HN Explorer

Ask HN: Did Comcast just screw me over?

10 points by dan-silver ↗ HN
I noticed yesterday that Comcast enabled their public wifi hotspot[1] on my home router. I'm not sure if there are security risks or if it increases my electric bill, but it provides no additional benefit to me so I want it disabled. Since they removed the easy way of disabling it from their website, I called them and they disabled it. However, I'm now thinking that they just stopped the ssid broadcast since I can see another network with the same signal strength that the hotspot had, just without any network name. I'm using an android app[1] to chart the signal strengths of networks. I clearly stated to them that the network should be completely disabled, so I'm very confused.

Is there any way for me to know if this other network is still the Comcast Xfinity public hotspot?

[1] http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/12/comcast-sued-by-customers-for-turning-routers-into-public-hotspots/

[2] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer&hl=en

12 comments

[ 5.3 ms ] story [ 39.8 ms ] thread
PythonDeveloper
If there are external antennae on the unit, just unscrew them and that will effectively disable the wifi radio since it can't attenuate.
hijinks
if OP has the same modem as I do they are internal. I use to have this on/off war with comcast as the SSID kept getting turned back on.

I finally just bought my own modem and was done with it.

dan-silver
That's correct. They are internal on this model. Even if they were external, I still want my wifi network, just not the public hotspot so disabling all wifi wouldn't help.
moondev
Just buy your own modem from amazon. You get total control and don't have to pay them to lease your modem/router
manyxcxi
Absolutely. I saw the announcement that this was going to happen however long ago that was (2 years?) and I just hopped on Amazon and got my own. Then I saw they upped the prices on modem rentals and chuckled to myself on the timing.
tmaly
Can you recommend a modem. I would prefer one without wifi or if with wifi, a way to disable it.
blcArmadillo
I just bought http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AJHDZSI to use with Comcast. I've only had it for a month but haven't had any issues with it so far.
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
manyxcxi
That's exactly the one I bought. I've never had a moment's issue with it. No WiFi, no IP phone, just power, a coax connection, and an ethernet jack.

Works great, I got a couple extra MB/s in speed tests and save the $10-$20/mo Comcast is charging to borrow their pieces of crap.

_RPM
You have to hook up a router to it right? It just provides the upstream connection, you could of course hook your computer up to it, but how did you do it?
blcArmadillo
Correct, it's just the modem. I then connected a router for WiFi and hardwired connections.
nness
Power cycle the modem and see if the hotspot disappears and reappears with the modem. That would be fairly conclusive.