Comcast in The Villages

[johndar]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.

[retiredguy123]

Where is the photo of your modem? Typically, the Xfinity equipment, including modems and cable boxes, is being updated regularly and customers can always exchange it for the newer equipment. For example, many people now have 4K televisions, but do not have an Xfinity 4K cable box, even though they are paying for Xfinity 4K programming. It would be a huge expense for Xfinity to notify and exchange every customer's equipment every time they come out with an updated version of their equipment. I understand your point, but you are paying for the incoming signal, and I think you have a responsibility to verify that you are getting the service you expect from that signal, and exchange the equipment, if you need to. I don't think Xfinity owes you a refund. Some people pay for HBO and never watch it. Should they get a refund?

[EdFNJ]

They just screwed up your account provisioning at their NOC unless your modem was ancient.. When working for DirecTV MDU division years ago our NOC would often do that.

[Topspinmo]

Dumped Comcast and ATT smartest decision I’ve made here in villages.

[John_W]

...

[Topspinmo]

That's the first time I heard of AT&T Internet available in TV. They should advertise. I just did a search of my address and it said not available.

AT&T Internet High Speed Services & Plans (https://att-bundles.com/internet/?igp=34659&tel=1-833-567-6486&invsrc=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-aGCBhCwARIsAHDl5x_8tvkjy6G7FHiInAqUvEVGgSfVhKPnzN8 xJzaH4jkzYVlBiHH5kuMaAhLBEALw_wcB)

Dumped ATT cellular service.

[EdFNJ]

That's the first time I heard of AT&T Internet available in TV. They should advertise. I just did a search of my address and it said not available.

AT&T Internet High Speed Services & Plans (https://att-bundles.com/internet/?igp=34659&tel=1-833-567-6486&invsrc=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-aGCBhCwARIsAHDl5x_8tvkjy6G7FHiInAqUvEVGgSfVhKPnzN8 xJzaH4jkzYVlBiHH5kuMaAhLBEALw_wcB)


I'm betting he meant ATT Cellular not internet. It's not available here. They refer you to Comcrap.

[Fenster]

I had Comcast/Xfinity. It is absolutely a rip off. Would not recommend them at all!

At the two year mark, they jumped up the prices, the telephone agents are terrible (they are very difficult to understand and they give out incorrect information) and their new service, Flex, is the worst! In my opinion.

[evinkc]

Thank you for the great information. I'm getting ready to relocate to TV and I work from home so I've had some concern about internet service. I'll be sure to ask for a new modem.

[Tmarkwald]

Thank you for the great information. I'm getting ready to relocate to TV and I work from home so I've had some concern about internet service. I'll be sure to ask for a new modem.

I also work full-time from home. Lots of skype calls, streaming and VPN work for the government.

One option is to go with TMobile home. It is available in TV, costs 50 a month, including taxes. I've got it an have been using it for about 3 weeks now. Note that as of yesterday it is now 60 a month. I just carry the thing with me when I go up north. There is a good article on it here:

I signed up for T-Mobile's $60 unlimited home internet service. Here's what happened - CNET (https://www.cnet.com/news/i-signed-up-for-t-mobiles-60-unlimited-home-internet-service-heres-what-happened/)

[donassaid]

Absolutely agree. We had them for 3 years. Worst customer service ever. No one spoke intelligible English. Just 4 months after my last "2 year renewal", the bumped my monthly fees by $25. Dropped them for Dish Network and never been happier.

[arbajeda]

It's not the modem. They throttle Internet service through software at their Network Operations Center. The CSR on the phone may not (probably not) have the technical expertise to know how it is provisioned or his/her script is written to offer the new modem while they correct the programming error. Get your own modem at Amazon or Best Buy and stop paying their monthly charge. The standard id DOCSIS 3.0 and the compatibility is written on the box. Your prices will raise after two years because you are out of the initial contract. Contact them again and see what deals they can offer. You can also try the other providers in the area, and find out what really bad service is all about.

[RouseysMom]

Many northern Villagers are experiencing similar service limits from Centurylink. It’s not the available
Service, it’s the “regulator”. Maybe at switch, maybe at house, maybe equipment/router. Do speed tests regularly. And be prepared to hop from one to the other every couple years. North we have Xfinity or Centurylink, south Spectrum or Xfinity.

[westernrider75]

Can somebody explain how to do a speed test?

[whamrick]

Can somebody explain how to do a speed test?

Speedtest.net

[mbswitzer]

Can somebody explain how to do a speed test?

Just Google “speed test”

[Aacosner]

Can somebody explain how to do a speed test?

Google "internet speed test", and an option will appear to run a speed test.

[jedalton]

Can somebody explain how to do a speed test? go to Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test (http://www.speedtest.net) on your device and click go.

[WesMan]

Where is the photo of your modem? Typically, the Xfinity equipment, including modems and cable boxes, is being updated regularly and customers can always exchange it for the newer equipment. For example, many people now have 4K televisions, but do not have an Xfinity 4K cable box, even though they are paying for Xfinity 4K programming. It would be a huge expense for Xfinity to notify and exchange every customer's equipment every time they come out with an updated version of their equipment. I understand your point, but you are paying for the incoming signal, and I think you have a responsibility to verify that you are getting the service you expect from that signal, and exchange the equipment, if you need to. I don't think Xfinity owes you a refund. Some people pay for HBO and never watch it. Should they get a refund?
How do you like working for Comcast?

[Tmarkwald]

Speedtest for TMobile Home Internet:

Cheap, simple, reliable for me. I just did a speedtest..

Just plug it in and it works.

[Professor]

Just google speedtest and hit the button to run it.

[Surf Daddy]

Thanks for the Link. I just tested Up at 15 and Down at 250. I am south of 44 and I have Spectrum. I had a tech from Spectrum at my house yesterday, related to a cable nicked by landscapers. He tested my feed from the street to home, and identified a portion of the cable (not in the area of the landscapers nick) as being a problem. He then installed a new cable for the whole length. Spectrum gets dinged by a lot of Villagers, but I love the company. Great tech support. Reasonable fees (for cable).

go to Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test (http://www.speedtest.net) on your device and click go.

[chipd331]

This happens all the time. We have dealt with this issue (problem) with every provider in 4 different states.
My wife has more knowledge than the techs you talk to on the phone and she ends up telling them what the issues are.
i would bet only about 1% of customers do a speed test, and they know it
They tell you your getting 100, 200, 300 speeds but not even close. How would you know?
they've been ripping customers off for years

[Sabella]

It's not the modem. They throttle Internet service through software at their Network Operations Center. The CSR on the phone may not (probably not) have the technical expertise to know how it is provisioned or his/her script is written to offer the new modem while they correct the programming error. Get your own modem at Amazon or Best Buy and stop paying their monthly charge. The standard id DOCSIS 3.0 and the compatibility is written on the box. Your prices will raise after two years because you are out of the initial contract. Contact them again and see what deals they can offer. You can also try the other providers in the area, and find out what really bad service is all about.

I have Comcast internet blast speed. I was getting over 200 mbp UNTIL I returned their RENTED modem router and purchased my own. Now I get between 70 and 112 mbp. I have complained to various levels of customer service with no valid answer . The router modem I purchased is latest technology. The other person who started this topic is right. I will file a complaint with the FCC and Florida attorney general. If more people filed official complaints maybe something would be done instead of just complaining on this website. There is power in numbers.

[J1ceasar]

Have you heard of ethics?

[Markers333]

I also switched to T Mobile internet two months ago. Tired of ever changing fees and streaming issues, speed. You have to have T Mobile but man was I amazed at how fast and clear sound was, as well as the signal and speed. Comcast was holding us back. I will never go back to those rip off cable companies. T Mobile is about to go nation wide with their service - 50.00 NO OTHER CHARGES - unlimited , I had the Xfinity X1 do everything and T-Mobile internet is totally out performing them. I have 38 WiFi lights, pads, phones etc Unbelievable , I’m sooo happy

[EddieUA]

Buy your own modem and router and save $20 plus a month. Have 8 devices and getting 339 mps.

[Tom2172]

Dec my Comcast internet was being throttled back I had been getting 200 Mps. Jan internet speed was 50 MPs had to constantly reset the modems.
So upgraded to Comcast 1000 MPs for more $$$$ Sometimes get 400 MPs but no where near speed Comcast is selling. Numerous calls to Comcast they’ve got more excuses but the fact is Comcast charges for services they don’t provide!
They’re a monopoly and don’t care! Will fill out a complaint

[Eg_cruz]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.
How does one check the speed?

[Malsua]

The router modem I purchased is latest technology.



Combination devices perform worse than discreet devices. Just because something is new or recent, does not mean it is better. If you provide me with the model number of your device, I will tell you if it's capable or a piece of garbage. I can tell you that if you didn't pay at least $175 for it, it's probably not a good one.

Your best bet is to get a gigabit capable cable modem (DOCSIS 3.0 or 3.1)and an AC1900 or better router. While you may never need or get gigabit service, you want these devices to be normally, figuratively filing their finger nails while slinging megabytes of data around. That way when there is high demand, they handle it while maintaining quality of service.

[Streamers]

This is happening not only in the villages but all over. I have the same problem with my Comcast internet. I believe that Comcast is doing this on purpose because many people are leaving to go to streaming services. If we as a group don’t do anything then it will continue to happen.

[Lyn Wagner]

What should a good speed be?

[RICH1]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.
Go YOU TUBE TV and lose the cable! Streaming has more options and you can endless record shows! Visit someone's house that uses Roku .. you will be happier that you cut that damn cable , I've been using You tube Tv for years.

[Tmarkwald]

I also switched to T Mobile internet two months ago. Tired of ever changing fees and streaming issues, speed. You have to have T Mobile but man was I amazed at how fast and clear sound was, as well as the signal and speed. Comcast was holding us back. I will never go back to those rip off cable companies. T Mobile is about to go nation wide with their service - 50.00 NO OTHER CHARGES - unlimited , I had the Xfinity X1 do everything and T-Mobile internet is totally out performing them. I have 38 WiFi lights, pads, phones etc Unbelievable , I’m sooo happy

Excellent. What I also love is that when I travel north, I can take it with me. Just plug it in and it WORKS. However, that battery that keeps the setting could be improved. I have to put the settings back in if it stays unplugged more than a day.

Yesterday they raised the price by $10 for new customers because they are killing the market with this product. Those of us $50 people get to keep it at $50 though.

[Uphillputt330]

Strongly suggest you buy your own modem and router — pay back for the cost is approximately one year, you control the speed, etc., they typically will last in terms of being technology up to date for 5+ years.

[Tmarkwald]

Go YOU TUBE TV and lose the cable! Streaming has more options and you can endless record shows! Visit someone's house that uses Roku .. you will be happier that you cut that damn cable , I've been using You tube Tv for years.

You still need internet -

[jedalton]

What should a good speed be?

depends on what you want to watch. for streaming you need 35-50 mbs. Remember your speed is almost 1/2 when connected by wi-fi. you only get the advertised speed when connected by ethernet cable with 1 device connected to internet. your speed is also reduced by the number of devices connected to your internet. I usually have 5 devices and 2 of them are streaming.

[Debfrommaine]

Go YOU TUBE TV and lose the cable! Streaming has more options and you can endless record shows! Visit someone's house that uses Roku .. you will be happier that you cut that damn cable , I've been using You tube Tv for years.. What are approx costs?

[Tmarkwald]

This is happening not only in the villages but all over. I have the same problem with my Comcast internet. I believe that Comcast is doing this on purpose because many people are leaving to go to streaming services. If we as a group don’t do anything then it will continue to happen.

Streaming service have nothing to do with the internet speed issue. You can't cancel internet then go streaming.....

[xcaligirl]

Dumped Comcast and ATT smartest decision I’ve made here in villages.
What do you use for internet?

[Brondrisek]

Well this is helpful. And disappointing.
Thank you!

[DeeCee Dubya]

Never rent hardware from your Internet provider. It is last generation junk and your rental rates would allow you to buy your own up-to-date hardware in less than a year. Buy your own modem and router. These days most of the stuff is plug-and-play that anyone can install.

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.

[steve1025]

My relatives in Boca have basic tv service with Comcast and pay $20/mo. for it and the board pays for it. Because the board called comcast and said we have 400 homes that want your service and they jumped at the chance.

[mcwood4d]

Thanks for the Link. I just tested Up at 15 and Down at 250. I am south of 44 and I have Spectrum. I had a tech from Spectrum at my house yesterday, related to a cable nicked by landscapers. He tested my feed from the street to home, and identified a portion of the cable (not in the area of the landscapers nick) as being a problem. He then installed a new cable for the whole length. Spectrum gets dinged by a lot of Villagers, but I love the company. Great tech support. Reasonable fees (for cable).
Spectrum also does NOT charge for a modem. It is included with the service. Wireless service DOES cost extra if you choose not to purchase your own router.

[richs631]

I had Comcast/Xfinity. It is absolutely a rip off. Would not recommend them at all!

At the two year mark, they jumped up the prices, the telephone agents are terrible (they are very difficult to understand and they give out incorrect information) and their new service, Flex, is the worst! In my opinion.

When my 2 year contract was up I called customer service and kindly told them to remove their equipment from my house because I could not afford their fees. And what do you know, they gave me another 2 year contract at the same price

[dyoder66@aol.com]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.
Why pay rent on their modum each month. Buy your own for approximately $50 and return theirs. I did so and raised my speed by 50 pts

[Paula]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.

The best thing to do when you have an issue with Comcast/Xfinity is to call the Loyalty Department - 877-424-2027 - and press 4. This is what you would do to cancel your service, which they certainly don't want you to do. The best thing is you get to talk to a real live person!!!

[DAVES]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.

I recall reading years ago that internet providers were among the companies with the highest number of complaints.

I have in the past, more than once done the David vs Goleith routine and I won both times. People who know what I did have wondered why I did not blow it up for everyone. The answer is when I needed help to do what I did everyone, including my wife, thought I was being a fool-that is until after I won.

Getting people to do something is difficult. Most, sadly including me, just complain.

My idea, of course I think someone other than me should do it, Would be for us The Villages to negotiate as a group. If, an internet provider loses one customer, not bid deal. Were they to lose the Villages or a Village you can bet the price would go down and the service would improve.

[lmack]

FYI, I did replace Xfinity modem with my own speedy modem from Best Buy. Worked fine for a while (I mean month not years) then crawled slower and slower. Called Xfinity and they did all their usual useless trouble shouting while on phone and then blamed my almost brand new speedy netgear modem. For me, Getting a new modem only gave Xfinity someone else they could blame.

[Proveone]

I have XFinity internet and own my modem. It pays for itself over time. I have performance internet speed and that is plenty for internet and streaming TV through Roku. My speed tests are always over 100 mg speed, usually around 116mg. I have had Blast speed which tested over 400 mg speed and didn't notice a difference with my internet or streaming TV. I pay $40 for internet, no taxes or equipment rental because I own my modem, which is an Arris.

[cathiehines]

We changed to CenturyLink and finally have no buffering problems. You might want to check them out. Comcast was terrible and kept raising their prices.

[Rlheinz19@yahoo.com]

We are moving into St Catherine next month. None of the providers have our address in their databases yet. How do we find out what is truly available? Everyone just says Comcast.

[newgirl]

Same thing happened to me, I had them come get their stuff the day they lied to me. Exact same thing...

[ron32162]

Comcast modems are caped. I found out this a few years ago. I bought my own modem from best buy 199.00 because of the same problem. Thinking my bill would be lowered because I'm no longer renting a Comcast modem they told me the discount I was getting for my package was tied in with the modem and my bill would increase by 20.00 . Humm so I told them Is there something I could take off of my package to get it back down , yes hbo never watch it anyway so I did that. my internet speed went from 40-60 mbps to 200 + mpbs. with my modem. They actually told me everything in the book like the signal cant go thru the walls and thats why there modems were slow. If you want fast internet DO NOT use Comcast modems

[mrf6969]

Bought my Arris modem which is the same one Xfinity recommends. Obviously buying your own will save you a lot of money over time. I pay for 200 MBPS and always tests out at 200+. Bundling Xfinity TV, internet 200 and home phone is a fair price at $175.00 a month total. Looked into doing YouTube TV and then getting internet service and home phone service separately and it came out about the same price. People get all revved up about cutting the cord but I see no advantage as of yet.

[tuccillo]

Internet only via CenturyLink: $45 per month price-for-life
YouTubeTV: $65 per month
OOMA Voice-over-IP phone: $5 per month

Total: $115 per month

Bought my Arris modem which is the same one Xfinity recommends. Obviously buying your own will save you a lot of money over time. I pay for 200 MBPS and always tests out at 200+. Bundling Xfinity TV, internet 200 and home phone is a fair price at $175.00 a month total. Looked into doing YouTube TV and then getting internet service and home phone service separately and it came out about the same price. People get all revved up about cutting the cord but I see no advantage as of yet.

[daveac83]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.

Comcast/Xfinity does not notify you about free equipment upgrades, but if you request new equipment, there should not be an additional charge. Xfinity now has wi/fi enabled cable boxes so you can install a TV where you do not have a cable outlet. And they have a 4K capable DVR called the XG1v4 to better service your 4k HD TV.

[nlappa]

When I did the test, I got the following results: ping 32ms, download 476.86 mbps and upload 23.57 mbps. I’m not sure which one should be compared to the 300 mbps.

[diamond2005]

Speedtest.net
Thankyou, Speedtest.net!

[retiredguy123]

Why pay rent on their modum each month. Buy your own for approximately $50 and return theirs. I did so and raised my speed by 50 pts
If you have the landline service, you need a modem with a phone line connection, which will cost about $250. Also, the reason some people want to rent the modem is to ensure that, if their service goes down, Xfinity will be responsible to restore the service because Xfinity owns the modem. If your service goes down because of a defective modem that you own, it may be time consuming to restore service.

[cphague]

Before blaming the provider, make sure you do not have an issue with the equipment in your home. The speed posted by these companies are normally what is coming into your house...not what most get when using their old PC's, tablets, old laptops, etc.

1 - When you check speeds, if you just check from your browser over wi-fi, that speed may be slower due to your issues with wi-fi in your house and wi-fi being inherently slower than what is on the cable coming into your house (unless you use wi-fi 6 and have all wi-fi 6 compatible connectivity points). If you check from a PC directly hooked up to the wi-fi router with an old NIC card that is incapable of high speeds, then that could be your slowdown point.
2 - If you know how, log into your wi-fi router or wi-fi router app and run the test from there. That normally will run the speed test from your wi-fi router. Again, if you have a router not capable of the speeds you are paying for, it might be your bottleneck.

Think of it this way, your car may be capable of going 120 mph. But you won't get that speed driving on hairpin curves, up and down mountain passes. You will get that on a straight, flat stretch of road.

One thing to consider, most people are buying more Internet speed than they need because we all have been told that will fix all of our problems. Unless you are streaming 4K all the time while trying to view videos on your laptop while the kids are online gaming all the time, you likely just need to upgrade your wi-fi router and cable modem (buy them and save on the monthly rent). Check your speed coming in the house from there, make sure it is what you are paying for and then start figuring out the bottlenecks...does that TV need to be on all day long type of issues.

Also, for those who want to not rent their modem and wi-fi, first consider if you want to support your own equipment and update it. Some automatically update while others you need to apply firmware updates and patches on your own. Are you comfortable doing that? If you rent, it is on the provider to update their device's software...and they normally do that.

Anyway, make sure the equipment in your house can handle the Internet speeds you are paying for. Make sure you actually need the speed you are paying for and not trying to speed up your devices that are incapable of handling the speed.

[ScottGo]

Are you allowed to have an antenna, like before cable? We were in Safety Harbor( Tampa bay) and just had internet no cable. Sling worked out great

[amexsbow]

All of the coax cable internet providers have the same problem. Think of a large pipe as the connection for your area. The more people who open the tap the slower the flow.
The same goes for your home wifi. The more devices on your wifi the slower the flow. TV, mobile phone, ipad, other wifi devices. Each one will require some data stream and reduce the total available from your wifi router.

[Skip]

When I did the test, I got the following results: ping 32ms, download 476.86 mbps and upload 23.57 mbps. I’m not sure which one should be compared to the 300 mbps.

Great numbers. Ping is usually about 24ms (lower is better) but it depends on how close the server is to you. The Villages server is the closest to us. My speed is 239mbps (23 ms ping) and I'm ethernet connected to my router not wifi connected. Wanna trade?

You have more than you need. Two people streaming at the same time: 150mbps is plenty.

Skip

[cphague]

I agree. That is where you want to get a cable modem that has the correct speed ability, but also has a multiple channel capabilities. Then the modem switches between the channels automatically making sure you remain on the least congested channel...I know...I'm simplifying what it does...

[detch]

Dumped Comcast and ATT smartest decision I’ve made here in villages.
Who is your internet service with?

[WelchNH]

Dumped Comcast and ATT smartest decision I’ve made here in villages.
Not sure what you meant "Dumped Comcast and ATT". What do you use now?

[detch]

I had Comcast/Xfinity. It is absolutely a rip off. Would not recommend them at all!

At the two year mark, they jumped up the prices, the telephone agents are terrible (they are very difficult to understand and they give out incorrect information) and their new service, Flex, is the worst! In my opinion.
With what company did you replace Comcast?

[DonnaNi4os]

I had Comcast/Xfinity. It is absolutely a rip off. Would not recommend them at all!

At the two year mark, they jumped up the prices, the telephone agents are terrible (they are very difficult to understand and they give out incorrect information) and their new service, Flex, is the worst! In my opinion.

My recommendation to everyone with a contract for cable is to find out the date your contract is up. Then mark your calendar. The prices we are given includes their “discount packages” which expire at the end of the contract. Then you could see an increase of over $100! Renegotiate your contract prior to that date and they will work with you. Once your contract renews, you are stuck. I began with CenturyLink which was a nightmare. I currently have XFinity (Comcast) and found that they do not raise my bill every month like CL did. I wish Verizon’s FIOS was available here. It was THE best service I have ever had.

[Samcat13]

Your connection is great.
Based on your current download speed of 466.685 Mbps, we expect you’ll have a high-performance gaming experience on Stadia. Go back to the Google Store.

First I have my own modem. It's a Netgear 1900 high speed modem. Cost $199.00
I've had it for 2 years. I would have paid Comcast $240.00 to rent there junk.
I pay for just 300 blast service. No TV with Comcast. I range between 350 and 470 most of the time. The wife has Directv at over $200 a month And I stream my tv needs for under $25.00 a month. As you can see a have no problem with Comcast. Now Directv is a different story.

[cphague]

My recommendation to everyone with a contract for cable is to find out the date your contract is up. Then mark your calendar. The prices we are given includes their “discount packages” which expire at the end of the contract. Then you could see an increase of over $100! Renegotiate your contract prior to that date and they will work with you. Once your contract renews, you are stuck. I began with CenturyLink which was a nightmare. I currently have XFinity (Comcast) and found that they do not raise my bill every month like CL did. I wish Verizon’s FIOS was available here. It was THE best service I have ever had.

I agree, however, my experience with Comcast is that once they raise your rate athe end of your special pricing, you are not stuck; they will put you on a better plan if you contact them. It is just better for your wallet if you do it prior to the price increase.

[butlerperkins@gmail.com]

2021 0311 Thursday @ 11:19
FYI
For years Xfinity/Comcast informed me (in Maryland) that Speedtest should be done using ethernet cabling. IOW, when using Speedtest on your phone (which is wireless) there would be an anticipated degradation of the upload and download speeds (and presumably ping).

[whitevibe]

Any Lady Lake subscribers? showing not yet available ...

[stebooo]

How do you check the speed?

[bobchap]

If you have the name and model number of the old modem do an internet search and see what the old modem was really capable of providing. If when they switched you over to the faster service and if they should have replaced the modem at the time, I feel they owe you a refund. However, if the old modem was capable of the faster service and something else prevented you form getting the faster speed, then at that point I don't think they owe you a refund. That is why you need to test your internet speed on a regular basis.

[retiredguy123]

My recommendation to everyone with a contract for cable is to find out the date your contract is up. Then mark your calendar. The prices we are given includes their “discount packages” which expire at the end of the contract. Then you could see an increase of over $100! Renegotiate your contract prior to that date and they will work with you. Once your contract renews, you are stuck. I began with CenturyLink which was a nightmare. I currently have XFinity (Comcast) and found that they do not raise my bill every month like CL did. I wish Verizon’s FIOS was available here. It was THE best service I have ever had.
Yes, it is very important to know when your contract expires and to set up a new contract before that date. But, to clarify, the Xfinity contract does not automatically renew for additional 2 years. However, you will lose the contract discounts and go on a month to month basis unless you set up a new 2 year contract. Unfortunately, Xfinity doesn't notify you of this, and the bill goes up and people think that Xfinity arbitrarily raised their prices.

[John_W]

...

[bfarmer3]

Speedtest.net

I got 723.02 Mbps with Comcast just now.

[kathyspear]

I wish Verizon’s FIOS was available here. It was THE best service I have ever had.

I'm with you, Donna. Verizon FIOS is one of the few things I miss from up north.

kathy

[RoadToad]

depends on what you want to watch. for streaming you need 35-50 mbs. Remember your speed is almost 1/2 when connected by wi-fi. you only get the advertised speed when connected by ethernet cable with 1 device connected to internet. your speed is also reduced by the number of devices connected to your internet. I usually have 5 devices and 2 of them are streaming.

Streaming to a single 4K device is easily supported by 3 to 7 Meg.

Been there, done that (DSL @ C link).

We are running BASIC Comcast internet (28 Meg max) and have absolutley no issues running a 4k stream and numerous 720P Ip cams viewing remote properties.

People paying for "Blast" are wasting money; unless they are running Servers for other services.

[tuccillo]

The Netflix estimates are about 3-5 megabits per second of bandwidth consumed for 1080p and about 15-20 megabits per second of bandwidth consumed for 2160p (aka 4K). I have measured about 15 megabits per second of bandwidth consumed with 4K videos on YouTube. I agree that most people have much more bandwidth than they require.



Streaming to a single 4K device is easily supported by 3 to 7 Meg.

Been there, done that (DSL @ C link).

We are running BASIC Comcast internet (28 Meg max) and have absolutley no issues running a 4k stream and numerous 720P Ip cams viewing remote properties.

People paying for "Blast" are wasting money; unless they are running Servers for other services.

[Malsua]

The Netflix estimates are about 3-5 megabits per second of bandwidth consumed for 1080p and about 15-20 megabits per second of bandwidth consumed for 2160p (aka 4K). I have measured about 15 megabits per second of bandwidth consumed with 4K videos on YouTube. I agree that most people have much more bandwidth than they require.

I also agree. I do this kind of thing for a living or at least for another month :).

Unless you are downloading massive game patches or pushing large videos around, a 30mbit connection is all a retired couple would probably ever need for streaming and web browsing.

Don't get me wrong, I love when I'm at work and on two 5gbit pipes. I cap out to my 1gb NIC speed unless I do a file transfer from one of the servers. It's great.

We used the starter 25mbit Xfinity for a year at our TV house and it was plenty for what we do there, which is streaming Hulu/Prime/Netflix and youtube. On the 100mbit plan now because that was the next minimum. Even when I remote out to my job, it's plenty. The only time it's somewhat of an issue is when I push up my BBQ videos and such to my youtube channel.

People just way over buy bandwidth just because it's a bigger number.

[bobdeb]

Try not to moan over this one.

My xfinity bill (tv & wifi) in TV is a killer... groan

We own and rent a second home in Pennbrooke Fairways just next to TV and our high def gazzion channels and 400 mbs wifi Spectrum is... wait for it...

$52 a month (including all fees.) in our HOA.

The entire community (1200 homes) committed to a 5 year contract.

3 br 2 bath on golf course, all top upgrades, if you're interested...

[END OTT]

Bought my Arris modem which is the same one Xfinity recommends. Obviously buying your own will save you a lot of money over time. I pay for 200 MBPS and always tests out at 200+. Bundling Xfinity TV, internet 200 and home phone is a fair price at $175.00 a month total. Looked into doing YouTube TV and then getting internet service and home phone service separately and it came out about the same price. People get all revved up about cutting the cord but I see no advantage as of yet.

testing

[Sherry8bal]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.

Comcast is the WORST EVER!!! We definitely recommend Dish Network. You pick what programming you want to pay for.

[Topspinmo]

What do you use for internet?

Century link contracted with dish. So, I have century link fiber optics internet.

[Topspinmo]

Who is your internet service with?


Dish Tv, they contract with century link for internet service. Got two cell phone plan from singular cellular at target, 45 bucks unlimited.

[HJBeck]

It's not the modem. They throttle Internet service through software at their Network Operations Center. The CSR on the phone may not (probably not) have the technical expertise to know how it is provisioned or his/her script is written to offer the new modem while they correct the programming error. Get your own modem at Amazon or Best Buy and stop paying their monthly charge. The standard id DOCSIS 3.0 and the compatibility is written on the box. Your prices will raise after two years because you are out of the initial contract. Contact them again and see what deals they can offer. You can also try the other providers in the area, and find out what really bad service is all about.

Totally agree with getting your own modem and router. Comcast charges you more per year then the one time cost of your own modem with DOCSIS 3.1 capability.

[Lyn Wagner]

What should the speed by?

[Lyn Wagner]

What should the speed be?

[Ndomines]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.
Comcast modem, why?
You are paying rent every month.
Go to best buy and purchase your own modem. Return the one you have and they will stop charging you rent.

[Sabella]

Combination devices perform worse than discreet devices. Just because something is new or recent, does not mean it is better. If you provide me with the model number of your device, I will tell you if it's capable or a piece of garbage. I can tell you that if you didn't pay at least $175 for it, it's probably not a good one.

Your best bet is to get a gigabit capable cable modem (DOCSIS 3.0 or 3.1)and an AC1900 or better router. While you may never need or get gigabit service, you want these devices to be normally, figuratively filing their finger nails while slinging megabytes of data around. That way when there is high demand, they handle it while maintaining quality of service.

Interesting since Comcast rents combination devices . Please let me know if I purchased a piece of garbage? Comcast approved Motorola Dual Band AC 1900 24x8 DOCIS 3.0 price paid $214.

[Viperguy]

Go YOU TUBE TV and lose the cable! Streaming has more options and you can endless record shows! Visit someone's house that uses Roku .. you will be happier that you cut that damn cable , I've been using You tube Tv for years.

Dumped Comcast recently and went to YoutubeTV. Comcast has a data limit of 1.2 TB and charges a premium if you go over. Not sure if that will be a factor with 100% streaming. They get you either way. Skynet is coming. 1000's of satellites are being launched as we speak. World wide HS internet by 2022.

[Ndomines]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.
Comcast modem, why?
You are paying rent every month.
Go to best buy and purchase your own modem. Return the one you have and they will stop charging you rent.

[jedalton]

Interesting since Comcast rents combination devices . Please let me know if I purchased a piece of garbage? Comcast approved Motorola Dual Band AC 1900 24x8 DOCIS 3.0 price paid $214.
Buy netgear c7000 V2 at Best buy or walmart around $175. problem solved.

[Singerlady]

Thank you for the great information. I'm getting ready to relocate to TV and I work from home so I've had some concern about internet service. I'll be sure to ask for a new modem.

Buy your own modem and router. Comcast was charging us $14/ month to rent them. After 15 months we will have recovered our costs. Our equipment is better than theirs anyway.

[Malsua]

Interesting since Comcast rents combination devices . Please let me know if I purchased a piece of garbage? Comcast approved Motorola Dual Band AC 1900 24x8 DOCIS 3.0 price paid $214.

That's one of the better combination devices. I assume that's an MG7700? It's likely not the problem.

You need to do a speed test while hard wired to the device just to eliminate the WiFi from the equation.

If it's still slow, I would make sure the coax is firmly screwed into the device. If you had another piece of coax, I would swap it from the wall to the device. You could also pick up a cheap one from Walmart or Best buy, just to make sure it isn't the cable.

Finally, I know both of our TV houses have cable jacks all over the place. Make sure there isn't anything attached to any of them. If you had a long enough coax, try connecting to a different jack or moving the device to a different place in the house and running the test again. If you get any significant variation, you have a cabling problem somewhere.

Cable technicians have meters that allow them to tone out the cable for proper propagation but getting them to come to your home is a pain. Fluke makes an absolutely wonderful coax tester. They only cost $600 :)

[retiredguy123]

Buy netgear c7000 V2 at Best buy or walmart around $175. problem solved.
It won't work if you need a landline phone connection.

[cphague]

Again, something to consider if you buy your own wi-fi router. You have to maintain it yourself such as applying firmware updates and patches. That said, Google and Amazon now have mesh wi-fi routers that they maintain automatically for you. If you are not comfortable updating your router, you need to make sure it is automatically updated in order to have security and performance updates to the device. Otherwise, you should consider renting it.

If you buy your own cable modem, Comcast will maintain and update it for you. Make sure it is on Comcast's posted list of supported modems...just do a search online.

The easiest thing to do from a pricing standpoint is to create a calendar reminder four weeks before your current contract ends, then call them and tell them you need to switch to a different deal. I'm not sure why everyone thinks Comcast should be required to give a customer a heads up when their special pricing is ending.

[mrf6969]

Internet only via CenturyLink: $45 per month price-for-life
YouTubeTV: $65 per month
OOMA Voice-over-IP phone: $5 per month

Total: $115 per month
Sorry but you are not really comparing apples to apples. I have 2 1/2 times the stations and faster internet speed.

[scottiesrgreat@gmail.com]

I love my Spectrum service. I was depressed when I bought my home in The Villages 4+ months ago and was informed that Comcast was ‘The’ internet provider. I have lived in multiple US locations and have always had contract and service issues with them. I contacted Spectrum - and - yes - they did provide service to my home!!! (despite what The Villages and my Sales Rep were telling me). I do not pay for equipment, no contract, I upgraded service speed (I stream TV (sometimes multiple devices at the same time) and I am still working from home). Installation - setup of my equipment all took 5 minutes - so far, no outages and no issues. No service provider is perfect, I guess. But, so far - I am happy.

[Nealg]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem. were you connected with WiFi or an Ethernet cable directly to the modem? If WiFi then that explains lower than 300

[RoadToad]

Comcast is the WORST EVER!!! We definitely recommend Dish Network. You pick what programming you want to pay for.

Dislike Comcast/Xfinity as a company of predatory practices but have no issues with their equipment or internet performance.

Prior to Comcast being available in our neighborhood, when we had Dish we often had technical issues and loss of signal during rainy periods

Much prefer Comcast in overall satisfaction.
We use only their internet service (X1), no Tv or phones. (X2 - X3)
$30 a month for basic cable at 28M is totally adequate for us.
Google it..

[Laurel Maryland]

Purchase your own modem/router. Comcast sometimes tries to dial-back your speed in times of high demand. If you own your own modem/router, they can't do that and you always get the speed you paid for.

[tuccillo]

Your post said that you considered YouTubeTV, internet, and landline but could not see a price savings over what you are currently paying. I replied with how I am paying significantly less than what you claimed you were considering. You never said that YouTubeTV didn’t offer the channels you need.

Regarding bandwidth, unless you are doing file serving or moving around large tarballs with ftp or another protocol, like I used to, bandwidth above 20 megabits per second is likely to have no advantage. If you want to stream 4K to two sets at the same time then 40 megabits per second would be required. I currently have about 10x the bandwidth that I use under the worst case scenario. Most people have no idea what their actual bandwidth requirements are and just assume more will yield some tangible advantage.



Sorry but you are not really comparing apples to apples. I have 2 1/2 times the stations and faster internet speed.

[RoadToad]

Purchase your own modem/router. Comcast sometimes tries to dial-back your speed in times of high demand. If you own your own modem/router, they can't do that and you always get the speed you paid for.

It's my understanding that the current DOCSIS protocol provides the means for speed control of the employing device (Active Queue Management).

Meant to facilitate speed boost, it also allows Throttling if used as such.
Your DOCSIC 3.x device is thereby controllable.


The intent of DOCSIS is to allow network operators (ISP providers) to Manage (regulate) data flow.

Google it..

[arickis]

Sometimes for an unknown reason, the modem seems to reset to a very slow speed. Xfinity/Comcast allows you to go online and reset your modem. This has worked for me in the past. Modem speed jumped from 25mps to over 100+.

[retiredguy123]

Purchase your own modem/router. Comcast sometimes tries to dial-back your speed in times of high demand. If you own your own modem/router, they can't do that and you always get the speed you paid for.
How do you know this? It seems like, if Xfinity can control modems connected to their cable that they could control any modem whether they own it or you own it.

[richl]

what make & models did you buy?

[Janie123]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.
I use CenturyLink and get 1 TB speeds... $65 a month

[Shutterbug]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.

I have internet only with Comcast and I bought my own Router/Modem from Best buy. I get 475 mbps with ethernet connection to my computer and close to 300 mbps with wireless connection to my television.

[Tmarkwald]

How do you know this? It seems like, if Xfinity can control modems connected to their cable that they could control any modem whether they own it or you own it.

Yes they can certainly control your modem. That's their end of the system.

[Greyson]

Where can I turn in my Comcast equipment in the Villages?

[Priebehouse]

I learned a long time ago that it just is not worth the "rental" of their modem/router. We replaced 4 within three months. Most of them are refurbished junk and unreliable. It is best for you to go to Best Buy or wherever you purchase reliable electronics and get a good quality modem/router. Believe me, it has been the best move we ever made. The only problem now is Comcast internet has been having outages the past few days...:boxing2:

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Before blaming the provider, make sure you do not have an issue with the equipment in your home. The speed posted by these companies are normally what is coming into your house...not what most get when using their old PC's, tablets, old laptops, etc.

1 - When you check speeds, if you just check from your browser over wi-fi, that speed may be slower due to your issues with wi-fi in your house and wi-fi being inherently slower than what is on the cable coming into your house (unless you use wi-fi 6 and have all wi-fi 6 compatible connectivity points). If you check from a PC directly hooked up to the wi-fi router with an old NIC card that is incapable of high speeds, then that could be your slowdown point.
2 - If you know how, log into your wi-fi router or wi-fi router app and run the test from there. That normally will run the speed test from your wi-fi router. Again, if you have a router not capable of the speeds you are paying for, it might be your bottleneck.

Anyway, make sure the equipment in your house can handle the Internet speeds you are paying for. Make sure you actually need the speed you are paying for and not trying to speed up your devices that are incapable of handling the speed.

All TRUE, TRUE TRUE

and yes, manufactures make alot of plug and play, but maximizing throughput with different options, and different requirements and equipment makes a bit of throughput knowledge a bit more than plug and play.

All items in a modern high speed in home network needs to have 10/100/1000 gigabyte capacity. that means your laptop, your computer, the switches, the modems the router and the wifi. Otherwise, you won't get the 100+ rated speeds. . .

sportsguy

[4pocketz]

Use Firestick it’s FREE TV

[4pocketz]

I’m a NEW resident and I have a question about the trash pickups. Are trash cans supplied or do you just place trash bags out?
As far as Comcast, those complaints are disturbing to hear. Comcast is the BEST up north!

[jedalton]

Fellow Villagers,
Many of you like myself have Comcast as our tv and internet provider. Also many of us are paying extra to Comcast for their Blast internet service, which provides speeds up to 300 mbps. I recently tested my internet speed and found out to my amazement that I was only getting 36 mbps. I called Comcast Internet repair and was told by their technical support person that my Comcast supplied modem was capped at 100 mbps. The Comcast technical support person arranged for a Comcast installer to replace my modem with a new up to date Comcast modem. Once this was completed my internet speed went from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. I called Comcast customer support and asked for a refund for the price of my monthly Blast service back to when it was installed. They refused a refund so I filed an FCC complaint, which is easy to do online. A Comcast senior customer service representative called me and said that their own internet technical support person was wrong about the modern being capped at 100 mbps. But she could not and would not admit or explain why my internet speed increased from 36 mbps to 237 mbps. Something is very wrong here and I believe Comcast does not want the expense to change out these old modems for new a new one unless the customer complains. I encourage all Comcast internet customers to check the speed of their service, which is free and if it is ridiculously slow like mine was to insist on a new modem and ask for a refund and if denied go and file an FCC complaint. If the FCC sees enough of these complaints and there is enough public exposure then Comcast maybe forced to do the right thing by its customers. I have included pictures of my old Comcast modem.
1st cut the cable with a 4-K firestick and good streaming service. 2nd buy your own modem and save the $12-15/mth that comcast charges. you can get over 5,000 channels for under $20/mth. I just renewed my comcast internet service last month. got 400Mbs for $50/mth plus taxes and fees = $60/mth. PM, call or text me if your interested. 757.748.6060
fast Eddie the villages firestick guy.

[retiredguy123]

I’m a NEW resident and I have a question about the trash pickups. Are trash cans supplied or do you just place trash bags out?
As far as Comcast, those complaints are disturbing to hear. Comcast is the BEST up north!
Trash cans are not allowed in most of The Villages.

[jedalton]

go to Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test (http://www.speedtest.net)

[jedalton]

for comcast with no landline get Netgear C7000, with landline C7100

[jedalton]

firmware updates are few And far between

[Ben Franklin]

I refer to XFinity as Crapcast. When we lived in southwest, FL, we had cut the cord and just used their internet at 50 Mbps with an HD antennae, but here in TV land, I can't get local stations with my antennae.

If you don't use your TV for games, 50 Mbps is all you need. Since Crapcast uses our right of ways for free, you would think they'd have better service, but they don't. I was told by a Crapcast technician, that when kids come home from school, the Mpbs always drops really low. You'll never get what you pay for from Crapcast. My monthly fee is ludicrous for what I get.

I already have ROKU, and I am currently looking for a streaming service that also has local channels (well, Orlando, anyway). Any suggestions?

[kathyspear]

As far as Comcast, those complaints are disturbing to hear. Comcast is the BEST up north!

Customer service leaves a lot to be desired but the service itself is very dependable.

kathy

[laboutj]

I refer to XFinity as Crapcast. When we lived in southwest, FL, we had cut the cord and just used their internet at 50 Mbps with an HD antennae, but here in TV land, I can't get local stations with my antennae.

If you don't use your TV for games, 50 Mbps is all you need. Since Crapcast uses our right of ways for free, you would think they'd have better service, but they don't. I was told by a Crapcast technician, that when kids come home from school, the Mpbs always drops really low. You'll never get what you pay for from Crapcast. My monthly fee is ludicrous for what I get.

I already have ROKU, and I am currently looking for a streaming service that also has local channels (well, Orlando, anyway). Any suggestions?

I have Youtube TV and can get the locals with that. Best thing about YTTV is the DVR functionality and the ability to take it with you when you travel. Locast is also available for local channels. You download the app and can either do free with ads where they beg you for donations or you pay the monthly fee ($5 or $6) to go without their ads.

[Stu from NYC]

Customer service leaves a lot to be desired but the service itself is very dependable.

kathy

Just be prepared that when your contract runs out they will do their best to make you pay and pay.

[Bogie Shooter]

Just be prepared that when your contract runs out they will do their best to make you pay and pay.

I just stop by the store in Lady Lake issue solved.........

[kathyspear]

Just be prepared that when your contract runs out they will do their best to make you pay and pay.

Yes, you get a "new customer" discount for the first year or two and then the rate goes up. I know lots of people call and complain and get a new "discount" rate. I have never done that. I'm happy with our Internet service and feel it is worth what we pay. Plus I just don't want to deal with those customer service people unless I absolutely have to. My blood pressure prefers it that way, too. :)

k.

[TNLAKEPANDA]

I see people complaining about Comcast Xfinity but all cable companies are pretty much the same. Fact is I have never had any serious issues with Comcast. Brighthouse was great but they are gone! One huge benefit of Comcast is their cell phone service. We pay $12 a month for two phones unlimited calls and text 1 gb of data which is usually fine.

[Stu from NYC]

I just stop by the store in Lady Lake issue solved.........

The sales rep we dealt with at the store to correct a billing issue suggested the same thing so off we go there in January.

[eremite06]

Comcast modem, why?
You are paying rent every month.
Go to best buy and purchase your own modem. Return the one you have and they will stop charging you rent.
Make sure you check your bill each month after returning their modem. They kept charging me for months, stopped, then charged for it again. Spent many hours on the phone to get it rectified.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Yes, you get a "new customer" discount for the first year or two and then the rate goes up. I know lots of people call and complain and get a new "discount" rate. I have never done that. I'm happy with our Internet service and feel it is worth what we pay. Plus I just don't want to deal with those customer service people unless I absolutely have to. My blood pressure prefers it that way, too. :)

k.

There's an Xfinity store fairly near the house, and our "new customer" discount is up next month. I'll do the same thing I did last year, except I'll do it in person because I hate being put on hold on the phone.

I posted up-thread but here's what it boils down to:

You tell them THEY can choose which of two things will happen:

You cancel your service completely, and then sign back up again as a new customer with the new customer discount. This is timely, and involves paperwork and effort on their part.

Or

They can just give you this year's "new customer" discount. This is not timely, involves half a dozen computer screens and as many questions asked to the customer, and occurs instantaneously.

They will almost always pick the latter. And if not, you do the former, and the end result is the same, but it'll take a few hours to complete.

[mrf6969]

Just before the end of your contract give their customer retention dept a call. They don't want to lose you as a customer. I have over the years found that they will sign you back up for a new contract at a fair price. Always be nice but be persistent, it works!

[kathyspear]

There's an Xfinity store fairly near the house, and our "new customer" discount is up next month. I'll do the same thing I did last year, except I'll do it in person because I hate being put on hold on the phone.



A few months ago I had to visit the Xfinity store 2 or 3 times due to some hardware issues. I could live a long happy life if I never have to do that again.

k.

[CynthiaAnn]

Who do you use for internet?

[Stu from NYC]

Who do you use for internet?

Asking a question like you did it helps to quote the person you are asking for info form.

[stan the man]

Asking a question like you did it helps to quote the person you are asking for info form.

Oh thank you

[BuffaloNY!]

Been using Xfinity service, for tv and internet, with very expensive bills. Any suggestion for alternate service? Thank you!

[retiredguy123]

Been using Xfinity service, for tv and internet, with very expensive bills. Any suggestion for alternate service? Thank you!
Downgrade your Xfinity to internet only, and subscribe to the YouTubeTV streaming service. If you don't have a smart TV, you may need to buy a Roku streaming stick.

[Tmarkwald]

I use a T Mobile home device since it is portable, and firesticks on everything.

[MrFlorida]

Dumped Comcast and ATT smartest decision I’ve made here in villages.

Then what service do you use for internet ?

[Bill14564]

Downgrade your Xfinity to internet only, and subscribe to the YouTubeTV streaming service. If you don't have a smart TV, you may need to buy a Roku streaming stick.

Be careful with Roku and YouTubeTV, they are having a disagreement right now.

Firestick is another option. I know it supports Hulu Live but I haven't looked for a YouTubeTV app yet.