Complain about a product or service

Comcast High-Speed Internet
Peer-to-Peer Networks

• Bandwidth limits • Installation • Peer-to-peer networks • Pricing • Reliability • Speed • Spam blocking --- News • Comcast Blocks Subscribers From Some Services • Comcast Cuts Off Heavy Internet Users --- •Cable TV •Telephone Service

Chilly of Centralia WA (5/21/04):
For well over 3 years, my family and I enjoyed the benefits of having a home network system between just 2 computers, sitting side by side. File sharing across the network is one way we used our network. In our family, also, we enjoyed playing games with each other across the network. This, after all, seemed to be a safe way to allow our kids to enjoy the world of multiplayer gaming, but without the concerns of them interacting with strangers out on the web in gaming chat rooms.

About 1˝ years ago, my wife enrolled in an online college program. She tried to manage with our mere telephone modem Internet access, but for all the obvious reasons (continuous disconnects, high internet traffic, etc.), it became necessary to get high-speed (HS) Internet access - something more reliable for her educational needs. With Comcast having recently dug up our street and installed the lines, and because they are the only TV cable company in our area, they seamed to be our only realistic option for HS Internet access.

The Comcast installation technician was a gentleman, and was quite good, respectful, and new exactly what needed to be done. He installed one modem, then from that modem was attached our network hub. This gave both computers immediate Internet access. This was cool! After he left, and once our kids came home from school, we found, however, that we no longer could play games across the network. None of our file sharing or printer sharing capabilities existed anymore. We could go online and play multiplayer games just fine, individually, but not simultaneously. Though being a little PC hardware and software savvy ourselves, we still could not find a way to regain our home network capabilities.

In frustration, and after a week of doing research, I learned something very disturbing - Comcast software, used for their HS Internet modems, automatically disables/sabotages home networks where they are installed; for another monthly fee, Comcast will come back (another day of work lost for me) and install their router that will enable my home network to work again, which, if you recall, worked just fine before they messed it up. Now remember, their technician installed one modem, connected our hub to it, and gave Internet access to both home PCs. No one said that our home network gaming and file sharing days were going to be over, UNLESS we paid them a monthly fee to fix something THEY disabled.

OK, we may not be techno junkies, but we’re not entirely ignorant either. We went out to our local Radio Shack and bought a router. Problem solved. We got our network back, without loosing our Internet, and without being blackmailed into paying Comcast to fix something they messed up. I really feel that Comcast was not forthcoming in explaining to this customer just how their HS Internet access was going to affect our existing home network. And, Comcast would not make right the problem that their hardware/software caused. Comcast’s only solution was for them to come out, again, and install a router. And then, if that wasn’t enough, they wanted to charge us $4.99/month/computer in our home that was on that network.

Amie of Richmond VA (5/4/04):
Comcast has been a constant problem since it took over our cable, telephone and internet services over 1 year ago from AT&T. There has been intermittent service eruptions, poor picture quality and billing for services that we do not use and have not ordered. One issue I have is that Comcast is trying to force us to order its family networking service because we have a laptop in addition to our work station. I am so tired of this.