Does Comcast turn on public hotspot if you bring your own modem?

biggles

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I thought they only did this if you rent from them. My modem is TP-Link TC-7620. I was analyzing the 2.4 ghz wifi signal due to the Roku express dropping signal intermittently. Using wifi analyzer for android, it looked like an hidden ssid was showing up inside the house. It shared the same channel as my 2.4 ghz wifi network but had a higher dbm. So, I called Comcast and asked them to turn off xfinity hotspot.
 
The modem is a modem only, different from a modem+router+wifi combo unit. It's not possible for it to broadcast wifi. What are you using as your router?
 
Your neighbor simply has their WiFi set up to use the same channel as yours. Just move yours to another channel (1, 6, or 11).

Are you certain the other signal you saw was actually higher? Signal strength, expressed as dBm, is a negative number. https://eyesaas.com/wi-fi-signal-strength/
After the tech support call with Comcast the hidden ssid went away. And my 2.4 ghz network is now working properly. Yes, I read the dbm correctly. This is a warning to other Comcast customers who may have hotspots running without their knowledge or permission.
 
After the tech support call with Comcast the hidden ssid went away. And my 2.4 ghz network is now working properly. Yes, I read the dbm correctly. This is a warning to other Comcast customers who may have hotspots running without their knowledge or permission.

This is absolutely a problem with Comcast-supplied Modem-Router-Wifi devices, and it bugs me also. However, I don't see how it's possible with you using your own modem and your own router. Where exactly do you think this hidden SSID was coming from? That they somehow turned your DOCSIS 3.0 modem (not a combo unit) into a WiFi access point? That they hacked your privately-owned WiFi router and forced it to broadcast an extra hidden network? Are you running any other hardware in your home that came directly from Comcast?
 
Had something similar just happen to us at work.

Comcast calls, says we have been long time customers and they are tranfering our service to higher speed, at lower rate. They just need to replace our modem.

Ok.

Modem gets replaced. We are in a commercial area, WiFi is already congested.

I tell the installer - make sure WiFi is turned off on the modem and it's just set to bridge, we run our own APs... "Sure' he says.

After he's gone - yeah... modem still broadcasting Xfinity crap. Was able to get it shut off, but still annoying.
 
This is absolutely a problem with Comcast-supplied Modem-Router-Wifi devices, and it bugs me also. However, I don't see how it's possible with you using your own modem and your own router. Where exactly do you think this hidden SSID was coming from? That they somehow turned your DOCSIS 3.0 modem (not a combo unit) into a WiFi access point? That they hacked your privately-owned WiFi router and forced it to broadcast an extra hidden network? Are you running any other hardware in your home that came directly from Comcast?

I do not understand exactly what happened, but here are more details to help clarify for the more tech savvy in this board. On the phone Comcast asked for the MAC address of the modem. I had to restart the router during the call. Also, I am using the Android app wifi analyzer:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=abdelrahman.wifianalyzerpro&hl=en

Prior to calling Comcast, Wifi analyzer showed a network titled "(HiddenSSID) in red text with a range that had to be within my house. Too small a distance to be a neighbor. And this hidden network had the same channel as my 2.4 ghz network. Wifi analyzer showed my 2.4 ghz network repeatedly dropping off the list and then reappearing at random intervals averaging 5-10 seconds. After last night's call, Wifi analyzer has not shown my 2.4 ghz network dropping at all. The other thing is that Comcast did not deny having the mobile hotspot set up. They said on the phone they would turn it off, which they did.

Anyway, I have had wifi problems for years and this appears to have solved them. It would have been nice to know about this problem much earlier. Perhaps this info can help other Comcast customers with similar wifi network problems.
 
I am sure it is in the contract/paper work they give you that you are agreeing to them using the modem as a hot spot. It is still bs they are not up front with it and at least allow you to opt out and give you something if you opt in.
 
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Comcast can not possibly run a wifi ssid on the device you listed as your modem. It is a docis bridge only, sadly and utterly inappropriately aka a cable modem. There is not wifi radio in the device to run it. Further, if it did run an SSID it sure as hell would not be named "HiddenSSID."
 
Spectrum does this as well. They want to push their router on you and then allow the "free" guest Network.

I just use their modem and my own router. Not sure what's going on in the op but if it's truly just a modem doesn't seem possible.
 
I am sure it is in the contract/paper work they give you that you are agreeing to them using the modem as a hot spot.

How does a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, that is not part of a WiFi/Router combo device, function as a hotspot?
 
How does a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, that is not part of a WiFi/Router combo device, function as a hotspot?
They generally give you a modem/router box nowadays when leasing. Between Comcast and FiOS over the last 10 year they haven't offered a modem only in my area anyway.
 
Comcast can not possibly run a wifi ssid on the device you listed as your modem. It is a docis bridge only, sadly and utterly inappropriately aka a cable modem. There is not wifi radio in the device to run it. Further, if it did run an SSID it sure as hell would not be named "HiddenSSID."

HiddenSSID is most likely the label from the scanner software when it find a wifi that is not broadcasting SSID
 
No, it's literally impossible for them to make your router 'secretly' broadcast a separate SSID.... They would have to access the admin console from the router, which is connected to the WAN. I don't know of any routers that allow access to the admin console from the WAN port by default. Even if it could be accessed, they'd also need the username/password to even log on and make changes.

So I have no idea what SSID you saw, but it wasn't some secret hotspot from comcast on your network.
 
They generally give you a modem/router box nowadays when leasing.

No offense, but did you actually read the whole thread before you posted? The OP is talking about a modem and a router (separate devices, not a combo unit) that he owns (did not come from ISP), and even listed the model numbers.

Between Comcast and FiOS over the last 10 year they haven't offered a modem only in my area anyway.

In the case of Comcast at least, it doesn't matter if they "offer" you one. You just buy a DOCSIS 3.0+ modem from wherever you want, call them, register the cablemodem's MAC address with your account, and you're good to go.
 
It has always came across as xfinitywifi when they turn it on. I just always turn it off. The hiddenssid is not from Comcast.
 
Biznatch is correct, if it is your modem and your router, then there is really no way for them to broadcast a second SSID, at least from your gear. Now there is a possibility(very remote, boarding on conspiracy theory even) that comcast/xfinity are packaging their cable boxes with Wifi radios and that those could possible broadcast an internal SSID on your network. But that's about the only way it can happen when the rest of the gear(modem/router is your own)
 
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