Comcast is the biggest internet service provider in the United States and possibly the most renowned for bandwidth restrictions. Comcast owns and operates Xfinity, a brand that combines cable television, broadband internet, and landline phone services. If you are a Comcast or Comcast Xfinity client, this article will explain how to use a VPN to circumvent your ISP’s efforts to limit your internet speed. Additionally, we’ll propose the best all-around VPN for streaming, privacy, and security for Comcast Xfinity customers.
Since 2017, when broadband privacy laws were overturned, internet service providers may now check and sell your online activity for advertising. Additionally, a VPN will prevent Comcast from eavesdropping on your internet behavior and sharing it with other parties, which is now allowed in the United States.
Customers despise Comcast for a variety of reasons, but this post will discuss throttling and broadband privacy. When Comcast detects that you are engaging in an online activity that Comcast does not approve of, it throttles, or slows down, your internet connection. Notable examples include torrenting and Netflix streaming.
To circumvent Comcast’s throttling and surveillance, we suggest using a VPN. A VPN, which stands for Virtual Private Network, encrypts all of a device’s internet traffic and passes it via a distant intermediate server. Due to encryption, Comcast cannot view the content of your online traffic, and Comcast cannot see which websites, applications, or services you use due to the VPN server acting as a mediator.
Not all VPNs will enhance your Comcast experience. Our suggestion for the top Comcast Xfinity VPN provider was determined using the following criteria:
- The VPN service maintains no records of user activity.
- Encryption security.
- Rapid response times and limitless bandwidth.
- Can circumvent anti-VPN barriers on websites such as Netflix.
- Allows peer-to-peer file sharing.
- Global server network.
Methodology for Comcast Xfinity VPN testing
PrivacyExplore evaluates and assesses VPNs based on a variety of characteristics that we determine via professional analysis, real-world experience, and a battery of tests. Our technique is meant to generate the most accurate, thorough, and helpful VPN evaluations and recommendations available on the web. Regarding Comcast and Xfinity VPN, we pay close attention to the following:
- Security: All of our suggestions adhere to our encryption and data transmission requirements. We evaluate encryption techniques and conduct leak tests to verify that your data never leaves the VPN’s secure tunnel.
- Logging policy: A VPN that tracks your activity is no better than an ISP that monitors your activity. We go over each VPN’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for wording or omissions that might imply the recording of user behavior or the collection of personally identifiable information.
- Speed: We check connection speeds to servers located across the globe to guarantee that you get the bandwidth you expect.
- Streaming: We’ve conducted thousands of real-world tests to determine which VPN provide safe access to popular streaming services.
- Customer support: As undercover shoppers, we call each VPN provider’s customer service to find out their response times and quality.
- Apps and features: Our recommended VPN provides client software for all major operating systems, and some even offer client software for more specialized platforms. We prefer that functionality such as split tunneling and kill switches be included in all versions of the program.
Configuring a VPN connection on Comcast Xfinity routers
Rather than downloading the VPN app on individual devices, you may configure a VPN on a router to safeguard the internet connection on all of the devices in your household. Additionally, this protects devices that are not typically compatible with VPNs, such as streaming devices and gaming consoles.
Customers of Comcast Xfinity may pick from a variety of cable modems, several of which have built-in wireless routers. However, the simplest approach to configuring a VPN on a router is to keep your modem and wireless router separate.
By default, most wireless router devices do not enable VPN connections. This includes the xFi Gateway and much of the third-party equipment allowed by Comcast from Netgear, Linksys, Arris, and Motorola.
If your router does not currently support OpenVPN or other commonly used VPN protocols, you will need to upgrade the firmware. Several free firmware packages that allow VPNs include the following:
- DD-WRT
- TomatoUSB
- AsusWRT
- OpenWRT
You may do an internet search for a suitable firmware for your router model. Follow your manufacturer’s firmware update instructions, but be warned: failing to upgrade software correctly might result in lasting harm to your router.
This technique is more difficult and may be impossible with modem-plus-wifi versions. Some models have distinct firmware for the modem and router, but who knows how altering one may affect the other? That is why we suggest keeping your modem and wireless router separate. Additionally, you will have far more freedom in selecting a router since it will not have to be on Comcast’s authorized equipment list.
Once you’ve acquired a wireless router with VPN-compatible firmware, your VPN provider may supply you with the essential configuration information. While the procedure varies according to VPN provider and firmware version, you’ll normally need the following to establish an OpenVPN connection:
- Server IP address
- Tunnel protocol (UDP or TCP)
- Encryption cipher
- Hash algorithm
- Username
- Password
- Shared secret key or certificate
- Various other options and settings
Once your router’s VPN is established, you may secure any wirelessly connected devices on your network.
Configuring a VPN on a router may be time-consuming and even dangerous. If you’d rather avoid the difficult configuration yet continue to use Comcast with a VPN router, we suggest NordVPN’s custom routers and firmware. They simplify VPN connection management significantly by providing pre-configured servers and an easy-to-navigate admin interface. Additionally, you may choose which connected devices utilize the VPN and which do not, a function known as “split-tunneling.” At home, I use this configuration with an Arris modem, and it works well.
Comcast’s bandwidth restrictions in the past and present
In 2006, Comcast experienced its first high-profile example of bandwidth limiting. Sandvine hardware was deployed across the company’s network. Sandvine interfered with peer-to-peer file sharing protocols such as BitTorrent, preventing Comcast subscribers from uploading files. Comcast did not notify consumers of the new policy. In 2008, the FCC concluded that Comcast’s network management tactics were unfair and ordered the firm to cease its discriminatory practices.
Comcast complied with the decision but filed a judicial appeal. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded in Comcast Corp. v. FCC that the FCC has the necessary authority to make such an order. Comcast was later proven to have throttled VoIP programs such as Skype and Facetime in 2008.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enacted the Open Internet Order in 2010, enshrining net neutrality in law. While Comcast never contested the judgment in court, it barred Comcast from reintroducing bandwidth limits for P2P traffic. Additionally, the business eliminated VoIP traffic blocking and throttling.
Comcast and Verizon started restricting Netflix streaming in the second half of 2013, resulting in increased buffering times and lower-quality video for internet consumers. Comcast and Verizon said they were being taken advantage of due to the massive quantity of bandwidth required to stream video and the rising popularity of Netflix. Netflix said that it and its customers were subjected to discrimination.
Comcast and Netflix signed an agreement in 2014 in which Netflix would pay Comcast to halt the throttling. Because the deal was reached outside of court, no legal precedent was established. It did, however, establish a precedent in which internet corporations pay ISPs for preferential access, straddling the line between net neutrality and paid prioritization.
Even as recently as 2018, Comcast’s shenanigans affected consumers’ internet service. In March, Steam and PayPal were restricted by the ISP’s “protected browsing” option.
Comcast has spent significant time lobbying in Washington to oppose net neutrality legislation. Its efforts were rewarded in 2017 with the appointment of a new FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai. Pai was instrumental in repealing two significant consumer protections: broadband privacy and net neutrality.
Pai also revoked the Open Internet Order, an FCC guideline that mandated ISPs like Comcast to treat all internet traffic equally. The ruling classified ISPs in the same business class as utilities, which prohibited ISPs from discriminating against their customers based on how they utilized the internet or which websites, applications, or services they used.
With two consumer safeguards in place, Comcast users could anticipate data harvesting and traffic throttling in the coming months and years. Comcast has already started collaborating with other big internet service providers to repeal state-level net neutrality regulations. If you are a Comcast client, now is the time to invest in a virtual private network (VPN).
How a VPN protects you from Comcast’s espionage
The repeal of broadband privacy permits ISPs like Comcast to use and sell browsing data and other sensitive information about how their customers use the internet to third parties, eliciting an uproar from privacy campaigners. Because everything you do online passes through your ISP’s network architecture, Comcast may discover personal information like which websites you visit, which items you purchase, which emails and text messages you send, which social media postings you make, and which searches you conduct. It may then sell all of that data to a third-party vendor, such as an advertising network or data broker.
This enables Comcast to “double dip,” earning money both from membership fees and from the sale of your browsing data.
A VPN eliminate such data harvesting techniques. While connected to the VPN, all internet traffic passing through Comcast’s network and servers is encrypted. Since it cannot decode it, Comcast cannot acquire any meaningful information. And since all of the data is routed via the VPN server before reaching its ultimate destination, Comcast has no way of knowing which websites you visit. Simply choose a good VPN, such as those mentioned above, that offers strong encryption and leak protection.
Comcast Xfinity VPN FAQs
Is it possible to use a free VPN with Comcast Xfinity?
We normally advise against using any ostensibly free VPN for Comcast Xfinity. These services are far more restricted in a variety of ways and may degrade your overall Comcast experience.
Free VPNs often provide a small number of very busy servers. They often impose data limitations, restrict bandwidth, or require you to connect through a queue. Free VPNs will almost probably significantly slow down your connection, making them an ineffective method of circumventing bandwidth restrictions.
Numerous free VPNs make money via dubious techniques such as capturing your internet traffic for personal information and selling it to third-party ads. Some will insert advertisements into your web browser, while others may include malware payloads capable of infecting your device.
Do VPNs protect you from exceeding your ISP’s data cap?
Bandwidth throttling and data capping are two distinct strategies used by internet service providers, although they do overlap in certain ways.
As previously said, bandwidth limiting reduces your internet speed. Within the scope of this article, bandwidth is throttled to deter a certain kind of activity. For example, Comcast throttled peer-to-peer internet traffic in an attempt to deter consumers from downloading files using BitTorrent. When using a VPN, peer-to-peer transmission is encrypted and cannot be discriminated against when using other types of data.
After a specific amount of data has been uploaded or downloaded, data limitations apply. Most Xfinity subscribers are limited to 1 TB of data per month. Unlike bandwidth limitations, data limitations are dependent on the quantity of data delivered, not on how you use the internet. Once you exceed that maximum, Comcast will charge an additional $10 for every 50 GB of data used.
A VPN will not assist you in circumventing data limitations. When Comcast cannot view the content of your traffic or the destination of your traffic while connected to a VPN, it can monitor the volume of data passing through its network. There is no way around this, except to change ISPs.
Are Xfinity’s public wireless hotspots secure?
Comcast configures two distinct kinds of Xfinity public wi-fi connections, one secure and one less secure. They may be distinguished by their network name, or SSID.
The first, dubbed xfinitywifi, is free and accessible to the public, which implies that anybody may join without requiring a password or login. We highly advise you to use a VPN whenever you connect to a public wi-fi hotspot.
The second, XFINITY, is used to offer encrypted connections to Comcast users. However, they must first have the Xfinity WiFi secure profile installed on their device.
While the XFINITY network is more secure, keep in mind that anybody may construct a public wi-fi hotspot using that name and fool users into joining. A hacker might create a phony hotspot to send people to phishing sites, steal information, or transmit malware. Thus, even while using the more secure XFINITY hotspot, it is prudent to use a VPN.
To connect to the safe XFINITY SSID, we suggest that customers install Xfinity WiFi secure profile.
How can I configure Comcast’s port forwarding?
Port forwarding is more dependent on your wireless router and VPN provider than on your internet service provider.
If you’re using a Comcast-branded router, such as the Xfinity Gateway, see the official instructions. Otherwise, you’ll need to examine the manufacturer’s instructions for your router.