Comcast Forcing "Auto-Join" Wifi Networks

[sounds]

Summary

"Managed Wifi" has been a SIM and eSIM feature for a few years now on iPhones and iPads, but no cell carrier was as "customer friendly" as Comcast Xfinity, who has started auto-enabling and auto-re-enabling their wifi networks when you turn off "auto join."

 

This becomes a problem if your neighbor's wifi is just close enough to get 1 bar, so your phone drops off 4G/5G and your internet speed basically dies.

 

Quotes

Quote

I have multiple iPhone 14 Pro Max, all 16.4

 

All on Xfinity Mobile 54.0.1

 

Yes, I know Comcast sucks but they are the only provider in my area for gigabit and they whitelabel Verizon mmWave 5G for a serious discount if you bundle with their internet (which I’m basically forced to use)

 

In my case, I disable auto join on all 9 managed networks and 5 of them are back to enabled before I’m done checking the list.

 

My thoughts

Comcast Xfinity will keep doing this until enough of their customers know this is going on, and rake them over the coals. This was originally meant to be used in very exceptional cases like at a major sporting event where the cell network collapses because of the density of cell phones.

 

Sources

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35447486, see more details in this comment https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35448537

 

It's designed to be able to be turned off, Comcast Xfinity has hacked around this though: https://9to5mac.com/2023/04/05/turn-off-iphone-wifi-auto-join-public-networks/

[Donut417]

13 minutes ago, sounds said:

This was originally meant to be used in very exceptional cases like at a major sporting event where the cell network collapses because of the density of cell phones.

Actually this was used because Xfinity doesn't own the damn cellular network. They buy network resources from Verizon. So it's in their best interest to have you use WiFi. This is part of the reason they were trying to use secondary radios in their Internet gateways to use as Public hotspots. However this was met with backlash and while the feature does still exist, internet customers can turn it off or do like I did and bought my own modem. 

[sounds]

Agreed, Comcast Xfinity chose this con to try to keep their terrible business from sinking.

[StDragon]

13 hours ago, Donut417 said:

or do like I did and bought my own modem. 

That's what I did years ago. Back then, I purchased an ARRIS SB8200 which is DOCSIS 3.1 compliant per Comcast's recommended list. Last year, I upgraded my plan to 600 mbp/s (I could go gigabit, but didn't see the need for the cost). All is well, right?

Well interestingly I get an email from Comcast this week that says this...

 

 

 

Either Comcast is smoking crack, or they're being duplicitous in garnering my support for one of their Xfinity WiFi modems. My device already support 800 mbp/s and beyond. I shouldn't have to replace it to upgrade my plan from 600 to 800. It's right in their own spec sheet.

 

 

 

[Donut417]

5 hours ago, StDragon said:

Well interestingly I get an email from Comcast this week that says this..

You are not the first. Seen someone post over at DSLreports with the same issue. Some times I think their system has a stroke. That modem should do up to 940 Mbps. 

 

18 hours ago, sounds said:

Agreed, Comcast Xfinity chose this con to try to keep their terrible business from sinking

Well for one, many devices do default to WiFi. What I mean is, when I turn off WiFi on my iPhone it's reenabled the next day automatically. I dont see an issue trying to off load data to WiFi, as the mobile networks are limited in capacity. 

 

Second Comcast is in no danger of sinking. They have lots of areas like mine where they are the only real choice. Further more they own NBC/Universal studios and all the properties and IP's that has. They are the LARGEST cable provider in the US. I dont see them going anywhere any time soon. 

 

Third, Im pretty sure most cable providers offering mobile services do the same as Comcast. They all use Verizon's network and Im going to guess the more data used on the Verizon network the more money they have to pay. Again mobile networks are limited. Besides Comcast Im pretty sure Charter also has started deploying public hotspots for this purpose as well. 

 

[bcredeur97]

6 hours ago, StDragon said:

That's what I did years ago. Back then, I purchased an ARRIS SB8200 which is DOCSIS 3.1 compliant per Comcast's recommended list. Last year, I upgraded my plan to 600 mbp/s (I could go gigabit, but didn't see the need for the cost). All is well, right?

Well interestingly I get an email from Comcast this week that says this...

 

-snip-

 

 

Either Comcast is smoking crack, or they're being duplicitous in garnering my support for one of their Xfinity WiFi modems. My device already support 800 mbp/s and beyond. I shouldn't have to replace it to upgrade my plan from 600 to 800. It's right in their own spec sheet.

 

-snip-

 

 

I have a very old Motorola SB6141, with cox. When they bumped my speeds from 100mbps to 250 or whatever it is now, they sent me a similar email. 

Indeed it seems the box tops out at "only" 200 mbps or so. But the thing is, I don't actually care LOL

100mbps is plenty for my use. I really get no benefit from them raising my speeds beyond that. I'm not downloading huge stuff all the time. I can wait a little every once in a while.  

 

What I really rather get is more upload, but that'll always be trash with DOCSIS

[Donut417]

1 hour ago, bcredeur97 said:

have a very old Motorola SB6141, with cox. When they bumped my speeds from 100mbps to 250 or whatever it is now, they sent me a similar email. 

Indeed it seems the box tops out at "only" 200 mbps or so. But the thing is, I don't actually care LOL

Thats because on the Cox network they cant push the full speeds for that modem. This is most likely due to RF interference as well as over loaded down stream /upstream channels. You will see this more with Docsis 3.0 modems. Keep in mind Docsis 3.0 modems come in many flavors (4x4, 8x4, 16x8, 24x8 and 32x8). Your modem is an 8x4, which should top out at 343 Mbps down and 122 Mbps up. However thats only based on the standard and not on real world performance. Docsis is like WiFi, it doesnt perform as well in the real world as it did in the lab. 

 

With Docsis 3.1 modems the bare minimum they can do is 940 Mbps, as technically speaking Docsis 3.1 tops out at 10 Gbps down 2 Gbps up. The only reason the bare minimum is 940 Mbps is because early Docsis 3.1 modems only had Gigabit Ethernet, some did come with multiple Ethernet ports for LAG, but after 2.5 and 5 Gbps Ethernet became a thing, that configuration kinda died out. 

[vertigo220]

I've never understood the sharing of a personal internet connection by the ISP, allowing others to connect to and use it. While I understand what the ISP is trying to do, not only is it problematic because you could be slowed down by others using the bandwidth your paying for, but what happens when someone downloads something illegal on your connection. It just boggles me that any ISP would even think for a second this is a good idea, but then, ISPs are generally pretty scummy.

[Donut417]

1 hour ago, vertigo220 said:

I've never understood the sharing of a personal internet connection by the ISP, allowing others to connect to and use it. While I understand what the ISP is trying to do, not only is it problematic because you could be slowed down by others using the bandwidth your paying for, but what happens when someone downloads something illegal on your connection

Firstly you misunderstand what the ISP is doing. The ISP creates a separate network, your bandwidth is not being used, they just supply extra for the separate network. Anything downloaded is not tracked back to you. In the case of Comcast, you have to sign in with your account to use the hotspot, for example is you are out and about. For everyone else you get x amount of time for free then you have to pay to use. Either way they can track you down if you do something illegal. Comcast does allow people to turn of the public WiFi. I mean most people dont want to supply it because they frankly dont want people hanging out near their home for BS reasons. Also if you have an issue with the ISP doing a hotspot with the gateway, you do know that most ISP's have deep level access to the gateway. They have the ability to change any setting and they can see what devices are connected. This is the reason why I use a separate modem and router. Because with two separate devices, they only have access to the modem and have no clue besides the router on what's connected and cant change you settings. 

[vertigo220]

Thanks for the clarification. Still find it a bit unsettling, and I guess it really comes down to whether they're actually providing extra bandwidth for the other users or just saying they are. Also, if people are able to connect to your modem, even though they're on a separate network it makes me question security and the possibility of them being able to break into your network easier. I realize this could be done anyway as long as it's connected to the internet, but it just seems like this might make things a bit easier.

 

I always use my own, separate router, though more for cost, quality, and control. Prefer to use my own modem, too.

[Bitter]

5 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Firstly you misunderstand what the ISP is doing. The ISP creates a separate network, your bandwidth is not being used, they just supply extra for the separate network. Anything downloaded is not tracked back to you. In the case of Comcast, you have to sign in with your account to use the hotspot, for example is you are out and about. For everyone else you get x amount of time for free then you have to pay to use. Either way they can track you down if you do something illegal. Comcast does allow people to turn of the public WiFi. I mean most people dont want to supply it because they frankly dont want people hanging out near their home for BS reasons. Also if you have an issue with the ISP doing a hotspot with the gateway, you do know that most ISP's have deep level access to the gateway. They have the ability to change any setting and they can see what devices are connected. This is the reason why I use a separate modem and router. Because with two separate devices, they only have access to the modem and have no clue besides the router on what's connected and cant change you settings. 

Not your router, not your network.

I've always owned my own modem and router. Love love love my Synology router! Miss my PFsense box tho...

[Donut417]

17 minutes ago, Bitter said:

Not your router, not your network.

Unfortunately the average person is not that smart. Further more if you want Unlimited data you either pay $25 a month for it which includes their gateway OR you pay $30 a month if you choose your own equipment. 

 

18 minutes ago, Bitter said:

love my Synology router!

The RT2600AC? Or the newest one. Because I got their first gen router and its a damn good piece of hardware. 

[vertigo220]

41 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

if you want Unlimited data you either pay $25 a month for it which includes their gateway OR you pay $30 a month if you choose your own equipment.

Wow, so they actually make you pay more for the "privilege" of using your own, huh? That's a new low.

[Bitter]

8 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Unfortunately the average person is not that smart. Further more if you want Unlimited data you either pay $25 a month for it which includes their gateway OR you pay $30 a month if you choose your own equipment. 

 

The RT2600AC? Or the newest one. Because I got their first gen router and its a damn good piece of hardware. 

2600AC, ebay score a couple years ago for like $70. It's set to restart once a week, it's never once crashed or froze. Zero reliability problems. I do need to update it tho, new SRM came out a while back.

[Remixt]

still waiting for the company name to change to "con" cast