3 Messages
Home Internet Data Usage Spike in Oct 2024
I am usually under the 1.2 Terabyte cap each month - I have gone over 3 times in the last 12 months, never more than 100Gb. However this month, I somehow used all 1.2 Terabytes in the first 10 days. Then over the next 3-5 days, I used another full 1.2TB. I am sitting at 2.56TB of usage with 16 days left in the billing cycle; more than quadruple my normal usage. Nothing has changed in terms of usage at the house - # of devices, time connected, streaming, downloads, gaming.
I am unable to view individual device usage at https://customer.xfinity.com/#/devices#usage <-- page fails to load in browser. Page also fails to load in the Xfinity App. I spent over an hour on the phone getting bounced around on customer service (888)565-4329 to be told there is simply no way to view which devices are using that amount of data. Their best solution was to try and upgrade me to unlimited data, which will cost me $30/mo more than what I am paying now. I would really rather not do that, since the ~$50 of overage charges i pay each year are nowhere near the $360/year increase it would cost me to upgrade to unlimited... and it wouldn't solve the underlying issue of an insane amount of data being used at my home.
The internet speed is not an issue, it works just fine at 500mbps. The router is fine as well, for every device that connects to it. Nothing has changed on the setup or usage from my side, so I am completely baffled at what is causing this massive data usage spike. Short of someone logging into the network secretly and then downloading call of duty (256GB) EVERY NIGHT all month, there is simply no way I am using this amount of data.
Is there a way to figure out which device is using this amount of data without literally disconnecting every device from my network and reconnecting them one at a time? Or perhaps seeing a timeline of data usage instead of a single bar on a bar graph that just shows the total? Seems like Xfinity should have a way to do this since they are charging for usage by the Gig in cases of overages such as this one.
Hoping I can get to the bottom of this without much more heartache. Thanks!
XfinityThomasC
Official Employee
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2.1K Messages
2 months ago
Hello, @McCraeK have you reached out to our Customer Security Assurance team to start an investigation this issue? The customer Security Assurance organization is a dedicated group of security professionals who respond to issues pertaining to phishing, spam, infected computers (commonly referred to as bots), online fraud, and other security issues. You can reach out to them here.
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Johnb51
Contributor
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40 Messages
2 months ago
Have you tried changing network name and wireless password to make sure no one was stealing wireless from you?
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EG
Expert
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107.6K Messages
2 months ago
Here is another scenario to consider. Is this a Comcast rented gateway device ? If so, perhaps a neighbor(s) is / are inadvertently connecting to your network / gateway device via the MoCA feature that's built into it. MoCA (Multimedia Over Coax Alliance) is an alternate hardwired way to connect devices to a 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 on the input port of the first splitter off of the street drop to keep the MoCA signal in your premises and to keep the neighbor's signals out. Your neighbors should also have PoE filters installed.
To disable MoCA on your device. First, unplug the coax cable line from the jack on the gateway device. Then go to the gateway login http://10.0.0.1
Default login info is:
Username: admin (all lowercase)
Password: password
Once in you will find the drop-down on the left of the screen that is labeled “Connections”.
Click the drop down---> click MoCA---> right side of screen click “disable”---> save changes.
Bear in mind that we've seen many posts here that the MoCA feature gets turned back on with their overnight re-boots / updates for the device. The best policy is to be sure to use that PoE filter ! Amazon has them: https://www.amazon.com/SNLP-1GCW-Filter-Eliminate-Multi-Room-Interference/dp/B07SLD9QPH
Or you may be able to get one for free at your local Comcast / Xfinity store. Or book a tech to come out and install one for you.
If the MoCA feature is not being used on your home network, you can put the PoE filter right at the back of your gateway device instead.
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user_tyqaq9
2 Messages
2 months ago
I am having a similar issue. I've never gone over on my data usage, but just received a notice that I'm at 90% with 10 days to go this month. Usage has always been a couple hundred GB per month, but now I'm at 1.11TB. My usage has not changed. Only me in the house. What's going on?
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EG
Expert
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107.6K Messages
2 months ago
@McCraeK @XfinityThomasC @XfinityPaula
Has an outcome been determined here ?
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Drink2mny
1 Message
2 months ago
I just found this post. We got the same email for October 2024. We average 400-600 through the past months.
October comes, nothing changed in our household and I get a notice we’re are 90% of our date on October 31, 2024.
Then on Xfinity app, November 1. No one home until 4pm and we have used 42gb of data plan. WTH???
I called and got a ticket made for this issue. Xfinity can’t help because e we use a netgear router. I got on the Netgear Nighthawk app and nothing out of the ordinary is connected.
Nothing has changed.
i setup the traffic meter on the app. I will compare that to the Xfinity app data usage.
From 6pm November 1 to 8am Nov. 2 the Netgear app shows we only used 4gb of data.
but the Xfinity app shows e jumped from 42gb to 50gb. We some how had a 8gb jump with Xfinity but not through my router.
This is very concerning and needs to be fixed.
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justsam
Contributor
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71 Messages
2 months ago
You did not mention modem and or router. I have an older ASUS router and it does have a traffic analysis function, but you must connect directly to the modem. I have an the latest Xfinity modem/router but use it in bridge mode. I too found my data usage going up at random, even paid the $30 unlimited fee for a while, and then decided to try the Xfinity modem/router plan which includes unlimited. Jury is still out for me on this configuration. The Xfinity unit does not have good WiFi coverage in my environment, so resorted to my old router.
In my traffic analysis it is my camera system, there are ten of them, set to high resolution. Remember Xfinity data usage is combined upload and download and in my case camera upload is substantial. There is still an issue in my mind if Xfinity is still using home modems supplied by them to support Xfinity hotspots. I need to convince myself this is not the issue, and surely would not be counted as usage.
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user_7rb9bh
1 Message
1 month ago
We also got the same random increase in usage. Started in Oct 2024 with 3 days left in the month. And for Nov 2024, we got the notice on the 13th of the month. My husband streams shows and he has been traveling for 2 weeks during the month of November so we should be under usage. We are also on the 1.2 TB plan. Sounds quite suspect on Xfinity’s part.
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Tealeaf06
1 Message
28 days ago
I am having an issue with this as well. It says I am close to my data level . I did a comparison on my account and notice it does this random slow increase every four months. My router tracks my usage and tells me if a new device is using my network. There have been no notifications. When I looked at the individual lifetime not monthly used data; Life time data says I have barely used 1.2. something is going on. Xfinity needs to fix this breach . I own my modem and router it is on xfinity’s side.
(edited)
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Coopdavillage
6 Messages
26 days ago
I have noticed this exact same issue for September, October and now November 2024. And my previous months were nowhere near this high. So since I have a newer router I decided to go online and check the traffic analyzer for it. So far from 10:31 2024 to 11:29 2024 it says I've used 375+/- GB of data but the app says that I'm at 1.11 TB.
I called CSA and they have submitted a ticket so I will try and repost on here if I find anything out. They told me to trust the Xfinity app. I told them this was an issue a year ago I think I'm going to trust my router more 😂
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IAmGrooot
Visitor
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2 Messages
25 days ago
Hello - Our household received notices from Xfinity about high data usage for November '24, but October is when the readings show an increase. The only major difference is that I replaced the modem with a new Netgear unit that's compatible with Xfinity.
How data is being used hasn't changed in a way to drastically cause this kind of usage, and the entire year before October can be used as an example.
Because of the notices of overage charges, I contacted Xfinity support today, and their initial response is that I will be charged. They said I will need to lease their modem in order to fix the high data readings. I pushed back that this new Netgear modem is compliant with Xfinity, and I haven't made any significant changes in how I use my devices. Also, I can see if new devices connect to my network through a firewall and the router, so it's unlikely that someone is piggybacking on my network at least after the modem.
Xfinity said they rolled back any overage charges, and they are going to send a tech to perform some checks.
As a side note, the ability to reach an Xfinity rep is horrific. The chatbot wall raises the frustration before even getting a human.
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user_r9ynru
1 Message
15 days ago
Having same issue. Have never went above my limit before. We are using less devices than during the summer and yet data usage has jumped up significantly the last couple months. I will be call customer support and asking them to investigate as well, it seems off to me that my data usage has been pretty consistent for over a year and now suddenly jumped?
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Coopdavillage
6 Messages
15 days ago
Has anyone checked what's using the data on their system? I found out mine is the TLS / SSL for my TV. Which is odd. I have a Samsung QR70 so I'm talking to them about it now. But I'm wondering if it's the same thing for everyone else.
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