Unusually high data usage megathread

I went over once again, I truely do not understand what else I can do. Watching video in 240p, removing devices all together from the network, and monitoring my traffic. The modem only used 990gb reported but the usage meter states 1195 GB. I am beginning to feel deciet in your practices. Again, I had no issues prior to October for two years.

What is being done? Obviously this is not unique anymore as this thread has exploded in the past week with more and more cases.  I used 10gb yesterday after trying to restrict our usage. I turned the resolutions down on our screens and I am not seeing any slow down.   I looked over the gateway access to make sure there wasn't anything nefarious and found nothing syphening my data.  These caps need to go. I didn't cut my chord, I still have cable, and yet I feel like I'm being gouged.  I spend 240 dollars a month, these caps need to be removed. 

Please read the Best Answer in this thread to report issue to Comcast.

Also, here's a related article:

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/comcast-incorrectly-charged-2000-customers-for-exceeding-data-cap/

I am having the same issue here in Denver.  All of my devices go through my router which indicated I had about 300GB of data.  Comast is reporting I was over 800 GB.  So where is the difference?  

I will call in as well because it seems like Comcast is over metering folks. 

Mark

@ComcastTeds 

Can you please help me, I have been fustrated for weeks with no customer service agent able to help. Everythime I call saying it is impossible for me to use that much data in one month an agent says i must have and that netflix and HD movies consume a lot of data. Well i can assure you watching HD movie son netflic, facebook, and browsing the web could never comsume 1078 GB of data in 31 days/month of November.

I believe my 1 courtesy overage should be given back as I know i could never use that much data. My next option is to cancel my plan with xfinity and go back to atnt and report xfinity of the better buisness bureau.

and to top it all off xfinity has raised the fees on there sevice starting january.

Following the unexplained increase of monthly data usage of more than 40% in the period from Sept thru Nov, I tried to reduce the data usage in Dec by turning off the WIFI on our four cell phones as well as turning off the HD on Netflix, but those attempts did not stop Comcast from accelerating their meter an additional 20% from Nov to 1,360 GB in Dec, and that is an increase of 77% from August. It seems that Comcast do not care or listen to the complaints of their customers, because their priority is money. I have called Comcast customer service a couple of times recently, and I wished I did not call them. I was put hold for at least 20 minutes and then heard the voice of inexperienced employees from overseas repeating what they were taught to say just like what the voice machines do. I called AT&T today and get a reasonable offer that includes UNLIMITED data, although with slower speed of downloading, for nearly half what I have been paying to Comcast not to count the recent extra fees for the data used beyond one terabyte. After being a loyal customer to Comcast for eight years, I finally decided to break my loyalty and become disloyal and encourage my friends and relatives to leave Comcast. I will take Comcast equipment to their nearby store next week to end their low-quality service as soon as the technician from AT&T finishes from installing their equipment in my home.

1T limit. Understand reasoning on limit but those who own their own equipment.
Comcast will charge $15 for xFi modem rental and only $10 for unlimited. But if you own your own equipment it will be $50.

Hi,

Here is my case.

My data usage has been always below the cap. Now in December we were home more often and as such I was not so surprised when I got an email that my data cap will be hit soon. However, I was still suspicious because 1TB is A LOT of data.

Here is the data usage my Google Wifi mesh network shows me:

As you can see, this is far from 1 TB. So I was a bit baffled. 

I disconnected all my Nest cameras and we reduced streaming services to a minimum. No uploading of backups etc. I can look at the data usage of each device. Now is Jan 2 and Comcast reports a usage of already 37 GB. My Google Wifi says 2.1 GB. Which makes a lot more sense.

I know you claim to be audited etc. That's however no proof of being correct. For sure I don't have time to fight with you. My contract is up for renewal in August. So if I really have to pay the surcharge, I will probably just cancel and switch to another, albeit slower, option.

Can you please PM me. 

Edit: I can't seem to be able to include my screenshot. Maybe you have to approve it. It shows 390 GB of data usage (up and down) in Dec inside the Google Wifi App.

Thank you.

I just became a customer a couple months ago and had medicomm for 13 years prior to this and never exceeded 999 GB (their cap) in 13 years, I have since exceeded my data cap two months in a row....my first two months as a customer.

Also, my router is capable of dispalying every service, every client and every application running on every client and give a daily, weekly or montly report about data usage.  This month I have been streaming a lot for me, their bandwidth monitor is report 10 GB over what I'm actually using, the graphs from my router are below.  Even with this evidence they do or say nothing.  I guess I'll try calling them again tomorrow.

I know this is posted a lot, but I have some data from my router that shows daily bandwith usage and also the reported usage from Xfinity.  Can someone explain this to me?  My router shows EVERYTHING....every client, every service, every app on every client and their usage...everything.  These two days show around 49 Gbps, but Xfinity is showing 58 Gbps....why?

Gallery of photos below

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@reddyvbad wrote:

My data usage is at least 30G/day, when we are were on international trip and no one is there at home. 

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Apologies for the delay in responding.  Actual data usage is not real-time and may be delayed up to 24 hours.

In looking at your account  I can see zero usage 12/26 through 1/1.  

We offer tools to help you track and manage your usage so there are never any surprises about how much data you use:

• Data Usage Meter in My Account - Monitor how much data you have used with our Data Usage Meter.
• Xfinity My Account App - You can also monitor how much data you have used in our mobile app. (Download the Xfinity My Account app.)
• Notifications - We will send you an 'in-browser' notice and an email letting you know when you approach, reach and exceed a terabyte. You can also elect to receive notifications at additional thresholds as well as set up mobile text notifications. Usage notifications will not be sent to customers who enroll in the Unlimited Data Option.
• Data Plan Website - Summary of plan features and additional tools and tips related to the data plans. To visit, go to dataplan.xfinity.com.

For all - the link below has some general information on how to avoid overage charges and tips to conserve data usage:
https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/data-usage-avoid-overage-charges

Providing some additional information, background and tips below from our team that does the data overage reviews.

Customer owned devices
- One example are devices like Ubiquiti uNiFi, which our team most commonly sees as an issue with data usage. The device has an internal metering system along with a periodic speed test built into it. The speed test can accrue massive amounts of data usage without reporting to its own internal metering system because it is part of its system functions, not a device using data even though it is using data. We report its usage because we monitor for all data traffic going to and from the modem/network, not per device connected to their network.

- The number and kinds of devices connected to your network matters. Suggestion is to log into your router to see and verify all the devices connected to your network" (very applicable with customer owned devices).

Metering System:
- Comcast does not have direct access into the metering system to the extent to be able to artificially input or output data usage results or information. Our metering system is regularly audited as well where information on it can be gathered from https://www.netforecast.com/.
It includes everything from the yearly audits to how the metering system works on a technical level. This is done third party outside of Comcast.

Comcast data metering accuracy reports at the link below:
https://www.netforecast.com/comcast-internet-usage-accuracy-reports/

- The metering system is delayed by up to 24 hours. "I watched my meter and it went up by 100GB in the last 3 hours and I just booted up my computer for 15 minutes!" is not accurate - the metering timeframe is not 1:1 - its delayed because it needs to validate data and remove any data that we do not count towards the metering system. This includes things like firmware updates we push out and any other possible data we may push to the network for normal operations.

- Greatest opportunity with Windows 10 devices. Windows 10 has a built in data usage meter for its own data tracking per application/software used on the device for 30 days(Settings -> Network & Internet -> Data Usage tab).

- Similarly could be done for other devices, ex: “Go into Netflix settings and make sure that it pauses after not watching it for a while”, etc.

Overall:
There is no trend or consistency indicating an issue in metering, but rather these have all been unique issues per network requiring the subscriber to troubleshoot/review their network.

The common trend topic is “there is no way I can use this much data”. While the number amount of data a customer can see on the meter is more than what they know to be using, doesn’t mean it isn’t being used.

Common data users:
- Streaming devices left on even when TVs are turned off – continuously streaming and/or misconfigured settings on streaming devices
- Data backups (including cloud backups)
- Large file downloads for entertainment (video games, updates, locally downloaded movies/videos from online services, etc.) or business purposes (files of information/data for business needs, Data backups downloaded from or uploaded to, etc.)

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@dshank33418 wrote:

The situation seems to have cleared-up after I exchanged my 4-year-old gateway for a new one.  My data usage immediately went back to normal levels. However, because I burned through so much data the first few days of the month, I will probably go through my 1-T byte limit before the end of the month.  Thank you for the credit to my account, I really appreciate your understanding.

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Thanks for providing this update.

Looks like you made it through December under 1 TB (as well as July through November). 

You are welcome and thanks for being a Comcast customer.