Xfinity is among the most popular internet providers across the United States, with both cable internet and WiFi services. Xfinity uses your modem to spread a WiFi signal. Their service offers you the option to choose a prepaid deal, which gives you up to 1TB of data that you can use at 50 Mbps download speed. But it is it possible to use Xfiniti internet outside of your home network?
You can use the Xfinity network even when away from home. When out in public spaces like stores and restaurants, you can look for a nearby Xfinity WiFi network to connect to WiFi. This allows you to access the Internet without using your cellphone plan data or sharing account information.
The company uses the modem you rent to provide a network to everyone, including people who are not customers. Anyone can access Xfiniti internet through over eight million hotspots, which is why the company has been able to offer affordable internet accessible across the U.S. Note that the hotspot feature does not affect your home’s broadband connection, so it works in the background without disturbing the system.
What is Xfinity?
Comcast Cable Communications, which does business under the name Xfinity, is an American telecommunications company. The company offers consumer internet, cable television, and wireless services. One of the services you might have come across by the company is Xfinity WiFi, which is available to Xfinity internet subscribers.
The WiFi consists of hotspots available in public locations and businesses. Users subscribed to the “Performance” tier get unlimited usage of the hotspots when they sign in with an Xfinity account.
All dual-band home gateways by Xfinity operate a public and private network with an SSID named “xfinitywifi.” To save bandwidth, the hotspots are capped at five users at a time.
Through the company’s prepaid service, you can customize a package that suits your needs best. The package is ideal for a single user or a small family, as you get to register up to 10 devices. Speeds on the prepaid service are capped at 50 Mbps for downloads, and you have up to 1TB of data to consume in 30 days.
Can You Use Xfinity Internet Anywhere?
Subscribers of Xfinity internet can use WiFi hotspots by the company available anywhere. This includes a mixture of hotspots installed in businesses, public locations, and homes. If you have your Xfinity mobile or WiFi account, you can connect to the network when away from home.
When at a public place, when you search for a WiFi connection you’ll see “xfinitywifi” among the options. Most routers offer a hotspot to the network that allows users to access the company’s WiFi without sharing their passwords with guests.
Xfinity argues they designed the feature to offer users more access to the internet. The service is separate from the private home WiFi network and allows you to sign in without sharing the secure network password.
The home hotspot is added to the service at no extra charge. This hotspot function is switched on by default and works with certain Xfinity WiFi routers.
How to Turn on Your Xfinity Hotspot
The Xfinity Wireless Gateway offers an additional “xfinitywifi” signal, which creates an extension of the Xfinity network in your home. This feature was designed for users, and the service is separate from the secure private home WiFi network.
It allows you to sign in as a guest and access the internet without using your secure network password. No additional charges are included for the service.
If you want to enable Xfinity home hotspot, these are the steps you should follow:
- Log on to the Xfinity app, which is available through Google Play and the Apple App Store.
- Sign in using your password and Xfinity ID.
- Select “Connect” and navigate to “See Network.” Scroll to “Advanced Settings.”
- From here, find “Xfinity WiFi Hotspot.”
- Toggle the switch to switch on the public hotspot. You can use the same procedure if you want to switch off the network.
If you get information about the WiFi and don’t get the option to “Turn Off” or “Turn On,” it means your device is not eligible for the feature, so it cannot broadcast a public hotspot signal.
How to Learn About Your Xfinity Internet Plan
For Xfinity subscribers, it’s important to understand your plan. This information is available through the official website. It’s easy to find your package information as you simply need to check your billing statement under “My Account.” From there, you’ll find a list of bill statements from your past payments.
Find the most recent date and click the “view PDF” link to open the document. The package information is listed on the third page of the billing statement.
What To Do If Your Xfinity Hotspot Isn’t Working
It can be frustrating if you have guests who cannot connect to your Xfinity hotspot. The first thing is to determine is if the problem is with the network. It could be because you set up the WiFi modem recently, as it requires up to 24 hours to begin broadcasting the hotspot signal. However, if this is not the case, there could be an error causing problems.
Follow these steps if your Xfinity hotspot network is not working correctly:
- Get a WiFi-enabled device and check the available networks.
- Connect the device to “xfinitywifi.” If this network is unavailable, check if the hotspot is turned on.
- On a web browser, visit a website.
- This should automatically redirect you to the Xfinity sign-in page.
- If there are still problems accessing the WiFi hotspot, confirm how many network bars the device has. In the case of one or two bars, you should move closer to the source of the hotspot signal.
Conclusion
As one of the top internet providers, Xfinity is a good option if you want a connection you can access even when away from home. The company offers the Xfinity hotspot solution that allows you to use their network even when away from home. You can use the network as a guest without exposing your password or Xfinity ID.