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Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

xfinity.com

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Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#21

Post by chimeracoder »

chatmasta wrote: post #7
chimeracoder wrote: post #5

One takeaway from this is that there's a strong privacy case for disabling the built-in wireless network from your ISP-provided modem/router and using your own, to reduce the number of ways that your ISP can surveil you.

That’s always a good idea, but they’ll still be able to tell when someone is home because the outbound internet traffic will increase. And don’t forget to set your DNS to a non-ISP resolver.

> That’s always a good idea, but they’ll still be able to tell when someone is home because the outbound internet traffic will increase.

Sure, but not necessarily who is home, since they won't have the MAC address of your device(s) connecting.

Also, traffic volumes are a lot noisier of signals than you might think, given how much automated and background stuff we have these days.

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#22

Post by gia_ferrari »

reanimus wrote: post #17
jayd16 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't they hand out combination modem/routers? What's a cheaper alternative?

Buy your own DOCSIS modem, opt out of renting theirs. It'll pay for itself after a few billing cycles (the modem rental fee is $15 per month)

If you're on a cheaper lower speed subscription, you can often find compatible modems at thrift stores for a couple dollars. People upgrade to faster tiers and unload their old perfectly serviceable equipment good for a couple hundred megabits - fine for most needs.

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#23

Post by sojsurf »

hopelite wrote: post #12
yborg wrote: post #4

I remember reading this paper when it came out, didn't think it would be commercializable, and here we are. https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2486001.2486039

I have a sneaky suspicion this is not something that Xfinity/Comcast just woke up one day and thought they should implement. This has all the hallmarks of the treasonous surveillance state injecting itself to instrumentalize corporations to claim they’re not violating the supreme law called the Constitution if they simply make others commit the treasonous crimes against the people. Because we all know, of course, the…

I was just reading up on wifi 7 today. It sounds like the spec was designed with WIFI sensing in mind.

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#24

Post by tripdout »

chimeracoder wrote: post #5

One takeaway from this is that there's a strong privacy case for disabling the built-in wireless network from your ISP-provided modem/router and using your own, to reduce the number of ways that your ISP can surveil you.

If it lets you. I think Bell modem+router+AP devices always broadcast a TV network with no way of disabling it whether you have TV service or not.

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#25

Post by BarryMilo »

reaperducer wrote: post #19
femiagbabiaka wrote: post #15

Xfinity won't give folks in certain locales (maybe everywhere in the US?) unlimited bandwidth unless they use their modem/router. This seems like a good reason that practice should be illegal.

I use a cellular connection for my internet, but my apartment building is wired with Xfinity, and probably 90% of people use it. Naturally, there is no way for me to opt out of this.

Time to make your apartment a faraday cage!

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#27

Post by o11c »

chimeracoder wrote: post #5

One takeaway from this is that there's a strong privacy case for disabling the built-in wireless network from your ISP-provided modem/router and using your own, to reduce the number of ways that your ISP can surveil you.

My home ISP's cell router (because no other internet reaches our area anymore) has almost no configurable settings (just wifi name/password/hidden), and actively forbids you from disabling wifi even though I only use it through the wired connection.

(And what limited configurability it provides is only through the app, which requires you to agree to their "molest your privacy policy". I had been content with just not installing the app , but my threat model hadn't considered this new development ...)

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#29

Post by josho »

jacobgkau wrote: post #2

> Subject to applicable law, Comcast may disclose information generated by your WiFi Motion to third parties without further notice to you in connection with any law enforcement investigation or proceeding, any dispute to which Comcast is a party, or pursuant to a court order or subpoena. Sounds like, at least in some limited circumstances (using the provided WiFi AP, having this feature turned on, etc), ISPs are goi…

The solution here shouldn't be technical; it should be legal.

If we rely on the technical path, Comcast can achieve the same by how many active IPv6 addresses are in use. Even if you aren't using your phone, the device is going to be constantly pinging services like email, and your ISP can use that to piece together how many people are at home.

If we rely on legal protection, then not only Comcast, but all ISPs will be prohibited from spying on their customers. Ideally the legislation would be more broad and stop other forms of commercial/government surveillance, but I can't imagine a world where Congress could actually achieve something that widely helpful for regular citizens.

Re: Xfinity using WiFi signals in your house to detect motion

#30

Post by anonymousab »

tripdout wrote: post #24
chimeracoder wrote: post #5

One takeaway from this is that there's a strong privacy case for disabling the built-in wireless network from your ISP-provided modem/router and using your own, to reduce the number of ways that your ISP can surveil you.

If it lets you. I think Bell modem+router+AP devices always broadcast a TV network with no way of disabling it whether you have TV service or not.

That's what a good-ol' Faraday cage is for.
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