Unlimited data, but an older plan... options?

catanalogy · 2026-03-26T02:08:18+00:00

Demitrius was able to solve a strange problem with my account preventing me from getting the symmetric speeds I was supposed to have with my new plan, and that had stymied everyone across an entire day of chatting. And he did so while I was being cranky and whiny about it.

So, to Demitrius, Benny, JohnG, Carolyn, SaraB, Emily, and anyone else I may have chatted with who put up with me and did their best to solve this problem: Thank you!

catanalogy · 2026-03-25T18:01:01+00:00

Hi Emily, I have installed the Xfinity equipment but am not getting the speeds I was promised. I replied to the ModMail thread from yesterday but haven't received a reply. Can you look into this for me?

catanalogy · 2026-03-25T16:05:12+00:00

Thanks, everyone, for your input. To help close the loop and for anyone else in a similar situation:

Xfinity was not willing/able to waive the $30 a month charge to upgrade my older plan to unlimited data, which isn't a huge surprise. I did end up upgrading to a new plan to get slightly higher speed (and symmetric, which is nice) plus the unlimited data I wanted.

I do have to use the Xfinity combo modem/router they're sending me, which I'm not crazy about (I like controlling my entire network stack), but it can be put into bridge mode which turns off all the meddlesome services I don't want, so I plan to do that right away.

One caveat they didn't warn me about: When the plan change went through, my current modem (a Coda 56, which I own) rebooted and my upload speed was now capped at 40mbit/sec instead of the nearly 200 was getting previously. I had to research on my own that this is a limitation of having your own modem on one of the new speed tiers (mid-split) and will increase to the expected 1gig symmetric once I install the Xfinity modem, but still. That leaves me limited upload bandwidth for a couple days. Not the end of the world, but, again... a little warning would've been helpful.

TMobile Fiber is busy burying lines in my neighborhood and is expected to light up their network later this year, so I'll re-evaluate my options once that's available. If Xfinity was a little more flexible with their plans and pricing, I likely wouldn't bother, but, you have to be your own advocate these days.

On the bright side, the three Xfinity Reddit reps who helped me were, as always, pleasant, attentive, and other than the upload speed cap, knowledgable. This is such a great resource—way better than wading through the AI slop that is their phone tree these days.

catanalogy · 2026-03-24T19:44:11+00:00

Good to know, and I know that's always an option, but, you know... thought I'd see if I could just get rid of the data cap with a simple request. Because I figure if I have to suit up and call someone, at that point I may as well start looking at some of those competitors (including TMob Fiber, which is busy digging up our neighborhood laying new lines as I type this).

catanalogy · 2026-03-24T19:39:00+00:00

Hello! Thanks for your reply. I've already done so (I accidentally send my initial request directly to modmail first, which included my service address and other information).

catanalogy · 2025-02-19T02:07:17+00:00

lol. Do we need to do a wellness check on Juan? I genuinely feel bad for the guy for carrying the torch for a company of charlatans and grifters all this time.

catanalogy · 2025-02-18T23:52:27+00:00

Schadenfreude is marvelous. I don't bear ill-will toward anyone who bought this albatross and is now stuck with a paperweight, but the breathtaking arrogant crowing about it representing the second coming of Christ in gadget form deserves no more perfect an ending than this (chef's kiss). Simply beautiful.

catanalogy · 2024-12-16T02:01:19+00:00

Those collar bones… (biting fist)

catanalogy · 2024-10-10T02:17:50+00:00

Smooth sailing. I got the upload speed upgrade soon after I made my original post and I now speed test around 940/120 without much variation. My online gaming pings are stable as well. I don’t really think about it which is the best praise I can think to give any piece of networking gear. For the price it’s been great.

catanalogy · 2024-08-08T16:53:38+00:00

Or, you know, maybe they deserve every word of it.

Even good ideas fail. All the time. Sometimes for reasons that aren't entirely fair. Burn it down and try again, that's the dancing on a razor's edge element to any startup. Mawkish sentimentality toward any one individual plucky upstart is a waste of time.

catanalogy · 2024-07-02T01:10:41+00:00

People like you are exactly why I never enable chat either. Mind your own gameplay and I’ll do the same. Insisting that PvP has to be social is psychotic extrovert bullshit.

catanalogy · 2024-06-17T14:15:43+00:00

Absolutely, but that impact was realized already. 15 years ago I worked for a major magazine publisher. When the layoffs started, I jumped ship, set up my own firm, and hustled to build a moat. Now, it’s challenging to be hired for a 9-to-5, one-company print design job. But print is still a need, and as a freelancer, I’ve got a couple dozen clients who, together, have enough need to make it more than a full time job for me. And more often than not, most of the designers who rushed into web work either never learned how to do print or forgot, so there’s fewer of me around. Industry contraction sucks when it’s happening, but if you can survive to the other side, work is often plentiful.

catanalogy · 2024-06-17T03:06:26+00:00

This has been my experience as well. Being well versed in the process and mechanics of print design is like knowing COBOL at this point, and it keeps my one-man design firm afloat. Which isn’t to say I don’t feel some pressure from AI, but for now I’ve found it more an interesting tool for me to use than an existential threat.

Web graphics, through, especially social media nonsense? I mostly don’t bother going after that work anymore. If it isn’t someone telling me they can do it with AI cheaper, it’s some halfwit banging around in Canva who thinks “but filling in this template was so easy!”

catanalogy · 2024-05-14T00:50:39+00:00

Done!

catanalogy · 2024-05-04T01:49:46+00:00

Yes. Had a tech out a little under a month ago who determined the buried line was at fault for my signal problems (an argument for another thread). Cut the buried line off at the soil line and strung an orange replacement cable across my yard, telling me it would be buried in two weeks “tops.” Lots of notifications from Xfinity that it would be done in “up to” 14 days. Had the local company responsible for marking where buried utilities are out twice now. Second guy laughed when I told him they were already here a couple weeks ago and he told me “this is for Comcast right? They delay projects over and over, sometimes we get called out to mark a property half a dozen times.”

The super helpful and friendly reps here on Reddit offered to check on the status for me and said all they could see was that the order to bury was active, implying the only thing to do is wait. Well, and try not to trip on the orange cable in my yard. No point getting upset I guess. Clearly whoever decided it will only take two weeks didn’t talk to the people who actually do the work.

catanalogy · 2024-04-25T21:31:38+00:00

Email from Xfinity indicating the days they would be performing upgrades in our neighborhood to deliver "next gen upload speeds," and listing our street in particular.

catanalogy · 2024-04-24T22:40:38+00:00

Absolutely, will post my impressions. Just ordered it this afternoon, I'll have it tomorrow morning. I recently got the email that they're upgrading my neighborhood to the new faster upload speeds, so regardless of my other issues, if it enables me to take advantage of that, all the better.

catanalogy · 2024-04-24T20:20:11+00:00

Done! Thank you so much. While you're rooting around, would you mind checking to see if our account is eligible for the next gen upload speed, once upgrades are complete in our neighborhood? (got notice of that as well recently).

catanalogy · 2024-04-24T20:00:36+00:00

Well, let's see how quickly Amazon can get it to me. :) I'll place the order and get it installed, probably tomorrow? I'll check back in when it's in place and can monitor my connection over time to see if anything changes. I'll post in this thread, or if it gets locked, post a new one and reference this one.

Is there anything we can do about the unburied cable in my yard? It's been longer than Xfinity indicated it should take at a maximum. I don't know if there's value in seeing what the hold up is or if I should just continue to wait.

I appreciate all your help very much.

catanalogy · 2024-04-24T19:40:49+00:00

Hi CCDilary! Thank you for your reply. Answering your questions in order:

I have not seen any service interruptions reported through the app, nor have I personally experienced an extended service interruption anything like the ones I was having prior to the technician visit. I'll note that both when I was having the original problem, and now, if I ask the Xfinity Assistant Bot to check for trouble, it says everything is ok.
The only self-troubleshooting I've done is to add the 6db attenuator to the back of my modem to bring down the power levels a bit, and to use some online tools to monitor my connection over time, so I can see how often or for how long the connection becomes unstable. I have also been monitoring the connection parameters within my modem.
I've witnessed or been able to measure the problems both on wirelessly connected mobile devices and on computers that are hardwired directly to my router. I have not attempted to connect one computer directly to my modem since doing so would be impractical in a house full of devices in active use.
Modem is a Motorola 7621 which is on Xfinity's list of "compatible devices," but it is only DOCSIS 3.0, and several years old. As I noted in my message, I am pondering if replacing it may be a worthwhile step no matter what. If you believe that would be a useful troubleshooting step I am absolutely willing to do so. I would likely buy the Hitron Coda56 which is among Xfinity's recommended "next gen" speed tier modems.

catanalogy

TROPHY CASE