Home Gateway SECURITY BREACH

Hey All, So BEAR WITH ME... So my Xfinity has been just super slow. So I go out and get a different network adapter thinking its my computer.... STILL SLOW....then I downloaded the xfinity app recently to make bill paying easier on me AND to see why my Internet connection was so slow...(thank goodness) because LO and BEHOLD I found anywhere from 12-17 devices in my apartment building CONNECTED to MY GATEWAY that I AM PAYING FOR!!!.....

I called customer service and was told to PAUSE the devices... So I tried

-"PAUSING DEVICES'

-CHANGED "NETWORK NAME" AND "PASSWORD"

-THEN "HID NETWORK"

-AND "ACTIVATED ADVANCED SECURITY SETTINGS".....

-THEN monitored for a week...

Which all seemed to be working... I checked my Xfinity App and the app CLAIMED no one was on our network, except our two laptops... However, my internet STILL just seemed SUPER SLUGGISH by around the end of the week. So, I first think to check internet usage in the area for Xfinity... No, I am usually on around 11pm-12am...

Then I think its MY computer. (Keep in mind a month ago I deleted over HALF my storage space and CLEANED UP my laptop) So, I run a computer optimizer "Restoro" and then Download McAffee... (I PAYED FOR THESE). Nothing major detected. Cleaned up, and optimized.

SO.... at this point, I am perplexed. Why does my internet still stink? Paying 141.00 dollars a month.

So I get on the McAffee security dashboard... and LO and BEHOLD there are 7 DEVICES HOOKED INTO THE NETWORK that are SHOWING UP on XFINITY'S app as "Paused" or in 1 case NOT EVEN THERE!!!! WHAT?I thought Xfinity was SUPPOSED to give me an overview of whose on my network?...Alright. I think: There's got to be a reason... so I FIGURE OUT that Xfinity has a little back door hotspot built in... which doesn't affect my data usage...wheww... thank god...THIS HAS GOT TO BE WHATS GOING ON!!!

SO,

-I Block the devices in McAffee

-THEN TURN OFF the Home Hotspot option in the Xfinity app...

"GOOD!!" I think... no more unauthorized people using my hard earned wifi.....

NOPE... Coincidentally about 5-10 minutes later WHILE i'm in the McAffee Dashboard looking at my gateway, I GET ANOTHER device Popping up on my network. THIS time A LINUX operating system I have NEVER seen before!! So I simultaneously pull up the Xfinity app on my phone, and it IS NOT showing! but McAffee on my computer IS SHOWING....!!!! Then I start occasionally getting bumped from my own network!!!!

Keep in mind. I have attempted all of the following steps:

1. I have advanced security on.

2. I have hidden and renamed network name.

3. I also have changed the password.

4. I Disabled Home Hotspot....

At this point Xfinity; WHAT IS GOING ON?

This is MASSIVELY CONCERNING.. We pay GOOD money to your company... and we can just be simply be casually hacked? Where are your security protocols Xfinity? Why aren't we protected like you say we are? I don't get what we are paying you all for? WHY did I have to go buy 89 dollar per month security software to monitor YOUR gateway security software? Security you supposedly say I can monitor and trust from your App?

Why are these IP addresses showing up on McAffee as Connected, but all of them are supposedly PAUSED on your App....What is going on gals/ guys?

This is so Aggravating We are starting two small businesses and depend on reliable internet connection, and are STRUGGLING, like many people during this pandemic....PLEASE SOMEONE HELP?

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Responses

NoNoBadPuppy

Problem Solver

•

515 Messages

3 years ago

Please refer to this article: https://appuals.com/fix-unknown-strange-devices-showing-network/

EG

Expert

•

109.1K Messages

3 years ago

@Ehwhite555

Just a thought. Do you use the MoCA networking feature of your gateway device ? If so, do you have a POE (Point Of Entry) MoCA filter installed on your coax cable line ?

(edited)

Ehwhite555

Visitor

•

6 Messages

@EG

hey EG, so apologies for the angry sounding message, it was very late, or (rather early)… unfortunately, I looked under the “ADVANCED SETTINGS” tab under my gateway settings on the App dashboard and cannot seem to find MoCA setting… I will look this up though to see another way for me to find this out, and i will get back to you!!

3 years ago

Ehwhite555

Visitor

•

6 Messages

@EG

So I was attempting to do a little research, and I guess MoCA is a technology that helps your connection speeds? Serves as a backbone for your gateway? Gives lower Latencies?

What would happen if I turn this off EG?? Im confused also as to how this is another entry method for them? Pardon my ignorance...

3 years ago

EG

Expert

•

109.1K Messages

@Ehwhite555

MoCA is an alternate hardwired way to connect your devices to your home network if ethernet cabling can not be used/run. It uses the existing coax cable wiring instead of ethernet cabling. If the MoCA feature is enabled, and you do not have a POE (Point Of Entry) MoCA filter installed on the coax line, yours, and your neighbor's gateway devices will be able to connect with each other like one big network. Disable it if you aren't using it. If you are, install a POE MoCA filter to keep the signal in your premises and to keep the neighbor's signals out. Your neighbors should also have POE filters installed.

(edited)

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3 years ago

Ehwhite555

Visitor

•

6 Messages

@EG

Hey EG, SO out of 3 days of FRUSTRATION, with Xfinity's customer service, I am turning back to the forum. I have gotten more enlightenment here than any of the other channels through xfinity's customer service. SO, I had a "clone network" pop up, or "Evil Twining" happening or so I thought....kept showing my SSID with the number 2 besides it AND my Network Simultaneously....

Used a 3rd party app on my Iphone to scan the network for unlisted devices that were going "underneath" the visibility of Xfinity's app, OR EVEN McAfee!!!

Turns out there are STILL multiple devices hooked up to my Gateway

However, upon getting into my IP adress's gateway page I was able to see OTHER devices and it said MoCA connection, where as mine were the wireless...

NOW the INTERESTING PART @EG .... After looking at my router's control page online, I log out. And a few minutes later Log back in with MY SAME ID and Password... and it gives me A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT Network!!!!! completely different SSID and PASSWORD for MY SAME ROUTER INFO!!!!!????? WHAT IS GOING ON EG??

I DONT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON... it is super frustrating. And Xfinity is to BIG to Care... The customer service reps in INDIA are doing their best but they are toting the party line of xfinity...

We need technical help to secure our WIFI home network.. And we need it fast... I dont know how much personal information will or won't be compromised if these people decide to do anything.

3 years ago

Ehwhite555

Visitor

•

6 Messages

Hey @EG

Forgive the last post...

Im disabling the MoCA feature. From what I have read it will turn back on if the router power goes out...

The Router's page displayed EVERYONE who is unauthorized as using the MoCA function... So technically their gateway and mine are acting as one big "Pooled" network?

I Accidentally went into their Router Page through MY password and user name. So YOUR theory is PROVEN...

LOOKS Like everyone else who complains about this as well think/feel they are being hacked.

ALSO looks as though everyone else who has contacted XFINITY has been given the same runaround

WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU EG in customer service.

A simple... HEY did you try turning off your MoCA connections WOULD SAVE EVERYONE the headache and pain.

But I thank you XFINITY for being too big to care because we figured it out WITHOUT YOU. and thus have GROWN

I just looked into MoCA Filters That seems to be the answer...

THANK YOU EG!!!!!!

3 years ago

Your Home Network

Ehwhite555

Home Gateway SECURITY BREACH

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