Data usage quandary

I am sorry to hear about your accident and hope you are doing much better now. As far as your data usage, at this time data usage is verified by an independent, third-party auditor. The best course of action, in this case, would actually be to report this to our Customer Security Assurance. You can contact them by following this link: https://internetsecurity.xfinity.com/help/report-abuse/ or by calling CSA Toll-Free Number: 1-888-565-4329. 

You can monitor your data usage using your MyAccount app and with our Data Usage Center with the link:https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/data?linkId=137770825. You can learn more about our packages with the link: https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/data as well as add them there too if you did want to add unlimited data to the account. 

Do you know when you can reach out to our CSA team so that I can follow up? 

I have called them 3 times, starting on thanksgiving.  I was told I’d been hacked.  NOT.   Spent over 2 hours calling again a few days ago.  Finally they sent out a tech today.  He said there’s nothing they can do-didnt really know why he was here- I’m using that data he told me.  He tried to figure out if there’s a way I could figure out which device- but not on app- just integrated data for 24 hours at a time.  Suggested I turn off my 4 nest cameras to see what that does.  They have not been a problem before in prior months- and since this has occurred I have downgraded all of them from standard to low.  It is difficult- given my situation- to reach them if I turn off but I’m at my wits  end so I may do.  Just turned off my iMac now; pulled out the ROKUs that haven’t allowed myself to use- but who knows, I’m desperate.  Have started looking into options and contacting PUC.  He did tell me if I used my cable box it doesn’t take data- so sad; no PBS passport which roku has.  I really feel like I’m told it is my problem to figure out.  Just called nest- they say you all would have the data amount for my cameras- I laughed.  I believe your office used to have data by device; do they still- and if so why cannot I get help?  Why would the data use spike- and keep on spiking if I haven’t changed a thing.  Might it be a problem with infinity?  Your answer has been no.  I’m using over 50 gigs a day still according to your info….

The ability to see 'per device statistics' has been removed/cost reduced from Xfinity gear.  If you want that function -- or the ability to throttle bandwidth on a per-device basis, you'll need something else. 

To make it worse, you're still using cable TV boxes for some reason.  Any internet stream you watch using your cable box that isn't the cable lineup (netfix, amazon video, hulu etc) will eat your data cap.  It will also be delivered at the highest rate the service can slam down the pipe, so you'll probably end up with a 4K or larger stream eating anywhere from 25MB/s (UHD H.264 codec 3840x2160) to as high as 45MB/s.

This is really going to depend on the streaming service and the codec the service uses plus frame rates, resolution and how they encoded it.  Real world Netflix H.264 at 4K can burn around 7GB in an hour.  I've seen Hulu go quite a bit higher.  I've got a wallworld TCL Roku TV that can manage to easily pull 45GB in a few hours if I don't throttle it.  An external Roku 4K device can do it too, and if you shut the TV off with the stream running (not return to home screen), it will happily continue streaming youtube 24/7 until there is a network stall. I had an old FireStick that would continually cycle through trailers at idle and pig data -- that device died, so I don't know if they still do it.  Bandwidth saving settings on these devices are hit and miss, or totally non-functional on some applications.

Phone updates get stuck.  I had an iPhone pulling 40MB/s continually downloading an update for a day until I rebooted the phone.  Windows can stall doing that too.  Outlook can get hung up on an oversize attachment as well.  Any program auto-update, a remote backup cloud service, google drive, One Note -- they all can go insane.  Cameras can be pigs.  25 frames/s at 1080p or larger will eat a ton of data, especially if you are recording continually.

Xfinity gear enables MoCA (Ethernet over Coax).  You need to have a PoE filter installed where your cable enters your house (Point of Entry filter).  $5-$10 on Amazon.  Without it, your neighbors devices either intentionally, or unintentionally may be connecting to your service.  They didn't install one on my place and there is no security on their MoCA implementation.  I use 3rd party stuff without the functionality so it's not a concern for me.  

Xfinity's solution is that you pay for unlimited.  I'd be very much more concerned about why I'm burning the data than an overage bill.  Comprised devices and an Identity theft will cost you much more than an overage bill.

You can use a mesh network WiFi system like Google that will show you device stats (check the manual before you buy), and not use the Gateway WiFi or Ethernet or your cable boxes.  That's great, but doesn't help you with throttling, but at least you can see where the problem is.  A better solution is to dump the Xfinity gear, buy a cheap modem and a cheap WiFi Ethernet router for wireless, then run everything through a firewall like Netgate's pfSense or OPNsense.org.  Netgate sells a small appliance for around $200.  If you build it yourself with a retasked PC, both are free and opensource.  Then you'll be able to see and control everything.   Internet <--> cheap modem <--> firewall <--> WiFi Router <--> your stuff.

This one is going to be up to you, but if you ditch the Xfinity gear and just use your Roku's, it's a rental fee that isn't doing anything for you.  Unlimited $30/month, plus $14/month for the Gateway, plus cable box??  You got budget.

Thank you.  I ran into the Netflix burning data issue- and Roku with TiVo awhile ago.  So I took off the Rokus.  I've turned off cameras.  Moved my computer back downstairs.  Now the data use is down significantly.  I will turn on cameras and see what happens.  However new issue is that I tried to put the new password into Sonos system. After two calls to Sonos they tell me it's 1) my best system- second person said that was wrong- but rather the xfinity modem - and I need to tell xfinity to configure their modem to handle Sonis.  I go off to store and their person sees my issue but doesn't understand the modem issue.  He says to call xfinity and see if they will give me a deal because of the massive increase in one month with no changes in physical system. Since I've lowered the use- im thinking the bigger issue you point out bay not be the problem/ thank you- that's scary and I will look into those further.  

So my data usage has gone back to normal once I moved the computer back downstairs (who knows why????).  In order to resolve the Sonos issue, Sonos, on my third call pointed out that my phone was on a different IP than the sonos system so they could not communicate.  One call to Xfinity explaining this seemed to resolve the issue- but not once I disconnected my phone.  A second call- wherein I was given a credit to my billing- seems to have resolved the IP address issue..... but I need a new router I’m told (I turned off my mesh system to possibly resolve sonos issue and I’m afraid to turn them back on)- cannot wait (Not!) to put in the new router....  Ah well- all seems resolved for now.  This has been hours and there seems to be no answer on the data usage that makes sense....  Was credited for that too.....

I installed their app for absolutely nothing. I was hoping to be able to see data usage by individual devices but they appear to have that feature entirely. Not just the website. Wonderful! I hope you saved a few coins by removing such a useful feature, Comcast! Bravo!

Speaking of their website. The redesign of is absolutely atrocious for desktop users. I don't know why but i keep being forced to relog every time i visit the site despite checking the "Remember this device" check mark. I have tried every browser yet the issue persists. Besides that issue. They've just removed so much functionality in general.

I'd change internet providers but unfortunately i am stuck with Comcast.