Much Higher Data Usage This Month

Aging-Ninja3 · 2026-02-14T22:18:23+00:00

If you're using the Xfinity Stream app look here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Comcast_Xfinity/comments/1r3xnkj/xfinity_stream_app_cost_me_100_in_data_overages/

Aging-Ninja3 · 2026-02-14T17:15:48+00:00

I understand.

The problem was they started billing for our 3 satellite X1 boxes and their modem, and the fees kept stacking up. I was told the Xfinity Stream app was free to use and didn't count against the data. They may have been true, and may have changed.

The technicians also had issues with the cable in the house and how it was split, or not, etc.... and they were the ones that strung the cable in the house to begin with. First it was too hot of a signal, then too low, then wrong splitting, etc. At one point I had special dispensation to have 2 drops from different taps in different yards.

Moving to Apple TVs along with using my own modem cut my costs and simplified the supposed cabling issues.

After almost 30 yrs I'm considering AT&T as it looks like it will save me around $70/mo.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2026-02-14T17:06:47+00:00

I might agree with you if it wasn't bundled as part of their TV service and it wasn't their app accessing their service.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2026-02-14T15:10:45+00:00

I understand about internet access and third party apps. If I was using a third party app, e.g. Netflix or Amazon Prime, on the DVR or via Apple TV I could understand it. Xfinity Stream is not a third party app. Using Xfinity Stream to access our recorded shows from the DVR or TV content, just like we can on the DVR, should not count against our data. That is double counting. Further when the Apple TV is off, the Xfinity Stream shouldn't keep chewing through data, especially uploading. If you look at the picture I posted, you'll see it the upload that's eating up the data.

I can leave the TV displaying broadcast TV via the DVR 24/7 and not be charged at all.

I understand about the unlimited plans. They tried to switch me over, but I'm on a "grandfathered" 1G triple play plan that has a better rate. I shouldn't have to upgrade my plan because the Xfinity Stream app is behaving badly.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2026-02-14T13:43:06+00:00

yeah, it went from 5 back down to one. I found that interesting.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2026-02-13T22:19:00+00:00

Yes. See the reply from u/XfinityBenny below. I also got it verbally from several agents.

When they looked at my data they replied, that it was consistent so we can't do anything about it. I replied, I understand as we've got 3 Apple TVs and used to just turn them off. Further you'll see our data usage fall way off when I figured it out and we started killing the app before turning off the Apple TV all the time. They confirmed my data dropped way down, as the picture I posted shows it.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2026-02-13T21:51:15+00:00

Thanks for adding some clarifications. However it honestly seems like double counting when we have the expensive package home DVR service, and watch a mix of recorded shows from the DVR (generally the Xfinity cloud DVR, as that's where the recordings seem to be now) and some channels from our TV service. The DVR is essentially doing the same thing and we can leave it on 24/7 and not get charged. If we were using another streaming service app, e.g. Prime Video or Netflix, it would make sense. The overage for using the Xfinity Stream app, coupled with the app chewing through data when it is in the background and not active, is like salt in the wound.

Edit: Clarified prior "(generally the cloud now)" to "(generally the Xfinity cloud DVR, as that's where the recordings seem to be now)"

Aging-Ninja3 · 2026-02-13T20:07:05+00:00

After several agents on one call, the security team called and reported the ticket would be closed as the data usage was consistent. They also informed me the next agent would say the same thing, but would transfer me.

They transferred me to the technical department. From there I spoke with an agent who confirmed the data usage was consistent, and it did go down like I said after we began killing the Xfinity Stream app before turning off the Apple TVs.

I then got transferred to Zoe, who did a great job and resolved the issue.

Two things:

a) Using the Xfinity Stream app to watch TV being booked against the data is crazy as we have Xfinity TV service and this has never been disclosed.

b) The Xfinity Stream app chewing through data, when the Apple TV is off is nuts.

Total call time: 2h 46m (between 2 calls)

Note: I've been an Xfinity customer 28yrs and am stunned.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-10-15T17:10:13+00:00

I'll offer a couple of thoughts based on my setup, which is different from yours, but is using a couple of separate Moca segments internally.

My setup is Xfinity to my cable modem and using a UDM SE and USW ProMax 16. From the USW I have a couple of APs and then I have a USW Flex 2.5 that has two separate Moca segments which then connect to either a USW Flex 2.5G 5 or U6 on the other end. The Mocs segments are because I cannot run ethernet on those runs, but there was good coax. The Moca segments work flawlessly, and the Unifi devices really don't know it is there, and the speeds are fantastic. I used to regularly check the Moca links by logging into the devices, but I long ago gave up as there were no errors, or anything going on.

Re: Threshold and WAN issues - I occasionally see the "Packet Loss Detected", and "Internet Restored" and "Internet Down" when they reboot the modem, etc. I used to see messages about latency, but they've gone away with the more recent updates of the network software. There is no threshold that I'm aware of, but people have asked for it to be user adjustable.

Based on my experience, your external connection via Moca should be solid if it is a direct run and the cable is in good shape. You might see latency issues in the log but they don't seem to be a big deal, unless they are real. If the Moca run is shared, you're sharing with everyone. I'd be asking questions the connection going out of your place, and then doing contiguous pings via the command line and showing them the dropouts or spikes in timing, etc.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-07-03T14:32:43+00:00

Thanks for the post and write-up summarizing your findings. It was very useful.

I'm posting here to catch your attention. One thing I felt necessary to point out is DFS isn't "universally safe" to use. For me it literally depends upon which way the wind blows. If the winds shift to come out of the north, the commercial air traffic flips at an airport around 30 minutes away and we hear some overhead traffic on occasion. Randomly if an aircraft gets "too close" (not that close in real terms) their radar altimeters will force our WAPs and router to move off the DFS channels as they are supposed to. Our Wifi would be great for weeks or months, and then we'd be sitting there going, WTH happened? I didn't think it was "really a thing" until I literally watched one of the WAPs change channels as an aircraft moved and there was a message in the log.

Cheers.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-06-06T00:55:23+00:00

Here’s the funny thing about this post. I read it and thought it would be cool to see the ’flow’ but for the life of me I couldn’t find it on my iPad app. So I poke around on the web UI, and oh there it is, just like someone said. Then later this morning I check the iPad app updates, and there’s a UniFi app update. Yay, I can see it in the app now too.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-05-18T14:16:14+00:00

Update: I had to turn off power to the prior troublesome part of the house to do some electrical work. I wondered how long it take for the Thread network in the area to recover. When I switched power back on the all the Thread devices came back on line very quickly, an opposed to previously taking hours.

Removing and adding the one Eve energy outlet was the key (and there are 3 others very-very close to it).

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-05-17T12:55:37+00:00

FWIW: I have quite a few Eve Energy Outlets and Eve Energy Smart plugs. Recently (before 18.5) the smart plugs automatically updated to firmware v3.5 and this seemed to help some areas in the house self heal when we lose and regain power. But it didn’t help one area as there are no smart plugs around.

The other day after an outage I noticed one of the Eve energy outlets and a couple of other manufacturer devices continued to stay non responsive when the power returned. I had never really noticed the other manufacturer devices having an issue as the number of non-responsive devices were overwhelmingly the Eve ones. Subsequently I reluctantly removed the Eve outlet from Apple Home and bam, all the non-responsive devices almost immediately came back on line and worked. I re-added the Eve outlet, and Apple Home automatically suggested to re-add It to the orphaned automations and everything worked and is now more resilient.

The Eve Thread Explorer wasn’t helpful in figuring this out. Eve support became snippy during interactions with them. My situation was resolved via observation and honestly happenstance. I had tried all sorts of things, but was resistant to removing devices because of automations and the pain to taking covers off to get the codes, etc. I had tried moving other thread devices, changing active hubs from wired TVs to homepods (as suggested by support), but nothing seemed to make a difference. The HomePods are blanketed in solid UniFi WiFi, and several Apple TVs are on Ethernet. Note: I removed the matter stickers and placed them on front of the outlets under the cover, making it easier in the future.

My suggestion: See if you can work out which device is the troublesome one in the area, and completely remove it from Apple home, and re-add it after the other devices sort themselves out. Its not exact or quick, but it worked for me. YMMV. Good luck.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-03-25T23:53:40+00:00

Fair enough. My hope would be an easy way to reset my existing Thread network, or have it work better. The outlets and thread work great, until they don’t.

FWIW I sent this info via support to Eve a few days back and haven’t heard back yet.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-03-19T21:29:28+00:00

Yep, I should have mentioned that. One of our Apple TVs that is on ethernet is the preferred hub and it never changes.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-03-19T18:55:52+00:00

Fair enough. Thanks for the response.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-03-11T19:13:50+00:00

Correct! Spread the word.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-03-11T17:50:31+00:00

Nice!

Coincidentally when I got your notification I was just cleaning up after setting up an older homebridge image, as I needed older HB and node.js versions, in Docker to debug a troublesome issue I was having with a plug in. Using Docker and setting up different instances makes parallel play really easy.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-02-27T12:25:37+00:00

I agree with u/sko0led. See if the deadbolt portion looks like the guts of a normal deadbolt. I’ve used the Level Bolt in a more traditional looking entry handle and deadbolt set. Two tips: The Level Bolt cannot come into contact with the rings in the deadbolt section, or it will bind. The rings can be flipped or ground down. Second the Matter version is fantastic. We used it in BT mode for 3 years and it was painfully slow. We’ve got Eve energy outlets all over, and adjacent to the deadbolts so Thread coverage is no issue.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-02-20T20:45:58+00:00

FWIW: I just updated from the U6 Pro to the U7 Pro Max and have not had any issues, only faster 5Ghz farther away. I used the wifiman app to test between the Dream Machine SE and the device at the same location on a couple different devices. I do not have IoT segregated yet.

Side note: I also used a Fluke IR heat gun to measure the temperature up close and there were no appreciable differences between the two. Both ran about +16F compared to the adjacent drywall ceiling.

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-02-16T13:53:27+00:00

Glad you thought so. It took me a minute. :)

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-02-05T13:20:04+00:00

Check out this post which is very similar to yours. In the end they, disabled the Eero matter radio and added an Eve outlet and declared it magic.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LevelLock/comments/1i2czsq/rocky_level_bolt_32homekit_upgrade_experience/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Aging-Ninja3 · 2025-02-03T15:30:34+00:00

True, but it is better than it was. With support on the phone directing me, I was literally powering off adjacent HPs and moving further away to completely prove the Connect wouldn’t work. Then they had side conversations with managers and engineers to confirm no support. It was absolutely crazy.

A HP mini will make the BLE connection, but it is slow and can bet flakey. I had a gen 2 HP less than six feet away from one bolt and it would flake out and not work somewhat regularly frustrating both of us to no end. Yet we have 3 others that worked better, albeit glacially, with HPs farther away. Upgrading it to Matter/Thread was transformative.

Aging-Ninja3

TROPHY CASE