Sudden Spike in Data Usage

There are dozens upon dozens of closed topics with this same subject line with hundreds of people all reporting very similar experiences and no fixes, just upselling. My data usage is typically 400-500gb. In March (6 months ago) I had to upgrade my modem to the new Gateway package with faster download speeds - from 200GB/s to 400GB/s. I was still consistently using 400-500gb of data every month. Then suddenly in July, it ballooned to 1000gb with zero change in habits or devices. Then August it was 900+gb and two weeks into September, we've used 95% of our data. We've never come close to going over and now suddenly, these huge spikes that many customers are experiencing. I reached out to friends and family and those with Xfinity have or are experiencing this too. From the comments, customer service can't provide detailed usage per month and they typically just try to upsell you to unlimited speeds. Our habits and devices have not changed but I have a little less than two weeks left and only 3% of my data remaining. We're definitely going over this month. I'm not looking forward to trying to resolve this issue as contacting Xfinity is worse than getting a root canal.

Responses

user_781845

1 Message

3 days ago

I have the exact same experience. Averaging 400GBs a month all year, then in Aug. and Sept., I am at the limit in the first 10 days. No change in my habits. In fact, my daughter moved out, taking her game consoles with her. In theory, that would mean less data usage, not twice the usual amount. When is Comcast going to call me back?

XfinityThomasA

Official Employee

•

609 Messages

Hello, @user_781845! I know I'd be wondering that same thing too! You've reached the right team for help. A benefit to choosing Xfinity is xFi Complete which allows you to personalize and control your home network. This is beneficial because you're able to easily manage who is online, when, and using what device. You can even pause and unpause individual devices or an entire user profile from accessing your home network. Even receive a text alert if an unknown device connects to your network. To gain a better understanding of the data consumption; have you had a chance to create user profiles for members within your home, name devices, and allocate connected devices to each user in your home?

As a quick reminder; you can find out how much data you use and see your monthly data history online. To do so visit the devices page on xfinity.com, and you'll see your Data Usage Overview. You’ll need to sign in with your Xfinity ID and password. You can also see your data usage using the Xfinity app by selecting Internet Data usage from the main screen. I wanted to quickly share this article to review what counts towards your data usage plan which may help. Please let us know if customizing Xfinity xFi and cross-referencing who and what devices are online by using the data usage tools helps!

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14 hours ago

SeniorMasterTechnician

10 Messages

3 days ago

These are my opinions/views and not the opinons/views of Comcast/Xfinity:

I recommend creating a profile for each person in the home in the Xfinity app. Assign each persons devices to their profile. Create a profile for the home for things that are smart home related and not personal devices such as lights, thermostats, etc. Once this is done, you will be able to view data usage on a daily and monthly view and this will help identify which group of devices is using the most data and at what times. Any devices connected to the network that you don't recognize as being in the home, I would pause.

(edited)

user_804e46

1 Message

@SeniorMasterTechnician How do you see data usage by user?

I set up a user profile for each person, and an additional one for the shared devices, but I cannot see any option to view data usage.

2 days ago

XfinityKassie

Official Employee

•

601 Messages

1 day ago

@user_0af3a2 Good morning! Thank you for taking the time to reach out to our Community Forums Team for assistance with your data usage concerns. I can see how having this variance would be alarming. While we are not able to see the usage by device, I can assist you in narrowing down where the issue could be, along with issuing a ticket if needed. To begin, can you please send a Direct Message with your name and service address?

Click "Sign In" if necessary
Click the "Direct Messaging" icon at the top of the page (looks like a text bubble)
Click the "New message" (pencil and paper) icon
Type "Xfinity Support" in the "To:" line and select "Xfinity Support" from the drop-down list which appears. The "Xfinity Support" graphic replaces the "To:" line
Type your message in the text area near the bottom of the window
Press Enter to send it

Your Home Network

user_0af3a2