First Time Ever Seeing That Message From Comcast

Just got an interesting email and text notice from Comcast.

For the first time ever, we've exceeded our internet data allotment of 1.2 TB!

I was unaware of such a limit and had never hit it before.

Then again, this month has been very heavy on Zoom usage due to both kids being at home and both of us working at home a lot.  

It's also due to a prominent situation of everyone  binging on Netflix and HBO Max and Amazon Prime programs this month, so I can easily see how we hit that number.

Thankfully, since it's the first time we apparently won't be charged for going over, but future overages are charged at $10 for every 50 GB over the limit.  Ouch.  

Now that I know how and where to look, it turns out we got close to that number for the past few months, most especially in September but not close enough to get a warning. 

1.2 Terrabytes!  That's a heckuva lot of data used.

Internet Speed Testing And Home Internet Reconfiguration

My home internet service from Comcast was supposed to be fast, and I was certainly paying enough money every month for it.

Lately however I've noticed its been quite slow, especially when watching shows from Amazon or if one of the kids is on Facetime or another app on another system at the same time.

So I did a VUDU Speed Test and found I was getting all of 3Mbps. Considering I'm paying for 20 Mbps this is disappointing to say the least.

It turns out the modem I had issued to me from Comcast was the problem, being only a DOCIS Level 2 modem. While their tech support claimed it was not the problem. Well, it most certainly was.

This led me to my latest home project.

I went online to Amazon and bought a Linksys DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem (DPC3008-CC) from Amazon for all of $78. I installed it and had Comcast register it for service and hey whaddya know, I'm now getting 20Mbps and its great.

So yes, I was right and the online tech was wrong, imagine that. The tech I spoke to today setting up the system was far more competent.

Considering it's $7 a month to lease the super-slow-modem from Comcast, I'm ahead in money in less than a year with much faster performance to boot. The difference between 3Mbps and 20Mbps is very real.

On top of that, I went and bought an OBi100 VoIP Telephone Adapter and Voice Service Bridge and have now replaced the Comcast Home Internet Telephone system with The Obi and Google Voice for essentially a free home phone and a payoff measured in less than 2 months. More money saved and more fun in configuring the service which actually is not that difficult to do. The quality is just fine and I can't beat the price.

If you've got Comcast Internet, I'd strongly advise running a speed test a few times to see if you're really getting the performance that you're paying for from them. I'd also suggest looking at Obitalk's OBi100 and Google Voice for home VOIP telephony service.

When Security Hampers Usability

While trying to stop viruses and other nasties from harming my PC, I've been noticing some serious issues with my web browsers recently. From ridiculous slowness. to complete freezing, to text coming out jumbled when being typed in, it was becoming a major problem.

After running lots of anti-virus scans, checking various network settings and everything else I could think of, I've finally tracked it down and figured out that the problems are caused by the Constant Guard Toolbar provided by Comcast as part of their computer security stuff they give you for free as a subscriber.

It is helpful that they give you the security package and it obviously benefits them as it prevents or at least reduces the risk of their network from becoming a bunch of virus-infected and hacked computers.

But, the Comcast Constant Guard Toolbar really does not get along well with Firefox and Google Chrome, and least not in their latest updated iterations.

How badly does it not get along?

Try as badly as absolutely constantly freezing the browser, waiting forever for pages to load and then suddenly getting a "program not responding" message as the browser goes translucent, and anytime you try to enter text in a text entry on a website it just doesn't work.

So I disabled the Constant Guard Toolbar and voila - functionality is back to 100% with the browsers and speed and text entry is back to normal.

So, if you're experiencing Chrome or Firefox browser freezing and browser slowness, you may want to try disabling the Constant Guard Toolbar and see if that resolves your problem.

Good security tools shouldn't destroy your usability in the name of enhanced security.

Of course, if you couldn't use the web browser due to the security tool making it unusable, I suppose your web browsing would then be 100% secure.

Constant Guard Toolbar - The operation is a success but the patient died. No thanks, I'll take an operational browser with a slightly higher risk over an unusable source of frustration any day.

Normal Blogging Now Resumes

I've been out of contact as we just had the joy of being approved to close on a house and then actually moving.

Combine various issues arising in the closing process. Thank you Bank for your spurious objection that was resolved once we proved a negative to your satisfaction, one the day before closing. And thank you, FHA for delaying closing for a week after making an issue the day of the closing - how about being proactive and finding the "issues" before the closing, it's not like this was a surprise purchase. So after almost being homeless, we closed at 5:30 pm the day before the movers came for our stuff. Lots of fun and some new gray hairs as a result. Only downside to the new house - the driveway is even more vertical than the last - I mean we can ski off that sucker in the winter and it is at least a blue square if not a black diamond. To put it simply, the moving truck could not make it up the hill.

Adding to the fun, Comcast instead of making the account a transfer to the new house completely canceled the internet and TV and phone account completely, rendering the house without all such services.

Then right after Comcast came and installed the services, Vista crashed. You know its bad when the only message you get is "Corrupt System Volume". After much cursing, restoring and hoping, it has been brought back to life, and a neglected complete backup of the data and pics on the computer was hastily made. Note to others - do your backups regularly and do em often. But all is well and we finally have internet access again at home.

So Coming up shortly, I will post on the incredible Great Lakes wreck dives I did last Sunday, complete with pictures.