Comcast neighborhood WiFI (opens in new tab)

(wifi.comcast.com)

2 pointsantiffan11y ago5 comments

5 comments

5 comments · 2 top-level

ljk11y ago· 3 in thread

not sure if this is the same thing, but i've seen something like this a few months ago. To connect to the interwebs, just select the "xfinitywifi" network to connect to, then sign in to xfinity account in the landing page! ..

..BUT

the connection sucked since the signal was from other units in my apt. building....

theophrastus11y ago

Here's my humble head-scratch: you pay for a comcast internet access, you might have bought or you're leasing the cable modem + wireless router, and perhaps there's an opportunity to opt-out (somewhere), but nonetheless my neighbor (who must at least have an xfinity account) is streaming their content through my connection. Somehow it seems like wireless usury.

ljk11y ago

you're right, i'm no longer mooching off of my neighbors now(maybe because the connection was so bad) but i feel like it's not unethical because comcast made it available, so why not use it?

antiffanOP11y ago

Yeah, same thing. It's definitely hit or miss, but FWIW I am connected to one now (I guess a random person's router nearby) and it is very fast.

antiffanOP11y ago

Like most people, I'm not normally a Comcast fan, but this is really interesting.

It's really convenient in San Francisco because I can almost always find a network to connect to, but I do wonder about security implications of having this feature enabled by default on my home router.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

5 comments

5 comments · 2 top-level

ljk11y ago· 3 in thread

not sure if this is the same thing, but i've seen something like this a few months ago. To connect to the interwebs, just select the "xfinitywifi" network to connect to, then sign in to xfinity account in the landing page! ..

..BUT

the connection sucked since the signal was from other units in my apt. building....

theophrastus11y ago

Here's my humble head-scratch: you pay for a comcast internet access, you might have bought or you're leasing the cable modem + wireless router, and perhaps there's an opportunity to opt-out (somewhere), but nonetheless my neighbor (who must at least have an xfinity account) is streaming their content through my connection. Somehow it seems like wireless usury.

ljk11y ago

you're right, i'm no longer mooching off of my neighbors now(maybe because the connection was so bad) but i feel like it's not unethical because comcast made it available, so why not use it?

antiffanOP11y ago

Yeah, same thing. It's definitely hit or miss, but FWIW I am connected to one now (I guess a random person's router nearby) and it is very fast.

antiffanOP11y ago

Like most people, I'm not normally a Comcast fan, but this is really interesting.

It's really convenient in San Francisco because I can almost always find a network to connect to, but I do wonder about security implications of having this feature enabled by default on my home router.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse