Home Family

For more details about this feature, read the “Home hotspot” section on Comcast’s Xfinity WiFi FAQ page. RELATED: Buy Your Cable Modem Instead of Renting It to Save $120 Per Year If this page doesn’t work for whatever reason, and you’re sure that you’re renting a wireless gateway from Comcast, you’ll need to call Comcast at 1-800-XFINITY and tell customer service you want to disable the “XFINITY WiFi Home Hotspot” feature.

Disable the Hotspot on Your Xfinity Modem/Router

RELATED: Your Home Router May Also Be a Public Hotspot — Don’t Panic! If you’re using your own modem instead of renting a Comcast-provided modem, you’ll see a message saying “You will not be able to manage your XFINITY WiFi Home Hotspot feature at this time because you do not have an eligible Wireless Gateway in your home”. This means your hardware isn’t even capable of hosting an xfinitywifi hotspot, so there’s nothing you need to do to disable it. Be sure you purchase a modem that Comcast supports. Comcast maintains a list of compatible devices online. Once you’ve acquired the modem, you can swap it with your existing modem and set it up. This may require calling Comcast and telling them you have a new modem and providing its details. Return the modem you’re renting to Comcast — make sure you get a receipt showing you gave it to them — and you should be good. Comcast says that the “xfinitywifi” connection is treated separately from your regular internet plan. This means that it’s isolated from your home Wi-Fi network, and its usage won’t count toward your Internet bandwidth. Only five people can connect to this network at a time, and whatever Internet traffic takes place is associated with the people who connect, not you. If you have a Comcast Xfinity Internet connection and you’re renting your cable modem from Comcast, it’s probably hosting a public Wi-Fi network that passers-by can connect to. If you don’t like this, you can disable that “xfinitywifi” network. So, this isn’t really a bad thing. In theory, the only downside should be a tiny bit more Wi-Fi congestion and a practically undetectable extra bit of electricity if the router has to do more work. Click the “My Services” link at the top of the page after logging in, and then click over to the “XFINITY Internet” tab. Click the “Manage Your Home Hotspot” link and use the options here to disable your home hotspot. (You can also re-enable it from here if it’s been disabled.) modem connection Image Credit: Mike Mozart on Flickr, Tom on Flickr We don’t necessarily think you have to disable this feature, as it seems to work fine — we haven’t heard any horror stories or reports of problems yet. And yes, you can continue to connect to these xfinitywifi hotspots even after disabling your own personal xfinitywifi hotspot. But if you want to disable it, you can. Of course, there’s a downside to using your own modem. When you rent a modem from Comcast, they’re responsible for support. If it breaks, they’ll replace it or fix it. if your own personal modem breaks, you’ll have to buy a new one or deal with the modem manufacturer’s support. There is an upside to renting — but it’s not necessarily worth anything near $120 a year.

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To get started, visit the Comcast “My Account” website in your web browser. Sign in with your Comcast Xfinity account. A solid DOCSIS 3.0 modem — like the widely recommended Motorola/ARRIS Surfboard SB6141 — will cost you about $70 up-front. After just seven months, it will have paid for itself. You will need a wireless router as well if you don’t already have a separate router, but that means you can get a better router than the one Comcast provides.

A Better Solution: Use Your Own Modem and Router

Rather than continuing to rent a Comcast-provided modem/router, you should really purchase your own modem and router instead. At one point, when the modem rental fee was $3 or $4 a month, it might have made sense to just use Comcast’s own modem. But the fee has gradually risen and risen, and is now up to a whopping $10 a month, or $120 per year. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Comcast raise it again soon. This isn’t technically a “public” Wi-Fi network, but it’s intended to be used by other people. They just need to be Comcast customers and authenticate their devices (or pay Comcast for access) before they can connect to the internet. It’s beneficial for them, and for you–since when you’re out and about, you can connect to other people’s “xfinitywifi” networks with your Comcast credentials. If you’re a Comcast customer, you should look at at purchasing your own modem instead of renting one. That will shut down the public Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspot as well as save you money on your bill. But, if you really must continue renting a hotspot, you can at least disable this feature on the web without calling Comcast customer service and waiting on hold. When Comcast initially rolled out this feature, you had to call a phone number and talk to customer service to disable it. Now, you can disable it online. Note that, if you have Comcast’s telephone service, the modem we recommend above won’t work. You’ll need a modem with telephony features. Comcast’s device list recommends a few known-compatible modems with the “telephony” feature. Like we said, this “xfinitywifi” network isn’t really a bad thing. If you’re renting a modem from Comcast, the biggest downside is that unnecessary $10 a month charge. There’s a good chance you’re renting your modem from Comcast — really, go look at your Comcast Xfinity Internet bill and you’ll probably see a $10 monthly charge for renting that box. If you’re using Comcast’s box, it not only manages your home network, but hosts an “xfinitywifi” network that people around your house can see and connect to. » loading=»lazy» src=»https://i0.wp.com/wonderoftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Check-for-Xfinity-Hotspot.jpeg?resize=384%2C390&ssl=1″ alt=»Xfinitywifi Connection» width=»384″ sizes=»(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px»> Also, the usage and activities of visiting users are associated with the visitors’ accounts and therefore do not impact the homeowner.” There you’ll see “My WiFi Hotspot” and “Enabled”. Click Turn Off to turn off your Wi-Fi hotspot on your Xfinity router. Did you know that some Xfinity routers had a hotspot feature that was turned on by default? Did you know that you could turn off your Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspot? Will you turn your Xfinity hotspot off or keep it turned on? Some Xfinity routers offer a hotspot to the xfinitywifi network so Xfinity customers can have access to Wi-Fi when they’re away from home. They can also let guests use their Wi-Fi network without sharing their personal network password with their guests (if those guests happen to be Xfinity customers too). Share your thoughts in the Comments section below! The choice of whether to have a hotspot shared from your Xfinity router is yours and you have the ability to turn the hotspot on or off. By turning this feature on by default, Xfinity is indicating its preference that you keep it turned on. The company says, “With the Xfinity WiFi hotspot feature, you’re helping to build a bigger network that can benefit your friends, neighbors and all Xfinity Internet customers. And it’s good for you, too, because when you need a hotspot, it’ll be there.”

Turning Off Your Xfinity Hotspot Using the Xfinity Website

Turning Off Your Xfinity Hotspot Using the Xfinity App

____ » loading=»lazy» src=»https://i0.wp.com/wonderoftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/HotSpot-Disabling-Effective-Xfinity.jpg?resize=883%2C255&ssl=1″ alt=»Hotspot 24 Hours to Take Effect» width=»883″ sizes=»(max-width: 883px) 100vw, 883px»> You should know that having a home hotspot on your Xfinity router does not affect your network security, according to Xfinity. The company states, “The Xfinity WiFi service is designed to work on a separate network so that your home network remains entirely secure.” See => Amazon Sidewalk Shares Your Internet with Neighbors – What You Should Know Alternatively, you can check the Xfinity Gateway router page to see whether your router has Home Hotspot Capable listed as one of the included features. You are here: Home/ Internet/ How to Turn Off the Hotspot Feature on Your Xfinity Router Q. Thanks for your recent article about Amazon’s Sidewalk Wi-Fi network. It sounds similar to the Wi-Fi network Xfinity has. » loading=»lazy» src=»https://i0.wp.com/wonderoftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Xfinity-App-Turn-Off-Hotspot.jpeg?resize=384%2C594&ssl=1″ alt=»Turn off hotspot Xfinity App» width=»384″ sizes=»(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px»> If you have an Xfinity router with the hotspot feature, you can turn it off easily. If you change your mind you can turn your Xfinity hotspot back on later. Xfinity will ask you to confirm your selection. But the choice is ultimately yours to make. » src=»https://i0.wp.com/wonderoftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Turn-Off-Xfinity-Home-Hotspot.jpeg?resize=442%2C502&ssl=1″ alt=»Disable Xfinity Home Hotspot» width=»442″ sizes=»(max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px»> Confirm Turning Off Hotspot Xfinity

Your Thoughts

Tap the picture of your router. Toggle the slider button by Home hotspot to off. » loading=»lazy» src=»https://i0.wp.com/wonderoftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Xfinity-Gateway-Router-Home-Hotspot.jpg?resize=497%2C771&ssl=1″ alt=»Home Hotspot Xfinity Router» width=»497″ sizes=»(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px»>

“We designed this feature for you and this service is completely separate from your secure, private home WiFi network and allows guests to sign in and connect without sharing your secure network password. Your Home Hotspot is included with your service at no additional charge.”

About Xfinity Wi-Fi

Find out how to easily turn off the hotspot feature on your Xfinity Wi-Fi router. A. Good news! You can disable the hotspot feature from your Xfinity Wi-Fi router to prevent others from using Wi-Fi coming from your router (unless they have your Wi-Fi password). Disabling the hotspot feature from your Xfinity router is easy and takes just a few minutes. When you’re at home, you can check to see whether xfinitywifi is offered as a connection option.

What Else You Need to Know About Your Xfinity Hotspot

This hotspot feature is turned on by default and is available only with certain Xfinity Wi-Fi routers. If you have the Xfinity app on your mobile device, you can use it to turn off the Xfinity hotspot on your router. Open the Xfinity app and tap Internet in the bottom menu bar.

“The broadband connection to your home will be unaffected by the Xfinity WiFi feature. We have provisioned the Xfinity WiFi feature to support robust usage, and therefore we anticipate minimal to no impact to the in-home WiFi network. WiFi uses shared wireless spectrum, and as with any shared medium, there can be some impact as more devices share the network. If you have an Xfinity Wi-Fi or mobile account, you can use the Xfinity Wi-Fi network when you’re away from home. If you’re out shopping or at a restaurant, you may see xfinitywifi as an option for connecting to Wi-Fi. You may want to connect to the xfinitywifi network to avoid using data on your cell phone plan or when cellular coverage isn’t available. You can check on Xfinity’s website to see whether your router offers a home hotspot. Don’t miss => Need Internet? How to Turn Your Phone into a Wi-Fi Hotspot » loading=»lazy» src=»https://i0.wp.com/wonderoftech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Xfinity-Website-Turn-Off-Home-Hotspot.jpg?resize=884%2C142&ssl=1″ alt=»Xfinity Website Turn Off Hotspot» width=»884″ sizes=»(max-width: 884px) 100vw, 884px»> After you’ve made your selection and confirmed it, you’ll see a notice that your selection may take up to 24 hours to take effect. Xfinity will ask you to confirm your selection when you turn off your Home Hotspot.

How to Know Whether Your Router Has an Xfinity Hotspot

Xfinity currently includes its hotspot feature on its Gateway routers. To learn whether your Xfinity router shares a hotspot with others, you can check available Wi-Fi networks when you’re at home to see whether xfinitywifi is one of the options. Check out => How Free Public Wi-Fi May Cost You Dearly I have Xfinity for my Internet at home. I wish Xfinity would let you turn off Wi-Fi sharing from its routers the way Amazon lets you turn off Sidewalk. Is there any way I can stop sharing my Xfinity Wi-Fi with other people? I don’t like the idea of complete strangers being able to use my Xfinity Wi-Fi network. Having an Xfinity hotspot on your router should not affect your network speeds, according to Xfinity. Xfinity explains this hotspot feature: Turning off your Xfinity Hotspot may take up to 24 hours to be effective. To turn off the hotspot feature from your router using the Xfinity website, go to https://customer.xfinity.com/#/settings/security/hotspot. Sign into your Xfinity account with your username and password. You can easily turn off the Home Hotspot feature from your Xfinity router. Blue Wi-Fi image (edited) courtesy of 200 Degrees from Pixabay skip to main content We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our disclosure policies to learn more.
Comcast Xfinity is one of, if not the most widely available internet providers in the US. And along with bringing cable internet to every town, suburb, and metropolis, Xfinity is also using your modem to spread its Wi-Fi signal across the country. Yes, we’re talking about the modem you rent for $13 a month. Xfinity is using your modem to give everyone, including those that aren’t Xfinity customers, Wi-Fi access through more than eight million hotspots. But before you get table-flipping mad, let’s talk about how Xfinity Wi-Fi internet on the go works, how you can turn it off, and what to do if it’s not working. After all, more Wi-Fi could be a good thing, right?

How to get Xfinity Wi-Fi internet on the go

If you have a compatible Xfinity Wi-Fi modem, your Wi-Fi hotspot is automatically turned on. That means you can search for the “xfinitywifi” network to hop on your own hotspot—or hop on a hotspot generated by someone else’s Xfinity modem. Xfinity stresses that the hotspots are entirely separate from your home Wi-Fi network. That means your personal data allowance shouldn’t get used up, and your internet speed shouldn’t slow down if someone logs into your hotspot. Some people remain skeptical about this, though, and we can’t say we blame them. So jump ahead if you want to know how to turn off your modem’s Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspot.

How much does an Xfinity WiFi On Demand pass cost?

As of December 17, 2020, Xfinity WiFi on Demand passes are no longer available for purchase. However, Xfinity mobile and Xfinity internet customers with a Performance plan or above get access to the Wi-Fi hotspots for free. If you need Wi-Fi and an Xfinity hotspot is available, you don’t need to exchange passwords to get your Xfinity internet on the go—you’ll use your own Xfinity account info to sign in.

Find out what your Xfinity internet plan is

Don’t remember what Xfinity Wi-Fi plan you signed up for? We feel you—all those plan names kind of blend together after a while. But there’s an easy way to check your Xfinity plan details. Sign in to your Xfinity account and take a look at a PDF of your billing statement. You should find your plan name on page three. Ah, yes, the “Performa-Gig-Ultra-High-Speed-Blastoff” plan. We remember now.

How to find Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots

Want to plan ahead or find better Xfinity Wi-Fi coverage in the area while you’re traveling? You can use the Xfinity WiFi Hotspots app or search hotspots by ZIP code to see nearby locations with hotspots. Here’s where to download the Xfinity WiFi Hotspots app

  • iOS
  • Android

How to turn your Xfinity home hotspot on or off

Some of us remain skeptical about whether sharing our Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspot reduces our internet speed and eats up our data cap or not. And even though Xfinity swears its public hotspot feature doesn’t take away from your home internet plan, you can still opt to turn off that hotspot if you like. Here’s how to turn off your Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspot:

  1. Go to your Xfinity account and sign in.
  2. Click the Internet link below your billing information.
  3. Click on the name of your modem in the list of your internet devices.
  4. Find Home hotspot under your internet device settings. Toggle it on or off.
  5. You may need to confirm your decision to turn the hotspot on or off, and you may also see a confirmation message that your hotspot is now turned off.

What if you don’t see a place to switch your home hotspot on or off? More than likely, your modem doesn’t support the home hotspot feature. That also means it’s not sharing a hotspot to the public, so rest easy.

What to do if your Xfinity hotspot isn’t working

Throwing a party and your guests can’t hop on your Xfinity Wi-Fi? Or maybe your neighbors need to borrow your signal, but they can’t find a hotspot? The answer could be as simple as remembering that you recently set up your new Xfinity Wi-Fi modem, which takes up to 24 hours to start broadcasting that hotspot signal. But if you suspect user error or something else, here’s what to do if your Xfinity hotspot is giving you trouble:

  1. Grab a Wi-Fi-enabled device like your tablet or cell phone and take a look at the available networks.
  2. Connect your device to the “xfinitywifi” hotspot network. If you don’t see “xfinitywifi” listed, make sure the hotspot is turned on.
  3. Open your web browser and try visiting a website of your choice. (Google is always a good go-to.)
  4. You should be automatically redirected to the Xfinity Wi-Fi sign-in page. You can sign in to your Xfinity account here and start browsing the web, or pay for a Wi-Fi On Demand pass if you’re not an Xfinity customer.
  5. If you’re still having trouble connecting to the Wi-Fi hotspot, check to see how many Wi-Fi bars your device has. If you only have one or two bars, try moving closer to where the hotspot signal is coming from.

But wait! What if your Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspot is working too well, and your wireless devices always connect to it instead of your home network? Well, you can always manually select your home network any time your device automatically connects to the xfinitywifi hotspot. But if you want to learn how to make your device prioritize your home network over the hotspot network, we recommend checking out Xfinity’s connection guides for various Mac and PC devices.

Other Internet provider options

Data effective 10/20/21. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change. *
New customers only. Rate requires paperless billing and excludes taxes. Additional fees apply. †
for 1 year plus taxes, equip. charges & other fees. Speeds 1.1-3 Mbps, 3.1-7 Mbps, and 7.1-15 Mbps. Verizon home phone service required. ‡
Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes $ fees. Limited availability. May not be available in your area. ^
For the first 3 months.

FAQ

Can you share your Xfinity Wi-Fi?

Yes, you can share your Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspot with up to five devices in your home. If your visitors are also Xfinity customers, they can easily hop on your hotspot by signing into their Xfinity account. If your visitors aren’t Xfinity customers, they can also use your hotspot for free.

Can you use your Xfinity Wi-Fi away from home?

Yes, you can use your Xfinity Wi-Fi while you’re traveling across the US—as long as there are Xfinity hotspots nearby. You can use the Xfinity Wifi Hotspots app (iOS | Android) to find hotspots in your destination city.

Will your internet speed slow down if someone else uses your Xfinity Wi-Fi?

Xfinity states that your internet speed will not slow down if someone connects to the Wi-Fi hotspot network that your Gateway modem is broadcasting. However, your Wi-Fi network may see slower speeds—but this is normal because Wi-Fi tends to slow down as more devices connect to it. To address the issue of slower Wi-Fi speeds, Xfinity says it has optimized its Wi-Fi “to support robust usage.”1 But heads up: a 2018 test by Speedify, a VPN company, shows that enabling Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots may bump up your electric bill.2 This is because broadcasting the hotspot signal puts additional stress on your modem.

Will it count against your data cap if someone uses your Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspot?

Xfinity states that the owner of the Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspot is not accountable for any activities and data usage taking place on their hotspot. That’s a huge sigh of relief, especially if strangers are using your hotspot.

Will strangers be able to see your address on the Xfinity WiFi Hotspots app?

Your home address won’t show up on the Xfinity WiFi Hotspots app maps or the web-based hotspot location map. However, Xfinity does say that, in the future, they might use general indicators of Xfinity Wi-Fi home hotspot availability around a neighborhood, but only in a manner that assures the privacy of our customers.” So it may be worth keeping an eye on what kind of information is shared through the hotspot location app and map if this is something that concerns you.

What is the Xfinity Wi-Fi access pass?

The Xfinity Wi-Fi access pass, also known as the Xfinity WiFi On Demand pass, allowed you to purchase hotspot access even if you weren’t an existing Xfinity customer. Xfinity discontinued this service option as of December 17, 2020.

Now that you know about Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots, check this out next. Turn your phone into a mobile hotspot.
Find out more about Xfinity internet.

Catherine McNally Written by Catherine McNally Catherine has a degree in journalism and an MBA, and has spent the last 10+ years writing everything from Okinawa travel guides to stories on Medium. She’s been online since AOL CDs were a thing and is an unapologetic PC gamer. She believes the internet is a necessity, not a luxury, and writes reviews and guides to help everyone stay connected. You can also find her on Twitter: @CMReviewsIt.

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