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How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

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Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#131
post #61

Do xfinitywifi hotspots permanently authenticate clients based only on their MAC addresses? A malicious client could easily find the MAC address of any device connected to a xfinitywifi hotspot (by using e.g. airodump-ng [0]) and then spoof that device's MAC address on their own computer to access the internet via the hotspot without any authentication. [0] http://www.aircrack-ng.org/doku.php?id=airodump-ng

Yes! I discovered (completely by accident) that 00:11:22:33:44:55 is authenticated to someone's account, so I just set my mac to that when I need to use their shit

Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#132
post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like you just may have a few things to learn about how networking works. Comcast is selling you a coax line into your house and, if you rent their modem, giving you an ethernet interface to it. It isn't making any claims about what happens after that. They can't have control over all your networking hardware and how you configure it.

I may have a few things to learn about how networking works. However, I was just stating the facts. A technician came out to re-configure to see if the issues of speed could be resolved. They did, and technician said... speed test is hitting ~93/120 mbps or so when wired in but the speed over wifi was much less while the specs say it is capable of doing 120 mbps without a problem. The tech actually said it isn't goin…

This isn't a Comcast issue. Their demarc (the divide between where service is delivered and your network) is the cable modem.

You could of course make the argument that you bought some combined cable modem/router/wifi AP box from them and it should "just work" - but you're just going to talk until you're blue in the face. Simply think of them as a pipe provider (not your IT support) and you'll be a lot happier.

What they provide is in general crap, and costing you money you can save off the monthly rental fee by providing your own equipment. This will also generally result in better performance.

I suggest buying a Surfboard 6183 (or lesser, depending on your area), and the wireless router of your choice. I recommend for simplicity sake the Apple Airport extreme or any quality 802.11n (or 802.11ac if your laptop supports it) router. Your network should look something like Cable from wall -> DOCSIS Modem -> Your wifi router. The only time you should be calling comcast is when the actual cable modem cannot obtain a lease and/or internet is in general failing.

Relying on Comcast to manage your CPE is just a plan for disaster. If your wired tests are getting 100Mbps, then the problem is on your end.

Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have Comcast 100Mb service and have 4 QAM256 bonded downstream right now. I've deployed and managed these networks (as a Comcast subsidiary in fact). 16 down doesn't mean anything other than fragmented frequency usage. If you have a Motorola cable modem go to: 192.168.100.1 to get to the web UI of your Surfboard. Click on the "Signal" tab at the top. My guess is the majority of people will see 4 x bonded down. Prob…

Surfboard 6141 here on Comcast, and the Signal page is showing 8 QAM256 channels downstream, 4 QPSK/64QAM up. Speedtest.net has been showing 125M down/12M up for the past few months, which was a silent bump up from the 75/10 I noticed before that (Seattle Eastside area). I'm curious how much faith to put in the speedtest numbers. Does Comcast detect speedtest, or is that what I'd really get elsewhere as well?

If you google for 100mb.bin or 1000mb.bin you'll find a lot of networks/exchanges that offer files for speedtest purposes if you want to independantly verify.

Here's a list: http://www.glasvezel.nu/speedtest-servers-100mb-1000mb-bin

Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#134
post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that hotspot goes through the same line that neighbors are connected with, no? Or Comcast doesn't count the hotspot traffic towards the plan bandwidth?

It counts it towards your data cap (if you are subject to it), but not to the bandwidth available under your plan.

Data cap? For Home Internet? In 2015? =/

Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It counts it towards your data cap (if you are subject to it), but not to the bandwidth available under your plan.

Data cap? For Home Internet? In 2015? =/

It sounds crazy, but apparently some places have it. In Australia it's even more common.

Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#136
post #117
post #16

Doesn't the xfinitiwifi inject ads MITM-style? I recall seeing some weird html overlays with xfinity ads on random web pages last time I browsed over one of these SSIDs.

> Doesn't the xfinitiwifi inject ads MITM-style? No. I feel like this post should be longer, but I can't think else to say. The answer to your question is: No.

Well I definitively saw unnatural HTML content overlays in the browser, and the only explanation I can think of is that the wifi hotspot MITM-injected javascript either in .html or .js files as they were downloaded to insert these overlays. Would love to see this proved wrong though :)

Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find openWRT is a really useful firmware project and I use it in any situation where it is feasible. Bandwidth Throttling / QOS is often in demand. Wireless Bridging works well. A nice side effect of using openWRT is that you sidestep many of the "backdoors" that sometimes appear (intentionally or otherwise) in stock firmware. I also helped create a page that can help find the current most powerful routers that sup…

It's such a shame that WD discontiued their MyNet range. I have a N750 and it is an awesome router with OpenWrt running. It was far more powerful (SoC + Memory) than any other router I looked at. I bought it for AUD$50. The closest router in terms of price + power was a TP-Link for around AUD$70 and it still was behind on features.

routers are more expensive and less flexible these days. industry decided that. what you could get for 50usd (and runs linux, reflashable with your own fw) is now around 200usd and does not support open firmwares like openwrt.

because you know, capitalism and stuff.

Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#138
post #66
post #61

Do xfinitywifi hotspots permanently authenticate clients based only on their MAC addresses? A malicious client could easily find the MAC address of any device connected to a xfinitywifi hotspot (by using e.g. airodump-ng [0]) and then spoof that device's MAC address on their own computer to access the internet via the hotspot without any authentication. [0] http://www.aircrack-ng.org/doku.php?id=airodump-ng

That's basically the only way to do it. If it were really clever, it could ignore packets based on vendor extensions and device characteristics. They are not that easy to spoof (you would have to modify the driver, as opposed to just changing the MAC). I actually use this method to use school WiFi anonymously (or rather, as someone else).

There is a bunch of non-broken (at least in design) client authentication protocols for WiFi. It's rarely used though since it causes problems on most devices and hard to set up (at least on win7 it didn't work for most people on my dorm).

Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#139
post #65

Another way for "bonding" would be to use mptcp ( http://multipath-tcp.org ). You might need to patch and build openwrt yourself for it... The key difference is with mptcp each individual tcp connection uses both connections at the same time, rather than picking a lottery. I blogged about my setup at http://www.sajalkayan.com/post/fun-with-mptcp.html

so many middleboxes out there, unfortunately. I've had success with both GRE and LISP tunnels in addition to utilizing MPTCP.

Re: How I doubled my Internet speed with OpenWRT

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find openWRT is a really useful firmware project and I use it in any situation where it is feasible. Bandwidth Throttling / QOS is often in demand. Wireless Bridging works well. A nice side effect of using openWRT is that you sidestep many of the "backdoors" that sometimes appear (intentionally or otherwise) in stock firmware. I also helped create a page that can help find the current most powerful routers that sup…

It's such a shame that WD discontiued their MyNet range. I have a N750 and it is an awesome router with OpenWrt running. It was far more powerful (SoC + Memory) than any other router I looked at. I bought it for AUD$50. The closest router in terms of price + power was a TP-Link for around AUD$70 and it still was behind on features.

I use the TP-Link WDR4300, because it was the best I could find here

[1]: http://www.tp-link.com/resources/images/products/large/TL-WD...

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