Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with comcast

Comcasm!

Clyde Mnestra — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:52:04 -0800

My (Comcast) internet connection has become dreadful in the last three days. I have carefully accumulated some relevant data and exhausted several options, leaving only one solution -- the obvious one that one of you will gently point out to me! 1. In the last few days, little Comcasticness. Sites have taken forever to come up, Gmail is terrible (and sending documents hang).

2. Speedtest, FWIW, indicates that my download speed is fine (28332 kbs) but upload speed seems iffy (677 kbs).

3. I use Windows XP and a Linksys cable modem to which I am directly connected. The problem seems to be experienced by other users in my household, incl. on a Mac connected wirelessly.

4. I see substantially delayed performance in IE or Firefox.

5. I have committed no major sins during the relevant time frame. A technician replaced the fan in my Thinkpad just before all this happened (which I didn't ask about here!), but I can't see how that could matter, given the effect on other wireless connections in the household.

6. I have tried contacting Comcast. Oddly, that hasn't panned out yet.

I don't really know what to do diagnostically at this point. Thanks very much for any pointers!

Is my router (or Comcast) blocking i.dell.com?

Artw — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:29:49 -0800

Something odd is happening on my internet connection at home. I have two machines both of which connect to the intenet via a Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router (or Comcast variant on it) and a Comcast cable connection. Both of them do not display the Dell homepage properly. After viewing source I determined that they couldn’t find the supporting files at the subdomain i.dell.com (it’s possible other subdomains are missing as well, but that is the one causing the most dramatic effect). Viewing the site from another internet connection it appears fine. Is something up with the router, or with Comcast? Looking for steps to determine what is going on and (hopefully) rectify it. Also, as a data point, I think I had something similar happen a while back where I couldn’t get to downloads from Windows Live Messenger from either machine, but could when not using that connection. That problem seemed to resolve itself somehow though.

At least they can shower and use AC

pomegranate — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:38:55 -0800

Anyone know where I can find a restoration status map for Comcast after Ike? I'm looking for any info from Comcast and/or AT&T about when they expect internet access to be restored, and in what order, in the Houston area. I have a bunch of employees with laptops and power but no access to their work, which is stored on a server in Dallas. I'm wondering whether to just bring them up here to our Austin offices.

I've looked but apparently I'm not parsing the search well, can someone help?

Should I ditch Comcast's Triple Play in Chicago for DSL?

bdk3clash — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:31:07 -0800

Thinking of switching from Comcast cable modem to DSL for broadband--will I notice the difference? I'm in Chicago and currently have the Comcast Triple Play package (cable TV/digital phone/Internet) which ends up costing $123.44 a month. My year of service is almost up and I'm not interested in paying even more than I already am, so I'm considering getting rid of Comcast and switching over to just a broadband provider.

I'd stick with Comcast if they could offer Internet only for $50 a month or so, but that's not an option with them as far as I know, so I'm thinking about switching over to AT&T for DSL service.

I'm a fairly heavy bandwidth consumer--in addition to typical browsing, I download a lot of binaries via Giganews. I usually get speeds of around 1000 k/s.

Other than AT&T, are there any solid options for broadband Internet providers in Chicago? And if I switch to DSL, will I notice the difference when doing regular browsing? Slower binary downloads don't bother me unless it's, like, way slower than what I'm used to.

Thanks.

Customer service just won't resolve my problem.

wondercow — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:02:40 -0800

What do you do when poor/insufficient front-line customer service from a major corporation can't seem to address your issue? I signed up for Comcast tv and internet service two months ago under a specific promotion. On my first bill, I was signed up for a different, much worse promotion. For the past two months, I have been trying to get my bill corrected with no success (4 online chats, 1 call to 1-800-comcast, and 3 calls and 1 fax to local office) . I have spoken with online chat representatives, who have either told me that they have corrected my promotion (not true) or that I need to contact my local office. My local office told me to fax over documentation, which I did and was completely ignored. A follow-up call to the local office said that I need to speak to the online chat representatives. This is so frustrating! Every time I make a contact, I have to wait on hold, tell my story all over again, and then the representative either pawns off the problem on another office or makes some "change" to my account, which means I have to wait 5 business days "for the changes to take effect" before I can contact them again.

The common denominator in all of my customer service contacts is that I keep speaking with front-line customer support. It seems to me that I need to be speaking to someone higher up the corporate ladder if I want any changes to be made. What would you do to get the attention of someone higher up in a major company to resolve my problem?

Detect bandwidth throttling?

ao4047 — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:59:49 -0800

We suspect our ISP is shutting down our internet connection when we use a BitTorrent client and/or throttling bandwidth. Is there any way to detect this? We have Comcast and I know about the legal stuff but wanted to be able to detect it ourselves.

Comcast DVR w/ Tivo -- any good, in 2008?

galaksit — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:56:35 -0800

Are the Comcast DVR woes over? Would anyone, today, say that the Comcast DVR with Tivo service works well? I'm moving house and want to set up a new TV and internet package with a Tivo-based DVR. Should I keep what I have or go with something new? Boston area in case it matters to the service. It seems that when Comcast rolled out their DVR service many bloggers and other commentators complained about how bad it was. The residue of that is all over the internet, but most of the complaints come from 2007, and it's hard to see if people would consider this, today in mid 2008, something worth having.

I'm moving house soon. I currently run a Series 2 Tivo with the wireless network adapter off a standard Comcast digital cable box. I have a subscription on the Tivo until December 2008. Right now, things are good. I can use Tivo DecodeManager to download and transcode shows on to my computer over 801.11g wifi (thanks to the Tivo Wifi adapter). And the Tivo works nicely, but I would certainly like to be able to watch live TV while something else is being recorded, and my Series 2 is a single-tuner variant. All in all, it's perfect as it stands except for my dual tuner desires.

I've seen that Comcast offer a DVR with Tivo service now for essentially the same monthly cost as a Tivo contract. I'm sure it's got more disk space (nice) and can do HD (not a big deal for me) and probably has two tuners. But if the unit is as broken as early adopters found it to be, I think I'd rather stick with what I have.

And the killer would be if I could no longer DL shows to my computer.

Should I in fact be looking at a Series 2 DT instead?

Many thanks to anyone who entertains my rather trivial request.

Comcast Arbitration Agreement by Customer Inaction

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:58:32 -0800

Hidden among various other breathtakingly evil clauses, part 13 of the Comcast Agreement for Residential Services says that if the customer doesn't opt out within 30 days of receiving the dense legalese, he gives up the right to sue Comcast in a public court. But (in clause 15g), Comcast maintains the right to sue the user any time they like. Is this stuff enforceable? YMOMNBAL

Add channels to Tivo

genefinder — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 06:11:37 -0800

How can I make Tivo recognize all the channels my TV knows about? I don't subscribe to digital cable, and don't use the Comcast cable box. I hook my cable directly to the TV and there are channels that show up there that are HD channels. I don't know if they are actually HD without the box, but I do know the reception on these is better than the standard channels. These channels have numbers like 4-1, 7-1 etc...There are also additional channels (44-1, 44-2, etc...) that Tivo doesn't find.

I can't figure out how to tell Tivo to add these to the channel lineup it is getting as part of the setup process when it downloads from Comcast. Is there a way to do this so I can Tivo the better channel option. I am sick of Lost looking terrible!

Best option for internet provider in San Francisco?

jcruelty — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:51:56 -0800

What's the best option for high-speed internet access in San Francisco? (Moving from Castro to Potrero Hill, would like to ditch Comcast if there's a good alternative.) Apologies if this has been covered somewhere-- I googled around but there's too many hits to make sense of. Basically I want to know what people recommend for fast reliable internet service in San Francisco. We've been using Comcast (cable modem) but I don't like the company and don't need cable TV, just internet. I'm not entirely averse to staying with Comcast but I'd like to know the alternatives. Is DSL comparably fast?

I'm running a wireless network through a Belkin Pre-N router, don't know if that matters.

Could we have malware on our Mac??

Mamapotomus — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:30:20 -0800

Browser hijack- on a MAC?! Both Firefox & Safari on our iBook will only access a page that says, "Welcome to Comcast" and wants us to "Click here to install". We have internet service with AT&T and my PC on the same network is working fine. You can type any URL in the address bar and it's not redirecting (it'll show www.metafilter.com for example) but the page only displays the welcome to Comcast message. I've found two other reports of this happening on a Mac via Googling, but no answers are found in either thread. (There is a lot of "no, you can't have malware, dood!" however.)

We restarted the machine and it still happened, but the Finder buttons quit working as well. After force restarting it I'm only getting the gray screen & spinny thing.

Does anyone know what this could be? None of our usual Mac gurus have ever heard of anything like this and it seems pretty obvious that it has messed up the machine.

Comcast v. Verizon

jk252b — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:21:19 -0800

What internet service to use in Cambridge, Massachusetts? Does anyone have experience with both high speed internet options in East Cambridge, Mass, that can tell me what the practical differences are between Verizon DSL and Comcast cable internet in the neighborhood? I know that technically Comcast is faster than Verizon (6 mpbs v. 3 mbps), but is there any real difference when it comes to every day usage? Does the fact that there seems to be a Verizon central office on Bent Street in East Cambridge (just a few blocks from my new place) mean that it may actually end up being faster than (or comparable to) Comcast which shares the bandwidth among all subscribers in an area?

Anecdotes about people's real experiences in this neighborhood would be most helpful to me!

New cable box?

Aanidaani — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:13:59 -0800

I subscribe to Comcast digital cable and I'm interested in getting some HD programming for my HDTV: the problem is that my cable box is not capable of supporting HD. I would like to get a new box that can transmit an HD signal to my TV, but I don't want to rent one. Can anyone tell me where to find out which boxes are supported and where best to buy one? I've tried to find information on Comcast's website, but I'm having some difficulty. It seems that they want me to rent their cable box, but I figure it will be cheaper in the long run for me to buy my own. If it helps, I live in Colorado Springs, area code 80920, and Comcast just moved into the area. My old box from Adelphia still works fine, but as mentioned, it doesn't support HD. Any ideas on which one I should buy and where to get it? Thanks!

Help me find the best TV and/or Internet solution(s) for a multi dwelling unit

twiggy — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 12:49:06 -0800

I need help with crafting a multi-dwelling (Condo) solution for TV and/or Internet service The short version: 24 unit condo looking for both business and technical advice on serving TV and/or Internet to all units in the most cost effective manner possible.

The long version:

I need help with both the technical AND business / search aspects here because google has not been my friend. I can't seem to find companies that specialize in providing TV or internet to multi dwelling units. However, I know they exist because my condo building currently has a contract with a company for DirecTV installations which requires we buy equipment from them if we want Satellite TV. Therefore, while everyone else gets free DVRs and other stuff, we have to pay hundreds of dollars (they quoted me $350) to get set up.

Individual units can opt for Comcast, but not Dish Network because there is no Dish Network satellite on our roof.

Details on that from a technical perspective: Not all units face the right direction to have their own dishes, and the condo has rules against mounting dishes to the masonry so basically a lot of the units absolutely have to connect to the big dish on the roof. Since we (currently) have an exclusive contract with this one DirecTV contractor, we're stuck.

What I want to know:

1) Is it realistic to expect to find some kind of a discounted deal on TV and/or internet service for a 5 story condo building with 24 units if we can get with some company on it?

2) From a technical perspective, this current company insists that the reason we need to buy hardware from them is that it requires special tuners to work with the dish on our roof. Is this true?

3) Is it technically feasible to install our own dish(es) on the roof and just let people sign up for DirecTV or Dish Network on their own? Do both companies require you point your dish in the same direction - allowing us to save on costs there by using one dish to serve people options?

4) This stems from the fact that Comcast is a godawful nightmare for myself and several of our residents, but the ridiculous up front costs from this company, and being limited to DirecTV and not Dish, is causing us to seek out alternative solutions.

5) Does anyone have an inside track on what the deal is/will be with WiMax? Sprint is supposed to roll it out in Chicago within the next year, but nobody knows: Is this just going to be cell-phone-internet stuff, or will people actually sign up for WiMax like they do DSL / Cable internet?

While a group discount would be great, we'd also be happy just to have a technical solution where people could sign up for Dish, DirecTV or Comcast just like everyone else can and for the same prices. Paying this premium for boxes just because they connect to a shared dish seems to be a wasteful expense, and being locked out of Dish as an option is unattractive as well.

Want to set up Mac-based DVR for non-basic digital channels. SOL?

galaksit — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:32:57 -0800

I'd like to use my computer (an 867MHz G4 Mac) to record European soccer (to me, football) matches from digital cable when they are shown live on US cable channels like Fox Soccer Network and ESPN. These matches are typically shown during office hours here on the east coast of the U.S., so I can't watch them and often they are not repeated later.

Our cable provider is Comcast and I'm pretty sure it is a digital box. I was looking at websites about devices like the Elgato EyeTV range. All seems possible with my aging machine, except for one detail: these EyeTV devices apparently cannot record "encrypted" digital channels.

FSC (and possibly ESPN, I'm not sure) was an "upgrade" on our cable package which we had to phone in to enable.

Does this mean the channel is coming through the cable itself encrypted? Because if it does then I assume I just can't do this. If Comcast somehow decrypt the channel upstream then the EyeTV wouldn't care. But I could see the encryption working by for example using an identifier in the hardware of the cable box as part of a decryption key.

I don't really have any idea how this all works. I'd be grateful for advice. Has anyone succeeded getting these kinds of offboard tuners to record non-basic digital cable?

VOIP for n00bs

ambrosia — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:43:51 -0800

We are temporarily moving 50 miles from our permanent home. We would like to keep our landline phone number active. VOIP seems like the obvious answer, but I'm a complete internet telephony newbie. Poking around on Google and on previous AskMe questions tells me that Vonage isn't all it's cracked up to be and that Comcast in Northern California (our cable modem provider) doesn't always play nicely with VOIP.

Given the current state of affairs, am I crazy to even consider Vonage? Is there another alternative that's better? Is Comcast just too evil to attempt third party VOIP? Skype doesn't allow you to port over your landline number, which is the main reason for doing this now. Is there anything I am overlooking? I'd especially be interested in hearing from anyone using Vonage over a Comcast cable modem.

Comcast, Qwest, retry, fail?

dw — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:03:46 -0800

Help me decide on who comes out to install my TV/DVR/Internet/telephone communications stuff at the new apartment here in Seattle. We're moving a little further into the city (in Seattle), and for the first time I have choices beyond the Comcast packages I've had (because I am finally inside the standard DSL radius). But all this telecom stuff is confusing me.

Right now we have:
TV: Comcast Digital Cable (a "basic" package, no movie channels)
Telephone: Qwest (+ Sprint for long-distance)
DVR: TiVo
Internet: Comcast

Together, we're paying about $200/month for all of this. And that just feels a little pricey.

Now, I have three options before me.

1. Go with Qwest's package, which would mean DSL, long distance through them, and DirectTV. Total cost minus tax would be about $110/month (with tax, maybe $140/month?). The advantages are the savings and that we already have a dish on the side of the new place. The disadvantages would be being beholden to Qwest for everything, we'd probably be stuck with a DirecTV DVR instead of our beloved TiVo, we'll lose CBC (which is really nice for Olympics and Hockey Night In Canada), and all the usual problems associated with DSL and satellite TV.

2. Go with Comcast's "triple" package -- cable, VoIP, Internet. That's $99/month minus tax and some possible additional charges. The advantage is it's cheaper than what we have now, and the TiVo is still useful. The disadvantage is VoIP and it needing electrical power to run -- in the event of a longer power cut, I'll be SOL for phone. Also, I'll be beholden to Comcast.

3. Don't change anything. Stick with what we have. The advantage is same ol' same ol', no changing e-mail addresses or reprogramming anything. The disadvantage is that I'm still paying $200/month.

I've read through other AskMe questions tagged with Qwest or Comcast or such. I've gone through everything online I could Google. And at the end of it all, I'm still confused and locked up. And I really need to decide tomorrow so I can make appointments for late next week. What should I do?

Help me AskMe. You're my only hope.

To match modem/router vendors or to not match?

kookoobirdz — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 09:46:37 -0800

Is there any advantage to having a router and cable modem made by the same company, or is it better to go best of breed in both cases regardless of maker? Quick version:
Buy a Linksys cable modem to work in concert with a Linksys router due to same-brand advantages you will list for me, or instead get a more highly recommended Motorola modem. Which to do and why?

Detail:
I'm getting cable internet. Going to buy my own modem and wirless router rather than get either through Comcast. From all I've read, the Linksys WRT54G has long been the favorite basic home router, especially amongst those who like to use alternate/better firmware, and still exists now in the form of the WRT54GL. So I'm set on getting that - not looking for other recommendations.

I figured since I was getting a Linksys router that I ought to get a Linksys modem because... I don't know, maybe they play nicer together than different brands would. Maybe they're made that way and tested that way and maybe configuration and intercommunication work more easily. So I figured I'd get their BEFCMU10 EtherFast Cable Modem. I've never heard anyone recommend it unsolicited but reviews seem OK. What I have heard raves about over and over is the Motorola SB5100, now doing business as the SB5120. Though small differences have been noted, it still seems to be le bomb and is known to play nicely with Comcast and be support-friendly from their perspective.

One advantage I can think of for having the same brand of router and modem is the support angle. There's nothing worse than one company saying, "That's a modem issue, we can't help you with that" and the other company saying "That's a router issue, we can't help you with that". So that might be nice, so I don't lose all my hair.

But are there any other technical or ease-of-use advantages? Or, given the resounding praise for these two units from different makers, would you advise going with that mixed setup regardless of any disadvantages stemming from different makers?

note: don't care about aesthetics of having color coordinated boxes, or about tidy stackability.

note: don't want an all-in-one box

Wireless Router Connectivity Blues

ludwig_van — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:17:52 -0800

Help me get my wireless router to connect to the internet. I'm trying to set up a wireless router for my parents. It's a Linksys WRT54G. They run Windows XP, use Comcast cable internet, and previously connected two computers with a regular Linksys router.

When I connect everything to the router, the computer connects to the router and I can access its setup page, but it won't find a DNS server or get an IP address, so I can't do anything else. What am I missing here?

Hack my DVR...Please!

nj_subgenius — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:50:35 -0800

Can I hack my Comcast DVR for more storage and connection to my network? I have 'The Wire' and 'Dexter', as well as 'The Daily Show' competing for ever-scarcer space on my Comcast DVR. The unit has a USB and RJ-45 port on it, which make me wonder whether I should just hook crap up to it and see what happens. Realizing that calling Comcast tech support is a dicey proposition (and having done a little homework on the internet), I ask you o great ones....Can I just slap more storage on my DVR by adding a USB disk, or somehow get at my stored programs on my wifi network and stick them on my hard drive (no speculation, thanks)?

Can I improve the quality of my Comcast basic cable SD TV to 480p or better?

mosk — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:58:03 -0800

I have a Panasonic EDTV-ready plasma monitor, but don't want to pay a monthly fee for digital cable or a HD service. Can I do anything to improve the viewing quality of my Comcast basic cable SD TV signal, especially for those channels that are OTA HD? I have a Panasonic TH-42PWD8UK plasma monitor and Comcast basic cable -- I don't really watch enough TV to justify the added monthly charge for digital cable or HD, and the above monitor is great for DVDs. I am currently using the tuner in my Sony RDRVX515 DVD-R/VCR, and (not surprisingly) the analog SD signal is meh. The monitor is EDTV-ready and supports 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i input signals.

Being somewhat cheap, can I do anything to get a 480p or greater signal without ponying up for a HD box from Comcast? A friend suggested using a DVICO Fusion HDTV card in a spare PC as a HD/EDTV tuner/PVR, and that this would allow me to see the basic cable channels that are already broadcast in HDTV, and improve the resolution of the remaining channels as well. I'm not crazy about this idea due to the added fan noise/complication of the PC, but this is more or less what I am looking for: better signal from existing sources.

Any other thoughts on how I can do this? I don't mind buying another hardware component, but don't really want to give Comcast more on a monthly basis.

Thanks.

Unshackle my home network

MasonDixon — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 07:27:12 -0800

Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router + Comcast Broadband connection. My Comcast connection will not allow the internet to flow through the wireless router I've seen on a few websites that you must reset the IP address in order to "fool" the Comcast modem that your router is a PC, but my wireless illiteracy or the explanations I have found are holding me back.

Explanations at the level of "See Jane Run" or in Seussian rhyme preferred.

Me want new IP address

anonpeon — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 08:18:05 -0800

Can I easily and regularly change the network address of my Comcast provided IP? I host online games (halo). Some freaks with no life have decided to disrupt the games I host, so I'd like to change my ip address so that I can't be easily id'ed by them.

I have Comcast broadband and I've tried disconnecting the modem or powering it off and restarting the computer, but the system never gets a new ip, just keeps the old one. Is there anyway around this?

Mac ox 10.3.9 system.

Disabling comcast bridge-mode on a Comcast modem

destro — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 14:43:35 -0800

How do I bypass router bridging on a Comcast cable modem? I believe Comcast turned on router bridging on my internet connection, where it prevents me from using a router on my connection to the internet. I've checked the router, upgraded the firmware, done all of the resets, and everything else seems to be fine.

This has happened to me before where Earthlink turned on bridge-mode on their DSL modem. I was eventually able to go into the controls for the modem and turn it off but not after about 3 days of complete frustration. What I need is the URL for the modem. With the Earthlink situation, I had to guilt the lady at technical support into giving it up. I'm hoping somebody here at Mefi has been through the same thing and can just pass along those numbers.

Comcast vs. DirecTV in Seattle Eastside?

frogan — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 14:32:56 -0800

Comcast vs. DirecTV in Seattle Eastside? I'm moving soon and need advice on telephone, internet and television. Need advice and a best plan of action. I currently have DirecTV+ TiVo, DSLExtreme and SBC phones in SoCal. I'm fairly happy with this arrangement.

I'm moving to Sammamish, WA and need to re-evaluate my set-up.

DirecTV has a promotion in which they will install a dish at the new house in exchange for keeping their service for one year. A similar service on Comcast seems to be about the same price (give or take), but Comcast does not have a channel lineup currently available on their site.

Moreover, Comcast also offers all-in-one packages of television, cable-based broadband and telephone services. This seems like it could be very good or very painful.

* Anyone have any experience on the all-in-one Comcast service?
* Does inclement weather in the Seattle area ruin satellite service very often?
* Any other general pieces of advice?