The X’s and O’s of Comcast’s xFi
Speed, flexibility of cable giant’s router come at a modest cost
Router’s speed and flexibility come at a modest cost that’s well worth it.
The router/modem combinations supplied by big internet providers like Comcast and AT&T have traditionally not been hardware to get excited about. The best you could say is that they got the job done — so long as your home wasn’t too large, or you weren’t interested in tweaking settings.
But as home networks have become more complex and an increasing number of devices connect to them, these providers see an opportunity to bring order to chaos. Newer company-provided routers give their customers tools needed to manage home networks.
And yes, third-party routers have offered these kinds of features for a while. While most people don’t use their own hardware to connect to the internet, there’s an increasing interest in doing so as cable and internet customers look to cut costs. Modernizing the router/modem combo is one way big providers can keep customers in the fold.
For some time now, I’ve been using my own equipment to connect to Comcast’s internet service. You can use your own cable modem and router and save $13 a month, or $156 annually. Depending on how much you spend on the hardware, it can pay for itself in a year or two.
But I had heard that Comcast’s latest hardware was pretty slick, with the kinds of management capabilities found in high-end routers from companies like Netgear, Eero and Linksys. I decided to give Comcast’s xFi Advanced Gateway, the latest router/ modem combo, a shot.
Internet surpasses cable
It’s easy to see why this is important to Comcast. The company’s internet subscribers now outnumber cable TV subscribers. Comcast sees the writing on the screen, and in 2017 began to roll out this advanced gateway. I tested it along with an Xfinity Flex — a streaming box that competes with Apple TV, Amazon’s FireTV and Roku — for review.
The xFi combines a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem with an 802.11ac Wi-Fi router. The Advantage model can handle Comcast’s gigabit internet speeds, though my current tier is 250 Mbps.
My own hardware is a Netgear CM-500 cable modem and a Netgear AC-1750 router that uses the 802.11ac Wi-Fi protocol. The modem maxes out at 300 Mbps connections compared to the 1 Gbps for the xFi, but my router is close in speed capabilities to Comcast’s hardware.
In Wi-Fi speed tests from various spots inside my approximately 1,400-square-foot condo, there wasn’t much difference in performance or range.
The xFi gateway looks a lot slicker. It’s in an understated, gun-metal-gray case standing about 10 inches tall with a sloping top and a single status light. While my router has four gigabit Ethernet ports for hardwired connections, the xFi only has two. But it does have a pair of telephone jacks, because it works with Comcast’s Voice over IP phone offering.
Setup is easy, utilizing the xFi app available for both Apple and Android devices, which walks you through the process, step-by-step.
App benefits
It is this app, in fact, that is the key to managing the devices and people on a home network. (You can also do it using your TV if you have Comcast’s Flex streaming box or X1 cable TV box.) It lets you set up profiles for people or places and then assign devices to them.
For example, I have a Mac mini desktop, a MacBook Pro, an iPad and an iPhone. I set up a “Dwight” profile in the app, and assigned those devices to me. My wife has her own set of gadgets, and she’s got a profile, too. I’ve got several smart plugs and switches in my living area, and can assign those based on rooms.
You can then see who is using data, and when. If you have children, you can use built-in limitations to control when they get onto the internet. For example, a “Bedtime Mode” lets you determine when it’s “lights out” for a person or a device.
Got smart home devices? The app can be used to control them, as well.
The app also alerts you when a device it has never seen before connects to your network, and if you don’t recognize it you can block it. When you first set up the router, you’ll get a slew of them as new devices sign in. Over time, this quiets down.
Gathering insights
If you are used to tweaking and futzing with your router’s settings, the xFi can be frustrating at times because not every setting is in the app. As is the case with most thirdparty routers, it has a built-in, web-based settings page for really granular adjustments. Some settings that should be available in the app — such as toggling the firewall on or off — is in this web page, not in the app.
If you’re careful about your online privacy, you should note that the xFi router generates a LOT of data of about what’s happening on your network. Comcast has access to this data, and the company insists that it doesn’t sell it or use it for anything other than providing technical support and making sure the system is working the way it should.
I asked Eero, which makes routers that provide advanced network insights (and which was recently bought by Amazon), what they do with user data, and got a similar response.
If you’re still uncomfortable, you can use the xFi app to set up the router and not turn on the data-collection and organization features. But at that point, you may as well use low-end, third-party hardware.
Are the xFi’s capabilities worth $13 a month? While you can certainly buy your own hardware that gives you similar control over what’s happening on your home network, Comcast’s router is one of the easiest to use I’ve seen. You could do a lot worse.