I’ve always been a satisfied Comcast subscriber. Simply put, I don’t require much assistance; as long as my home has an Internet signal, I can typically do the rest. So I just pay my bill, get speedy Internet, and everything is fine. Until a few days ago, that is.
Service cut, and the first round of apologies
I discovered I had no Internet or TV signal on April 21st, early in the morning. I figured there was some sort of temporary outage in the neighborhood because this wasn’t the first time this has happened. I called Comcast since there was still no signal late in the afternoon.
After apologizing for the “inconvenience,” the first guy I spoke with said he detected “signal leakage” on my line and that he spotted a “special order” on my account, but wouldn’t say what it meant. He apologised for not being able to fix what was wrong and referred me to someone who would “certainly fix the problem” after putting me on hold numerous times. The second person turned out to be a sales representative who was even more remorseful and offered to put me in touch with the appropriate person who could help me.
Each time I was connected to a new rep, I had to go through the procedure of telling them why I was calling, my name, validating my home address, and giving them the last four digits of my social security number. With the third person, the same thing happened. He told me that he’d schedule a home visit and that I would need to be home for the technician to arrive on the April 22 “between noon and 2pm”. I accepted and requested for a confirmation email, which he promised would arrive in five minutes. Finally, he apologized once more. “Sir, the first person you spoke with should have immediately arranged the visit. I’m not sure why he didn’t do it “he stated I asked why, too, because it would have saved me from having to talk on the phone for more than half an hour. But things happen.
I immediately informed my office that I would need to be at home the next day to await the cable installer. It was a cliche, to say the least.
A day wasted, more apologies
I checked my phone the next morning and couldn’t see the confirmation email. So I called Comcast again to double-check that someone would be arriving. After going through the same process again, the representative apologized and informed me that there was no appointment planned for that day at my address. There was one for the next day, though, and it wasn’t from noon to 2 p.m., but from 2 to 4 p.m. After nearly an hour on the phone, I was promised that a local dispatcher will call me in half an hour, implying that someone would really be able to go to my house that day.
I hung up to wait, and shortly after, I received an email from Comcast confirming a service appointment for Wednesday, March 23rd, between 2 and 4 p.m. I waited nevertheless, but no contact from a Comcast dispatcher came during the day. At 6:20 p.m., I received an automated “courtesy” call from Comcast confirming the appointment for Wednesday, April 23, with a “guaranteed arrival time between 2 and 4 p.m.”
Guaranteed arrival time passes, still more apologies
When the 23rd rolled around, there had been no follow-up or email from Comcast, so I went home early at 1:30pm anyhow. After all, it was a given. By 4 p.m., no one had arrived. At 4:04 p.m., I received a call from Tony Medico, a local Comcast supervisor. Tony apologized for the technician’s tardiness (he literally began every sentence with “I’m sorry”) “I apologize, sir…” until I interrupted him) and told me that their tech would arrive “if not by 5 o’clock, then by 5:05 o’clock, sir.” Basically, we’ll finish it today.”
After an hour, a Comcast truck pulled up to the curb in front of my house at around 5 p.m. The technician, who went by the name of George, got right to work. Inside my house, he fixed some wires and uninstalled a few splitters. Finally, he scaled the pole outside and removed a filter, restoring the signal.
Apologies not accepted
Comcast had discovered signal leakage inside my home, which was caused by unused, open cable plugs, as it turned out. They sent someone out to install a filter on the pole outside to prevent the problem from interfering with their system, but this filter effectively turned off my service. This explained my account’s “special order.” However, I was completely unaware of this.
Things would have been much easier if the person who installed the filter had left a message describing the situation in my mailbox. I would have saved many hours on the phone, a day and a half of missed productivity, and a lot of irritation. Comcast, on the other hand, would have had nothing to apologize for. Indeed, if I had a $1 for every time I heard a Comcast representative apologize, I would have more than enough money to pay for a year’s worth of Comcast service!
So, Comcast, I appreciate your apologies, but I’m not interested in receiving them. I only need the service to function, and I’d rather not waste any time doing so. There were numerous things you could have simply done to avoid confusion throughout the entire encounter.
However, I’ll have to wait till something else happens before I can declare “apologies accepted.” For the time being, I’m simply glad I’m back online, and I hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else. Finally, I’d like to express my gratitude to George, the technician who handled the situation with care and professionalism. By the way, George was the only Comcast employee who didn’t apologize since he was too preoccupied with getting the job done.
What is a Comcast MoCA filter, and how does it work?
MoCA filters, also known as MoCA immunity filters or MoCA PoE (Point of Entrance) filters, are installed ahead of the MoCA device at the “point of entry.” They’re little gadgets that attach to the coax wire using screws. The goal is to safeguard and filter any signal coming from nearby DOCSIS connections. For instance, within an apartment complex or a nearby home.
A MoCA filter is already included into some cable modems. This is useful for preventing your MoCA network from overlapping with your neighbor’s. A MoCA filter should be installed on your line or built-in to your cable modem if it was properly installed by your Cable Internet provider. If you bought your own cable modem, though, you’ll almost certainly need a MoCA filter.
What is an Internet noise filter?
Data Noise is frequently emitted by boxes that provide phony phone lines at frequencies higher than voice frequencies.
We’re talking about phony phone lines from cable companies, phony phone lines from phone companies that have abandoned copper in favor of fiber, and phony phone lines from Internet providers who bundle phone service with Internet access.
You generally can’t hear the Data Noise, but it can sometimes alter the true data from the CPU in the phone or telephone equipment, causing the phone equipment to behave strangely.
What bizarre things are you talking about? Every piece of phone equipment is going to be different. Perhaps nothing, or perhaps something you’ve never seen go wrong before. It’s impossible to say.
For testing, have both the normal and PLUS versions on hand. One could work, whereas the other could not. You’ll never know unless you try them!
The PLUS version, which covers lower frequency noise, employs a different filtering mechanism than the Regular version.
Connect an oscilloscope to the tip and ring of the fake phone line box to look for Data Noise and determine its amplitude (loudness), which is difficult to achieve in the field.
It’s often more convenient to simply carry a Data Noise Filter and connect it in series with the mod connector on the fake phone line box.
Keep a pair of these with you at all times if you’re selling or installing telephone equipment and some of it will be connected to a box with false phone lines (both versions). It will allow you to spend less time chasing your tail (and replacing the KSU, etc.). They’re inexpensive and simple to attempt.
Is there a fee for a technician visit from Comcast?
Service appointments to repair Comcast-owned facilities or equipment loaned to you by Comcast are free of charge. Charges for service appointments may apply if the source of your service problem is not Comcast-owned facilities or Comcast-rented equipment.
What are the responsibilities of Xfinity technicians?
As a key member of the team, you’ll develop your skills as we work together to provide a good customer experience, from meeting new customers and installing the latest XFINITY products to diagnosing technical issues.
What is the cost of Comcast installation?
Xfinity promotes its self-install kit for internet service, and as of the time of writing, if you use standard shipping, your self-install kit will cost you nothing.
If you require professional assistance, the cost is the same as for television: $89.99. (However, Xfinity may remove installation expenses as part of a sign-up incentive depending on the time of year.)
Is MoCA available on Xfinity routers?
It makes no difference whether your ISP is a Cable Internet provider or not, as previously stated.
Obtaining MoCA Adapters allows you to take use of a MoCA network’s high-speed capabilities and reliability.
Now, if you have Xfinity Cable Internet and your certified Xfinity router has built-in MoCA capabilities, you only need one adapter to make the connection work. MoCA establishes a point-to-point network link. You’ll need one MoCA Adapter for each Ethernet-capable device you want to connect to your MoCA network. If your router supports MoCA and you wish to connect a gaming system and a computer, you’ll need two MoCA adapters: one for the gaming system and one for connecting your computer to the coax cabling.
- Connect one MoCA adapter to a coax jack in your home, then an Ethernet wire to your device.
- Connect one MoCA adapter to your router through an Ethernet connection by plugging it into a coax port.
In principle, any ISP, not just Xfinity or Spectrum, can set up an Ethernet over coax network. If you’re an Xfinity or Spectrum customer, though, you can easily set up MoCA adapters because you’ll almost certainly already have a MoCA-enabled router and can follow the procedures above.
MoCA adapters from Hitron are available on Amazon. If you’re interested in learning more about MoCA technology and how to improve your home WiFi, visit Hitron’s Learn Page.