2 ms·

> your cable provider already uses your cable modem as a hotspot for other people. Is this for real? This does not affect me as I use my own equipment, but I s

by drnick1 1mo ago

> your cable provider already uses your cable modem as a hotspot for other people. Is this for real? This does not affect me as I use my own equipment, but I still find it hard to believe.

akiselev 1mo ago
Major ISPs in the US have been doing it for at least a decade. Xfinity Wifi [1] claims over 20 million wifi hotspots provided through customer routers. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xfinity#Xfinity_WiFi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xfinity#Xfinity_WiFi
WalterGR 1mo ago
Yes. Xfinity is the big one. Their devices create two hotspots: one for the customer and one to power their Xfinity WiFi service and for bandwidth offloading for their cellular service. Instructions for disabling it: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/disable-xfinity-wifi-home-hotspot https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/disable-xfinity-wif...
- jedbrooke 1mo ago
  I have to say though as a xfinity customer, being able to get wifi basically anywhere urban is pretty nice
  - ozlikethewizard 1mo ago
    Yea this almosts sounds like it could be a great idea with proper execution, nothing like this in the UK. Imagine if they were upfront and said "well knock a tenner (or whatever is reasonable in the US) if you allow your access point to be used as a hotspot"
    - lozf 1mo ago
      > nothing like this in the UK. It turns out there are several similar services offered in the UK by ISP's like O2, Sky, and BT¹ (recently rebranded as EE-WiFi²) who claim to be the UK's largest WiFi Hotspot Network. Perhaps that's due to it being opt-out on their routers since it was first introduced over a decade ago. [¹]: https://info.btwifi.com/help/ https://info.btwifi.com/help/ [²]: https://ee-wifi.ee.co.uk/public/ee/index.htm https://ee-wifi.ee.co.uk/public/ee/index.htm
      - ozlikethewizard 1mo ago
        This is actually hotspot rollouts as far as I know though? You dont see BT/EE wifi networks everywhere, particularly not where you'd expect to see a concentration like residential streets / buildings with this kind of system, mainly see BT / O2 hotspots in public spaces like train stations + event spaces. Tbf may just be less monopolisation of broadband making it more sparse, but they actually have a map of hotspots on that site which implies they are intentionally placed.
Terr_ 1mo ago
Started years ago: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/06/comcasts-new-neighborhood-hotspot-plan-isnt-quite-open-wireless-we-want https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/06/comcasts-new-neighborh...
ButlerianJihad 1mo ago
Yes. Cox has been doing it for years. They boast citywide hotspot access for all subscribers. I formerly thought that this hotspot network consisted of dedicated APs which they mount and maintain on utility poles in public places. But that’s just the start. Every Cox customer has a Panoramic WiFi router that advertises as a member of the “CoxWiFi” SSID, and other customers can authenticate there and access the Internet through your connection. This is on a strictly opt-out basis. I’ve opted-out, and also my router is permanently in Bridge Mode, so there is no technical way for me to provide anyone a WiFi connection. But all my neighbors do, even if they are blissfully unaware.
- saintfire 1mo ago
  The best thing about fibre rollout in my region is that the ONT appears to act as the modem so I don't need to set the modem/router into bridge mode any more. I'm sure that'll end.
  - DANmode 1mo ago
    Why?
- robotnikman 1mo ago
  Another reason to use your own Wifi router and modem
  - drnick1 1mo ago
    Absolutely. Independently of the unauthorized sharing of your bandwidth, ISP gateways are notoriously insecure and underspec'ed. They also have nasty backdoors[0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-069 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-069

by drnick1 1mo ago

> your cable provider already uses your cable modem as a hotspot for other people. Is this for real? This does not affect me as I use my own equipment, but I still find it hard to believe.

akiselev 1mo ago

Major ISPs in the US have been doing it for at least a decade. Xfinity Wifi [1] claims over 20 million wifi hotspots provided through customer routers. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xfinity#Xfinity_WiFi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xfinity#Xfinity_WiFi

WalterGR 1mo ago

Yes. Xfinity is the big one. Their devices create two hotspots: one for the customer and one to power their Xfinity WiFi service and for bandwidth offloading for their cellular service. Instructions for disabling it: https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/disable-xfinity-wifi-home-hotspot https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/disable-xfinity-wif...

jedbrooke 1mo ago
I have to say though as a xfinity customer, being able to get wifi basically anywhere urban is pretty nice
- ozlikethewizard 1mo ago
  Yea this almosts sounds like it could be a great idea with proper execution, nothing like this in the UK. Imagine if they were upfront and said "well knock a tenner (or whatever is reasonable in the US) if you allow your access point to be used as a hotspot"
  - lozf 1mo ago
    > nothing like this in the UK. It turns out there are several similar services offered in the UK by ISP's like O2, Sky, and BT¹ (recently rebranded as EE-WiFi²) who claim to be the UK's largest WiFi Hotspot Network. Perhaps that's due to it being opt-out on their routers since it was first introduced over a decade ago. [¹]: https://info.btwifi.com/help/ https://info.btwifi.com/help/ [²]: https://ee-wifi.ee.co.uk/public/ee/index.htm https://ee-wifi.ee.co.uk/public/ee/index.htm
    - ozlikethewizard 1mo ago
      This is actually hotspot rollouts as far as I know though? You dont see BT/EE wifi networks everywhere, particularly not where you'd expect to see a concentration like residential streets / buildings with this kind of system, mainly see BT / O2 hotspots in public spaces like train stations + event spaces. Tbf may just be less monopolisation of broadband making it more sparse, but they actually have a map of hotspots on that site which implies they are intentionally placed.

Terr_ 1mo ago

Started years ago: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/06/comcasts-new-neighborhood-hotspot-plan-isnt-quite-open-wireless-we-want https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/06/comcasts-new-neighborh...

ButlerianJihad 1mo ago

Yes. Cox has been doing it for years. They boast citywide hotspot access for all subscribers. I formerly thought that this hotspot network consisted of dedicated APs which they mount and maintain on utility poles in public places. But that’s just the start. Every Cox customer has a Panoramic WiFi router that advertises as a member of the “CoxWiFi” SSID, and other customers can authenticate there and access the Internet through your connection. This is on a strictly opt-out basis. I’ve opted-out, and also my router is permanently in Bridge Mode, so there is no technical way for me to provide anyone a WiFi connection. But all my neighbors do, even if they are blissfully unaware.

saintfire 1mo ago
The best thing about fibre rollout in my region is that the ONT appears to act as the modem so I don't need to set the modem/router into bridge mode any more. I'm sure that'll end.
- DANmode 1mo ago
  Why?
robotnikman 1mo ago
Another reason to use your own Wifi router and modem
- drnick1 1mo ago
  Absolutely. Independently of the unauthorized sharing of your bandwidth, ISP gateways are notoriously insecure and underspec'ed. They also have nasty backdoors[0]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-069 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TR-069