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The entire "install" process just leads up to entering your verification number -- when installation inexplicably failed for me earlier this year, I dug through the local html files on the install CD to find that all you really need to do is go to the comcast activation site and enter the supplied number when prompted:

https://actsvr.comcastonline.com/Comcast/ActSvr/to smac.cmd?smartIssueId=mac&osType=mac&osVersion=&ra m=&cpuSpeed=&installType=&installVersion=

https://actsvr.comcastonline.com/Comcast/ActSvr/ac ctsearch.cmd

https://actsvr.comcastonline.com/Comcast/ActSvr/co ngrats_reboot.cmd?lang=en&devicemode=CM

So, no need to call tech support.

The entire "install" process just leads up to entering your verification number -- when installation inexplicably failed for me earlier this year, I dug through the local html files on the install CD to find that all you really need to do is go to the comcast activation site and enter the supplied number when prompted:

https://actsvr.comcastonline.com/Comcast/ActSvr/to smac.cmd?smartIssueId=mac&osType=mac&osVersion=&ra m=&cpuSpeed=&installType=&installVersion=

https://actsvr.comcastonline.com/Comcast/ActSvr/ac ctsearch.cmd

https://actsvr.comcastonline.com/Comcast/ActSvr/co ngrats_reboot.cmd?lang=en&devicemode=CM

So, no need to call tech support.

The entire "install" process just leads up to entering your verification number -- when installation inexplicably failed for me earlier this year, I dug through the local html files on the install CD to find that all you really need to do is go to the comcast activation site and enter the supplied number when prompted:

https://actsvr.comcastonline.com/Comcast/ActSvr/to smac.cmd?smartIssueId=mac&osType=mac&osVersion=&ra m=&cpuSpeed=&installType=&installVersion=

https://actsvr.comcastonline.com/Comcast/ActSvr/ac ctsearch.cmd

https://actsvr.comcastonline.com/Comcast/ActSvr/co ngrats_reboot.cmd?lang=en&devicemode=CM

So, no need to call tech support.

Comcast offers an Internet Pro service. Head over there and check it out.

learn to use the fucking web, you sole-sucking bum.

It costs $100/month, but it is an option. From the page:

Speeds Up to 3.5Mbps/384Kpbs

IP Addresses 5 Persistent IP Addresses with 6 month lease life

Price $95/month

• Collection of Information. Comcast collects, uses and releases information on Customer use of the Service as necessary to render the Service, to otherwise undertake legitimate business activities related to the Service and to comply with law. Comcast may collect information in accordance with applicable law concerning Customer's use of the Service and customer preferences which are reflected in the choices that a customer makes among the range of services offered as part of the Service, the time that the customer actually uses the Service, the menus and features used most often by the Customer, and other information about a customer's "electronic browsing."
  
  Use of Information. Collecting information contained in transmissions made by Customer through the Service directed at Comcast, @Home Network, Internet web sites, or other service providers to which access is provided as part of the Service, is necessary to provide the Service. Comcast's detailed business records generally are used to help make sure Customers are properly billed; to send Customers pertinent information about the Service; and for accounting purposes. Customer information is also used to execute requests and orders placed by Customers with advertisers, merchants, and service providers; to understand customers' reactions to various features of the Service or the Internet; and to personalize the Service based on the interests of customers. Such information helps Comcast improve the Service and uncover unauthorized access to the Service or Customer data and may be provided to law enforcement agencies in the event of such unauthorized access.
  
  Confidentiality of Information. Comcast considers the personally identifiable Customer information that is collected to be confidential. Comcast will disclose to third parties personal information that Comcast maintains related to Customers only when it is necessary to deliver the Service to customers or carry out related business activities, in the ordinary course of business, for ordinary business purposes, and at a frequency dictated by Comcast's particular business need, or pursuant to a court order or order of any regulatory body having jurisdiction over matters which are the subject of this Agreement. Comcast may also disclose personal information to prevent criminal activity (including bomb threats), violation of the @Home Network Acceptable Use Policy, or in the event of fraud. The types of persons to whom information about Customers may be disclosed in the course of Comcast's business include: @Home Network; Comcast employees and the employees of Comcast's related legal entities; agents, billing and collection services; market research firms; and merchants or advertisers offering services to Customers through the Service; or as otherwise required under applicable law.

Search here for the phrase "Unlimited access".

Only use of NAT to provide access to computers that are not on your property

viii. ... AND CUSTOMER AGREES NOT TO USE THE SERVICE ... AS AN END-POINT ON A NON-COMCAST LOCAL AREA NETWORK OR WIDE AREA NETWORK, OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VPN (VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK) OR A VPN TUNNELING PROTOCOL;

or connect the Comcast Equipment to any computer outside of the Customer's premises.

File and Print Sharing. ...Comcast therefore recommends that the Customer connect only a single computer to the Service and that the Customer disable file and print sharing and other capabilities that allow users to gain access to the Customer's computer. Any Customer who chooses to participate in the Service using other than a single computer ...

Can I use the service on more than one computer? link
Yes, customers with home networks may order additional network addresses in order to connect several computers to the service through one cable modem.

You must first subscribe to the basic Comcast High-Speed Internet Service.

Once you become a subscriber, you can sign up for a second and third address.

You will need to have access to network expertise because Comcast High-Speed Internet Service neither installs nor supports networks.

The cost is $6.95 per month for each additional outlet. Customers can have two additional addresses, for a total of three.

Comcast will install the network card and software on a second and third computer for a change of $49 for each computer.

You'll find more about my experience with Comcast broadband services on my company's web site, if you are interested.

AT&T@Home "traded" the cable system here (Boise, ID) for another near SanFran. The new company CableOne promptly capped download speeds to 400k. For an extra $15/month I am getting 800k (200k up), still about one quarter the speed of AT&T@Home. I used to regularly get 3.1 to 3.2Mbps. I don't know if this is a "trend" nationwide, but it appears that Comcast may also be headed in the same direction with their "new" network. Notice they say, "Faster than dial-up, faster than DSL*", not very encouraging for all you Comcast folks.

I have comcast, and I dont see this written anywhere in the TOS, and Ive been looking at them for a while. I'm reading them here, and I see nothing about VPNs or that I interpret as VPN usage.

Ive been looking at these TOS for a while, becuase a whole lot of crap has been going on with comcast lately. Here are some of the email I've recieved from them lately.

They are changing mail services. This means my address changes from user@mediaone.net to user@comcast.com (or comcast.net, cant remember). No prob, EXCEPT the new addres becomes active Dec 29th, old address is deactive Dec 31s. This means we have 3 days to make the udate to all our online accounts, subscriptions, mailing list, etc. and what 3 days do we get? Sat, Sun, New Years Eve. If I have a problem making this update for one of my accounts, good luck finding someone to help, since most companies will be closed these 3 days.

Furthermore, until mid Jan, we will only have 1 comcast email address. What about those of us now that have 2 or 3 address. We only have 1 until mid Jan. I have an email, my wife has an email, some families have kids with emails. I guess someone in the household get left out in the cold for half a month (luckily for me/my wife, I've already transitioned to my own personal domain with email, so its not an issue for me, but Im sure it is for MANY, MANY people). They wont get email in that time, and what happens when they try to switch over one of their accounts in mid jan, and the system tells them "to confirm your update, we have send an email to your previous address. Please click the link in that email to complete your update".

What else have they told me lately...oh yeah. They send me an email all about how some home pages are going to change, something really minor. Then, burried 5 paragraphs down, they mention that, by the way, there will also be a new acceptable use policy effective Jan 1st, 2002 which "includes new information on several subjects, including use of bandwidth". Are they going to charge us for excessive downloads or uploads? I tried to look up these changes at the URL I posted above, but I see nothing about bandwidth. It says what I can/cant do, but nothing about how much of it I can do. Im puzzled. Are they getting worried about wireless neighborhood area networks?

What else...oh yeah. Im getting a new modem mailed to me that I have to hook up by end of year. According to them "This new modem will prepare your computer for upcoming Comcast High Speed Internet product enhancements including improved reliability and new features". I talked with some people, and came up with rumors that they are decreasing our upload speed to 128Kbit. I currently get 250Kbit up, and I know people that get almost 400Kbit up. I looked on their site, and nowhere do they mention upload speeds anymore, except on one pricing chart, they list the serivice as "1.5/128K" (1.5Mbit down/128Kbit up). Im afraid this new modem is their attempt to "upgrade" my upload speeds.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about the letter I got through postal mail last week...price goes up $5.

YEAH COMCAST!!!!!!

"Why should I stay with Comcast @Home, given the current situation?"

Before you decide to make a switch, we ask that you remember that your service has not been interrupted at this time. In addition, switching to another provider such as DSL could leave you with:

• Slower speeds
• Higher Monthly Fees
• Long-Term Contracts

Pretty lame reasons if you ask me... If I had written that I would have had only one line, "PPPoE" (I'm in Verizon country - blech!)

Netzero is Windows Only. Thats the part that really bugs me.

It's much worse than you think.

The free service offers ten hours per month, which should be sufficient to get you through any short-term outages. This service does not currently support MAC, Windows 2000 or XP.

Not only do they not support other operating systems, they don't even support all the different varieties of Windows. Hmmph.

"We're cross-platform! NT and '95!"

(This from the FAQ.)

Comcast seems to have confidence that there will be no interruption in service. AT&T is buying Excite@Home's broadband pieces, so of course they won't be worried. Since Comcast and Cox are major shareholders along with AT&T, there's plenty of squabbling because no one wants their customers to go dark.

Since @home is basically a bunch of little cable ISP's that have been merged, different users have different TOS/AUP agreements.

Where I live, version 3 of the Comcast@Home Subscriber Agreement says the following:

6. Prohibited Uses of the Service.
[...]
b. In addition, Customer agrees not to:
[...]
viii. ...THE SERVICE IS FOR PERSONAL AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY AND CUSTOMER AGREES NOT TO USE THE SERVICE FOR OPERATION AS AN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER, A SERVER SITE FOR FTP, TELNET, RLOGIN, E-MAIL HOSTING, "WEB HOSTING" OR OTHER SIMILAR APPLICATIONS, FOR ANY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, OR AS AN END-POINT ON A NON-COMCAST LOCAL AREA NETWORK OR WIDE AREA NETWORK, OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VPN (VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK) OR A VPN TUNNELING PROTOCOL...

I got away with running a web server and an FTP server for about a year before I got an email from them saying that they would cut off my service if I didn't turn off my servers.

I have AT&T Broadband as a provider right now (used to be Mediaone until they were bought). They have a strict policy of only allowing one routable IP per customer, but it looks like Comcast will give you up to three for an additional charge. Here's the link to the FAQ. I hope that if this happens, they'll apply this policy to all their customers.