XfinityJessie's profile

Administrator

 • 

5.1K Messages

Wednesday, February 14th, 2018 9:00 AM

Closed

ANSWERED: Xfinity Internet Data Usage Guide

​​ ​ ​


​​***Created by our ​​​​ Community Experts​​​​***​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​​​You can find out more about Comcast's usage plans (data caps) here: ​​​​https://www.xfinity.com/support/internet/data-usage-plan/​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​This guide is meant to help you understand some basics about data usage. ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​The Comcast usage meter​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​If you are the primary or self-managed secondary account holder, you can view your current usage and usage history by signing in to your​​​​ ​​​​Usage Mete​​​​r​​​​ ​​​​page. You will need to enter your XFINITY username and password. ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​You can also download the​​​​ ​​​​Xfinity App​​ ​​to view the data usage meter.​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​If you are interested in a technical survey of the meter's accuracy you may want to read the​​​​ ​​​​report by NetForcas​​​​t​​​​. (pdf file)​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​Your data consumption​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​Streaming video commonly uses the most data for many households. Streaming HD content uses around 3 GB per hour while streaming 4K content uses about 7 GB an hour. Some services like Netflix allow you to​​​​ ​​​​adjust video quality​​​​ to reduce data consumption.​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​Activities like torrenting, large game downloads, video conferencing and uploading can also use significant data.​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​Other activities like gaming, web surfing, VoIP services, music, and email communication​​​​ ​​​​don't​​​​ ​​​​typically consume large amounts of data.​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​The​​​​ ​​​​Comcast article "What counts toward my Data Plan"​​​​ may help you understand everything that counts toward your data usage.  ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​Meter accuracy​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​Keep in mind that the meter is not in real time, there is a lag between a traffic event and when the meter will actually display it. Also, the meter operates on universal time (UT or GMT). This means that the "new month" which will show a meter reset to zero appears in the evening of the last day of the month across the US. For example, Eastern Time is typically 5 hours behind UT or GMT.​​​​ ​​​​(Source: ​​​​NetForcast​​​​ report)​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​You may be interested in NetForcast's​​​​ ​​​​T​​​​hird Accuracy Assesment of Comcast's Internet Usage Meter​​​​. (pdf)​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​A good way to test the usage meter is to schedule a period of "digital silence". Power your network equipment completely off and monitor the usage meter. If the meter still shows usage, then there is a problem outside of your control. If it shows no usage, then you can concentrate on resolving the issue on your network.​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​If you see a large discrepancy between your estimated usage and the Comcast meter:​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​1)​​​​ ​​​​Make sure to run a virus scan and a malware/adware scan on all of your computers. These types of programs can run in the background and even turn your computers into​​​​ ​​​​zombie machines​​​​.​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​2)​​​​ ​​​​Secure your WI-Fi network! Make sure your neighbor isn't leaching off of your account and consuming your data. If you need help with this, the folks in the​​​​ ​​​​networking forum​​​​ would be happy to help you.​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​3)​​​​ ​​​​Contact Comcast's Customer Security Assurance Team: ​​​​1-888-565-4329, 6:00am - 2:00am EST, 7 days a week. They may able to help you figure out why your usage is not what you expect. ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​*** FYI: If you exceed your data threshold, Comcast​​​​ ​​​​DOES NOT THROTTLE​​​​ ​​​​your speeds. ***​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​ ​​

​ ​ ​ ​

​​Last updated 03/17/2023​

​ ​ ​​
I am an Official Xfinity Employee.
Official Employees are from multiple teams within Xfinity: CARE, Product, Leadership.
We ask that you post publicly so people with similar questions may benefit from the conversation.
Was your question answered? Please, mark a reply as the Accepted Answer.tick
No Responses!
forum icon

New to the Community?

Start Here