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Comments on news posted 2014-08-11 17:40:50: In June of last year Comcast announced that the company was launching a new, Fon-like effort that involved new router firmware that turns your gateway into a publicly-accessible hotspot. ..

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axiomatic
join:2006-08-23
Tomball, TX

axiomatic

Member

power

Comcast also took a beating regarding power of their cable box / DVR's recently as well.

Neither device could in any way be considered green.
ITGeeks
join:2014-04-20
Cleveland, OH

ITGeeks

Member

Power

Regardless, the EU has to pay for the power to use the modem or not. The actual cost of the power bill doesn't go up just because they're not using the modem. Most would leave it on anyway. Therefore nothing changes.
billburnett
Premium Member
join:2005-12-06
Oak Harbor, WA

billburnett

Premium Member

"...public usage...doesn't count against your Comcast usage..."

Hm-mm..so if I have one of these Hotspots and hook up all my devices in wireless configuration ONLY and ONLY via the public usage access I can glean unlimited usage even if data caps exist in my area?

bigballer
@205.214.216.x

bigballer

Anon

really wish more people would partner with google wifi

I have to be a comcast customer/pay them to use their wifi.

or.... I can be a noncustomer and use google wifi for free? Mhm... Google wifi has turned around starbucks wifi.

No
@68.42.244.x

No to billburnett

Anon

to billburnett

Re: "...public usage...doesn't count against your Comcast usage..."

When you connect to the hotspot you login using your Comcast info so it would still count against your cap. If a friend came over and logged in using HIS login then it would not count against your cap.
ITGeeks
join:2014-04-20
Cleveland, OH

ITGeeks to billburnett

Member

to billburnett
That is what Comcast has stated before.

PlusOne
@73.160.110.x

PlusOne to ITGeeks

Anon

to ITGeeks

Re: Power

said by ITGeeks:

Regardless, the EU has to pay for the power to use the modem or not. The actual cost of the power bill doesn't go up just because they're not using the modem. Most would leave it on anyway. Therefore nothing changes.

Who cares., except maybe Al Gore. The cost of electricity will be about the same whether you provide WiFi access to great unwashed, or just for yourself and family.

P.S.>> I didn't see anyone getting upset that Comcast was expected to pay the electricity bills of Netflix servers parked in Comcast data centers.

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb

Premium Member

I'll be glad to host one, if I don't have to pay the $8 monthly fee....

Right now I am renting a non-gateway device (Arris TM722G). I would be willing to rent a gateway device from Comcast, and have the Wi-Fi Public Hotspot running, as long as Comcast was willing to not charge me the $8 rental fee for the device.

I think its only fair...I'm helping them provide a service that expands their public wireless network. Why not give me the device for free?

--Brian
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch to billburnett

Member

to billburnett

Re: "...public usage...doesn't count against your Comcast usage..."

No. Your connection to the public side of the router, whether it's your router or any other Comcast router, would count against your data cap. The same would apply to someone visiting your house. If they log into the router using their username/password, their usage would count against their cap.
billburnett
Premium Member
join:2005-12-06
Oak Harbor, WA

billburnett

Premium Member

Hm-mm..well maybe, then, my reading comprehension is a bit "off" today as the article clearly states "the public usage also thankfully doesn't count against your Comcast usage cap".

Kuro
@75.151.50.x

Kuro to billburnett

Anon

to billburnett
Dont think so. I had asked this when on with customer service (yeah I know they dont have the best rep these days.) explained it as you have to login with your account and what ever data you use still counts against your accounts bandwidth. The part that doesn't count is other people using your router.
There is literally no advantage for someone to opt in to this service. Still have to pay a modem rental fee, no credit on your bill and you are not blocked out of using other peoples.
ITGeeks
join:2014-04-20
Cleveland, OH

ITGeeks to plencnerb

Member

to plencnerb

Re: I'll be glad to host one, if I don't have to pay the $8 monthly fee....

But it gives you the option to go else where and use it, and if you upgrade the modem, you may not have a choice.

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds to billburnett

Premium Member

to billburnett

Re: "...public usage...doesn't count against your Comcast usage..."

said by billburnett:

Hm-mm..so if I have one of these Hotspots and hook up all my devices in wireless configuration ONLY and ONLY via the public usage access I can glean unlimited usage even if data caps exist in my area?

Nope. None of that matters as you are using your account credentials and that is what they track by. Now if you used another person's credentials you would not use your allotment, but you would be using theirs instead.

ropeguru
Premium Member
join:2001-01-25
Mechanicsville, VA

ropeguru to billburnett

Premium Member

to billburnett
said by billburnett:

Hm-mm..well maybe, then, my reading comprehension is a bit "off" today as the article clearly states "the public usage also thankfully doesn't count against your Comcast usage cap".

You are a little off.

So what that means is that if you have a 300GB cap for your service, and Joe Blow logs in with HIS HSI credentials on the hot spot, the data he uses will not go against YOUR cap. But, if his service also has that 300GB cap, the data he uses on YOUR hot spot connection will go against his caps.
ropeguru

ropeguru to ITGeeks

Premium Member

to ITGeeks

Re: I'll be glad to host one, if I don't have to pay the $8 monthly fee....

They want to nickel and dime the customer to death, so why shouldn't the customer get the same benefit to comcast?

PlusOne
@73.160.110.x

PlusOne to ropeguru

Anon

to ropeguru

Re: "...public usage...doesn't count against your Comcast usage..."

said by ropeguru:

said by billburnett:

Hm-mm..well maybe, then, my reading comprehension is a bit "off" today as the article clearly states "the public usage also thankfully doesn't count against your Comcast usage cap".

You are a little off.

So what that means is that if you have a 300GB cap for your service, and Joe Blow logs in with HIS HSI credentials on the hot spot, the data he uses will not go against YOUR cap. But, if his service also has that 300GB cap, the data he uses on YOUR hot spot connection will go against his caps.

By George, I believe you have it.
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

Comcast should offer a price break...

As others have said, you're paying monthly for the modem...and the power ($8/year more due to additional load, looks like). So to encourage folks *not* to turn off the WiFi, Comcast should offer a bill credit in exchange for keeping the xfinitywifi SSID on. Particularly since the SSID will draw over-the-air capacity from your main connection (a problem if you're at 100+ Mbps and trying to use that over standard 11n in 2.4 GHz). I'd say that a discount in the $3-$8 per month region would be reasonable. Maybe they won't rent the modem for free, because adding the hotspot isn't worth that much to them. But $3? Probably worth it.

EDIT: And yes, I think that $3 per sub is a reasonable approximation of the value Comcast gets from an addition to their WiFi network. Stickier customers and roaming opportunities, particularly with a higher-power customer router.
billburnett
Premium Member
join:2005-12-06
Oak Harbor, WA

billburnett to ropeguru

Premium Member

to ropeguru

Re: "...public usage...doesn't count against your Comcast usage..."

Thanks for the clarification...it's slick marketing language at play, especially when the words "public" and "open" are thrown about, to make the whole scheme seem so "attractive".

PlusOne
@73.160.110.x

PlusOne to plencnerb

Anon

to plencnerb

Re: I'll be glad to host one, if I don't have to pay the $8 monthly fee....

said by plencnerb:

Right now I am renting a non-gateway device (Arris TM722G). I would be willing to rent a gateway device from Comcast, and have the Wi-Fi Public Hotspot running, as long as Comcast was willing to not charge me the $8 rental fee for the device.

I think its only fair...I'm helping them provide a service that expands their public wireless network. Why not give me the device for free?

--Brian

Plus One. I agree with you about fees.
Though personally, I wouldn't provide public access no matter what saving I might get.
raythompsontn
join:2001-01-11
Oliver Springs, TN

raythompsontn

Member

Comcast Hotspot

So all I have to do is name my guest WIFI XfinitityWifi, point it to a machine on my network, create a fake Comcast log on page, and I can then capture the credentials of anyone that tries to access their Comcast mail. I could go further and do some code to just pass the XfinityWifi data through my box and intercept anything the user of that hot spot sends or receives. Most users would never notice the lack of HTTPS on the log on page.

This whole thing seems like a large security risk for Comcast customers.
billburnett
Premium Member
join:2005-12-06
Oak Harbor, WA

billburnett to Doctor Olds

Premium Member

to Doctor Olds

Re: "...public usage...doesn't count against your Comcast usage..."

Thanks!
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx to raythompsontn

Member

to raythompsontn

Re: Comcast Hotspot

Heck, go all the way and grab an SSL cert, since they're so cheap. Give 'em the green box. Then grab the creds and you've now uncapped yourself
raythompsontn
join:2001-01-11
Oliver Springs, TN

raythompsontn to plencnerb

Member

to plencnerb

Re: I'll be glad to host one, if I don't have to pay the $8 monthly fee....

said by plencnerb:

Why not give me the device for free?

Because the word FREE and Comcast do not go together.

newview
Ex .. Ex .. Exactly
Premium Member
join:2001-10-01
Parsonsburg, MD

1 recommendation

newview

Premium Member

The feeling is reciprocal, Comcast

As recent events have illustrated, Comcast could really care less about their customers and their problems, instead using their Customer Service department as an extension of their Sales and Marketing initiative.

Lying and deceit are part and parcel of Comcast's corporate structure, training and ethics. No matter how much they claim to care about their customers, we know different ... and we don't like being constantly and consistently lied to.

Their expectation that their customers should foot the bill BY DEFAULT, without them even asking permission, and with no compensation whatsoever, is typical Comcast arrogance, and just another in the long list of numerous reasons why they are the Worst Company in America and hated by so many of their subscribers, and those who do NOT subscribe as well.

As such, I wouldn't help Comcast in any way, shape or form in their WiFi Hotspot expansion, in fact I go out of my way to warn people off of it any chance I get.

I wouldn't piss on Comcast if they were on fire.

Cthen
Premium Member
join:2004-08-01
Detroit, MI

Cthen

Premium Member

Ok

So let's say I get one of these. What is in it for me to host a hotspot for Comcast? Aside from being able to say "Hey, I host a hotspot for Comcast while people use my bandwidth to connect and I still pay the same each month!"?
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44 to raythompsontn

Premium Member

to raythompsontn

Re: Comcast Hotspot

You have no capability to see the wireless network on the wifi side. Its a totally different network that isnt accessable from the other. You can do it by actually logging into the wifi side. But thats a risk with any fee wifi and something you can do by parking outside starbucks or mcdonalds.
jobias
join:2006-01-18
Knoxville, TN

jobias

Member

2v4?

I like that Speedify is checking this stuff, but I wish they'd work on a bit more consistent testing methodology.

The last post in they tested the two components of the hotspot system. This test, they say that the gateway is replacing four components (both the hotspot system and their business modem and wifi access point), but they're comparing the results only to the two components tested previously.

I'd be interested in seeing what the full difference is for anyone that already has the hotspot and private systems, and for someone that has just the business equipment and wanted to replace it with one of the new gateways. Of which I suspect the answer is more expensive for the latter, less for the former, but I dunno cause they didn't check that

And sadly, in looking back at their post again, I suspect they won't be able to since it was a tech that installed the new gateway and probably took the Netgear with him. Unless they already grabbed stats from the Kill-a-Watt for the netgear and linksys. Hope they did.
billburnett
Premium Member
join:2005-12-06
Oak Harbor, WA

1 recommendation

billburnett to raythompsontn

Premium Member

to raythompsontn

Re: Comcast Hotspot

I have Comcast HSI, but I seriously dislike the idea of anyone else (i.e. strangers) using my router and modem to access the internet via an "open" or "public" gateway. Since I own my own router and modem (which is way cheaper than renting equipment from Comcast, anyway), it seems I would have zero incentive to switch over to using Comcast-provided hardware to provide this "service" to other folks, since I gain nothing from doing so, I would incur additional potential security risks on my end, and I would incur additional hardware costs for the "privilege" of providing such a hotspot.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44 to Cthen

Premium Member

to Cthen

Re: Ok

You dont pay for other peoples bandwidth and the only thing in it for you is the ability to use other peoples free wifi. Its simple if you dont want to supply it log in to your comcast portal and shut it off.
raythompsontn
join:2001-01-11
Oliver Springs, TN

raythompsontn to rody_44

Member

to rody_44

Re: Comcast Hotspot

said by rody_44:

You have no capability to see the wireless network on the wifi side.

I am quite aware of that. I can, however, name my guest WIFI network the same as Comcast as I am not running a Comcast router. People would now think that my network is the Comcast network. I can now do with that traffic what I please as I now have access to that WIFI network.

Any public WIFI is risky. There is nothing stopping any business with "free" WIFI to name their network the same as Comcast.

I would never use a public WIFI to access anything that requires any sort of credentials as those credentials may get exposed. I may read something on the WEB, check weather, etc. But nothing else.
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