for reasons that would require paragraphs more explanation here. Do some digging and pay special attention to all the negatives. IMO they far outweigh the positives and not the least of which is price compared to non-AC router options. Just getting something with multiple radios & both 2.4Ghz & 5Ghz will be more than plenty for most homes since they likely don't even have 5Ghz devices yet unless they recently bought a new smartphone or laptop/tablet. Using two AC AP's in a home setting is just asking for performance/interference trouble. I'm sure you're more adept at handling that than the average user but again, it's risk v reward for most personal networks. In short, I'm sure you know you could get those speeds with a lot less hardware.
When it comes to modems, just buy the cheapest that will get your your speeds right now because it's likely you'll have that speed for a long... long... long time. If by some miracle your ISP offers faster speeds down the roads go buy a lottery ticket and then get a modem capable of that speed because it will likely be so many years down the road that that same modem now can be had for $50.
I'm sure you know a lot of what I said but this was more for the casual reader wondering what modem/router to get to limit the BS they deal with from Comcast.
Buy what you want and can afford bottom line. I install and service wireless for a living so I see all the nightmares and upset customers who bought equipment that would not perform the way they expected it to because it said on the box that it would. I just recommend that people do their research and figure out their needs before spending money, because one person living alone in a single family home in one part of town can get by with stuff that a family of four could not in a new development or apartment complex in another part of town. And if your paying for 150-250 meg service your requirements are different then if your paying for 25 meg service.
Three steps towards minimizing your dependence on dealing with Comcast customer service:
1. Buy your own modem (Motorola DOCSIS 3.0 is all you need to know. Buy the cheapest one you can find)
2. Buy your own wireless router
3. Learn to optimize your router including security
This is what I've done ever since I've had Comcast broadband. The only addition I'd make to this is to make sure your cable modem is on Comcast's compatibility list; http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/
If you have tmobile for cell service, go get a wireless router from them. It's free. We have it plugged into our Comcast router. Tmobile gives them out for wifi calling features.
Sent from my S6 Edge +
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