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Visitor

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5 Messages

Saturday, November 27th, 2021 6:26 PM

Closed

Sudden huge increase in internet data usage

I have been a Comcast/Xfinity customer for over 20 years. I got an alert this month that I’m exceeding my 1225GB plan. I’ve historically used 125-200GB. I haven’t been home much this month. What is happening?

Visitor

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2 Messages

3 years ago

We were not aware that there were data limits on our account and were recently charged a large amount for going over in November.  We have not made any changes and we were away from the house on holiday for part of this month.  I see this mentioned as a new issue for many people in the forum.  What can be done about this?

Note: This comment was created from a merged conversation originally titled Excessive data usage

Contributor

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167 Messages

Contact billing to sort out.

Thanks and good luck.

Problem Solver

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909 Messages

Hello, @user_1b52da. I'd like to look into the data usage with you further. Please send us a Direct Message with your first and last name. The message icon is located at the top right of the Community Forum page, clicking on the message icon will allow you to initiate a chat conversation with us directly. Please ensure you are sending your message to our 'Xfinity Support' handle. 

I no longer work for Comcast.

Visitor

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4 Messages

3 years ago

My home typically uses a lot of data, (as if there's a limit on photons through a cord) however, the last two months have shown a ridiculous increase in data usage. I didn't notice until my bill had increased by a ridiculous amount.

November usage - 1,566 GB

December usage - 1,939 GB! $70+ additional charge.

My typical home use rarely, if ever, goes around or above 1,000GB.

In November my house signed up for the reduced billing plan the government subsidizes for those effected more so than others by covid, e.g. healthcare working, veteran; etc.

Currently for the month of January, my data usage is over 400GB as of 1/13/22, according to xfinity. Being as this is incredibly strange, I decided to start watching and recording the data usage through my home via my router, and to the surprise of no one, I'm only at 73GB of usage according to my router.

There's without a doubt something questionable going on with Comcast/Xfinity and their recording of information incorrectly.

Note: This comment was created from a merged conversation originally titled Data Usage More than Doubled Out of Nowhere.

Visitor

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2 Messages

3 years ago

We have been ex exceeding our plan with no apparent reasons.  We changed the password on our router yesterday.  We were at 1112Gb at 5:30 pm.  Today at noon we were at 1518.  Why are our readings so high?  We are 66 and 67 years old.  Watching Netflix and our personal devices do not warrant this usuage.

Note: This comment was created from a merged conversation originally titled Overage of GB

Official Employee

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2.1K Messages

Thanks for contacting our Xfinity Team on our Forums. You came to the right place for help and we are happy to look into your data usage. I would also be concerned if my data was having high usage and we will get to the bottom of this. To get started please select the "peer to peer chat" icon (upper right corner of this page), click the "new message" icon, type/select "Xfinity Support", and then type/send your name with your address.

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

Visitor

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6 Messages

@user_f8b550​ [Edited: "Solicitation"] because I’ve been told by xfinity I’ve used 0 gb for two months now everyone else says they have been over charged 

(edited)

Visitor

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3 Messages

3 years ago

We are Experiencing the same problem since Nov.2021. What is going on xfinity? Your call center is backed up why? Sounds like we are all calling to find out why our normal usage of 300/400 is suddenly 1200/1300!!! 

Visitor

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19 Messages

@user_096bb9 Sorry this is also affecting so many users and to imagine Xfinity is acting like this is a new issue.  They are completely aware.  It has been stated elsewhere that this might be the result of the 5G impact.  Not sure how true this is but something has to be done to protect us from this onslaught.  According to the their website, here is what we should get from 1.2 GB monthly:

1.    Streaming - 18 hours per day

2.    Music - 21.6 non-stop music

3.    Shows - 500 in HD

4.    Video Chat - 3.5k hours

5.    Gaming - 34k hours

My usage therefore should not exceed 1.2GB as I am nowhere near this.  No non-stop music, no gaming, minimal video chat/zoom, minimal streaming.  

How on earth is my usage so high Xfinity.  From 200-300 GB prior history to 409 in October, 918 in November and exceeding the 1.297 in December.

[Edited: "Solicitation"]

(edited)

Visitor

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1 Message

3 years ago

We are experiencing the same problem. Been a customer for 18 years. Our normal data usage is 365GB per month. December data usage was 1,881GB and we are already at 1,312GB today, January 16th. We have everything disconnected from the wifi and data is still being uploaded. This is an Xfinity problem. Xfinity has been exposed to a malware breach and it coincided with the installation of the 5G lines in our neighborhood. We have called so many phone numbers, all resulting in people in India, and have gotten nowhere.

It appears the strategy Xfinity has implemented is one of listening to customers complaints with no solution then shuffling us off to the next representative who does more of the same. Perhaps we have worn out our welcome with Xfinity and need to take our business elsewhere...

Visitor

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17 Messages

@user_6f3d8a   extremely frustrating [Edited: "Solicitation"]

(edited)

Visitor

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12 Messages

@user_6f3d8a​ 

I am so tired of the people in India telling me they understand (and obviously do not) and telling me is easy to fix, pay more for unlimited.  HOW is Comcast getting away with this???

Visitor

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3 Messages

3 years ago

For the past six months or more, we have consistently used less than 500 GB of data per month. Suddenly, in December, our usage apparently shot up to 1,700 GB, with no changes in our habits. I do not believe that this apparent increase is accurate. I have been on the phone with Xfinity customer service representatives at least twice, have done chats and sent messages at least twice, and have tried emailing the address given to me by one representative to escalate this issue, but I feel like I know less about it than when I started. Customer service representatives have told me that they cannot tell what the data usage is coming from because I have my own modem / router and they are not able to view the network traffic by individual device. However, the Xfinity person I chatted with most recently did agree that it would not be practical for us to be using this much data on our current plan.

I have tried numerous things to rule out problems on our end, including reducing the quality settings on all our streaming services, checking for unusual or suspicious devices connected to our network, even resetting our router to factory settings and changing the administrator password. None of this appears to have resolved the issue, as we are still showing high data usage in January. Finally, I agreed to temporarily rent a modem / router device so that my device traffic would be more visible on their end, but this is costing me an extra $19 per month for a problem which I strongly believe is not originating from my network.

Simply put, there is no way that we can actually be using this much data. Nothing in our usage patterns has changed, I have done what I can to rule out common issues, and I have had less than no help from customer support in resolving this issue. I would like to escalate this to someone who can actually discuss the problem and help me find a solution. When this data usage trend is demonstrated to be inaccurate, I would like to return the modem / router device to Comcast and receive a refund for the device rental. I can't get back the hours I have spent chasing this issue, but I would at least like to get the problem resolved.

Note: This comment was created from a merged conversation originally titled Fourfold increase in data usage with no changes in habits

Problem Solver

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606 Messages

@user_dd0af2 Thank you for creating a new post. I'm sorry to hear about your recent experiencing dn the issues you are having regarding your household data usage that is being shown. 

 

I will be responding to your direct message regarding your modem return concerns.

 

While I do understand that you have reached out regarding the usage concerns that you have. I do want to be sure the you have connected with the correct department. When you contacted us did you reach out to our Customer Security Assurance team as they are a specialized team that was established to ensure a safe and secure online experience for Comcast customers. They are the team that can assist with the data concerns. The Customer Security Assurance team can be reached by dialling 1-888-565-4329 between 6:00am - 2:00am EST, 7 days a week.

I no longer work for Comcast.

Visitor

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5 Messages

@user_dd0af2 Customer support also asked if me I had their modem, which I do. It apparently makes no difference as they still had no idea what transpired.

Visitor

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2 Messages

3 years ago

Same this is pretty wide spread and I'm not surprised they're making us jump through hoops. I'll start looking for a new provider, thankful we have options.

Visitor

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2 Messages

3 years ago

It has now become apparent to me that this is a SCAM by Comcast.  I am very technical and have gone through the same process as all.  Comcast's only solution is to "pay for unlimited."  I truly believe they are making this all up to upgrade everyone.  There is NO WAY my network is using that amount of data I have monitored it.  The only solution is to go Satellite in my area.  Skylink, here I come,

Visitor

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19 Messages

@user_f481e0 Did you go Satellite?  Can you help us??

Visitor

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2 Messages

3 years ago

I have experienced the same issue as all below for 9 months.  I am very technical and monitored the system but found no excessive data usage on my end.  I broke down and paid for their rental modem so they could better view my usage (that was complete [Edited: "Language"]), turned off devices, changed network names and passwords.  [Edited: "Inflammatory"].  For Comcast, the only solution offered is to "upgrade to unlimited data plans."

My solution is to  LEAVE, SkyLink here I come.  Satellite is the only solution in my area- no competing hard-wired cable.

(edited)

Visitor

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4 Messages

3 years ago

You can take them to small claims court ... in California and in many states, it is quite simple to do that. Call Xfinity and let them know that you'd like to file a small claims court case so ask for the address to send summons to in your local area. They'll transfer you to customer satisfaction department who should give you the credit.

If they don't go ahead and file the case online with your local comcast location address. It should be a 10 minute process. Be sure to ask for reimbursement of court filing fees (less than $100). They'll call you and beg to reimburse you. If they don't go to the court with all the data .. if they choose to send a $500 per hour attorney to fight a $100 charge, that is their problem. A few of these around the country, they'll get the message.

I've fought a major credit card company, furniture warranty company and couple of others who tried to take advantage of the "small guy" .. they all paid promptly as soon as they got the summons from the small claims court. You can even opt to pay a sheriff's deputy to serve the summon and ask for that to be reimbursed. Just don't stress and be firm.

BTW, I turned off wifi on the router, channeled all my bandwidth through Amazon Eero. I'm also paying $30 per year for Eero secure plan that helps me

- Track every kb of bandwidth to each of the 20 or devices including my ipads, computers, water sprinkler system, etc 

- Helps set "pause" timings for my entertainment devices, kids computers phones etc

- view trend analysis - daily, weekly, monthly usage

- Live activity feed - which devices are using how much, right now

I'm now in full control of my usage and have absolute proof if Comcast pulls a fast one again. 

(edited)

Visitor

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5 Messages

3 years ago

My data almost doubled from November into December and January! I called because I have been doing nothing different at all! They told me there is no way to help me! Could not give me a breakdown of usage per device or provide me access to view that for myself! They told me there is no way to prevent an overage! Very frustrating

Note: This comment was created from a merged conversation originally titled My Data went up almost double

Visitor

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12 Messages

@user_cb443b​ mine went up about 600% have spent HOURS on the phone with them-no help at all.

Visitor

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5 Messages

3 years ago

my Internet usage increased significantly from November to December and January. I called customer service a few times on the issue they said there was nothing they could do. I asked to get a breakdown of usage by device they said they did not have access to that information because it’s private. I said if it’s private how do I access my own private information. They said I need to download a third-party app to get that information. They said that if I go over I get one month free and there’s nothing they could do for me. It’s very frustrating  because I was told a family of four would not even come close to using the terabytes but I am one person single and I am coming close to using that data with no explanation or help in finding out why!

Note: This comment was created from a merged conversation originally titled Sudden usage spike

Visitor

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3 Messages

3 years ago

This is happening to me as well. I find it mysterious that for 8 years, I’ve had service which was exceeded only once (2021)  due to multiple people quarantined and streaming online school.  Now - SUDDENLY, mid-month, I’m getting alerts that I’ve used 90% data followed by offers to buy an “unlimited data plan” I cannot afford.  There is no data tracking for the consumer- so we have no way of knowing if these data amounts are legitimate, or another scam on the part of Xfinity forcing customers to spend more money. 
I’ve used the Xfinity customer portal to check for unauthorized users - only the I.p. Addresses registered for connectivity to hotspots show up.

I’ve used the portal to “test your flex device” (flex has been disconnected for six months- because it shuts off every 5 minutes). The portal states “everything is working great.” Clearly, the Xfinity customer portal is not testing a device that is NOT plugged in! It is simply returning cute animated gifs for customers to view while reporting false “device test results”. 
I’ve called Xfinity about the mysterious data load - and how I could have access to actual logs of use (from every website / streaming service accessed) - and followed up on the mysterious flex streaming happening in my account. I was told to “change my password.”
English as Second language Customer Service representatives (working from abroad) were poised to sell me unlimited service, while falling silent - unable to answer my questions about tracing the data I’m being charged for this month. 

Visitor

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19 Messages

@user_49ed86 We need to do something about it apart from switching to another provider.  It is so sad.  I too was called but two different representatives whose only interest was to sell. They were not interested a resolution of the issue.  Now my data usage is still climbing fast and my internet has been overly slow and messed up since my reporting. 

Official Employee

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3.3K Messages

Hello and thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here on our Xfinity Forums! I definitely understand the frustration and we don't have the tools here to trace data and where it was used. If you haven't already tried contacting our Customer Security Assurance team at 1-888-565-4329 I definitely recommend you give them a call. They have more tools at their disposal to assist with concerns such as yours. Their department is open from 6 AM - 2 AM EST 7 days a week.

 

I also always recommend, if you have an Xfinity modem, to use the Xfinity app to see what devices are connecting to your internet and pause any unknown devices. 

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

Visitor

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11 Messages

Called the support team yesterday.  If they have helpful tools they may need to be trained on them since I only heard about options for paying more for unlimited data.  I was shocked to hear that coming from a Level 2 technical support person.  He was clearly prepared to give the upsell speech.   I plan to file a complaint with the FCC tomorrow.

Visitor

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10 Messages

3 years ago

I am having the same issue and spent hours on the phone to only be offered unlimited service. My usage has not changed. My devices have not changed. My reported use is 5x what it was for 2021. I have spent countless hours on the phone with chat and help desk reps and offered callbacks but no resolution, no call back. [Edited: "Solicitation"]

(edited)

Visitor

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12 Messages

@user_7f34a6​ I called FCC [Edited: Solicitation] 

I have increased 5-6X what I have used for 14 years, two retired people who watch tv and use facebook on a laptop-period. Wasted hours listening to them tell me to buy unlimited.

(edited)

Contributor

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22 Messages

3 years ago

I am ready to switch. I will wait till March to see if things change. xfinity is good for now but they must be [Edited: profanity] around with our data caps.

(edited)

Problem Solver

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606 Messages

@user_d263b5 I'm sorry to hear that you are having concerns with your service and Data usage. It would be my pleasure to assist you. Can you provide some details about your data concern?  

I no longer work for Comcast.

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