Xfinity sneaking in hotspots! loving it!

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rjundi

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It seems like an invasion of using you as a public wifi hotspot with the new xfinity internet routers. Basically they offer a secure wifi for your own network and also a xfinitywifi public broadcast from your home that is accessible by anyone who has a xfinity login/password.

I finally can stop two xfinity internet accounts at family's beach house and winter getaway now! Instead hook off the neighbors routers with my legit xfinity credentials. I discovered this during a power outage with two neigbors who have generators and hooked to that "open" wifi.

I did not like folks doing it to my router but realize the amazing benefit xfinity has out there now.

What do you folks think. Makes me feel better about paying $55/month for broadband as I can use it anywhere now.
 
As long as it doesn't interfere with my EXTREME 105 internet speeds, I couldn't care less.

Now if a bunch of people start sucking my router dry and I'm sitting there waiting for a web page to load, then I'm returning the Xfinity router and will get my own.
 
Calling this bad boy off of mine....as someone already hacked my regular internet....


That, and all you need is someone's log in....and boom-free internet. Betting some of the CA's are already using it here....
 
If ATT allowed tethering free, we'd probably not have any home ISP. ATT has lots of hotspots too.

I can't see this ending well, because I'm sure it will be abused.
 
Guess some of you should be thanking other Comcast customers for providing these hotspots.

Me, I'm not paying the $10 a month to rent a [censored] modem/router gateway device.
 
Originally Posted By: AandPDan
Guess some of you should be thanking other Comcast customers for providing these hotspots.

Me, I'm not paying the $10 a month to rent a [censored] modem/router gateway device.


I am stuck with the router as it is used for their (quality) telephone service. I forgot to mention they do limit the external connections to 5 per router.
 
For you OP, it's good and I can see the advantages... but I don't personally like it and see way too many cons.

Until I can no longer -- I will always:

-Own my own cable modem
-Own my own wireless access point
-Own my own firewall (preferably a Sonicwall please)
-Configure my network to my pleasing with VLANs - secure guest WiFi network and internal shared with the PCs
-Setup static DHCP scopes per MAC for Ooma, Microcell, etc.
-Let cable company know and have control over as little as they possibly can with anything inside my house.
 
Originally Posted By: redhat
For you OP, it's good and I can see the advantages... but I don't personally like it and see way too many cons.



You have some control over the router itself. I disabled its home wifi and plugged my Cisco E3000 wireless router directly into the modem to avoid noodling my 14 devices that connect. I also am able to port forward to my own router and use Plex externally. Apparently you can also bridge the router somehow.

I did leave the hotspot running which apparently can be disabled.
 
Renting a router from Comcast seems like a foolish financial bet to me when you can buy your own for $50 or so. Plus you don't have to worry about being someone else's hotspot.

In any event, when logged on someone else's router I don't think you enjoy the same level of security, so be wary of sensitive uses like banking, email, etc.
 
Are they tracking login info so when my neighbors download potentially inappropriate pictures I'm not in the clink?

No one using my IP for sure.
 
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at a local McD's. the free mcd's wifi is 2 MBPS with 150 ping and slow. xfinity wifi in the same McD's, 10MBPS download with less than 20 ping. xfinity wifi is the bees knees.
banana2.gif
 
The best modem out there is $129, you make it back in 1.5 of the time of your contract, and you've gotten a better modem to boot.

Renting is for people with no imagination, technical ability, or fiscal sense.

Routers $20-$50 for a good one, why not.
 
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
The best modem out there is $129, you make it back in 1.5 of the time of your contract, and you've gotten a better modem to boot.

Renting is for people with no imagination, technical ability, or fiscal sense.

Routers $20-$50 for a good one, why not.


The company I contract in my telecommute to won't pay for a modem but pays my internet bill including rental! To boot the ONLY quality phone service I can get Xfinity, requires router rental I believe.

An atrocious thing this time around though is they no longer include a backup battery anymore for telephone portion of xfinity router, you pay for it if you desire that.
 
Originally Posted By: rjundi
michaelluscher said:
The best modem out there is $129, you make it back in 1.5 of the time of your contract, and you've gotten a better modem to boot.

Renting is for people with no imagination, technical ability, or fiscal sense.

Routers $20-$50 for a good one, why not.


The company I contract in my telecommute to won't pay for a modem but pays my internet bill including rental! To boot the ONLY quality phone service I can get Xfinity, requires router rental I believe.

An atrocious thing this time around though is they no longer include a backup battery anymore for telephone portion of xfinity router, you pay for it if you desire that. [/quote

Ouch. That's cable for ya. They won't let you bring a E-MTA if you have voice, you have to use there's.

I'm sorry you have to deal with Comcast, there's no shame in admitting it.
Click to expand...
 
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
The best modem out there is $129, you make it back in 1.5 of the time of your contract, and you've gotten a better modem to boot.

Renting is for people with no imagination, technical ability, or fiscal sense.

Routers $20-$50 for a good one, why not.


The company I contract in my telecommute to won't pay for a modem but pays my internet bill including rental! To boot the ONLY quality phone service I can get Xfinity, requires router rental I believe.

An atrocious thing this time around though is they no longer include a backup battery anymore for telephone portion of xfinity router, you pay for it if you desire that.


Also, you can get the battery backup for $11-$17 on Amazon.
 
If I'm reading this right, and it's quite possible I'm not, I can log in to my neighbor's router if he has Xfinity? All I need is an Xfinity account?

I get stuff from Xfinity all of the time for $20/mth internet (3Mbps). What if my neighbor has the highest bandwidth and I just pay the $20 and leach his bandwidth? Would that work?

I'm certainly not doing that because I don't do business with that company, but it would seem odd if I could do that.
 
Originally Posted By: SevenBizzos
I get stuff from Xfinity all of the time for $20/mth internet (3Mbps). What if my neighbor has the highest bandwidth and I just pay the $20 and leach his bandwidth? Would that work?

If I read their FAQ correctly, you need to subscribe to at least their Performance tier to be eligible for Xfinity wifi. So no, your Economy 3 Mbps tier would not allow you to do it.

And as far as leaching speed - that is limited to 15 Mbps.
 
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