Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with comcast

It certainly seems bad...

codacorolla — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:17:00 -0800

Aside from an intense dislike of the company, what are some logical reasons to oppose the Comcast-NBC merger? It's going to have to get congressional approval first, and I my gut instinct is against it. I want to contact my congress-person, but I also would like to know more about the issue.

Is Comcast running a racket on charging for additional IP addresses?

nomadicink — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:42:50 -0800

I currently have Comcast High Speed internet. I have two additional IP addresses assigned to my account, which they charge me monthly for. Is this necessary, i.e., if I had the that option taken off my bill would only one of my home computers be able to connect to the internet, vs the four that currently do with the Comcast option for only two additional licenses (which means only three total should be able to connect)? If it matters, the cable modem is connected to a wireless router (Apple Express) and all the home computers are Macintoshes.

I hate being a slave to tv, help me get my DVR back.

NoraCharles — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:10:39 -0800

How do I go about figuring out what is causing my cable (or power) troubles and hopefully fix it? (sorry for the length, I just want to provide as much information about the problem and symptoms in the hope that someone can help me)

I have Comcast with the DVR. I was watching tv one night and the box just turned off. It came back on and showed 8888 and reset all the channel information. I could still get to my DVR and the shows I'd recorded, but when I couldn't get to On Demand later on, I called Comcast and reported error "4" (which is what the screen told me to do.) I told her what happened and she sent a signal, but that didn't help. I unplugged for five minutes, plugged it back in, that didn't help. I have digital cable in the bedroom (with no DVR) and that was working fine, no interruptions, the channel guide was fine.
So we set up a service call because I couldn't get to On Demand and the channel guide wasn't loading, but I could still watch tv.

So later over the weekend, it popped off, flashed to 8888 and reset all the channels and the guide again a few more times. Then sometime Sunday, I lost the ability to access my recorded programs. Then by Monday, I lost all onscreen guides and functions altogether, the only thing I could do was change channels and the volume. The time was frozen at 12:00. I only mention that because in retrospect, it was like it was slowly dying, bit by bit, it wasn't like everything stopped working at once, I don't know if this matters or not.

But like I said, I could still watch all my channels - I didn't know what they were or what was on, but I could watch. I did still occasionally get the power off, 8888 problem.

The Comcast guy finally shows up today and swapped out the box. Everything seemed fine at first. Then it flashed off, came back on with 8888 and all the channels were reset. He told me that the problem must be electrical and not in the cable or with the box because something was interrupting the power and causing it to reset.

We then tried unplugging it from the surge protector and plugging the box directly into the wall, same error. Then we got an extension cord and tried another outlet across the room, same error. He had originally used the old DVR power cord and put in a new one. Same error. He told me the new box could be fried already.

He was also there to install Comcast phone service, so we took a break and did that. When we were done, we tried one last thing with the box- unplugging all the other stuff hooked up to it: a DVD player and a switcher box I had that is hooked up to a dustcovered Playstation and a VCR. All we had was the tv plugged into the box (power cord and cable) and the box plugged into an extension cord to an outlet across the room. IT WORKED!!!! I could get to On Demand and the guide was still loading, but I could see channel call letters, that channel 65 was Comedy Central, etc. He said the guide would take a while to load. I signed the paperwork and he left.

About 10 minutes after he left it happened again.

:sigh: I'm fried.

My landlord is away for the weekend, so I can't call him up and ask about the electrical in the outlet until Sunday night. I've never had problems before and everything else that was plugged into that surge protector still worked fine.

So I have several questions....

-Is it possible the new box is fried and I should just go to Comcast tomorrow and exchange it?
-I really don't want to fry another one of their boxes (if it is) so is there any other way I can figure out what is causing the problem so it doesn't happen again?
-What would my landlord look for to be wrong? Would we have to call an electrician?
-Could it be another piece of equipment that was hooked up to it that is causing the problem? Can anyone recommend a method of testing things out?

Thanks in advance!

Help, I need a stronger wifi signal!

OuttaHere — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:53:19 -0800

Help! I live in a basement and need a stronger Wi-Fi Connection! I live in a Basement of a townhome and pay for internet which my landlord provides via Wi-Fi.

The problem is that he has the router on the third floor of the house, and I am in the basement. It probably doesn't help that it is an old building, so there is a lot of brick and mortar. Anyways, he uses Comcast so in order for us to have a land line in our residence we would have to pay for a completely new cable package/modem etc.

In my room I am getting like 25% signal, 2 bars out of 5 pretty much, and get a really shitty and slow connection. If I move my computer out to the main room my speed and connection increases 10 fold.

Anyway, I'm not the greatest with this kind of tech stuff so I was wondering if people out there had options for me. I haven't talked to my landlord about it but wanted to confront him with some options.

Anyone have ideas, especially if you are familiar with comcast. Are those "Range Extenders" worth it? Can you add a router to a lower level somehow to increase the range? Is there anything comcast can do?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Digital Cable Bait and Switch

quadog — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:56:03 -0800

My digital cable provider (comcast) has sold me a service which does not allow me to record any of the channels that I subscribe to and pay for every month. I have informed them of the issue and they have not responded with an adequate solution. What is the workaround? Remember the old days of cable when you could just wire up your VCR and record Monday Night Football without any hassle? Well, "technological progress" has ensured us that it's no longer that easy.

I just signed up for comcast digital cable. The cable box is hooked up to my DVD/VCR combo (via RCA cables) and from there to the TV (via HDMI). When I try recording in any source mode (AV1 for example) an error comes up on the TV stating that I am attempting to record copyrighted material. The copyrighted material in question is just basic cable stuff - I'm not trying to record anything off of a movie channel or pay-per-view.

Called comcast. They said "tough luck" and tried to sell me a DVR at $16/month. I refuse to pay more for what should be a standard function of my VCR.

What do I need to buy and install to work around this comcast-created problem? Can anyone point me to some solutions? (If there's information on how to do this on the internets then I can't find anything recent.)

How to get this new stupid Comcast box to work with my Tivo?

mingodingo — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:31:43 -0800

Comcast filter: Will the new Comcast adapter box work with my Series 2 Tivo? If not (or if its a hassle), should I change cable/internet providers (and what's a good alternative in the Bay Area)? So, Comcast advertisements fed current customers this lie that if you were with Comcast, you wouldn't have to do anything for the digital conversion--now they want us to go get these converter boxes.

I am not good with hooking this sort of thing up, especially when a Tivo's involved. Will these boxes even work with a Series 2 Tivo? If so, can you explain to me (in a "Comcast boxes + Tivos for Dummies" kind of way) how to hook this up?

And if not, or if it's going to be a huge pain, any suggestions for alternative cable companies in the Bay Area I could switch to that don't require this extra equipment? Right now, I'm getting my extended basic cable and internet from Comcast for under $50, and I'd like to stay in that price range.

Thanks!

Experience with Sprint / Nextel MiFi?

bamassippi — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:04:59 -0800

Experience with Sprint / Nextel MiFi? Moving into an area of Seattle with a cable/Internet provider with a poor reputation and performance. My wife and I are considering the MiFi 2200. We both work from home and I wanted to ask the MeFi-ers first to see if anyone has had any experience with this device/service.

We need something that can handle everything from running reports through VPNs, to watching videos, to downloading large files. What should we need to know (or be concerned) about? How does it compare to a top-of-the-line high-speed broadband service?

Should I stick with my Comcast high-speed internet plan or switch to Verizon FiOS?

lunchbox — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:38:47 -0800

Should I stick with my Comcast high-speed internet plan or switch to Verizon FiOS? I currently have high-speed internet service with Comcast. My monthly plan is:
$74.95/month; 22 Mbps download, up to 30 Mbps with PowerBoost; ~5 Mps upload

When I first signed up for service earlier this year, Comcast was pretty much my only choice. Recently, Verizon FiOS became available in my area. They are offering me:
$69.99/month, 25 Mbps download; 15 Mbps upload; 1 year commitment

My Comcast service has been very flaky recently, and I am considering switching to FiOS. Apart from the 1-year commitment, FiOS appears to be a better deal. Is there anything I should know about either service that might be relevant for when I make this decision?

(Extra info: I use my internet connection for surfing the web, watching videos, etc. I don't play much computer games or use P2P. Also, I am interested in internet-only service; no TV/landline bundles.)

Picking a good plan

pulled_levers — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:10:11 -0800

In need of a cheap high speed internet/cable package shared among 7 college girls in MD and not sure where to start. Help! Six other girls and I will be moving into a house in College Park, MD 20740. A friend of mine has looked into Verizon for a plan. Unfortunately, she says that that particular plan only works with flatscreen TVs which we do not have.

I have looked at comcast as well as reviews of comcast saying that they are overpriced with not-so-great customer service.

After looking at some DSL vs Cable sites, it seems that cable is pricier but has faster connection. Because the internet will be shared among seven girls, I wanted to know whether or not paying for cable will become a necessity and if we should go for a package that has a minimum of X MBPS.

I would prefer a high-speed internet service coupled with a fairly basic TV cable plan. I am worried about internet being too slow if shared between so many girls. I am also bringing a wireless router to the house (will the internet company I choose help me install that at all?).

I am feeling slightly overwhelmed because we are moving in in two days and classes start on Monday. Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Out of the frying pan into the fire

mkb — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 10:19:47 -0800

I am in the process of switching from Comcast cable to Verizon DSL. I am trying to figure out the wireless situation in my house. So Verizon is offering a free netbook to new DSL subscribers, and I don't have any particular affinity for Comcast, so I decided to try it out.

With Comcast (which is actually still running), I have the following setup:
- Motorola cable modem
- Linksys WRT54g v 2.2 running Tomato and boosted output power

I have this unit set to forward BitTorrent, SSH, and icecast ports to one machine at home.

Verizon unexpectedly sent me a modem for my new service that also functions as a wireless access point and a router. It's a Westell 7500. It seems to be almost as configurable as my Linksys, and it looks like there is no need to boost the output power in order to get up to my office. The only missing feature appears to be DynDNS.com updating; the new router uses TSIG authentication which is only available on paid accounts, and I can just punt this to one of my computers.

So, is there anything I am missing that would be worth me keeping the Linksys around? Does this router have any hidden gotchas?

Comcast or U-Verse for an Internet Addict

still_wears_a_hat — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:29:17 -0800

So how does U-Verse's internet service compare to Comcast's? Not in print, where they're identical, but in reality? Almost just in time for this question, I started looking into U-Verse as an alternative to Comcast for digital TV/VCR. U-Verse would definitely give me more of what I want in TV, but I'm concerned about the internet. Much as I dislike Comcast, I can't complain about the internet speed, reliability, or even support, and if AT+T isn't going to be as good, I'll stick with Comcast for everything. Getting TV from one and internet from the other is more hassle (and money) than I'm willing to deal with.

My Comcast service claims 10MPBS; I usually get around 7, which is fine for me. AT+T's small print says "speed may vary and is not guaranteed" (as does Comcast's) as well as saying that using other U-Verse services may reduce internet speed.

I'd like the AT+T TV package, but not if it means that I can't play games and listen to music while recording something on the DVR, or if it means that my internet will be overall slower, flaky, or badly supported.

I've looked at the various broadband and U-Verse forums, but am not finding the info I want, which is just - how does AT+T's U-Verse internet service compare to Comcast's for speed (assuming the AT+T 10MBPS option), reliability and support.

I'm in southeast Michigan, if that makes any difference.

Plug it in, plug it in...

Christ, what an asshole — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:01:39 -0800

Modem/Router issues: why does our internet always cut out on one computer on the network, resulting in having to constantly plug/unplug the router to get it working again? Router: WRT54G, ISP: Comcast.

We have two desktops (PCs) set up in the network, one direct with an ethernet cable, the other wireless. For whatever reason, the computer connected through the ethernet cable has its internet connection spontaneously cut out, sometimes several times throughout the day, which makes for some unusually frustrating surfing.

It's puzzling because all the modem lights are flickering just like normal, and the computer connected wirelessly works fine. Meanwhile, the first computer has an icon displaying that it's connected, but it remains dead and has no upload/download activity. As a result and through trial/error, the only way to get it working again is by unplugging the power to the router, letting it sit for a minute, then replugging and hoping it comes back, which it ostensibly does in more cases than not.

What could be the issue causing this brand of interference?

Is there someway I can get Comcast to bring their internet services to my subdivision in Farr West Utah?

HC Foo — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:51:10 -0800

I love Comcast's Internet services. However, I just moved to a new area (Farr West Utah), and Comcast isn't available in my subdivision. Is there anyway I can convince Comcast bring internet services into my area? I just moved to Farr West Utah, and Comcast internet isn't available in my sub-division. Is there anything I can do, or someone I can call, to get Comcast internet out here?

Why is my internet connection so slow?

mpls2 — Sun, 24 May 2009 15:15:40 -0800

How did my internet connection get 5x faster in 10 minutes? I just chatted online with Comcast customer support. Before the chat, my download speeds were a paltry 0.2Mbps, but my upload speeds were 6Mbps (!!). Now, my DL speed is 1Mbps, which is much better, and my upload speed is 8Mbps. For me (and I'm sure a lot of other people), the internet just gets unusably slow a few times a month.

Questions:

1. Why does the internet get slow so often? You'd think a major telecom company could at least guarantee faster-than-dialup speeds 99.99% of the time.
2. Why is my UL speed 8x faster than my DL speed?
3. What happened during my chat that made my connection 5x faster. The CS rep said she did a "hit" on my modem, and also tried resetting it. I also did a hardward reset on my modem, but I also tried that before contacting CS to no avail.

I'm just really curious about how internet speeds work, and what control telecom companies have for ensuring reliable speeds.

Thanks!

Portents of Porting Ports

jozxyqk — Sun, 24 May 2009 05:44:37 -0800

ApacheFilter: What's the easiest way to have a "default page" on an alternate port? I've got Comcast cable internet at home, and I run a web server with several VirtualHosts.
Thinking about switching to FiOS, where port 80 is blocked.
The simple solution is to move my web content over to a different port -- in this case 81.
I've already set up the server to Listen on both ports. That's the easy part.

What I want to do is, before port 80 goes away, put a special note and redirect notice when people access any of my pages, at any of my domains, at port 80, without having 2 different versions of every domain.

What is the easiest way to accomplish this?

It is Apache 2.2.3 on Ubuntu where I have full root privileges.

Comcast cable internet hacked?

rbf1138 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:03:16 -0800

I'm asking this for a friend. He's been using Comcast cable internet for at least a year now, and as of tonight he cannot access any websites (on either his PC or ipod), and is redirected to the following URL: actsvr.comcastonline.com/nocache/realactsvr.html It wants him to install software, and he can click on either customer or technician. What is going on? Does this sound like a virus, spyware, etc. or some sort of issue with the cable itself? Maybe an attack on the router he's using? How can he solve/fix this mystery?

Why can't we connect wirelessly?

mai — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:29:34 -0800

Why can't we connect wirelessly to the internet? We have comcast cable internet and a netgear router and fourteen computers, 13 of which connect wirelessly and one of which uses a wired ethernet connection.

Our internet connection stopped working (possibly because the modem was fried by a lightning strike near us?). None of the lights on the modem would go on, so Comcast told us to bring it in and get a new one.

After replacing the modem, the situation is this:
1. If I am wired directly to the modem, I can connect to the internet.
I am on a Mac.
2. My roommate tried to connect directly to the modem running Linux and could not get internet.
3. The router is broadcasting wireless signal. We can all connect to it and can see each other. But, when the router is connected to the modem, there is no internet coming through the pipes.
4. I tried connecting to the router and having it search for firmware updates, and it can't see the internet at all.
5. I tried the whole reset rigamarole (of router, of modem, of everything), it did not help.

So, is our router broken? Is there something else going on?
I am not super knowledgeable about computers. I usually solve problems by googling for info and bumbling about until something works. Detailed, action-oriented explainations are appreciated.

RCN versus Comcast in DC?

raf — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:43:29 -0800

RCN versus Comcast in DC? I have Comcast cable/phone/internet in DC. I'm tired of paying more and can get RCN for significantly less. Any bad experiences with RCN?

Streamless in Seattle

Blazecock Pileon — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:33:15 -0800

Does Comcast throttle hulu and other streaming video services in the Seattle area? Additionally, are there reliable, alternative high-speed Internet providers in the Seattle metropolitan area (which do not require a land-line phone connection)?

Any other High Speed Internet Providers in SF besides Comcast?

crumblydonut — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:36:40 -0800

Are there any reliable High Speed Connection Alternatives to Comcast in San Francisco? Previously discussed here:
http://ask.metafilter.com/78073/Best-option-for-internet-provider-in-San-Francisco

Not sure if there are any new players in town. Mefi will know!

Cheaper alternative to Comcast DSL?

chihiro — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:13:35 -0800

I'm thinking of signing up with a new ISP that doesn't cost as much as Comcast, but the choices are overwhelming. Help! We've been with Comcast DSL for nearly 5 years, and I've never had any complaint about the service. But it costs us $63/month, and since I'm at home full time with my daughter I'm looking to cut costs wherever possible. I'm really not sure which ISP would be best, though. I've been looking at www.thelist.com, but I don't even know where to begin with all the choices.

*We are just outside Philadelphia.
*We do not have, or want, cable television or a telephone land line.
*We have an iMac G5 desktop (4 years old) and a Macbook (2 years old), so wireless could be a good option if the price is right.
*I would like to continue to have a fast connection.

Thank you!

I'm a Comcast customer is looking to expand my TV horizons.

bamassippi — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:27:25 -0800

I'm a Comcast customer is looking to expand my TV horizons. The wife and I are looking into DVR options. We currently use Comcast (Seattle, WA) w/HD channels and, due to our apartment complex, do not have the option of Dish/DirecTV.

I would prefer a TiVo HD recorder due to TiVo's position in the market ad an industry leader. What successes/failures/thoughts do you have on TiVos current DVR technology

Is Comcast's DVR technology worth it? Obviously, the month-to-month payment is more wallet-friendly than the investment of a TiVo, though I didn't know if the end result was any better.

Thoughts?

New Comcast phone service, but old jacks no longer work

blueberry — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:44:20 -0800

My mom switched to land-line phone service through Comcast, but now she only has one working phone jack. How do we restore functionality to the remaining outlets in the house? [This question is a bit long, but if you want to skim it, I think you can get by just reading the non-small text]

My mom recently switched to Comcast for cable/internet/phone. Cable and internet are fine, but it's the phone portion that's causing trouble.

Her house has a phone jack in each room. Back when she had "normal" phone service, the phones worked in every room. Since she changed to Comcast now there's only one phone outlet in the house that works.

Looking at the Comcast black box (that the cable from outside plugs into), there's a short phone cord (photo of the back of the Comcast box with phone cord circled here) that runs from the box to a little Comcast-installed connector-box on the wall. Looking at the little connector-box, I could see that from there, a wire seems to run down through a hole in the floor to the basement.

I'm guessing that during installation, the Comcast guy drilled this hole, went down to the basement and ran some phone cord from there over to just one phone jack (which is why it is just that one phone jack in the dining room that now works).

The problem is, we want her to go back to having phone access in every room (or at least back to having a phone in her bedroom and one on the second floor) so that she can hear it.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, we could just get her a cordless phone with 3 handsets and a charger for each room. However, my mom's hearing is not what it once was, so we want to get her a couple of phones with a blinking light, or something where you can plug in a lamp so that the lamp flashes when she gets a call. For this it seems like we'll need a phone jack in the same room where we want the flashing lights.

She has a cordless phone with a flashing base, but of course the flashing base is tethered to the one working phone jack in the dining room, so she never sees it. This leads to a lot of missed calls for her. Anyway, long story-short...

How do we restore functionality to the old phone jacks? I assume that the working phone cord would need to be "split" some way and then new wire fed to the old outlets... ?

Is this something a phone guy can do? Can Comcast do this? (I'll give Comcast a call when I have some time to sit on hold, but they're closed now and I thought maybe some fellow MeF's had run into a similar problem and might have some good advice.)

Thanks in advance

Gimme some o' that!

Acacia — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:54:22 -0800

Why does HDTV look so good in the ads? So, I'm watching a Comcast commercial about HDTV. They are showing a television running in HDTV and I think to myself, "WOW! That picture looks great. The color is awesome, the clarity is fabulous, I should really save my nickles and get me some o' that!"

But wait. I am watching this great picture of HD on my crappy-ass 14 incher and I dont have HDTV. Why, then, does it look so good? If a picture of HD looks that great on my regular TV, why dont they just make my regular TV look like it did when they showed me HDTV?

Comcast, from the gates of hell I spit at thee!

jadepearl — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:41:56 -0800

DSL in Minneapolis. Recommendations, experiences, ISPs of note. Comcast is awful. I get horrible digital service and the speed is nothing impressive. I am probably going to go satellite for cable but I need internet service that is fast, reliable and not too expensive. I have a wireless network in the house and use Apple TV. I do a lot of work online so lots of uploading and downloading.