[ale] heads up - warning - you could be sharing comcast wifi without knowing it

[Scott Plante]

In terms of bandwidth, it would be very technically feasible for them to always prioritize traffic from the private network over the public network. This would be fairly easy to test: Run speedtest.net from your private network, then the public network, then both at the same time. You should expect to see the private network speed stay the same in both cases, and most likely the public network speed drop in the simultaneous test. Both may stay full speed especially if you're not paying for the fastest version of their Internet service, but that shouldn't bother you either. 


Second, don't forget this is also meant to be a benefit to you as a Comcast customer when you're away from home! 


I remember reading that someone using your unsecured wi-fi for kiddie porn could lead to a swat raid, but I propose that this move by Comcast may actually reduce the danger of that rather than increase it: If millions of homes have "free" wi-fi technically provided by the ISP, there is no probable cause that porn accessed via the public wi-fi is the resident's when the resident would most likely be using their own private network. I see the argument being made to the courts that the provider's public wi-fi is most likely being used by someone other than the resident. 


All that being said, it's good to know they're rolling out this program. I use the non-wi-fi router and my own firewall & wi-fi behind it. 


Scott 
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