Comcast wifi free for the masses on your dime

[Sam1]

And then maybe I’ll set up my own open public network – after hiding my private SSID and firewalling the hell out of it – under the Open Wireless Movement, because a free, open, nationwide, wireless broadband network is a good idea.
 

 

 

Don't worry about that, Google is working on it as we speak.  They're spending over a billion dollars to launch 180 low-orbit satellites to provide the planet with wifi

 

http://www.zdnet.com/google-to-launch-180-satellites-in-1bn-plan-to-cover-the-unwired-7000030095/

[Murgatroy]

Is no one researching this, or even reading the posts before posting their tin foil panic prone opinions?

 

It isn't 'open to anyone,' you still have to be a Comcast customer to use it, you have to log in with your Comcast credentials to access the internet. Anyone with a WiFi card can find a signal, whether it is encrypted or not, having a 'public' signal doesn't advertise your private WiFi, having WiFi period advertises you WiFi.

Edited June 6, 2014 by Murgatroy

[Garufa]

Is no one researching this, or even reading the posts before posting their tin foil panic prone opinions?

 

It isn't 'open to anyone,' you still have to be a Comcast customer to use it, you have to log in with your Comcast credentials to access the internet. Anyone with a WiFi card can find a signal, whether it is encrypted or not, having a 'public' signal doesn't advertise your private WiFi, having WiFi period advertises you WiFi.

 

I did.  It's not all that hard to Google.

 

Regardless, I would not really want my home being a node in the network for just anyone to jump onto.  It's a matter of principle which I know means nothing these days, especially to businesses . 

 

To take the tin foil hat angle....what if you ask that it be turned off and don't abide by the will of the company (that YOU are paying, BTW)?  What impact does that have on your monthly rates?  Some I imagine.

Edited June 7, 2014 by Garufa

[btq96r]

I did.  It's not all that hard to Google.

 

Regardless, I would not really want my home being a node in the network for just anyone to jump onto.  It's a matter of principle which I know means nothing these days, especially to businesses . 

 

To take the tin foil hat angle....what if you ask that it be turned off and don't abide by the will of the company (that YOU are paying, BTW)?  What impact does that have on your monthly rates?  Some I imagine.

 

What he said.  I want my home internet to be mine.  I damn sure don't want to run a separate network node for somebody else; especially for free on their behalf.

 

I'm not about to trust a mega corporation to do the right thing by me.  I'll take a modem/router combo I own and can control for home network administration over what Comcast wants to push on me any day of the week.  All I need them for is the pipe and bandwidth, I've got the rest.

[Murgatroy]

Before I am lynched for condoning this, I am not at all saying this is groovy. I own my routers and modems.

 

All I am doing is trying to point out that this isn't opening your WiFi to the unwashed heathen masses who will then use it to download copies of the Anarchist Cookbook and child porn while pretending to be you from the comfort of their rusted out van in your driveway.  You aren't paying for them to use it, they are a paying customer already, limited to their own data cap, not yours. The OP even laments about how he as a paying customer can go and access free WiFi around town as a customer, yet doesn't draw the identical conclusion that he is 'stealing' what someone else has paid for. He isn't, he paid for that right as a customer of Comcast. Same as all the other folks that will be able to access the public WiFi if you choose not to have it turned off.

 

I don't think this is groovy, and I don't like being told that I have to share. However, as pointed out from a technological standpoint, if a modem and router is capable of running 1,000mbps and you are being limited by your ISP to 100mbps, then it in theory shouldn't hinder your broadband if the ISP is allowing two distinct networks to run at 100mbps.

 

 

But the solution to this is simple, buy your own modem and/router and become the admin of your own network. it is simple common sense to be honest that is the easiest way to ensure that you are the only person to have access to your network, I mean, how many folsk honestly leave their WiFi set up as the cabel tech leaves it?  I have fits when I check the available WiFi in an area and they are all named 2WIREXXX in my area. There are honestly two networks that appear in my general vicinity that are not as set by the tech, and one of them is mine.

[Sam1]

Is no one researching this, or even reading the posts before posting their tin foil panic prone opinions?

 

It isn't 'open to anyone,' you still have to be a Comcast customer to use it, you have to log in with your Comcast credentials to access the internet. Anyone with a WiFi card can find a signal, whether it is encrypted or not, having a 'public' signal doesn't advertise your private WiFi, having WiFi period advertises you WiFi.

 

If it is open to anyone outside my home, then it is public.  Just because they need to have a comcast account doesn't mean diddly squat; and even if Joe Bob is logged in with their account, it still originates on YOUR network and you're responsible for it. Authentication mechanisms do not eliminate liability. 

 

It's a complex issue; even though you *could* be considered a service provider (or use that as a defense) because of your network being shared out, that does not remove the impact that an initial investigation would have if for example someone was downloading child porn on your network.  Just going through that stuff, even if 100% innocent would be devastating.  To contrast that, before the RIAA stopped doing mass lawsuits for copyright infringement, people were held liable, by a court, for damages from other people using their network to download or share files.

 

So in short, the tin foil hat thing has more weight behind it than you think.

Edited June 7, 2014 by Sam1

[battleop]

If it is open to anyone outside my home, then it is public.  Just because they need to have a comcast account doesn't mean diddly squat; and even if Joe Bob is logged in with their account, it still originates on YOUR network and you're responsible for it. Authentication mechanisms do not eliminate liability. 
 
It's a complex issue; even though you *could* be considered a service provider (or use that as a defense) because of your network being shared out, that does not remove the impact that an initial investigation would have if for example someone was downloading child porn on your network.  Just going through that stuff, even if 100% innocent would be devastating.  To contrast that, before the RIAA stopped doing mass lawsuits for copyright infringement, people were held liable, by a court, for damages from other people using their network to download or share files.
 
So in short, the tin foil hat thing has more weight behind it than you think.

Please stop spreading this disinformation. You are absolutely NOT responsible for what happens on their guest network.

[Sam1]

Please stop spreading this disinformation. You are absolutely NOT responsible for what happens on their guest network.

 

Actually you can be;  I've done plenty of research for classes over the past 7 years (starting on my phd next spring) in info security and there are plenty of cases where people set up open networks (or guest networks) on purpose so they could use the defense that they were considered a service provider (because service providers are not responsible for the actions of individuals)... and many of those cases ended up with the person that owned the wifi network paying up big time.

 

under the DMCA (1998) stipulations (or whatever the lawyers call it) to eliminate liability for an ISP is that the ISP must prove that they had no knowledge of the activity, must not be profiting from it, must have policies in place to address repeat offenders and something else I can't recall. The fuzzy stuff comes in now because if an individual doesn't have these things in place, then they are not necessarily considered a service provider.

 

And that's just concerning copyrighted materials, the whole child/person abuse content is a completely different animal that makes illegal downloads look like a sunday afternoon picnic.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

If I had no other choice but to use comcast to access the interwebz, then I would give up the interwebz.

[Oh Shoot]

Actually you can be;  I've done plenty of research for classes over the past 7 years (starting on my phd next spring) in info security and there are plenty of cases where people set up open networks (or guest networks) on purpose so they could use the defense that they were considered a service provider (because service providers are not responsible for the actions of individuals)... and many of those cases ended up with the person that owned the wifi network paying up big time.

 

under the DMCA (1998) stipulations (or whatever the lawyers call it) to eliminate liability for an ISP is that the ISP must prove that they had no knowledge of the activity, must not be profiting from it, must have policies in place to address repeat offenders and something else I can't recall. The fuzzy stuff comes in now because if an individual doesn't have these things in place, then they are not necessarily considered a service provider.

 

And that's just concerning copyrighted materials, the whole child/person abuse content is a completely different animal that makes illegal downloads look like a sunday afternoon picnic.

 

Seems absurd to think any of those concerns exist with the Comcast public wifi service, which individuals do not initiate, own, or control in any way. Hell, half the people who will have it will likely never even know it.

 

- OS

[A.J. Holst]

I've got charter and I'm still pissed I have to pay $6.95 each / month for the stupid boxes to watch tv. Why can't I plug the cable right into my tv like the good old days and have one remote?

Being a hot spot for free after I pay the cable company full retail for service? Eat my shorts! Edited June 8, 2014 by Gotthegoods

[10-Ring]

I guess that explains why I got that letter in the mail from Comcrap the other day offering me a free modem upgrade.  On a related note is there any tinfoil left at the grocery store or did you guys buy it all up?

[Sam1]

Seems absurd to think any of those concerns exist with the Comcast public wifi service, which individuals do not initiate, own, or control in any way. Hell, half the people who will have it will likely never even know it.

 

- OS

 

Yep, but the way they transfer liability is by those 4,000 page disclaimers and providing the capability of disabling it as well as the info on how to do it.  Basic transfer of risk scenario.

[Dustbuster]

Yep, but the way they transfer liability is by those 4,000 page disclaimers and providing the capability of disabling it as well as the info on how to do it. Basic transfer of risk scenario.

Kind of like cell service providers.
people freak over the idea of their phone being tracked. Read line 56023 on page 8915 of your contract, the one that's in the book that we throw out about cell phone safety. The catch phrase is location based services with random quality assurance. Don't think for a minute demographic and customer use info is not being sold to marketing whiz bangs that sell that crap to highest bidders. Like the ones that wanna know where to build a new walmart or mc d.

Comcast wants to squeeze every dime out of their copper and customers. ATT gave up on copper and doesn't want to support it period it or build new.
AT&T will be on the bandwagon with screwu verse and it's fiber network

Like the last thing a redneck says before riding that shopping cart off the roof:
Hey y'all watch this shit!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 of course it ate my spelling.

[Oh Shoot]

So technically, I'm still a bit in the dark.

 

You folks with the public wifi now, can' you see it listed when you surf into your modem/router? Or is it completely transparent when you look at connections in there?

 

- OS

[battleop]

Actually you can be;  I've done plenty of research for classes over the past 7 years (starting on my phd next spring) in info security and there are plenty of cases where people set up open networks (or guest networks) on purpose so they could use the defense that they were considered a service provider (because service providers are not responsible for the actions of individuals)... and many of those cases ended up with the person that owned the wifi network paying up big time.
 
under the DMCA (1998) stipulations (or whatever the lawyers call it) to eliminate liability for an ISP is that the ISP must prove that they had no knowledge of the activity, must not be profiting from it, must have policies in place to address repeat offenders and something else I can't recall. The fuzzy stuff comes in now because if an individual doesn't have these things in place, then they are not necessarily considered a service provider.
 
And that's just concerning copyrighted materials, the whole child/person abuse content is a completely different animal that makes illegal downloads look like a sunday afternoon picnic.

YOU are not the one operating the guest network so you are not the one responsible for it, Comcast is. They are net network operator, not you. It you setup the network they you could be responsible but in this case you are not.

[Trekbike]

[quote name="Oh Shoot" post="1156723" timestamp="1402269105"]So technically, I'm still a bit in the dark. You folks with the public wifi now, can' you see it listed when you surf into your modem/router? Or is it completely transparent when you look at connections in there? - OS[/quote] I wasn't aware of this so I checked with my daughter that rents her equipment and asked her to check. She was out on her deck at the time but didn't see it listed so she went inside and there it was. So if it's there but not strong enough to get outside, how is it being used as a public wifi?

[Oh Shoot]

I wasn't aware of this so I checked with my daughter that rents her equipment and asked her to check. She was out on her deck at the time but didn't see it listed so she went inside and there it was. So if it's there but not strong enough to get outside, how is it being used as a public wifi?

 
I'm asking if it shows in the admin management of the modem/router itself, not as a hotspot on puter.
 
You enter most of the Comcast branded ones as a website interface at

 

http://10.0.0.1/
 
- OS

Edited June 9, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[ironsniper1]

 
I'm asking if it shows in the admin management of the modem/router itself, not as a hotspot on puter.
 
You enter most of the Comcast branded ones as a website interface at

 

http://10.0.0.1/
 
- OS

no it is not there, you have to go to comcast.com and do it from there

 

edit here is where it is at when you login to comcast.com and choose users and preferences

 

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c294/luke9511/comcastwifi.png

Edited June 9, 2014 by luke9511

[Oh Shoot]

no it is not there, you have to go to comcast.com and do it from there

 

edit here is where it is at when you login to comcast.com and choose users and preferences

 

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c294/luke9511/comcastwifi.png

 

Okay, to be clear, I'm not asking whether you can shut it down from the inside the router interface, I know you can't. Hell, you can't even turn off your own private WIFI if you want to, like any commercial router.

 

I'm asking, can you SEE it in there?  Does it show inside router as a second WIFI service in addition to your own private one? Or is the only indication you are broadcasting one evidenced by seeing the signal from a computer/device with WIFI interface?

 

And btw, the comcast.com interface doesn't work for me, constant error message, though if indeed I'm broadcasting one, probably won't shut it off. I'm just trying to find out if indeed I'm broadcasting one. Right now I'm seeing 4, and can surf with all of them with my own modem disconnected. (apt complex)

 

- OS

Edited June 9, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[ironsniper1]

Okay, to be clear, I'm not asking whether you can shut it down from the inside the modem interface.

 

I'm asking, can you SEE it there?  Does it show as a second WIFI connection to your own private one?

 

- OS

i answered that, i said no you HAVE do it from comcast.com its not on the router what so ever, i have gone through all the settings and unless they hid it on there some where, i dont think its there

[JayC]

You are NOT legally liable for any traffic other than traffic you knowingly allow to originate from your home.  Just like you're not liable for fake 911 calls because the neighbor kid tapped into your phone line.

 

If anything it's a good thing to mix your traffic in with random strangers :)  

 

I wonder if traffic from the public wifi network has the same external IP as traffic from your internal wifi or wired devices?  You can test that by going to whatismyip.com from something that is internal and something that is on the public wifi.

 

If it's the same IP there is also a legal liability issue.  You are legally liable for any traffic connected to your IP address.

 

Disclaimer:  I am not a lawyer, these are issues I studied a while ago when I operated a business that had a publicly accessible office and we intentionally provided public wifi for our guests.

 

[Oh Shoot]

i answered that, i said no you HAVE do it from comcast.com its not on the router what so ever, i have gone through all the settings and unless they hid it on there some where, i dont think its there

 

Oh, okay then, didn't understand. Thanks.

 

Looks like for whatever reason, I'm not broadcasting one. What I think is up is that I've got a glitch somewhere, modem has lost sync several times in last few days or been rebooted from remote, and I'm wondering if it's a firmware update that allows the public wifi that keeps getting pushed and failing for some reason, as I have a couple of odd glitches with TV service also, like it only sees one of my cable boxes if I want to push a program to it from online and a couple of other things odd too.

 

Might also be why I get an error message on line with the link to configure wifi service.

 

Or something. Mainly all a matter of curiosity at this point, as everything does work okay most of the time.

 

- OS

[tnguy]

Like most Comcast customers, I rent my cable modem from Comcast for $7 a month. The cable modem has within it a wireless internet radio transmitter, which allows me to create my home WiFi network.

 

I bought my modem. You make the money back in a few months from what you save for rentals and keep your options open.

 

My modem doesn't have wifi either. That's a separate device.

 

I have the same modem as btq96r. Currently running a Belkin flashed with Tomato for the wifi but upgrading to the Asus AC66U as too many of the neighbors now have wifi and it's difficult to maintain a connection to my own wifi (I'll be flashing it with Tomato also).

  Edited June 9, 2014 by tnguy

[tnguy]

So what's to stop setting up an XFINITY ssid with a fake webpage redirect and harvesting Comcast credentials? Is the authentication part of the wifi connection or the standard guardian webpage?