Comcast Turning Chicago Homes Into Xfinity Hotspots

[WelshBloke]

I'm not seeing the problem.
They don't connect to your network, they connect to the ISPs network.
In return for having it I get free wifi pretty much anywhere there's houses or businesses.

 

[zinfamous]

I'm not seeing the problem.
They don't connect to your network, they connect to the ISPs network.
In return for having it I get free wifi pretty much anywhere there's houses or businesses.

Well of course a commie living in Commiestan that doesn't care about CCTV recording every minute of their public lives would say that!

 

[ch33zw1z]

Terrible idea.

On the bright side, I guess I can find a hotspot and just torrent the shit out of it.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Not the right forum, no doubt, but what this makes me wonder is what router/modem a person should get if they don't want to use what you're default given.

You get separate devices.

http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/

anything that isn't a "gateway" (gateway is Comcast's term for combo unit's)

edit: I was just browsing the list, looks like not all the combo units are labeled as a gateway. Best bet is to research which ones you're interested in.

 

[WelshBloke]

Well of course a commie living in Commiestan that doesn't care about CCTV recording every minute of their public lives would say that!

Of course I don't mind the CCTV recording me. I need my awesome recorded and shared as much as possible.

 

[Sonikku]

This is terrible, this idea.

Don't you dare turn into an apologist like the rest of the libs on this forum, Spidey. Once the consumer driven merger kicks in all kinds of cost savings and options will rain down upon us all. Just you wait and see.

 

[kage69]

Don't you dare turn into an apologist like the rest of the libs on this forum, Spidey. Once the consumer driven merger kicks in all kinds of cost savings and options will rain down upon us all. Just you wait and see.

I must say, I'm surprised with spidey's, albeit limp, condemnation of this. The way he stood up for "innovation" in the Net Neutrality would imply he agrees with this kind of innovative requisition of non tech savvy customers property and resources without compensation.

 

[her209]

If it works anything like mine the public network has a different SSID and login.
They are totally separate networks.

/facepalm

Someone sets up an SSID with the same name as the Comcast SSID. Then waits for unsuspecting Comcast customers to connect to said duplicate SSID and send you their username and passwords.

 

[her209]

I'm not seeing the problem.
They don't connect to your network, they connect to the ISPs network.
In return for having it I get free wifi pretty much anywhere there's houses or businesses.

"Free" meaning a subscription that you paid for.

 

[Gunslinger08]

My concerns:
- Security. We all know how IT security works these days - it's secure until it's not.
- Speed. They say it won't impact your speed, but we all know how cable internet works and I'm sure the routers have limitations (RAM and CPU power). If you have several free wifi users connected to your modem doing moderately intensive stuff, I'd be interested in seeing the results of a speedtest on your private network.
- Legal Issues. If someone is browsing unsavory/illegal stuff from your router, it's going to come back to your IP. Other people have to login with their Comcast info, but you're depending on Comcast to save your ass with logs.
- People. People can be insufferable. I can see disputes happening over a crappy signal, the homeowner unplugging their router, free wifi users loitering, etc.

 

[Phanuel]

Time to wrap whatever modem I get from Comcast in the future with a Faraday cage.

 

[WelshBloke]

/facepalm

Someone sets up an SSID with the same name as the Comcast SSID. Then waits for unsuspecting Comcast customers to connect to said duplicate SSID and send you their username and passwords.

Not seeing how that's my problem.
The passwords and login for the private and public networks are different.

The only thing the login for the public network gets you is access to the public network.

"Free" meaning a subscription that you paid for.

Yeah but it's something that you don't get with other ISPs and it doesn't cost me any extra.
If the ISP had to set up literally millions of stand alone wifi hotspots I'm guessing that they'd have to pass that cost on to me somehow.
As it is I get access to a massive public wifi network at no extra cost to me.

 

[her209]

Not seeing how that's my problem.
The passwords and login for the private and public networks are different.

The only thing the login for the public network gets you is access to the public network.






Yeah but it's something that you don't get with other ISPs and it doesn't cost me any extra.
If the ISP had to set up literally millions of stand alone wifi hotspots I'm guessing that they'd have to pass that cost on to me somehow.
As it is I get access to a massive public wifi network at no extra cost to me.

/sigh......

How are you going access the massive public wifi network at no cost to you???

 

[WelshBloke]

/sigh......

How are you going access the massive public wifi network at no cost to you???

At no extra cost?

I just usually use the Android app made by my ISP to log in when I'm out and about.

 

[spidey07]

You are still paying for the infrastructure and operation. Nothing is free.

 

[WelshBloke]

You are still paying for the infrastructure and operation. Nothing is free.

Yes but I'm not paying any extra for the wifi.

What extra costs am I paying?

 

[zinfamous]

The great benefit that no one is looking at here: with the vast savings in updating and extended their infrastructure--something they actually won't have to do at all with no digging, no running of new cables, no more contracts paid out to shady temporary technicians, thus a healthy amount of layoffs--Comcast will certainly be sending the savings down to us subscribers in terms of reduced fees!

right?


right???

 

[spidey07]

They pass the savings by constant offering higher speed at the same price as they are constantly upgrading.

 

[spidey07]

Yes but I'm not paying any extra for the wifi.

What extra costs am I paying?

You're already paying the extra cost.

 

[WelshBloke]

You're already paying the extra cost.

But my ISP was the cheapest available for the speed.

 

[her209]

At no extra cost?

I just usually use the Android app made by my ISP to log in when I'm out and about.

Bingo!

 

[WelshBloke]

Bingo!

What? How is that any different to logging into any other wifi?

 

[Nebor]

Of course I don't mind the CCTV recording me. I need my awesome recorded and shared as much as possible.

I've always wondered if the CCTV people are actually helpful? Like do you ever get a text message that says, "Citizen #235532, your fly is down. -CCTV Monitor #325538." Or a cop walks up to you like, "Excuse me, just wanted to let you know you have some spinach in your teeth sir, just got a call from HQ about it!"

 

[DCal430]

The problem is the login comcast uses for this is the SAME as your master account login, that allows purchases from their web based on demand, and more importantly control of your alarm and security camera you have with them. If someone sets up a fake ssid to get this, they can do major damage.