[ale] OT: What the hell is XSS in Comcast land?

Sun Aug 11 23:38:38 EDT 2013

I've always had a router behind the DOCSIS modem and when I was with
Bell Slouth behind the DSL modem. I remember even getting a router
working behind a dial-up modem. Never had any issues like this before. I
have had off and on phone service from cable over the years without any
issues either. Back in 2009 I had Charter and they used 2 separate
modems, one for internet and the other for phone. My son just recently
moved to a new house that is in a Charter service area and they still
use a seperate DOCSIS w/EMTA for phone service, while the DOCSIS modem
for internet has built-in WiFi.

On 08/11/2013 07:10 PM, Ron Frazier (ALE) wrote:
> I think they're giving you a load of bs if they tell you that you have to pay big fees or get service agreements to get help setting this thing up.  They should be able to do a factory reset and clear the password issue.  If they give you grief about fees, you need to keep escalating until you get a customer service manager or retention manager and put that issue to bed.  Then you need to escalate up the tech support tree until you get a minion that can help you with the tech part.  It's a pain in the butt to get to the level you need if your problem is not simple.  However, the few times I've had to go that far, they're generally helpful.  You may even have to ask for escalation to "engineering" if the problem is very sticky.
> 
> Whether or not you get access to the configuration of the comcast box ever again, you can gang your own routers behind it, which you have full control over.
> 
> If you gang your own routers behind the comcast device as I described in another post, and if you cannot turn off wifi or upnp on the comcast box, you could theoretically wrap the comcast box in aluminum foil to prevent any unauthorized wifi connections.  Then, just set your own personal routers to a different channel.  There's still the possibility of someone hijacking the firmware of their device remotely, so it would be preferable to turn those features off.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Ron
> 
> 
> 
> Scott Castaline <skotchman at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> I really think that XSS was really misnamed it should be XRS = Xfinity
>> Ripoff Services.
>>
>> I had an old RCA DOCSIS/EMTA cable modem and Comcast I think in their
>> attempt to force me into a newer modem recently started throttling my
>> downloads. They have recently upgraded internet speeds in my area and
>> I'm supposed to be in the 50Mbps rate formerly 20Mbps but the RCA was
>> not capable of that speed.
>>
>> So I went ahead and ordered from Xfinity a new one. Received an
>> Xfinity/Arris DOCSIS3.0 w/EMTA, WiFi & 4 port router. I don't need or
>> want the WiFi as I've already have a network setup and all I wanted to
>> do was hook my router up to port 1 on the Xfinity box and keep my
>> existing network. I logged into the box, (default is admin/password)
>> and
>> saw a place to change password and did so using my password generator
>> in
>> KeePassX. Ok so far, I was then able to relogin with the new password.
>> I
>> then changed the SSID and WiFi passphrase again using KeePassX to
>> generate that.
>>
>> I was trying to find where to disable the WiFi but could not, when I
>> saw
>> the Setup Wizard option. Well the 1st thing is change admin's password,
>> but I already did. Xfinity don't give a crap you must change the
>> password NOW!!!, no backing out safely either. Well I did but forgot to
>> save it in KeePassX. So now I have NO ACCESS TO THIS FREAKIN' BOX!!!!!
>> Okay so that part is my screwup, but the default is to leave the
>> LAN/WLAN wide open with uPNP Enabled, full access to my network from
>> the
>> outside. I hadn't found where to change that yet before the password
>> 2nd
>> change.
>>
>> Okay so I hit the reset button in the back, no change unable to get
>> back
>> in. Did it again holding it for 5 sec. same, again for 10 secs, same,
>> pulled plug and held in reset while plugging back in (no internal
>> batteries, they're now extra), still the same.
>>
>> I go online and chat with support, and she was unable to get it fixed
>> and she tried 3 times to reset the WiFi to off but was not able to do
>> it. She referred me to XSS. After spending about 20 minutes pushing
>> buttons to get to different menu levels, I finally got a live person,
>> at
>> least I think he was alive, he sounded like he was a million miles away
>> and was talking through a pillow. Ok I admit I may be a little hard of
>> hearing, ok I am hard of hearing,(wife is standing over shoulder and is
>> correcting me), but even she could barely hear this person.
>>
>> He then had to bump me up to another person, who also I had trouble
>> hearing. But for them to help me reset my password they wanted $79.99
>> on
>> my credit card. and then I was forced to have to sign up for support
>> contract at $14..99/month, and they would then go in and configure my
>> entire ntwk, each PC and printer. I would of course have to be using
>> MAFIA$HAFT WINDBLOWS, no additional routers allowed or Linux. I told
>> him
>> I didn't need continual support for my equipment I just want to be able
>> to get the password reset to default so that I could change it myself
>> and to disable the WiFi. Total bill would be $$175.00. I told him where
>> to stick it and hung up.
>>
>> I have also tried to reactivate my old box and they can't do it, or say
>> they can't.
>>
>> Scott C
>> -- 
>> Sent from my home PC running Fedora19 to you and NSA, FBI, CIA, HSA
>> and God only knows who else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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> 
> 
> --
> 
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> 
> (PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
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> 
> Ron Frazier
> 770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
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-- 
Sent from my home PC running Fedora19 to you and NSA, FBI, CIA, HSA
and God only knows who else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!