Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion (www.xfinity.com)
from mesamunefire@piefed.social to technology@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 00:53
https://piefed.social/post/992337

#technology

threaded - newest

peteyestee@feddit.org on 01 Jul 00:56 next collapse

Didn’t read the article, but it’s possible to get a 3d map with wifi. They can probably see you.

There is no privacy or security.

hansolo@lemmy.today on 01 Jul 12:30 collapse

They don’t need a 3D map, and the researchers who have rendered a 3D map need a lot of specialized software and resources.

Xfinity doesn’t need that. They only need to know when people are online, what they’re looking at, and who/how many people are watching TV, and if there’s indication of pets in the house. That gives them an advertising gold mine of data.

WhereGrapesMayRule@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 00:58 next collapse

Get your own gateway. Don’t rent theirs.

Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 01:35 next collapse

You can buy cable modems cheap, too. No reason to use their crap at all.

JasonDJ@lemmy.zip on 01 Jul 01:54 next collapse

“cheap” is a relative term.

Nobody should be buying a DOCSIS 3.0 modem these days. They are obsolete and for some reason still being sold.

A decent DOCSIS 3.1 modem is at least $200. A Next Gen like S34 is at least $220. At least at the big blue big box store. And then you have to get your own wifi.

(However, that big blue store also will give you a 15% discount on any networking purchase if you recycle an old network device…I traded in an old modem but you should be able to find a switch or router at a thrift store and still come out ahead)

It pays for itself pretty quick (by not paying rental fees), but that doesn’t necessarily make it cheap.

I absolutely prefer using my own equipment, and do…but it’s also worth mentioning that in many markets, Xfinity removed data caps if you have a rented modem.

surewhynotlem@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 02:52 next collapse

I used docsis 3.0 and it worked just fine. So why not?

fuckwit_mcbumcrumble@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 01 Jul 04:03 collapse

Because docsis 3.0 standard is nearly 20 years old at this point and 3.1 is significantly faster. Docsis 3.1 is only 15, but 4 (which is still 8 years old) probably isn’t supported by your ISP yet. But the speed difference is quite noticeable. 3.0 will theoretically do 1gbps down, and 100-200 up, but 3.1 could do 10 down and 1gbps up. In the age of symmetrical fiber internet those upload speeds are dire. 3.1 realistically gets you a symmetrical gig connection.

Zorque@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 05:00 next collapse

Ah, so 3.0 is fine if your internet still sucks. Got it.

surewhynotlem@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 12:21 collapse

Exactly. So it’s great for xfinity

SaltySalamander@fedia.io on 01 Jul 12:32 collapse

Xfinity likely wouldn't allow you to use it at this point. They've been pushing people toward 3.1 for a while now, and won't register a new 3.0 modem.

ayaya@lemdro.id on 01 Jul 09:41 collapse

I have a 3.1 modem but my ISP only has 3.0 speeds as far as I can tell. 1000/100 is their highest plan so the extra doesn’t really do anything.

My modem is 32x8 and I can see in the UI that only 4 of the 8 upload channels are actually bonded to reach that 100, which is half of the 200 that 3.0 can theoretically do.

ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net on 01 Jul 03:12 next collapse

If a DOCSIS 3.0 modem still can’t be saturated by the tier of internet someone is paying for, what advantage would 3.1 have?

CaptainPedantic@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 08:58 next collapse

At least in my case, my DOC IS 3.0 modem was having connectivity issues. My neighbor in another apartment had similar issues: dropped connections, slower than expected speeds, etc. Switching to DOCSIS 3.0 modems solved the problem. I guess Comcast upgraded their hardware and it wasn’t compatible with my modem anymore

JasonDJ@lemmy.zip on 01 Jul 12:18 next collapse

Not buying another modem when the ISP quietly upgrades the CMTS and makes more speed available in your neighborhood.

kieron115@startrek.website on 01 Jul 23:20 next collapse

If your provider has implemented it (Comcast is the only one i know of in north america) then Active Queue Management is a huge quality of life improvement that you won’t know you were missing unless you already had a router that implements queue management. cablelabs.com/…/how-docsis-3-1-reduces-latency-wi…

unphazed@lemmy.world on 02 Jul 02:43 collapse

Yeah I recently switched from cable to fiber (finally available), and prior I was using an old as fuck modem/router that capped at 500Mbps. My internet at fastest was 380. I rarely transfer files over the network, so figured why bother? (I did have Gen1 Google Mesh though to cover dead spots). I had a bit of a shopping splurge when I got fiber. Nothing crazy, just an upgraded mesh and a switch (Why the fuck does Frontier provide an ONT with 8 ethernet ports but only one is active?)

Vinstaal0@feddit.nl on 01 Jul 09:30 next collapse

It looks like DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 are for coax which should be avoid anyway . VodafoneZiggo is already starting with DOCSIS 4.0.

jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works on 01 Jul 11:35 next collapse

In my neighborhood you get a choice between coax or nothing.

Vinstaal0@feddit.nl on 01 Jul 11:47 collapse

5G modems are probably an option.

Edit: never said it was a good option, just that it was an option.

jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works on 01 Jul 11:56 next collapse

Highly location dependent. We have useable cell service in our house but Internet over 5G is slow.

chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 12:35 collapse

While that may be “an option”, 5G sucks compared to coax service.

Both are inferior to fiber by a long shot, but wired will always be better than cellular, which is limited spectrum and inconsistent.

Vinstaal0@feddit.nl on 01 Jul 12:59 next collapse

It depends a bit on where you are and what you need, the speed of my 5G modem was a lot quicker than the coax options for the same money, and it was decently stable. My only issue was that I had like no upload speed.

I was also point out it was an option and it has it’s use cases

HiTekRedNek@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 13:48 collapse

We have a choice between T-Mobile 5G, 3M ADSL, coax docsis and Starlink.

Of those, the most reliable is the DSL, then Starlink, and it’s a tossup whether the T-Mobile or the Mediacom DOCSIS is the least reliable

I worked for Mediacom for 5 years. It wasn’t reliable then either, but at least then, I didn’t have to play the “first we have to send out a tech that may not actually show up the first time because it’s working at the exact moment he checks before he cancels the call” game.

When I left them, we switched to DSL, which was … painful, but we managed for a couple of years. Then the pandemic happened, and the kiddo went to remote schooling, and the DSL just couldn’t handle it. So we used the “reduced cost” internet plan for going back to Mediacom.

Except after months of fighting to actually get the reduced price plan we were supposed to be getting, we were told the T-Mobile now serviced our area, and switched with glee.

And for almost 3 years it was GREAT. But in the past year or so, we began having horrendous service issues. Speeds were no better, and sometimes even worse than the DSL we had previously.

Finally, I had enough, and bit the bullet and switched to Starlink.

Now, our service is great. The bill isn’t, because let’s face it, $120 a month for 200ish Mbps down and 50ish up is nuts, but at least we have fast, reliable service now.

Vinstaal0@feddit.nl on 01 Jul 13:55 collapse

Geez that prices I insane!, but I feel you. I my new house the internet providers fucked up. One only did DOCSIS (VodafoneZiggo) cause it still beliefs it is surperior, the other way was to lazy to get us fiber or coax (I can get coax from them now, but it is gonna cost me 1300 euro to get the connection) and then all the other fiber parties use the same cable which was not put in the buiding due to them sending the invoice to the wrong mail adres …

So now they are trying to get everything up and ready for the connection, but it is taking months already.

So I am stick with the fuckers from VodafoneZiggo (or a 5G modem) which scam you by delivering coax and telling you it is a “fiber-cable” to make it seem faster than it is. Absolute bullcrap.

JasonDJ@lemmy.zip on 05 Jul 18:48 collapse

As others have said, highly location dependent.

I switched from Xfinity to T-Mobile 4 years ago because tmobiles speed (raw speed) blew Xfinity out of the water…especially for upload. Latency and jitter suffered a bit but not enough to greatly effect voice calls. It didn’t help my online gaming skills, but likely would’ve if I were a higher-caliber gamer. For me, the latency between chair and gamepad was much more impactful.

However Xfinity did some upgrades in my area and the roles have reversed so I’m back to Xfinity. Tmo is still absolutely usable, but Xfinity now offering 250mbps upload makes my mouth water.

SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works on 01 Jul 18:52 next collapse

Can confirm, I live out in the countryside with only coax available, and a measly 1Gbit down 150Mbit up and 9 - 11ms ping. No caps.

Wait, that’s awesome and steady and reliable. Expensive sure but with heavy multiperson usage and no noticeable issues, I am wondering WTF you’re on about unless it’s some weird edge case?

Maybe you are referring to predatory business practices like oversubscribed lines? That’s not a technical problem.

Vinstaal0@feddit.nl on 02 Jul 06:23 collapse

Coax is generally a terrible and more expensive option, lower speeds all around and a worse ping. Especially now with fibre being so standard you shouldn’t go for Coax if you have the choice.

Currently I do not have the choice so I have to pay 40 euro a month for 100mbps down and 25mbps up, with fibre I get symetrical gigabit for 45 euro a month or 400mbps symetrical for 40 euro. That’s 16 times the upload speed for the same money. And the first party with their coax (VodafoneZiggo) sells their coax as a fiber-cable. Which is just misleading bullshit.

Heck the 5G modem I had was unstable at times, but the download was 100-200mbs and I paid 25 euro a month for that.

Croquette@sh.itjust.works on 01 Jul 22:50 collapse

I still use coax because I buy internet from a reseller third party and this is what they have. I have 400/50 for 35$, which is a lot cheaper yhan the competitors. No reason for me to change.

Vinstaal0@feddit.nl on 02 Jul 06:25 collapse

Like I responded in the other comment, I can get fibre with 4 times the download speed and 16 times the upload speed for the same amount of money. And that is pretty standard since it is apparently a way cheaper thing to offer for companies.

Croquette@sh.itjust.works on 02 Jul 16:59 collapse

I can’t get anything cheaper than that because it’s a price I got when the reseller started business and as long as I don’t switch, I get that price.

Good for you that you can get better, but coax still has its place until internet providers up their game, but I won’t hold my breath.

Squizzy@lemmy.world on 05 Jul 15:23 collapse

Rental? How much is rental?

timewarp@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 02:30 collapse

I wouldn’t trust them to not randomly enable WiFi, but you can also use their modem but disable any built in WiFi on it & still use your own router. ISPs continue to try to bundle their modem & router, which gives them complete access to your home network. Some lucky people have found fiber providers that let them use their own SFP.

Ulrich@feddit.org on 01 Jul 01:45 collapse

Can you use your own modem? I thought you had to use theirs?

astrsk@fedia.io on 01 Jul 01:52 next collapse

Yes, look on their website for compatible models, there’s a handful of affordable ones, many which perform better on higher tier connections too. Been using my own modems with Comcast for 25 years.

Ulrich@feddit.org on 01 Jul 01:59 collapse

Well sheeit. What about Spectrum?

Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 02:17 next collapse

Yes. Same thing, probably different models.

CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works on 01 Jul 02:34 collapse

Probably even the same models as long as they’re using cable internet and not DSL.

undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch on 01 Jul 04:31 collapse

I’m on Spectrum and have tons of friends that always complain they’re shit. Spectrum itself isn’t shit, it’s the garbage equipment they set you up with.

Make sure whatever you get works well with IPv6. For whatever reason IPv4 can go out at random but their IPv6 has never failed me (in the Los Angeles area at least).

Ulrich@feddit.org on 01 Jul 04:35 collapse

I have always had my own router, just not the modem.

And the only problem I have is intermittent outages, repeatedly increasing the price without my knowledge or consent, and high latency.

undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch on 01 Jul 04:39 collapse

I bought my current one because IPv6 failed to provision on the one they gave me when I moved to a bigger apartment just two units away. I found some post on Reddit about the problem and it mentioned one that “ignores” the lack of IPv6 provisioning and does it anyway (I’m a programmer and IT geek but I don’t really understand cable/DOCSIS well).

If the modem they provided is just a modem and it works well, I don’t think there’s much reason to get rid of it. But personally if it’s an all-in-one box that has “bridge” mode I’d still run away and just go with my own modem.

adespoton@lemmy.ca on 01 Jul 04:33 next collapse

You need to use their modem quite often, but you don’t need to use their router. They’re usually “all in one” modem/router things these days, but they’re legally required to provide you with a modem in bridge mode if you ask — at that point, an Ethernet cable attached to their modem is effectively attached to the Internet, and you can put your own hardware inside (firewall, Wifi router, etc.).

While you need to connect to their IP gateway, you don’t need to use their DNS services or anything but their IP gateway service.

Ulrich@feddit.org on 01 Jul 04:38 next collapse

I have always had my own router. What is bridge mode? Can I do that?

adespoton@lemmy.ca on 01 Jul 04:58 collapse

Bridge mode disables the router in the modem; if you have an admin account on the modem you should be able to enable it yourself; otherwise you need to get your ISP to enable it. It will turn off all the firewall and WiFi features on the modem.

Ulrich@feddit.org on 01 Jul 06:22 collapse

I’ll check that out, thanks

WhereGrapesMayRule@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 12:37 next collapse

I use my own modem and my own router with XFinity.

sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works on 02 Jul 01:21 collapse

I don’t think that’s true. Their techs may claim that, but you van buy compatible modems online and find a helpful phone support person to get the details you need. Read up a bit on it first because they’re not going to walk you through it.

Fiery@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 01 Jul 05:24 next collapse

In Europe that used to be the case, but that changed not that long ago. Now providers are legally obligated to allow you to get your own modem

magic_smoke@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 01 Jul 09:43 next collapse

No you can use your own modem with xfinity.

goatinspace@feddit.org on 01 Jul 22:18 next collapse

Use your own modem and open source long range router

AngryRobot@lemmy.world on 02 Jul 00:07 collapse

open source long range router

Do you have a recommendation?

goatinspace@feddit.org on 02 Jul 00:21 collapse

Asus Rog GT-AX6000 with Merlin OS looks interesting. Can check list of devices for OpenWRT also.

sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works on 02 Jul 01:19 next collapse

I have successfully avoided cable up to this point, but I did use my own modem back when I used DSL. It wasn’t advertised anywhere, but I just took the details from their modem and called support for the last bit I needed and used my own. It worked well, and I had my router be separate so I was able to just toss the modem when I got better service.

CaptPretentious@lemmy.world on 02 Jul 01:23 collapse

You can use your own. But at every single point they’re going to tell you that your brand new top of the line modem, is out of date and is probably the problem of any issue that you’re having. They try so hard to gaslight customers in believing that you need to use their white labeled equipment. They want you to use their stuff and pay the fees so they can resell the Wi-Fi, and they have full control over your device.

adespoton@lemmy.ca on 01 Jul 01:08 next collapse

Well yeah. That’s what their tech does. And it’s why I have my ISP’s WiFi offering disabled and the antennas removed and run their router in bridged mode, hooked up to equipment I own that doesn’t call out to the Internet.

etchinghillside@reddthat.com on 01 Jul 03:31 next collapse

Is your ISP know for robbing customers when they’re not home?

adespoton@lemmy.ca on 01 Jul 04:30 next collapse

It doesn’t really matter… the data is managed by a third party in another country. I have no real control over who gets access to it, intentionally or otherwise. Better that the data just doesn’t exist in the first place.

avidamoeba@lemmy.ca on 01 Jul 06:34 collapse

At this point all the arguments about what nefarious could they possibly do with the data are busted. They answer is - our imagination and access to information is not rich enough to figure out today and it’s probably worse than what we can think of.

magic_smoke@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 01 Jul 09:43 collapse

Yes but they also rob them when they are. Usually via hidden fees.

possumparty@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 01 Jul 05:21 next collapse

Doesn’t matter for me, my neighbors use all that shit. There’s enough latent rf for them to triangulate literally everything happening nearby.

happydoors@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 22:39 collapse

I live in an apartment building. I wonder if this is useless tech with dozens of WiFi networks from my neighbors going

possumparty@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 01 Jul 23:58 collapse

If anything it’s far more dangerous tech due to that. Let’s say you live in 304; They know who lives in 303, 305, 203, 204, 205, 403, 404, 405, and the likelihood that your neighbors aren’t as tech savvy and use ISP provided routers and modems means that they can use all of those sources to create a 3d image of you and your apartment with the proliferation of 2.4ghz and 5ghz to create a high resolution image that can track your lip movements and even your keystrokes on a computer. That basically just becomes a multi lens 3d camera recording at 5000 fps. The only way to avoid this is to faraday your entire apartment which ironically makes your signal much higher due to the deployment of countermeasures. The ol’ “huh, interesting, what are they hiding?” approach.

happydoors@lemmy.world on 02 Jul 00:58 collapse

What the actual Batman fuckery is this. I hope you are wrong or nobody is that motivated to do such things. Either way, scary! Where’s my tin foil hat?

possumparty@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 02 Jul 01:25 collapse

I really fucking hope I’m just being paranoid, but this is absolutely possible given the already existing research. AI isn’t going to launch nukes, it’s just going to facilitate horrors beyond our wildest comprehension.

Edit: This article is from 9 years ago, before the current ai boom, we’re fuckin’ cooked. inc.com/…/how-wifi-lets-people-read-your-lips-ide…

avidamoeba@lemmy.ca on 01 Jul 06:31 collapse

Faraday cage or bust.

rhythmisaprancer@piefed.social on 01 Jul 02:27 next collapse

I don't really understand how this works, so struggle to see any benefits (only drawbacks😐). It does make me thankful my provider is a small local company. Not the fastest, but probably no spying.

BussyCat@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 02:39 next collapse

If you are interested I can try and find the article on it but a few years ago an article came out where they were able to use wifi signals with enough accuracy that they could see a password that you were typing on your keyboard!!

But basically they use the way the wifi signal bounce off things to make an image in much the same way that echo location works

rhythmisaprancer@piefed.social on 01 Jul 07:37 next collapse

That is nuts. I've always liked hardwired better but hard to do that with a mobile phone.

Monument@lemmy.sdf.org on 01 Jul 13:58 collapse

Like - I’m excited about sensors that uses higher frequency versions of this for health monitoring. I think that’s a perfectly valid use. But also, in my use, I’d be installing it as an IoT device on a network I control, feeding data to services I own.

This use - where it’s opt in for now, until they figure out how to monetize selling how much time you spend in front of the TV, in the kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom (paired with ‘anonymized’ data about what you’re looking at online in each space) is creepy as fuck.

BussyCat@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 23:49 collapse

Is it really “opt in” or is the opt in only for them to give you the information that they collect? I haven’t read through any terms of service for it but my assumption is they are already selling that data

webghost0101@sopuli.xyz on 01 Jul 02:41 next collapse

Different context but the first time I heard about this it was touted as the future for VR

kautau@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 05:17 collapse

wifinowglobal.com/…/breakthrough-in-wi-fi-sensing…

It’s been around for almost 4 years. Don’t use rental modems.

Glitterbomb@lemmy.world on 01 Jul 19:42 next collapse

Oh boy, I can’t wait for this new wave of paranoid customers claiming their wifi is watching them. Thanks, comcast.

possumparty@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 02 Jul 00:00 collapse

Well, it very well can be used for exactly that. <img alt="" src="https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/pictrs/image/214e028a-f48c-4f53-bc9b-2ce090e88eac.webp">

kieron115@startrek.website on 01 Jul 23:16 next collapse

By default, WiFi Motion is set to detect even small amounts of movement in the motion-sensing areas, including motion caused by small pets.

holy shit lol

kieron115@startrek.website on 01 Jul 23:22 next collapse

DOCIS 3.1 involves more than just speed. No point going over the speed limit if all the traffic lights are timed based on a certain speed. cablelabs.com/…/how-docsis-3-1-reduces-latency-wi…

cymor@midwest.social on 02 Jul 00:08 next collapse

I remember when MIT had a paper on this around 2000

Buske@lemmy.world on 02 Jul 17:24 collapse

The show continuum used it too.

pyre@lemmy.world on 02 Jul 01:15 next collapse

fucking Batman

blacklotus_@lemmy.world on 04 Jul 08:44 collapse

Mad at the concept, but at least it’s off by default. Had Xfinity for 2 years and was running my own modem and router anyway, so I’m all set if I decide to switch back at this point