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In Reply to: RE: More computer related than audio related, but. . . posted by Chris from Lafayette on September 23, 2024 at 17:36:43
I have a recent Wifi gateway from Xfinity with 2.5 Gigabit/Sec Ethernet ports on the back of the unit. But my entire home Ethernet infrastructure is limited to 1 Gigabit/Sec along with all of our Macs.IMHO it's not worth the effort trying to achieve 2 Gigabit/Sec internet speeds at this point. I would call Comcast/Xfinity and tell them you want to downgrade your internet speed to 1 Gigabit/Sec or slower.
I should probably do the same and downgrade from my current 1 Gigabit service [Edit: I just checked on Wednesday and I'm paying for their 800 Mbs service]. The only reason I have that much speed is because I would often upload and download large software images when I was working from home - and my employer paid for my internet. I've been retired for two years now and I should take my own advise and cut back.
Typical webpages will load just as fast with a slower internet connection. It's the latency response from the website that we are usually waiting on.
Edits: 09/24/24 09/24/24 09/24/24 09/25/24Follow Ups:
. . . I begin to wonder why Xfinity is even offering 2Gb service.
BTW, for whatever reason, it seems like I'm getting a better upload speed (not that I upload much at all - except posts to AA!):
You might have a business plan and/or possibly paying for a fixed IP address ?? Most home consumer internet from Xfinity (as best I can tell) have upload speeds capped significantly lower than the download speed.
BTW in my last post I thought I had their 1-Gigabit service when in fact I'm on their 800 Mbs internet (but achieving about 930 Mbs downloads).
You should be able to check your plan by logging into Xfinity.com. It's not the most intuitive website to navigate but poking around will get you to your online billing statement.
Just today I downgraded my plan to 500 Mbs, removed one cable TV box, renewed our Channel Lineup (no contract), and will supposedly save about $60. I was surprised to see that they lowered the price slightly on the exact channel lineup package we currently have so I re-selected that one online and got the lower price. It figures that Comcast would never lower the price for you automatically. They've done this in the past so you have to check every couple years or sooner.
Our total bill should drop from $261 to about $198.... according to what I saw online upon checkout. I'm not sure if that included every fee, tariff, tax, and others. We'll see in a couple complete billing cycles.
I'm off to return one cable box to Comcast.
As I say, I may do so too later today, although I'd really like to see for myself what 2Gb is like before I make changes! ;-)
(BTW, I just checked my own account a couple of days ago - yes, the internet plan is theoretically 2GB. We have internet and home security through Xfinity - no TV, although we do get TV over the internet via Fubo. So the total for Xfinity and Fubo together is about $200/month. It seems high, but it's still less than when we had TV through Xfinity too.)
We've got AT&T 1 GB fiber and I get very close to that with both upload and down. They hit us up for $80/month which was an increase this year from $70 previously. We also have Fubo and several Roku players -- the main reason we use Fubo is to get Bally Sports to watch the Cardinals, our local MBL team. (Also still have an antenna connection for over-the-air broadcasts. With digital OTA, that's about 50 additional channels, some quite unique.) I still work part-time, occasionally from home, so like the speed for both work and video, though the speed is way beyond what is needed for streaming audio. No complaints whatever about the AT&T service, it's consistent and reliable.
I've been casually investigating streaming services. A couple friends like their YouTube TV and another has Fubo. They were fed up with Comcast!I'm playing with a Roku streaming box which has the Xfinity App so we can get our Xfinity service without the Xfinity cable box + remote. The Xfinity App works but it's not nearly as easy to navigate vs the cable box + Xfinity remote. The Roku remote (and others like it) lack a Guide button that jumps directly to the Xfinity program guide grid and there are no numeric keys to jump directly to a channel. We have to scroll through several channels in the guide and then select the one we want to view.
I think we can live with some of these limitations. Our newer Samsung TV also has the Xfinity App built-in so there's no need for an external streaming box. However, I found the Xfinity App on Roku to be a little more flexible and it responds and navigates much faster.
I adapt much quicker to tech changes but my wife has grown very familiar with the capability and convenience of the Xfinity/Comcast remote.
Edits: 09/25/24 09/25/24
Rokus that is.
We have to scroll through several channels in the guide
You can rearrange their order however you please. Delete ones not used. Select channel by talking to it.
We use the Media app for server based video playback.
Yes, you can control Roku channels with a lot of flexibility but I haven't been able to do that with CableTV channels via Roku.- Launch the downloaded Comcast/Xfinity cable TV App on Roku.
- Launch the Xfinity Program Guide in grid view.
Here's where it gets really combersome.
There are no numeric keys on the Roku remote so you can't simply input a channel number and jump to it. There are no Channel UP/Down buttons either. You have to launch the gird view program guide (which exits the show you're currently watching) then scroll through the channel lineup in grid view then press OK on the remote to change channel. This is sort of OK if your desired channel is adjacent to the one you're presently watching but often they are not. You have scroll through several grid view screens to the desired channel then press OK on the Roku remote.
In other words there are no quick ways to switch channels using the Roku remote within the Comcast/Xfinity cable TV App on Roku.
Similarly, voice commands via the Roku remote will not control channels within the Comcast/Xfinity cable TV App. You cannot speak the channel you want.
The current plan: Keep two CableTV boxes and Remotes. One in the main family room on the 55" TV. The other will be in the master bedroom. These are the ones that my wife uses most often. The other 3 TV's will get Roku boxes or sticks.
Edits: 09/26/24
no quick ways to switch channels using the Roku remote within the Comcast/Xfinity cable TV App on Roku.
For us, the Roku is used for subscription services (Netflix, Max, Disney, etc.), some free channels like Pluto and for streaming local movies.
We use a DVR/cable box for navigating "channels".
I played musical TV's last weekend wall mounting two new TVs, moving an older but excellent Sony, and giving a couple away.
--> "We use a DVR/cable box for navigating "channels"." <--Here's what I'm setting up as we speak. The first two will be like yours. It could change but this is the plan right now:
- DVR/Cable Box on new 55" Samsung OLED TV on family room wall.
- DVR/Cable Box on new 43" Samsung QLED TV on master bedroom wall.
- Xfinity App on Roku for 46" Sony LCD TV on front bedroom wall.
- Xfinity App on Roku for 32" Panasonic LCD TV on quilting room wall.
- Xfinity App built-in on 75" Samsung QLED TV on basement wall.
The first two TV's listed above will keep the DVR/Cable Box but will additionally be able to stream our services including Netflix, AppleTV+, and Amazon Video as these newer smart TV's have a multitude of Apps built-in.
The Sony and Panasonic are older 'dumb TV's' and will require a Roku. These oldies still have outstanding picture quality.
The 75" Samsung in the basement will run built-in Apps for streaming services and the downloaded Xfinity App for CableTV. When we watch the big TV there's almost no 'channel hopping' going on as we use it mainly to view movies straight through or a sporting event.
By the number of TV's we have you'd think we spend all of our time watching! I watch mostly news and weather in the family room after dinner. We record late night TV hosts (Jimmy, Jimmy, and Stephen) and watch all three monologues in bed as our routine before falling asleep. The TV in the front bedroom is for guests. The 75" TV in the basement is mainly for movies and our NFL and NBA games when our teams are playing.
Edits: 09/26/24 09/26/24
but distributed a bit differently. How decadent is that? ;)
For us, "family room" and "basement" are the same. Master bathroom Sony gets use most days as wifey gets ready for work/church.
Swings towards her knee space or shower stall.
Bathroom TV? Now that's decadent.
We were under the pergola behind our house when wifey was wondering about putting a TV out there to watch sports outside. It can be done but I had to explain to her that it wouldn't be the typical sub $1000 55" TV from Best Buy or Costco. And, we wouldn't use it but a few times a year.
That's her initial source of news in the morning for the hour or so she takes getting ready for work.
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