Does Xfinity Deserve All the Hate?

It was the best of ISPs, it was the worst of ISPs; it was the fastest, no, the slowest; it was the biggest in the country, but maybe the smallest in our hearts. Today, it’s the Tale of Two Xfinities, and we’re going to try to figure out how an Internet Service Provider can be so wonderful to so many people, and so infuriating to others. And if you’re having a rough time with Xfinity, I’m going to give you my ideas on what you might do about it.

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Read our FULL Xfinity reviews here:
https://www.reviews.org/internet-serv...
https://www.reviews.org/tv-service/co...

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About Xfinity:
One of the biggest ISPs out there.
Scored a 61 on the ACSI Satisfaction Report. Puts it in the middle of the pack. The entire industry struggles, as we all know. But when we see Verizon Fios posting a score of 70, we know that it is possible to improve.

So, how does a score get brought down to 61?

First, let’s talk about what Xfinity advertises, as far as speeds and prices. Xfinity offers speeds from 15 Mbps to a whopping 2 Gbps (this will depend on your area). Most of us will probably see speed offerings up to 100 or 250 Mbps. But do you get what you pay for? Well, according to the FCC … yes. And then some. As for price, first, you have to know your region: East, Central, West, because the pricing varies between regions. Regardless, you’ll pay anywhere from about $30/mo for the starter plan, up to $70/mo for gigabit internet. ($300/mo for that two-gig plan, if that’s what you’re into). In my opinion that pricing ain’t bad. Of course, the advertised prices are what you’ll pay for the first year or two of a contract, and it may go up after that, so make sure you check the fine print before you get too excited. If you feel like bundling with TV, Phone (do you still have one of those?), or Home Security you can save even more.

So for a reasonable price you’re getting good to great speeds, and even better than that (if the FCC is to be believed).

So why all the hate?...two reasons.

(1) Customer service. It’s hard to measure customer service results scientifically, but at least anecdotally, Xfinity’s reputation is … not great. They’ve invested a LOT of money in improving it, which is great, but it hasn’t really budged that ACSI score I mentioned.Honestly, not much we can do about that. As a former customer service agent (not for Xfinity), I’d just say: be patient, be firm, and try to avoid having to call in the first place.

(2) Internet Speed. Whenever we talk about Xfinity, this is actually the complaint that I hear the most: that you’re not getting the speeds you signed up for.


Luckily, this is something you may be able to do something about. Here are some ways to optimize your internet speed. It seems obvious to avoid high-traffic hours, especially during evenings, you may see slow-down if you’re using cable, no way around that. But if you’re consistently too slow, there may be other reasons for it...

Double-check your modem compatibility. Remember the speed that Xfinity is delivering is to your Modem. That modem has to be rated to handle whatever speed you’re paying for.

Next up is your router, if you’re using a separate one. I upgraded my Xfinity-provided rental router to a newer version of the Xfinity-provided rental router, and I saw an immediate jump in speed. (Would have been nice if Xfinity had let me know I was using an old one, but I figured it out anyway.) So like your modem, check your router.

Xfinity Router Test Video:    • Xfinity Router Speed Test | New Router vs....  

Most of us are using wifi. That’s another thing that can slow speeds down. Wifi is good enough now that if you’re RIGHT NEXT to the router, you won’t see much difference between that and being plugged in. But if you’re a few rooms over, or on a different floor, then that signal will degrade, and you’ll slow way down. A wifi extender will help with this, or a wifi mesh system; especially if you can wire that mesh system together.

And wouldn’t you know it, I did ANOTHER video on this subject!
   • Google Wifi Review 2018 | Is A WiFi Mesh S...  

While sometimes Xfinity might be to blame for delivering slower speeds… they’re not, and there might be something we can do to up our speeds. And now I look forward to everyone calling me an Xfinity shill in the comments. Bring it on.

CONCLUSION: Xfinity is … well, pretty good at what they do, and they’re the biggest and baddest for a reason. If you’re thinking about choosing Xfinity, I think it’s not a bad choice. It’s not an accident that they rank highly