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In my "agreement" with Comcast, it states that they own all of my information and may sell or give it to anyone they please if they call them a "partner". I've been told that I'm wrong about them being a monopoly and that we really do have a choice based on this map by the U.S. Government https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/. The government says I'm in an area where there is no monopoly and that I can choose to not be monitored by this ISP. Maybe the investigation will help show that this is wrong?

If you look through these agreements, they basically say Comcast/Xfinity is responsible for nothing and they can share anything they want. The agreements protect xfinity/comcast from ever being in breach of any privacy agreement as they don't agree to be private about anything.

Here are the current privacy policies I found. .
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/customers/policies/customerprivacy
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-web-services-terms-of-service-and-privacy-policy
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/legal/privacystatement
https://www.xfinity.com/mobile/policies/privacy-policy
https://my.xfinity.com/privacy/

Here are some highlights:

They do not respect your request to not be tracked
Do Not Track Disclosure

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) established a process to develop a “Do Not Track” Standard. Comcast’s Websites do not currently respond to “Do Not Track” signals sent from browsers.

Information We Collect When You Use the Xfinity Mobile Service
They scan your mobile device for all installed applications and record that information. They record everything you do with those apps. They do this across all of your mobile devices, they and they share your data if THEY think it will provide you with more and better services

Comcast and third parties acting on Comcast’s behalf collect technical and service information from all Xfinity Mobile Service users, which we call “Usage Data.” Usage Data includes app usage information, equipment information, network performance and usage information, and location information. This includes information about your use of the Xfinity Mobile network, use of your device, and diagnostic data such as device performance, signal strength, dropped calls, data failures, battery strength, and network performance issues. This may also include information about what apps are on your device, the fact that an app has been used, and the length of time that an app has been running. Other information includes voice recordings or prints, reasons you give for contacting us, network traffic data, device identifiers, service options, and the number of devices you have purchased on our plans.

Users Outside of the United States GDPR? Hah We don't believe in those types of protections..

The Websites that link to this Privacy Policy are for users located in the United States. If you use the Websites from outside of the United States, then by providing any data to Comcast over the Websites or through another direct communication with Comcast, you understand and consent to the collection, use, processing, sharing, and disclosure of your personal data as described in this Privacy Policy. You also consent to the transfer of your personal data to the United States for this collection, use, processing, and disclosure. The European Commission has determined that the United States does not provide an adequate level of protection to personal data and it may not offer the same level of data protection as

In my "agreement" with Comcast, it states that they own all of my information and may sell or give it to anyone they please if they call them a "partner". I've been told that I'm wrong about them being a monopoly and that we really do have a choice based on this map by the U.S. Government https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/. The government says I'm in an area where there is no monopoly and that I can choose to not be monitored by this ISP. Maybe the investigation will help show that this is wrong?

If you look through these agreements, they basically say Comcast/Xfinity is responsible for nothing and they can share anything they want. The agreements protect xfinity/comcast from ever being in breach of any privacy agreement as they don't agree to be private about anything.

Here are the current privacy policies I found. .
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/customers/policies/customerprivacy
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-web-services-terms-of-service-and-privacy-policy
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/legal/privacystatement
https://www.xfinity.com/mobile/policies/privacy-policy
https://my.xfinity.com/privacy/

Here are some highlights:

They do not respect your request to not be tracked
Do Not Track Disclosure

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) established a process to develop a “Do Not Track” Standard. Comcast’s Websites do not currently respond to “Do Not Track” signals sent from browsers.

Information We Collect When You Use the Xfinity Mobile Service
They scan your mobile device for all installed applications and record that information. They record everything you do with those apps. They do this across all of your mobile devices, they and they share your data if THEY think it will provide you with more and better services

Comcast and third parties acting on Comcast’s behalf collect technical and service information from all Xfinity Mobile Service users, which we call “Usage Data.” Usage Data includes app usage information, equipment information, network performance and usage information, and location information. This includes information about your use of the Xfinity Mobile network, use of your device, and diagnostic data such as device performance, signal strength, dropped calls, data failures, battery strength, and network performance issues. This may also include information about what apps are on your device, the fact that an app has been used, and the length of time that an app has been running. Other information includes voice recordings or prints, reasons you give for contacting us, network traffic data, device identifiers, service options, and the number of devices you have purchased on our plans.

Users Outside of the United States GDPR? Hah We don't believe in those types of protections..

The Websites that link to this Privacy Policy are for users located in the United States. If you use the Websites from outside of the United States, then by providing any data to Comcast over the Websites or through another direct communication with Comcast, you understand and consent to the collection, use, processing, sharing, and disclosure of your personal data as described in this Privacy Policy. You also consent to the transfer of your personal data to the United States for this collection, use, processing, and disclosure. The European Commission has determined that the United States does not provide an adequate level of protection to personal data and it may not offer the same level of data protection as

In my "agreement" with Comcast, it states that they own all of my information and may sell or give it to anyone they please if they call them a "partner". I've been told that I'm wrong about them being a monopoly and that we really do have a choice based on this map by the U.S. Government https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/. The government says I'm in an area where there is no monopoly and that I can choose to not be monitored by this ISP. Maybe the investigation will help show that this is wrong?

If you look through these agreements, they basically say Comcast/Xfinity is responsible for nothing and they can share anything they want. The agreements protect xfinity/comcast from ever being in breach of any privacy agreement as they don't agree to be private about anything.

Here are the current privacy policies I found. .
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/customers/policies/customerprivacy
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-web-services-terms-of-service-and-privacy-policy
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/legal/privacystatement
https://www.xfinity.com/mobile/policies/privacy-policy
https://my.xfinity.com/privacy/

Here are some highlights:

They do not respect your request to not be tracked
Do Not Track Disclosure

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) established a process to develop a “Do Not Track” Standard. Comcast’s Websites do not currently respond to “Do Not Track” signals sent from browsers.

Information We Collect When You Use the Xfinity Mobile Service
They scan your mobile device for all installed applications and record that information. They record everything you do with those apps. They do this across all of your mobile devices, they and they share your data if THEY think it will provide you with more and better services

Comcast and third parties acting on Comcast’s behalf collect technical and service information from all Xfinity Mobile Service users, which we call “Usage Data.” Usage Data includes app usage information, equipment information, network performance and usage information, and location information. This includes information about your use of the Xfinity Mobile network, use of your device, and diagnostic data such as device performance, signal strength, dropped calls, data failures, battery strength, and network performance issues. This may also include information about what apps are on your device, the fact that an app has been used, and the length of time that an app has been running. Other information includes voice recordings or prints, reasons you give for contacting us, network traffic data, device identifiers, service options, and the number of devices you have purchased on our plans.

Users Outside of the United States GDPR? Hah We don't believe in those types of protections..

The Websites that link to this Privacy Policy are for users located in the United States. If you use the Websites from outside of the United States, then by providing any data to Comcast over the Websites or through another direct communication with Comcast, you understand and consent to the collection, use, processing, sharing, and disclosure of your personal data as described in this Privacy Policy. You also consent to the transfer of your personal data to the United States for this collection, use, processing, and disclosure. The European Commission has determined that the United States does not provide an adequate level of protection to personal data and it may not offer the same level of data protection as

In my "agreement" with Comcast, it states that they own all of my information and may sell or give it to anyone they please if they call them a "partner". I've been told that I'm wrong about them being a monopoly and that we really do have a choice based on this map by the U.S. Government https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/. The government says I'm in an area where there is no monopoly and that I can choose to not be monitored by this ISP. Maybe the investigation will help show that this is wrong?

If you look through these agreements, they basically say Comcast/Xfinity is responsible for nothing and they can share anything they want. The agreements protect xfinity/comcast from ever being in breach of any privacy agreement as they don't agree to be private about anything.

Here are the current privacy policies I found. .
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/customers/policies/customerprivacy
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-web-services-terms-of-service-and-privacy-policy
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/legal/privacystatement
https://www.xfinity.com/mobile/policies/privacy-policy
https://my.xfinity.com/privacy/

Here are some highlights:

They do not respect your request to not be tracked
Do Not Track Disclosure

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) established a process to develop a “Do Not Track” Standard. Comcast’s Websites do not currently respond to “Do Not Track” signals sent from browsers.

Information We Collect When You Use the Xfinity Mobile Service
They scan your mobile device for all installed applications and record that information. They record everything you do with those apps. They do this across all of your mobile devices, they and they share your data if THEY think it will provide you with more and better services

Comcast and third parties acting on Comcast’s behalf collect technical and service information from all Xfinity Mobile Service users, which we call “Usage Data.” Usage Data includes app usage information, equipment information, network performance and usage information, and location information. This includes information about your use of the Xfinity Mobile network, use of your device, and diagnostic data such as device performance, signal strength, dropped calls, data failures, battery strength, and network performance issues. This may also include information about what apps are on your device, the fact that an app has been used, and the length of time that an app has been running. Other information includes voice recordings or prints, reasons you give for contacting us, network traffic data, device identifiers, service options, and the number of devices you have purchased on our plans.

Users Outside of the United States GDPR? Hah We don't believe in those types of protections..

The Websites that link to this Privacy Policy are for users located in the United States. If you use the Websites from outside of the United States, then by providing any data to Comcast over the Websites or through another direct communication with Comcast, you understand and consent to the collection, use, processing, sharing, and disclosure of your personal data as described in this Privacy Policy. You also consent to the transfer of your personal data to the United States for this collection, use, processing, and disclosure. The European Commission has determined that the United States does not provide an adequate level of protection to personal data and it may not offer the same level of data protection as

In my "agreement" with Comcast, it states that they own all of my information and may sell or give it to anyone they please if they call them a "partner". I've been told that I'm wrong about them being a monopoly and that we really do have a choice based on this map by the U.S. Government https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/. The government says I'm in an area where there is no monopoly and that I can choose to not be monitored by this ISP. Maybe the investigation will help show that this is wrong?

If you look through these agreements, they basically say Comcast/Xfinity is responsible for nothing and they can share anything they want. The agreements protect xfinity/comcast from ever being in breach of any privacy agreement as they don't agree to be private about anything.

Here are the current privacy policies I found. .
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/customers/policies/customerprivacy
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-web-services-terms-of-service-and-privacy-policy
https://www.xfinity.com/corporate/legal/privacystatement
https://www.xfinity.com/mobile/policies/privacy-policy
https://my.xfinity.com/privacy/

Here are some highlights:

They do not respect your request to not be tracked
Do Not Track Disclosure

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) established a process to develop a “Do Not Track” Standard. Comcast’s Websites do not currently respond to “Do Not Track” signals sent from browsers.

Information We Collect When You Use the Xfinity Mobile Service
They scan your mobile device for all installed applications and record that information. They record everything you do with those apps. They do this across all of your mobile devices, they and they share your data if THEY think it will provide you with more and better services

Comcast and third parties acting on Comcast’s behalf collect technical and service information from all Xfinity Mobile Service users, which we call “Usage Data.” Usage Data includes app usage information, equipment information, network performance and usage information, and location information. This includes information about your use of the Xfinity Mobile network, use of your device, and diagnostic data such as device performance, signal strength, dropped calls, data failures, battery strength, and network performance issues. This may also include information about what apps are on your device, the fact that an app has been used, and the length of time that an app has been running. Other information includes voice recordings or prints, reasons you give for contacting us, network traffic data, device identifiers, service options, and the number of devices you have purchased on our plans.

Users Outside of the United States GDPR? Hah We don't believe in those types of protections..

The Websites that link to this Privacy Policy are for users located in the United States. If you use the Websites from outside of the United States, then by providing any data to Comcast over the Websites or through another direct communication with Comcast, you understand and consent to the collection, use, processing, sharing, and disclosure of your personal data as described in this Privacy Policy. You also consent to the transfer of your personal data to the United States for this collection, use, processing, and disclosure. The European Commission has determined that the United States does not provide an adequate level of protection to personal data and it may not offer the same level of data protection as

I have Comcast Gigabit, in some states it is unlimited - but in 27 states it falls under the Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan

However if you really need more than a TB in a month, they also let you pay $50 more (per month) for unlimited data (how generous! [yes that was a sarcasm]].

I'm about at the same level as you, I use around 500GB/month, and currently do no 4K streaming. I'm not sure it would bring me over the 1TB limit anyway though as I don't watch a ton of stuff, probably a handful of things would be 4K.

A Trump era Republican trying to claim that we never really needed Net Neutrality in the first place.

I'm a what now? And I made no such statement, only pointing out these caps are a result of NN, and your mental gymnastics deliberately hide the reality of why these caps exist.

NN isn't about data caps at all;

I never said they were, I said that caps were a result of it. Big diff.

it simply says that your ISP cannot specifically extort the services you use for additional income or simply block/degrade services which compete against their own.

Correct, which means...

The amount of bandwidth, both length and girth if you will, is a separate matter.

Separate only if you treat it as completely separate, and not the logical outcome of having one hand tied behind their back when trying to milk the consumer, so opting to use the other hand.

BTW, yes it does count [xfinity.com]

usage of the Netflix app on X1 and all other programming and content from the Internet on X1, as well as, the Internet apps on X1 are subject to Xfinity Internet data usage policies.

I've read the page... and you misunderstood it's meaning.

Yes, streaming Netflix or usage of another (3rd party) app which is running on the X1 traverses the internet, so they count that against your data cap.

What it doesn't say, is if an X1 streaming app, running on an phone or tablet, using the wifi which ultimately goes through a stand alone cable modem (separate from the STB) and into/through the Comcast network. Does it traverse the internet? Depends on how Comcast architected their systems. Chances are, it's not going to a datacenter sitting next to where your cable modem terminates, but if it hopes via a private circuit (physical or virtual) over to a cloud provider, or other remote data center... is that still traversing the internet?

Mighty big incentive for Comcast not to count usage even when a non STB is being used to consume Comcast provided content, which is the entire point I raised, which you completely missed.

A Trump era Republican trying to claim that we never really needed Net Neutrality in the first place. NN isn't about data caps at all; it simply says that your ISP cannot specifically extort the services you use for additional income or simply block/degrade services which compete against their own. The amount of bandwidth, both length and girth if you will, is a separate matter.

BTW, yes it does count

usage of the Netflix app on X1 and all other programming and content from the Internet on X1, as well as, the Internet apps on X1 are subject to Xfinity Internet data usage policies.

For what you are surely paying for cable, that's actually surprising.

A critical part of Internet openness involves Internet service providers being transparent about their business practices. That's why the FCC has imposed enhanced transparency requirements. Internet service providers must publicly disclose information regarding their network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of service. These disclosures must be made via a publicly available, easily accessible company website or through the FCC's website. This will discourage harmful practices and help regulators target any problematic conduct.

I can go to the most hated company in the United State and see what ports they are blocking traffic on: https://www.xfinity.com/suppor...

I expect to get modded down for making the son of Satan look any better than he is portrayed, but I think it is better to have a discussion around facts than generalizations and political hype. Also I am just joking about the son of Satan and I am amazed at the hate directed at him. I wish someone would just explain with facts as why he is so wrong and misguided and then maybe I would understand, but mostly I just see a lot of hate without substance behind it (sometimes modded up to 5, can we stop doing that please!). I liked to read the slashdot comments to learn something new or insightful and not someone's political rant. I think there was a time when any rant got modded down, but maybe I am remembering wrong.

I usually use afew different speedtest sites.
https://sourceforge.net/speedt...
http://speedtest.xfinity.com/
https://fast.com/en/

I also monitor my routers bandwidth and compare to xfinity's graphs. I test speeds inside various VPN's if I'm suspicious about site or type throttling. I have some iperf endpoints I can use for testing more in depth.

Alot of times, it's just noticing whether a problem exists, I keep up a remote connection to my home using x2go most days, so I notice outages. When I notice problems, or my wife does, I can drill down and figure out if it's DNS, wireless, or an actual ISP problem.

Or nothing of course we support 1.5 Mbps DSL. Comcast has the government-granted monopoly over most of Seattle, but the the city council doesn't require them to offer service for their entire monopoly area.

Hmmm... BroadbandNow says that Comcast has 95.1% coverage in Seattle. Even more relevant to your claim, when I punch 6200 53rd Ave NE, the same address in your CenturyLink screenshot, into xfinity.com, it shows options of up to 400MBps. What's the problem?

From the TorrentFreak article -

The good news is that the blocking ‘feature’ isn’t mandatory. Subscribers can enable and disable it whenever they please, by changing their network settings

From the link to Xfinity support (emphasis added) -

Protected Browsing is an opt-in service that Xfinity xFi customers can use to help safeguard their home networks against malicious content. In order to use the feature - which we offer at no additional cost - you must enable it using the Xfinity xFi app. You can also turn it off at any time with a single swipe.

https://internet.xfinity.com/n...

Via Google Search for comcast injecting javascript , I found this, this, this, and this.

Do providers still sell unlimited plans any more? Here is Comcast page for getting internet. Notice it says "An XFINITY Internet Data Usage Plan may apply," and nowhere mentions unlimited.

The GGPP says "That entire arguments hings on the idea that it is somehow fair to oversell bandwidth. Since selling things you can't deliver is fraudulent to begin with it doesn't hold." But they are delivering it. How many people are being sold unlimited internet and are being charged more for going over an imaginary limit, or are having speeds well below expected because too many other customers are using too much? If the answer is none, then it sounds like they are providing all customers with what they are paying for.

The real issue is capacity, which would be the second scenario I just covered. To compare, let's say everybody in your region plugs in or turns on every outlet, light, and starts charging their electric cars at the same time. You're going to have a brownout, because the electric companies estimate capacities and demand, and try to provide the amount demanded. But if everybody tried to use max capacity 100% simultaneously, would we complain because the company encountered an unprecedented event, and was selling something they couldn't deliver? Let's add on top that all of a sudden that people wanted to use 3 times as much electricity as they currently do for entire months? A small portion of the customers could, but overall, it would be a problem if everybody tried it.

This is technically true. It's also irrelevant: Cable companies started out as ways to make it easier to obtain TV stations that were difficult to get via an antenna, and it remains the base that the lowest tier on offer from cable companies are, essentially, the broadcast channels and a few self-funded channels like HSN.

If you look at the actual product, what they're offering is a base price of $18 (which only includes antenna channels and self funded), plus packages you can add to that of channels you might actually want. Most people would probably end up paying somewhere between Sling TV (about $45 for a full set of channels) and what they'd pay for a normal cable subscription (quite a bit more than $45.)

So the price structure is the same as regular cable. It's just a little cheaper.

The service includes a virtual DVR. And you can use it with a Roku. You can use two devices simultaneously.

It doesn't seem to be bad or overpriced from what I'm looking at.

The last I checked I could buy my own modem and use it on my Comcast service to avoid the rental fees. They even publish a list of approved modems.

Home
https://mydeviceinfo.xfinity.c...
Business
https://business.comcast.com/h...

This! I'm getting 1/227 of the speed that I'm paying for. I can't cancel since I signed a one year contract. I'm supposed to have a 100 Mbps connection, but it's 0.44 Mbps:

http://speedtest.xfinity.com/results/J499VDX52X1AM5Y

Comcast needs to fix their problems for their current customers before branching out into other services.

As you may know, net neutrality is a set of rules which say Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T, and Verizon, cannot block, throttle or prioritize certain content on the Internet. Knowing this, do you support or oppose net neutrality?

• Strongly support: 24%
• Somewhat support: 37%
• Somewhat oppose: 13%
• Strongly oppose: 5%
• Don't Know / No Opinion: 21%

So that's 61% in favour of net neutrality rather than the abstract jargon-laden questions of 88% of people disagreeing with "the government should have the ability to set the specific prices, terms and conditions for Internet access," the 43% people who believe the internet would "get worse" if "government were to regulate Internet access as a utility" (ignoring the fact that it arguably already does, and things clearly are not getting progressively worse already), and the 51% who said "Internet access should not be considered a public utility regulated by the federal government" when it was compared to everything but telecommunications.

Two points arise from this: the 5% of people who 'strongly oppose' net neutrality may very well believe they're supporting censorship of terrorist propaganda, and if there is a major overlap between the population segment that wants an open internet and the one that wants minimal government interference in ISPs, they're probably free-market idealists who want the ISPs to have the good taste to maintain net neutrality without government oversight, much like the software industry created the ESRB to avoid government regulation of video game ratings.

It is, I think, absurd to conclude that any majority of the population is in favour of Comcast absorbing a bunch of media companies and manipulating rules so it can steal Netflix's income with XFINITY TV—no matter how many layers of bullshit they bury it under.

You don't need all of that to cut the cord.

We use netflix, Amazon (we would have prime anyways), CBS all access (only when the shows we watch are on), and HBO GO (only when the shows we watch are on), and CW (free with ads).

$12 for netflix * 12
$10 for CBS * 6 for partial year
HBO $15 * 6 for partial year
Amazon (only a few shows that we like at $30-40 a season) Let's call this $40*4

That is $38 a month for TV service. and $125 for my 1gbps internet.

Comcast bundle according to https://www.xfinity.com/learn/... is $160 a month for 75Mbps internet and 200 TV channels.

I'll stick with my cord cutting.

> Where do you live where you can get cable Internet at a single address from multiple companies?

Some boston suburbs (but not boston proper).
You can get verizon fios/fios-tv, Comcast ISP and TV, and RCN ISP and TV all at the same address.

Source: I use to live there. Now I live in chattanooga where I get EPB gigabit fiber for cheaper than any of the choices I had available in Arlington.

For gigabit internet, Http://xfinity.com/gig-offer if you live in a city they have rolled it out to, but as I said, you should still be able to get unlimited for an additional $50 on whatever plan you have. Check http://dataplan.xfinity.com/fa...

I am not sure how Comcast could detect unapproved equipment I connect to the network anyway. Once it hits the router/modem and gets NAT, it's all the same MAC and IP address.

It seems my quote above wasn't entirely applicable as it seems to be about cable modems. However the rest of their ToS/AUP seems to go far enough out of its way to avoid consideration of a home email or web server, that my general feeling hasn't changed. I admit, that Comcast may actually be one of the better ISPs in this regard. My including them in a list was 100% due to quoting the parent comment I replied to.

That said, I just did take a look, and here is the actual relevant citation under the "Technical Restrictions" of the internet service AUP-

use or run dedicated, stand-alone equipment or servers from the Premises that provide network content or any other services to anyone outside of your Premises local area network (“Premises LAN”), also commonly referred to as public services or servers. Examples of prohibited equipment and servers include, but are not limited to, email, web hosting, file sharing, and proxy services and servers;

http://www.xfinity.com/Corpora...

f34db7369ef535e9442 ec6e828e2356087bf47 b0c2a4202d56de7c70d 4744615b306a53b3799 57c2926f1809d938fab5 450767a578384a083b3 71584e6f24ee3 Acceptable-Use-Policy-forXFINITY-Internet-effective-November-1-2016-ENG.pdf

Read your Verizon/Comcast/ATT terms of service and acceptable use policies. This is already in place.

I see no such terms of service in my Comcast agreement. Can you provide a citation that supports your claim? I am not sure how Comcast could detect unapproved equipment I connect to the network anyway. Once it hits the router/modem and gets NAT, it's all the same MAC and IP address.

This sounds relevant- (found via comcast.com, clicking under the mindset of an internet subscriber looking for the ToS/AUP, correct me if you think it is not applicable. emphasis added by me)-

http://networkmanagement.xfini...

"These rules pertain to the attachment of devices to our High-Speed Internet network by customers. You can find information concerning the devices approved for use on the network, and the tiers of our service that they are appropriate for at http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.ne..."

The visitor's data use is counted against the visitor's data cap, not the owner of the hotspot. From this:

Also, the usage and activities of visiting users are associated with the visitors' accounts and therefore do not impact the homeowner.

Not if the visitor never signs up for an account. I honestly don't know who is charged if the visitor doesn't sign in, possibly no one is.

And when your use pushes your neighbors internet over the cap, Comcast will charge them more. Win-win.

The visitor's data use is counted against the visitor's data cap, not the owner of the hotspot. From this:

Also, the usage and activities of visiting users are associated with the visitors' accounts and therefore do not impact the homeowner.

Yeah, I'm sure it's just people hating on the poor cable companies and nothing that they're doing. Comcast specifically lists which devices they support and to what extent. You can buy the exact same model of modem that Comcast rents for about six months worth of rental fees and you the owner of the modem have the exact same amount of control over secret keys and configuration and whatnot as the rental modems (ie none). They can and do push configuration and firmware updates to your privately owned modem just as they would their own.

But I'm sure it's all just me hating on poor Comcast and none of these actual facts instead. Fucking shill.

What do you mean by random device?

I'm on TWC (for now, at least) and you have to buy a modem off a very specific (and short) list if you are going to connect it to their network and expect them to provision it for you.

And - Comcast has such a list too.

Charter doesn't want customer-owned DOCSIS 1 or 2 modems on their network messing things up / slowing things down for other people.

Comcast, which allows customer-owned modems, handles this problem quite well with notifications that a customer-owned modem will be obsolete in a year or so, and then has follow-up notices. Additionally, Comcast will start refusing to activate a modem when it has hit EOL. You can find out what modems are EOL here.

.
While Comcast is not my favorite company, imo, they handle customer-owned modems well.

With Comcast you can buy an approved DOCSIS 3.x modem for ~$70. In 10 months it pays for itself.

I'm surprised Charter gets away with over-charging the customer. Oh wait, this is the cable industry -- everything they do is over-charging the customer. :-/

Which is why ewhac is pointing out the lack of upload speed listed. Likely the upload is pathetically slow. 30 mbit would be impressive for Comcast.

http://www.xfinity.com/interne...

You will notice, nowhere on that page do they list the upload speeds, that is because it is slower than 1/10th the speed of the download.

I have Comcast cable internet in the Chicago area. The speed whenever I test it is 105Mb down, 25 up.

Which is why ewhac is pointing out the lack of upload speed listed. Likely the upload is pathetically slow. 30 mbit would be impressive for Comcast.

http://www.xfinity.com/interne...

You will notice, nowhere on that page do they list the upload speeds, that is because it is slower than 1/10th the speed of the download.

Actually, they've claimed both in the same ad and different ads (some claim fastest internet, some fastest wifi, some both).

Beyond that, obviously, no , they're not technically correct either. Comcast's approved list of wifi routers are all 802.11n and 802.11g. Yet, 802.11ac is faster than both and available.

Seriously, fuck Comcast.

without some form of subsidy, the greedy private carriers will NEVER develop the tech, or expend the cost to wire/beam just a few locals in a small farm town in the middle of nowhere America. I agree we should just require cable/internet services to be open and do away with utility protections. I happen to live in an area that has a couple of cable options, as well as satellite services, and the cost/service benefit is HUGE. When Astound/Wave came to town Comcast/Xfinity cut their cost and upped their data caps within a month to compete because they HAD to.

http://www.wavebroadband.com/
http://www.xfinity.com/

We have about 20 homes in a large lot neighborhood - rural but not "highly rural". Our large local telco refused to service us for years. A smaller coop telco could not service us because the paperwork said our area WAS being serviced. One of the county commissioners who happened to live in a nearby neighborhood corrected the paperwork and also helped cut through some of the red tape. The smaller coop telco came in and installed fiber for neighborhoods which had enough signups. They noted:

"We need one house per 1000 ft. to justify the cost of burying the cable".

...which my neightborhood had enough signups for. Nearby neightborhoods they did not run the fiber further to because they could not get enough signups. Net result - happy small local telco, happy customers, loyal constituents when it comes reelection time.

For those in a similar position - I would highly encourage you to reach out to your county commissioners if you find similar errors in paperwork. There are plenty of small businesses who are willing to service a given area - give them a helping hand to make it happen.

without some form of subsidy, the greedy private carriers will NEVER develop the tech, or expend the cost to wire/beam just a few locals in a small farm town in the middle of nowhere America. I agree we should just require cable/internet services to be open and do away with utility protections. I happen to live in an area that has a couple of cable options, as well as satellite services, and the cost/service benefit is HUGE. When Astound/Wave came to town Comcast/Xfinity cut their cost and upped their data caps within a month to compete because they HAD to.

http://www.wavebroadband.com/
http://www.xfinity.com/

Going here: https://customer.xfinity.com/M... tells me:
"927GB used Note: Enforcement of the 250GB data consumption threshold is currently suspended."

Comcast does not have caps in all locations. I have uncapped bandwidth on Comcast in Portland, OR.

Cable:
Watching Later: INCLUDED - Xfinity TV includes a selection of videos on demand at no additional charge
Offline Device Shifting: INCLUDED - Comcast has been advertising that unlike satellite, the Xfinity TV Go app allows downloading DRM copies of on-demand shows to watch later on iPhone, iPad, Android devices with Google Play, and Fire tablets.
Live sports: INCLUDED - ESPN, TNT, TBS, NBCSN, FOX Sports, and regional channels
Live politics: INCLUDED - C-SPAN, CNN, MSNBC, FOX News Channel

Netflix:
Subscription: $9.99 plus your ISP's surcharge for not subscribing to the pay TV bundle
Offline Device Shifting: NO
Live sports: NO
Live politics: NO

Got an "open proxy" error yesterday as did others when trying to post, but now it's fixed if you can see this.

http://forums.xfinity.com/t5/Basic-Internet-Connectivity-And/open-http-proxy/m-p/2719805

I am a Comcast California subscriber. Not only is the first Cable Card free (if you dont use their STB), you also get a $2.50 credit.

Here is the link: http://www.xfinity.com/equipme...

"Comcast provides a credit to customers who have an activated CableCARD installed in a customer-owned device (e.g., TiVo or CableCARD-equipped television) or customers that own a qualifying converter (See Customer Owned Equipment Policy) if the customer subscribes to a Comcast video service that includes equipment as a part of the service. Customers who qualify will receive a monthly credit of $2.50 for each qualifying activated CableCard device or converter."

Let's work it out. A few years ago, TechReport ran an SSD endurance experiment to figure out how much punishment current-gen SSDs could take before failing. Their test setup essentially involved writing random data at maximum speed for 18 months straight. The results indicated that the worst SSD in their bunch, a Intel's 335 Series, wrote about 700 TB before dying, and the best SSD, a Samsung 840 Pro SSD, went on to 2.4 PB.

Various estimates say you can put between 60-75 hours of HD content on a 500GB drive, so, assuming the largest possible size, that works out to about 8.3 GB/hour. Since you're writing two streams, that's 16.6 GB/hour, or 145 TB per year. For the worst drive in the bunch, that's about 4.8 years of service (right at the upper end of your HDD's service life); for the best drive, it's over 16 years.

Keep in mind that these tests were all run on 250GB drives. Smaller drives have less flash to work with, and have to write over the same flash cells more often. Therefore, if you bought a 1TB drive, you can expect the lifetime to be easily 4x better (more if you're using a more recent drive, such as the Samsung 850 Pro) - 64 years of DVR recording should be more than sufficient.

For an extra $35/mo, Comcast does let you opt-out of data caps in most areas. 90/12.5 internet for about $100/mo with no cap isn't a bad deal for the US until fiber is an option.

They claim that it's a trial and they can "cancel at any time".
I will do the same immediately if unlimited is removed.

"Basic" is defined by the FCC. Some may break the law and call it "limited basic"

From the page you linked: "Cable systems generally are required to offer a 'basic tier' of programming".
I'm aware that the page you linked is no substitute for the text of the regulation But the wording presented on this page ("a 'basic tier'") implies to me a requirement that at least one tier of TV service has a channel set and price regulated by local government. Section 76.901(a) defines the "basic service tier" for purposes of the FCC regulation. I don't see how it forbids offering other tiers also branded "basic", as Comcast does, so long as one of them is the FCC-mandated "basic service tier". Or is it time to report Comcast to the FCC?

Nearly all have a sub-$20 basic. And that gets you in the door for Internet, phone and the other services.

But does it get you in the door for Internet with a higher ca^W monthly usage allowance? For example, Comcast has experimented in the past with a 5 GB/mo usage allowance, which I admit is more reminiscent of cellular or satellite Internet service than of typical cable Internet service in the United States. Is there a regulation that forbids cable operators from requiring a subscription to what the regulation calls a "cable programming services tier" (that is, something beyond basic) before the Internet subscriber can increase his monthly usage allowance?

There aren't any 'management controls' to speak of on the modem firmware.

Pretty sure Comcast has a remote management interface so they can turn on and off that Xfinity Wifi access point. Or so you can customize your Wifi access point via an app on your phone.

Your telecom/ISP may not have full access to any hardware you own, but there's still hardware you rent, and publishing the source of the firmware for that is something I doubt they would want.

http://hotspots.wifi.xfinity.c...

COMAST BW TEST ACCOUNTS
350 N Wolf Rd
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
Network Name: xfinitywifi

Ah but you have many choices! You can get xfinity Economy Plus, xfinity Internet Plus, xfinity Internet Plus w/ Blast(tm), xfinity Performance, xfinity Extreme 105, and xfinity Blast!(tm).

(This is a real list, I just got it by visiting http://www.xfinity.com/interne... - you'll see a list based upon where Comcast thinks your IP address is located)

I suspect this is the list of choices the article is actually talking about. Mix this with cellphone plans (at least those have been simplified lately I guess), and you start to understand where the problem is.

Me? The worst selection I have to pick from every year are our healthcare plans. My company offers something like six or seven. All you have to do to determine which is the best deal is to build a time machine, determine what healthcare issues you'll have in the following 12 months, and then pick the plan accordingly.

Why doesn't the US have single payer healthcare again? Oh yeah, noun, verb, tyranny. (Hey, Obama and Pelosi, remember when you refused to consider single payer in your so-called Heathcare Reform because you didn't want to freak out the right wing and have them calling your plan a government takeover of healthcare, or tyranny, or....? About that...)

10 Mbps is more than enough for video. Xfinity tv is built on a technology called HLS. Apple, Google, and Netflix also all use this. The top bitrate offered by xfinity.tv is exposed in the HLS manifest. Take an example HLS manifest for mr robot. Here we see:

#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=205437,CODECS="mp4a.40.5,avc1.4d401f",RESOLUTION=320x180 518139459916_1441222758515_1850000_4/format-hls-track-muxed-bandwidth-205437-repid-200000.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=349312,CODECS="mp4a.40.5,avc1.4d401f",RESOLUTION=320x180 518139459916_1441222758515_1850000_4/format-hls-track-muxed-bandwidth-349312-repid-300000.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=549312,CODECS="mp4a.40.5,avc1.4d401f",RESOLUTION=512x288 518139459916_1441222758515_1850000_4/format-hls-track-muxed-bandwidth-549312-repid-500000.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=799312,CODECS="mp4a.40.5,avc1.4d401f",RESOLUTION=640x360 518139459916_1441222758515_1850000_4/format-hls-track-muxed-bandwidth-799312-repid-750000.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=1249312,CODECS="mp4a.40.5,avc1.4d401f",RESOLUTION=768x432 518139459916_1441222758515_1850000_4/format-hls-track-muxed-bandwidth-1249312-repid-1200000.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=1899312,CODECS="mp4a.40.5,avc1.4d401f",RESOLUTION=1024x576 518139459916_1441222758515_1850000_4/format-hls-track-muxed-bandwidth-1899312-repid-1850000.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=2899312,CODECS="mp4a.40.5,avc1.4d4020",RESOLUTION=1280x720 518139459916_1441222758515_1850000_4/format-hls-track-muxed-bandwidth-2899312-repid-2850000.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=4349312,CODECS="mp4a.40.5,avc1.640028",RESOLUTION=1280x720 518139459916_1441222758515_1850000_4/format-hls-track-muxed-bandwidth-4349312-repid-4300000.m3u8 #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=5899312,CODECS="mp4a.40.5,avc1.640029",RESOLUTION=1920x1080 518139459916_1441222758515_1850000_4/format-hls-track-muxed-bandwidth-5899312-repid-5850000.m3u8

This indicates the top bandwidth is 5899312 bits per seconds (or ~6Mbps). That's a pretty standard 1080p streaming bitrate, and well within a 10 (or in your case 50) Mbps bandwidth including someone else browsing or gaming.

HLS is delivered over TCP, not UDP. If you are seeing "pixelated/blocks" showing up (called macroblocking) its because your playback device has selected a lower quality stream.* Now this could be for a huge variety of reasons:

1. 1. You are not actually getting 50Mbps from the modem. Certainly possible, and this could be caused by a whole host of issues like: bad signal to the CMTS, an overloaded network segment, a misconfiguration on the modem etc. A quick speedtest on a wired (not wifi!) device would show this. Comcast is actually pretty good about hitting advertised speeds. If your not getting them advertised speed contact them (there is an internet chat option which is pretty good).
2. 2. You are having issues with your wireless router speed. This is extremely common with older third party routers, they just can not handle the packets per second the bandwidth requires and die.
3. 3. Your PC can't keep up. This is also common. If the decoder drops frames because the CPU is to busy you will drop bitrates
4. 4. The video itself has transcoding or source errors. This is possible, but much less likely. If before "packaging" for HLS delivery the video has errors this can occur. If you are adventurous you can look in the network diag console to see what bitrate you are pulling (the information is exposed in the url).
5. 5. Their CDN can't keep up. Probably the least likely of all, but still possible

None of these have to do with needing 50Mbps. If yo

I agree with what you're saying about Sling, but your part about Comcast is false. No one is forced to run a hotspot for Comcast's network. For one, you don't have to use their wifi router/modem, or you can run it in bridge mode and use your own wifi router. Even if you do use their wifi router, you can disable the hotspot:

http://customer.xfinity.com/he...

Tried to ask if it is available in my Area.
Here's the REAL transcript:

Live Chat
user dmitry has entered room
analyst Elvin has entered room

Elvin
1:42PM

Hello dmitry_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Elvin. Please give me one moment to review your information.

Elvin
1:42PM

Hi! Welcome to Comcast High Speed Internet Technical Support (Residential Accounts). You can call me Elvin, I'll be happy to get your concern addressed today.

dmitry
1:42PM

My Issue: Is Gigabit Pro available in Rex Manor Area of Mountain View, CA?

Elvin
1:42PM

I understand that you have question with Xfinity services. I am a costumer also, so I understand ho wimportant this is. I will assist you today.

Elvin
1:43PM

May I know your exact concern, please?

dmitry
1:43PM

Is Gigabit Pro available in Rex Manor Area of Mountain View, CA?

dmitry
1:43PM

Gigabit Pro service from comcast

Elvin
1:43PM

May I know what Gigabit Pro is, please?

dmitry
1:43PM

claims to be available in the SF bay area

dmitry
1:43PM

i want to know

dmitry
1:43PM

dude...

dmitry
1:43PM

it is on YOUR website..

dmitry
1:44PM

http://www.xfinity.com/multi-g...

Elvin
1:45PM

Thank you for that.

Elvin
1:47PM

Gigabit Pro will generally be available to homes within one-third of a mile of Comcast's fiber network and will require installation of professional-grade equipment. Select markets in Atlanta, California, Chattanooga, Chicago, Florida, Knoxville, and Nashville have been chosen for initial launch, with the addition of numerous West Coast markets in the coming months.

dmitry
1:47PM

ok...so can you tell me if a given address meets that criteria?

Elvin
1:49PM

To properly assist you, I will transfer you to our sales department. Would that be fine?

Elvin
1:50PM

I would like to set your expectation that you have actually reached Comcast High Speed Internet Technical Support.

Elvin
1:50PM

No worries, I can still resolve your issue by connecting this chat to the department that handles this. I assure you that this will be accommodated accordingly.

dmitry
1:50PM

ok

Elvin
1:50PM

Thank you. Please wait while the problem is escalated to another analyst. There may be a 3-5 minutes hold for the chat to be assisted, and you will see a message that says I have âoeleft the roomâ; but please don't close the chat window for the next available agent to assist you.

Elvin
1:53PM

By the way, may I know your zip code, please

The Arris TG862G is discussed here. The Technicolor TC8305 is mentioned on Tom's Hardware. The "hidden" network broadcasts the "xfinitywifi" SSID and the access point has a distinct MAC address.