{"id":11765,"date":"2019-02-18T09:54:30","date_gmt":"2019-02-18T15:54:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/article\/\/"},"modified":"2019-02-18T09:54:30","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T15:54:30","slug":"hello-my-name-is-rob-and-im-a-comcast-subscriber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/hello-my-name-is-rob-and-im-a-comcast-subscriber\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Hello, my name is Rob, and I\u2019m a Comcast subscriber\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AdobeStock_216383165-1024x640.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11767\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AdobeStock_216383165-1024x640.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AdobeStock_216383165-300x187.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AdobeStock_216383165-768x480.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AdobeStock_216383165-234x146.jpeg 234w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AdobeStock_216383165-50x31.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/AdobeStock_216383165-120x75.jpeg 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Hello, Rob.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our area, Comcast is the only serious player for Internet access. We have a plan that is 300mb\/s download, 20mb\/s up, at home. I was surprised on a recent trip to the United Kingdom at how much faster this is than what they enjoy, with the exception of fiber to the home, available in about two locations in the country. Most people have 40 to 80mb\/s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Rockford, the competition offers about 4mb\/s download, as they use ADSL 1.0. ADSL 2.1 is rolling out across Europe, maybe even across the US, but AT&amp;T hasn\u2019t implemented that locally, so people are stuck with 4mb\/s and really slow latency or Comcast.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a joke going around: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Question: How do you fix America\u2019s drug problem?\u00a0\u00a0<br \/><\/span>Answer: Make all drugs legal, but they\u2019re only available through Comcast\u2019s customer service line.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comcast has an issue with its reputation. It uses third-party companies to sign you up for new deals, but when you actually decide to sign up for those deals, the information seems to go missing.\u00a0You end up paying for more than you understood you were supposed to, and it\u2019s always your fault for \u201cmisunderstanding.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve discovered that the best place to actually change your plan is at the local office, where equipment can be dropped off. You won\u2019t get any special rates, but you will know what you\u2019re going to pay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some things that people don\u2019t know they\u2019re going to end up paying until they get the bill:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Equipment fees<\/strong> (DVR, cable modem\/router, set-top box for all TVs \u2014 coming soon, every Roku that has the Xfinity app on it).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Random fees<\/strong>, local TV access fees, sports network fees, etc. \u00a0(These are nonregulated, designed to collect more money from you, as local TV channels collect money from cable companies so those companies can rebroadcast local channels).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>What can be done to lessen these fees?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Cancel your phone system.\u00a0<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the United States, it\u2019s unlikely that you actually use a landline anymore. Almost everyone uses cellphones and has unlimited minutes on them. When you have phone service with Comcast, you&#8217;re locked into using <em>their<\/em> modem. \u00a0They will try to explain that it\u2019s cheaper to keep their phone system, but it isn\u2019t \u2014 it may only cost you $1 for the line, but then you have $15 in phone taxes and must use their equipment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Replace Comcast&#8217;s modem\/router.<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0I never got on with this piece of equipment. In my experience, it randomly drops printers and reboots itself. For residential use, a Netgear cable modem will do nicely, and I really like the Google Wifi Mesh router. This will cost you around $400 but will earn itself back in less than two years. However, if it breaks, you\u2019ll be responsible for buying a new one \u2014 so put it behind a surge protector.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you want to keep TV<\/strong>,\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you can lower your package to the minimum (basic\/local channels only) for around $9 plus the local channel fees. You will still need their equipment, unless you <strong>replace Comcast&#8217;s TV equipment with your own.<\/strong> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I recommend two ways to do this, both of which require a CableCARD. It&#8217;s about the size of a credit card and was mandated by the FCC when digital cable came into existence. \u00a0It allows your programming to be received on a non-Comcast device. The most well-known of these is the Tivo DVR. However, I\u2019m a big fan of the <strong>HDHomeRun Cablecard.<\/strong>\u00a0This device has three tuners in it and can stream your channels to any device on your local network. If none of your devices can do this automatically, then an Amazon Fire TV can be picked up for as little as $40. Cheap enough to buy one for all your TVs. Remember that you\u2019ll only be able to watch three things at the same time, though. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SiliconDust, the makers of the HDHomeRun, also have some DVR software. This is reasonably easy to install but will require a network hard drive, or some computer knowledge, and will add DVR functionality to the setup. You can do things like stop the recording on one device and resume it on a second while not paying any equipment fees.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also add a rooftop antenna to the mix, then add an antenna network device from SiliconDust to allow multiple streams to record or be watched at the same time. The software will work out whether to record from the antenna or the cable channel automatically.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Keep up to date with technology.<\/strong> Fifth-generation wireless service is likely to change how broadband works and is priced. 5G promises much faster internet access than even a cable connection, wirelessly. However, the main players are cellphone networks. They enjoy their low data caps and expensive charges. It will be interesting to see whether they decide to compete with Comcast or just offer this new service to smartphone users.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Argue your package.<\/strong> It\u2019s public knowledge that new customers get better packages than existing customers. Arguing that you\u2019re going to cut your package down to the minimum (ie, lowest-level internet) is normally enough incentive for the retention team to offer you the introductory package. For lowest-level TV (not local channels only, one level above), Boost Internet (300mb\/s down in our area) offers an introductory package of around $99 a month; the full price is $119. I think this is a reasonable start for most people want to save money but don\u2019t need premium channels. Be prepared to fully cut back if they won\u2019t budge.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s possible to get unlimited 4G, whole-house internet solutions. However, these have low data caps; around 50GB a month. Comcast offers 1TB or 1,000GB a month, so if you\u2019re an avid Netflix watcher, this is not going to work for you. I did see an unlimited plan from <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ubifi.net\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">www.ubifi.net<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for $90 a month.\u00a0It\u2019s a reasonable alternative to Comcast, but it\u2019s priced a bit higher. One advantage is that you can pick up the device and travel with it, so it\u2019s probably better for people who escape to the South during the winter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<p>>Links<br>These are not necessarily the cheapest, but they will future-proof you for a while:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Modem<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/NETGEAR-XFINITY-Comcast-Charter-CM700-1AZNAS\/dp\/B07976SNVB\">https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/NETGEAR-XFINITY-Comcast-Charter-CM700-1AZNAS\/dp\/B07976SNVB<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Router<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Google-WiFi-system-3-Pack-replacement\/dp\/B01MAW2294\">https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Google-WiFi-system-3-Pack-replacement\/dp\/B01MAW2294<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cable TV<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.silicondust.com\/product\/hdhomerun-prime-6\/\">https:\/\/www.silicondust.com\/product\/hdhomerun-prime-6\/<\/a><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not out yet but will have 6 tuners. The 3-tuner version is discontinued but available on ebay secondhand; you may be able to get one refurbished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/p\/Silicondust-HDHomerun-Prime-3-Tuners-HDHR3-CC-DLNA-network-tuner-CableCARD\/2255305603\">https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/p\/Silicondust-HDHomerun-Prime-3-Tuners-HDHR3-CC-DLNA-network-tuner-CableCARD\/2255305603<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have one, you need to get a cable card from Comcast. I would suggest taking your TV equipment to the local office to return it and ask for a CableCARD there. If they appear lost, use the word TiVo (they don\u2019t know what an HDHomeRun is).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fire TV Stick<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fire-TV-Stick-with-All-New-Alexa-Voice-Remote\/dp\/B0791TX5P5\/\">https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Fire-TV-Stick-with-All-New-Alexa-Voice-Remote\/dp\/B0791TX5P5\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are available at Walmart and Best Buy. Once set up, install the HDHomeRun app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4K version<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Introducing-Fire-TV-Stick-4K-with-All-New-Alexa-Voice-Remote\/dp\/B079QHML21\/\">https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Introducing-Fire-TV-Stick-4K-with-All-New-Alexa-Voice-Remote\/dp\/B079QHML21\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Antenna TV<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/SiliconDust-HDHomeRun-Connect-HDHR5-4US-Multi-Directional\/dp\/B07CHFS3L1\">https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/SiliconDust-HDHomeRun-Connect-HDHR5-4US-Multi-Directional\/dp\/B07CHFS3L1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I suggest getting a rooftop antenna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DVR software<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.silicondust.com\/dvr-service\/\">https:\/\/www.silicondust.com\/dvr-service\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See their site for recommended network drives. If you get stuck installing, let me know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Hello, Rob.\u201d In our area, Comcast is the only serious&hellip;<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/hello-my-name-is-rob-and-im-a-comcast-subscriber\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":11767,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[3],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11765"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11765\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thinkerventures.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}