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Mr. Luddite

On 11/21/2013 11:41 PM, KC wrote:

On 11/21/2013 8:45 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 11/21/2013 6:25 PM, KC wrote:
On 11/21/2013 6:20 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:45:03 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 11/21/2013 5:26 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:38:18 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"

wrote:

Comcast just enabled a new feature on our home wifi system. You
have
to have the new, updated equipment and modem/router that is
provided by
them for it to work.

What they do is enable your wifi router to transmit and receive
another
independent signal. It shows up as "XFINITYWiFi" on your computer
available networks list, iPad or cell phone. It is unsecured and
doesn't
interfere with your existing, secured connection, nor does it slow
anything down. Anyone signed onto it is *not* connected to your
existing, secured network, so they can't access any file sharing or
anything you have set up on your network.
I have that at my house, simply by putting the DSL wifi router in
front of the router I already had.
Both are secured tho.

I really don't use WiFi on my home network so I have the WiFi turned
off on that router and guests go directly to the DSL WiFi

The "guest/visitor" use feature is nice, but it's obviously not the
primary reason for this new feature.

Comcast is the largest cable/Internet service provider in the US.
They
have about 15 million Internet service customers nationwide with
almost
double that with cable TV service.

By using their customer based WiFi modem/router with the dual channel
capability, they are basically establishing up to 15 million new
"hotspots" for Comcast Internet customers.

If this is an unsecured WiFi they are not creating any customers.
What keeps the neighbors or anyone war driving down the road from
getting in?
I would be a little worried about which IP this comes back to ...
yours?

Wonder how much the NSA is paying them to track everybody for them

You need a new tin hat. Yours is getting porous.

Listen Dick... We already know they are paying ATT and others for
"logistics", why would you think this more complete map of every ones
traveles would not be a great prize for them? Seriously, do you think
the NSA hasn't looked at the possibility of watching folks move through
areas via tracking them???

I know it gave you a good excuse to dismiss and bully me, but really,
think about the question, then get back with me...

Ok. I did. I think you are a paranoid nutcase.

F.O.A.D.

On 11/21/13, 11:41 PM, KC wrote:
On 11/21/2013 8:45 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 11/21/2013 6:25 PM, KC wrote:
On 11/21/2013 6:20 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:45:03 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 11/21/2013 5:26 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:38:18 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"

wrote:

Comcast just enabled a new feature on our home wifi system. You
have
to have the new, updated equipment and modem/router that is
provided by
them for it to work.

What they do is enable your wifi router to transmit and receive
another
independent signal. It shows up as "XFINITYWiFi" on your computer
available networks list, iPad or cell phone. It is unsecured and
doesn't
interfere with your existing, secured connection, nor does it slow
anything down. Anyone signed onto it is *not* connected to your
existing, secured network, so they can't access any file sharing or
anything you have set up on your network.
I have that at my house, simply by putting the DSL wifi router in
front of the router I already had.
Both are secured tho.

I really don't use WiFi on my home network so I have the WiFi turned
off on that router and guests go directly to the DSL WiFi

The "guest/visitor" use feature is nice, but it's obviously not the
primary reason for this new feature.

Comcast is the largest cable/Internet service provider in the US.
They
have about 15 million Internet service customers nationwide with
almost
double that with cable TV service.

By using their customer based WiFi modem/router with the dual channel
capability, they are basically establishing up to 15 million new
"hotspots" for Comcast Internet customers.

If this is an unsecured WiFi they are not creating any customers.
What keeps the neighbors or anyone war driving down the road from
getting in?
I would be a little worried about which IP this comes back to ...
yours?

Wonder how much the NSA is paying them to track everybody for them

You need a new tin hat. Yours is getting porous.

Listen Dick... We already know they are paying ATT and others for
"logistics", why would you think this more complete map of every ones
traveles would not be a great prize for them? Seriously, do you think
the NSA hasn't looked at the possibility of watching folks move through
areas via tracking them???

I know it gave you a good excuse to dismiss and bully me, but really,
think about the question, then get back with me...

That tin foil hat of yours sure gets a lot of use, eh? Other than your
local police, who in "officialdom" would give a tinker's dam about your
whereabouts?

--
Religion: together we can find the cure.

Mr. Luddite

On 11/22/2013 12:14 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 23:41:58 -0500, KC wrote:

On 11/21/2013 8:45 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:

You need a new tin hat. Yours is getting porous.

Listen Dick... We already know they are paying ATT and others for
"logistics", why would you think this more complete map of every ones
traveles would not be a great prize for them? Seriously, do you think
the NSA hasn't looked at the possibility of watching folks move through
areas via tracking them???

I know it gave you a good excuse to dismiss and bully me, but really,
think about the question, then get back with me...

At a certain point you simply have to understand your electronic
signature tracks you everywhere you go and the NSA is not even the
most curious about querying that data. Have you noticed that if you
mention something on a BB, you start getting ads about where to buy
one? That is just one use of what people know.

The only way to really hide is to live off the grid, use cash, stay
off the internet and never carry any kind mobile device, including
toll transponders. Best if you don't even have a car.

Basically, be a homeless person who avoids public assistance and stays
out of cop trouble.

No kidding. If you use a credit or debit card anywhere, they provide a
means of instantly tracking your whereabouts, let alone GPS enabled cell
phones and other electronic devices. You can't go through life worrying
about crap like that. Scott just weaves it all into his bizarre
government conspiracy theories that he both loves and hates at the same
time.

KC

On 11/22/2013 12:14 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 23:41:58 -0500, KC wrote:

On 11/21/2013 8:45 PM, Mr. Luddite wrote:

You need a new tin hat. Yours is getting porous.

Listen Dick... We already know they are paying ATT and others for
"logistics", why would you think this more complete map of every ones
traveles would not be a great prize for them? Seriously, do you think
the NSA hasn't looked at the possibility of watching folks move through
areas via tracking them???

I know it gave you a good excuse to dismiss and bully me, but really,
think about the question, then get back with me...

At a certain point you simply have to understand your electronic
signature tracks you everywhere you go and the NSA is not even the
most curious about querying that data. Have you noticed that if you
mention something on a BB, you start getting ads about where to buy
one? That is just one use of what people know.

The only way to really hide is to live off the grid, use cash, stay
off the internet and never carry any kind mobile device, including
toll transponders. Best if you don't even have a car.

Basically, be a homeless person who avoids public assistance and stays
out of cop trouble.

So, you don't think the NSA is interested in that info at all? Come on...

Mr. Luddite

On 11/21/2013 6:20 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:45:03 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 11/21/2013 5:26 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 16:38:18 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

Comcast just enabled a new feature on our home wifi system. You have
to have the new, updated equipment and modem/router that is provided by
them for it to work.

What they do is enable your wifi router to transmit and receive another
independent signal. It shows up as "XFINITYWiFi" on your computer
available networks list, iPad or cell phone. It is unsecured and doesn't
interfere with your existing, secured connection, nor does it slow
anything down. Anyone signed onto it is *not* connected to your
existing, secured network, so they can't access any file sharing or
anything you have set up on your network.
I have that at my house, simply by putting the DSL wifi router in
front of the router I already had.
Both are secured tho.

I really don't use WiFi on my home network so I have the WiFi turned
off on that router and guests go directly to the DSL WiFi

The "guest/visitor" use feature is nice, but it's obviously not the
primary reason for this new feature.

Comcast is the largest cable/Internet service provider in the US. They
have about 15 million Internet service customers nationwide with almost
double that with cable TV service.

By using their customer based WiFi modem/router with the dual channel
capability, they are basically establishing up to 15 million new
"hotspots" for Comcast Internet customers.

If this is an unsecured WiFi they are not creating any customers.
What keeps the neighbors or anyone war driving down the road from
getting in?
I would be a little worried about which IP this comes back to ...
yours?

That's the whole point of the system. Making millions of new hotspots
for use by anyone who already has a Comcast account.

As far as the IP address, I just spent an hour on the phone trying to
find out the answer to that question. It's a good one. I talked to 7
different Comcast "Account Executives" and none of them had a clue what
I was talking about. I was finally transferred to a geek type who knew
exactly what this new system feature is and could answer the question
definitively:

The second signal being broadcast from your home WiFi router is totally
separate from the primary, secured channel and has it's own, unique IP
address.

This is a very new system and feature. Apparently we are one of the
first in our area to have it. The Comcast geek who I was finally
connected to told me that I was the first one to call with the IP
address question and they are going to add it to the newly created FAQs
on the Comcast website.

I asked a friend who lives a couple of towns from me to see if his
computer could see "XFINITYWiFi" as an available, unsecured network. It
did, however the signal was too low to be usable, so it was not coming
from a house close to him.

We recently had our whole Comcast system upgraded. I received an email
yesterday about this new feature yesterday and tried it. It works. I
understand the reasons Comcast has for offering it and I think it's great.

Mr. Luddite

On 11/21/2013 8:43 PM, wrote:

I guess I am still confused.. If this is really an unsecured WiFi how
do they restrict it to Comcast customers only?

BTW if you want to know what IP you are on there are dozens of sites
that will show you what you are reporting.
GRC.COM is a good one. Shields up (on that site) will also probe your
machine to give you an idea about how well your firewall is working.

Here's how it works:

If your device (computer, smart phone, iPad or whatever) detects a
"XFINITYWiFi" signal as an available network, you connect to it.

At first it doesn't appear to connect to anything. In fact, my computer
initially reported "Local access only, no Internet connection" meaning
the computer is talking to the router/modem but is not connected to the
Internet.

You then open whatever browser you use. It will automatically open to a
Comcast Xfinity website page used for this system.

You enter your Comcast email address and your Comcast account password.

It then reports you are connected to the Internet and you can open
whatever website you want or use your email server. It's appears to be
exactly the same as being connected to your regular Internet connection
except it's not a WPS protected, secure network.

You only have to do this procedure once per device. Once you've done
it, you can connect to any "XFINITYWiFi" signal anywhere without having
to enter your Comcast account info again.

I *think* (but am not sure) that once connected to XFINITYWiFi it may
allow a seamless transfer of that connection from location to location
as long as there are no signal dropouts in between. XFINITYWiFi is the
same connection in my house as it is in someone else's house 10 miles
away (assuming they have the service). If enough houses in between are
broadcasting the second channel "XFINITYWiFi" signal, you could
theoretically drive the 10 miles and stay connected. Again, I am not
sure about this and I forgot to ask the Comcast geek, but from reading
the info about it, I think that's how it will work when fully deployed.

Comcast is pushing it for streaming movies, music, etc., as well as
typical browser and email use.

I can confirm one thing. Since the recent upgrades to our system and
the new, Comcast provided combination modem/router, our Internet access
speed has increased dramatically. I've never experienced this speed
before. Comcast is advertising it as being up to 3 times faster than Fios.

Final note:

I was getting disgusted and frustrated with Comcast over the past few
months because our service was deteriorating and getting unreliable. It
turns out that the older modem/router we had and the distribution
amplifiers were not capable of supporting the upgraded service and
higher speeds Comcast is in the process of installing. Once they
replaced everything with new equipment, it has been excellent.

Mr. Luddite

On 11/21/2013 11:16 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 21:38:21 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

You then open whatever browser you use. It will automatically open to a
Comcast Xfinity website page used for this system.

You enter your Comcast email address and your Comcast account password.

OK, it makes sense now.
I will have to tell my wife about this. She has a comcast account from
work. I suppose I could get one too if I wanted one. I already have a
Comcast Email address but I think it is deactivated (or I just forgot
the password) Email sent to it does not bounce tho.
Maybe I will try a password reset with one of their customer numbers.

I guess they track back to you from your reverse DNS.

I'd check first to see if it's available in your area. It's a really
new feature and is not available everywhere yet. The Comcast guy told
me we are in one of the first areas of the country that it is being set
up and it was virtually only one day old as of yesterday. It somewhat
explains why the other 7 people I talked to at Comcast had never heard
of it.

As far as transmitting the second WiFi channel, it can only be done with
Comcast provided modem/routers. If you bought and installed one from
Best Buy or anywhere else, it won't transmit the second channel.

Mr. Luddite

On 11/22/2013 12:22 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 21:38:21 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

If your device (computer, smart phone, iPad or whatever) detects a
"XFINITYWiFi" signal as an available network, you connect to it.

The more I think about this the scarier it gets.
What happens when that "XFINITYWiFi" router you see is a spoofer, they
play you like a real Xfinity site, get your password and along the way
they also dump your device to their machine.

I hope there is more security than you have described.

I don't know. I've described everything I know about it so far.
I don't see how it's any different than the "free" WiFi connections that
many public places have now except you have to have a Comcast account to
access it.

I am not going to worry about it though. You don't *have* to use it and
if your home router is transmitting the second channel you can call
Comcast and have it disabled if you desire.

KC

On 11/22/2013 2:19 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 11/22/2013 12:22 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 21:38:21 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

If your device (computer, smart phone, iPad or whatever) detects a
"XFINITYWiFi" signal as an available network, you connect to it.

The more I think about this the scarier it gets.
What happens when that "XFINITYWiFi" router you see is a spoofer, they
play you like a real Xfinity site, get your password and along the way
they also dump your device to their machine.

I hope there is more security than you have described.

I don't know. I've described everything I know about it so far.
I don't see how it's any different than the "free" WiFi connections that
many public places have now except you have to have a Comcast account to
access it.

I am not going to worry about it though. You don't *have* to use it and
if your home router is transmitting the second channel you can call
Comcast and have it disabled if you desire.

What no names, no curtain climbing??? No waving??????

Mr. Luddite

On 11/22/2013 12:22 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 21 Nov 2013 21:38:21 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

If your device (computer, smart phone, iPad or whatever) detects a
"XFINITYWiFi" signal as an available network, you connect to it.

The more I think about this the scarier it gets.
What happens when that "XFINITYWiFi" router you see is a spoofer, they
play you like a real Xfinity site, get your password and along the way
they also dump your device to their machine.

I hope there is more security than you have described.

They are even talking about phony "charging stations" that will dump
your mobile device while you think you are just getting a free charge.

If you want to learn more about this, here's a link that will get you
started. The link was huge, so I made a TinyURL:

http://tinyurl.com/kr2rtp2

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