Comcast turns your Xfinity modem into public Wi-Fi hotspot

[dontpanicbobby]

Comcast is transforming its customers' home modems into public Wi-Fi hotspots... read the rest at Ars Technica

 

[kevincott]

I see both good and bad attached to the story.

Personally, I bought my own modem and have a separate wireless router. There is no way Comcast can broadcast from my house.

 

[IOWA]

>

Since the networks are separate, customers don't have to worry about losing bandwidth to passersby, Comcast said.

Except for the part about that's not how wireless spectrum works. Sharing the airwaves, especially in a crowded/urban area will most definitely suck up wireless bandwidth.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

So far no major problems in my neck of the woods. I have noticed a tendency for xfinity Wi-Fi to request I sign in almost every time I use it though. It didn't use to do that.

 

[sfbloodbrother]

Can't you just put a password on the internet?

 

[dazki_17]

it work in a province,???

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Can't you just put a password on the internet?

I did have my password entered when I originally signed up as an Xfinity Wi-Fi user and had no problems using the service wherever it was available; It would log me in automatically. They keep asking for me to resubmit that password a lot lately. Now that I think of it I had my own wireless router at the time not theirs. Now that I have their Xfinity Modem/Router combo I get this complication. :hmmmm2:

 

[dontpanicbobby]

it work in a province,???

It's US only. No provinces.

 

[mikedt]

it work in a province,???

'fraid not. Provinces is something they have in China. I think they have states in the United States.

BTW I like your "ZTE中兴" avatar.

What Comcast is doing turning all their Xfinity customers into paid WiFi hotspots, happens in other countries as well. BT has been doing this for a while now in the UK, with their "Homehub" WiFi routers. Don't think it's happened in China though.

 

[mikedt]

Can't you just put a password on the internet?

If it's anything like what BT(British Telecommunications PLC) is doing with their "Homehub" customers. Anyone connecting to the open public WiFi gets a pay-wall landing and login page. Where they can enter their credit card numbers and buy some internet time. It's open to other BT internet customers, as well as Fon subscribers. Bandwidth is rather limited as well, and they probably block bandwidth hogs like bittorrent.