Xfinity Internet Review 2020

Comcast Xfinity is one of the most well-known internet service providers (ISPs) in the US, and for good reason: it’s available across almost all of the US. And sure, we’ve all heard about the customer service nightmares. But at the end of the day, Xfinity is still one of the fastest and most reliable internet providers you can get coast to coast.

Let’s dig into Xfinity internet prices, plans, download speeds, and customer service. And we’ll compare it to other ISPs to see if it’s the right internet provider for you.

Xfinity internet deals

Looking for a Comcast Xfinity deal? Look no further.

Xfinity internet prices and plans

Xfinity’s internet prices vary based on your location, but you can choose if you want a contract or not.

If you’re shopping around for Comcast Xfinity internet plans, there’s one thing you should know: prices and plans change based on your location. A lot.

For example, here’s how prices differ for the Xfinity internet package with 60 Mbps speeds and a contract costs depending on your location. (And if you’re wondering, the Central region doesn’t have a 60 Mbps plan, so we picked the next closest one.)

Looks like those living in the Northeast and Western regions of the US got a promotional price for the first year. Lucky.

Those living in the Central region end up paying a few bucks more for the same internet speed, but even still, Xfinity’s prices tend to be competitive. And it delivers the speeds it advertises.

We also mentioned that Xfinity gives you the choice of paying a little less each month but getting roped into a contract versus paying more and going contract-free.

The best choice there really boils down to how long you plan to keep your Comcast Xfinity service—or how contract-averse you are. (Hey, we get it.) If you don’t plan to stay signed up for Xfinity internet for more than a year, check out those no-contract options to see if your wallet can handle the additional monthly cost.

Xfinity internet speed and data

Xfinity is known to deliver the download speeds it promises—and then some.

One of the things we like about Xfinity is the number of choices you have for speed. Especially the option to slingshot yourself into the interwebs at 2,000 Mbps with the Gigabit Pro plan.

Depending on where you live, here’s a quick glance at some of the download speeds Xfinity offers:

And hey, here’s something else that might soften your heart toward Xfinity: The ISP boosted download speeds for most of its plans in 2019. And without touching your monthly bill too. Not bad.

As for actual speed performance, you might be happy as a clam knowing Xfinity nabbed the “Fastest Cable” title in our Fastest Internet Providers list.

That means it did well in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) latest report as well as HighSpeedInternet.com’s report on the fastest internet providers. The FCC report ranks Xfinity fourth out of all 16 ISPs reviewed, with an average actual speed of 112.5%.¹ That means the download speeds Xfinity customers got were faster than what was advertised. Nice!

However, there is one strange trend we’ve noticed with our Xfinity internet service in both Utah and Florida: we lose internet service for a few minutes in the wee hours of the morning.

What gives? We’re not sure—Xfinity has never commented on this random connection drop that occurs almost every day. The only saving grace here (unless you’re a night owl) is that it tends to happen around 2 or 3 a.m.

Xfinity data caps

Almost every Xfinity plan has a 1 terabyte (1 TB, or 1,000 gigabytes) data limit. That’s a pretty significant amount of data, and it matches what Cox and CenturyLink offer.

That data limit likely isn’t an issue—unless your entire family or roommates love to stream shows on Netflix just as much as you do. So if you do somehow manage to exceed the 1-TB limit, you can expect to pay $10 for each additional 50 GB. And Xfinity also lets you upgrade to unlimited data for $50 a month more.

Xfinity contracts, equipment, and fees

The good? Xfinity offers no-contract plans. The bad? You still have to pay fees for installation and more.

Xfinity contracts

While those location-based prices can be frustrating, Xfinity makes up for it a little bit by giving you the option to skip out on a contract. Of course, if you choose to have the freedom of canceling your Xfinity service at any time, you’ll pay about $10 more each month.

If you’re sure you’ll stick with Comcast for at least 12 months, going for that contract can save you $120 that year (12 months x $10). In the end, it’s your call: save money or have the option to cancel Xfinity at any time.

Xfinity service fees

Sadly, there’s no getting away from Xfinity fees, just like with every ISP. Here are a few to watch out for:

Professional installation: $89.99; Xfinity says you can get pro installation even at night or on weekends. One heads up though: your pro install price might change based on where you live.

Self-installation kit: $15; You might be able to find a deal or negotiate for a free Comcast Xfinity self-install kit.

One-time fees: Make sure you understand which one-time fees you’re subject to, like activation fees, before you order. As always, we recommend negotiating lower fees if you can.

Early termination fees: There’s a 30-day “money-back guarantee” period to cancel after signing up for a 12-month Xfinity plan. After that, you can expect to pay a fee for the remaining months of your service contract. Xfinity doesn’t list exact amounts, but you can expect to at least pay for the months of service remaining on your contract.

Equipment fees

If you decide to go with Xfinity’s xFi gateway modem, it’ll run you $13 a month extra. That’s a pretty typical equipment rental fee, but if you plan to keep your Xfinity service for longer than a year, you can save some money by buying your own.

• Xfinity xFi gateway rental fee: $13/month

Bringing your own equipment to the table, like this NETGEAR modem and router combo from Amazon, tends to cost less than a full year of renting the xFi.

Wondering if you should upgrade to the Xfinity xFi or Flex system? Take a look at our chat with Xfinity reps at CES 2020 to learn more about new dashboards, Wi-Fi 6, and more.

Xfinity customer service

Let’s face it: no one likes dealing with customer service reps . . . from any company.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) scored Xfinity 61 out of 100, which is up one point from last year.² That may not seem like much, but that puts Xfinity firmly in the middle of the pack.

Usually when we call Xfinity support, it’s the same old story. The representatives talk over us and constantly try to upsell us.

But from time to time, we’re pleasantly surprised. For example, about a month ago, I received a surprise phone call from Xfinity. We had just experienced an outage—about an hour or two at 2 a.m.—and they were giving us a $25 credit on our next monthly bill. I didn’t even have to call in and complain.

These moments can be few and far between, but at least Xfinity is trying to improve. If you need to get a hold of a Comcast Xfinity representative, there are a few different channels you can use. We recommend social media or online chat since you won’t be stuck waiting around the store or on the phone.

• Xfinity online chat and phone numbers
• Facebook: @Xfinity
• Twitter: @ComcastCares

We should add that, of all the ISP websites we’ve visited (and we’ve visited a lot of sites), the Comcast Xfinity site is one of the easiest to use. Finding information and selecting plans, upgrades, and equipment is pretty easy.

Think that should be a given? We do too, but sadly some ISP sites are stuck in the early-2000s era of the internet.

Of course, the one area where the Xfinity site isn’t helpful is when you’re trying to swap to a cheaper plan once your promo price expires. We just tried this ourselves—we prefer to avoid that phone call if we can. But we couldn’t find a way to swap out our internet and TV bundle with an internet-only plan on the site. Sigh.

Our Xfinity internet plan recommendations

Best for budgeters: Performance Starter

Who it’s best for: Budget-minded browsers who don’t do much more than keep up with Castle Rock on Hulu.

Why we picked it: For around $30 a month, you get speeds around 15 Mbps. That’s not that fast, we know, but it’s enough if you care more about saving money than waiting around for an Amazon Prime movie rental to finish downloading.

Best for gamers and binge-watchers: Blast! Pro

Who it’s best for: Gamers and anyone who has a large family of binge-watchers.

Why we picked it: Blast! Pro rings in under $60 a month. Sure, that’s more than the Performance Starter plan, but it boasts almost twenty times the speed of Performance, 275 Mbps vs. 15 Mbps. That means the next time you download a movie, it’ll be ready to watch before the popcorn finishes popping.

Recap: Is Xfinity internet good?

Xfinity is widely available, and it delivers on speed.

Xfinity is an internet service that does what it should: it lets us watch Ted’s hopeless-romantic antics on How I Met Your Mother without interruption. We’d love to see its customer service step it up, but that’s our only complaint.

Not to mention it offers pretty competitive prices for a wide variety of speeds—2,000 Mbps would make even our tech-savvy friend’s eyes sparkle with glee.

Comcast Xfinity internet prices and plans recap

• Performance Starter: $29.99/month*, 15 Mbps download speeds
• Performance Plus: $39.99/month*, 75 Mbps download speeds
• Performance Pro: $54.99/month*, 175 Mbps download speeds
• Blast! Pro: $69.99/month*, 275 Mbps download speeds
• Extreme Pro: $60/month*, 500 Mbps download speeds
• Gigabit: $70/month†, 1000 Mbps download speeds
• Gigabit Pro: $299.95/month‡, 2000 Mbps download speeds

<sup>Data effective 11/19/18. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
* For the first 12 months with a 1-year agreement.
† For the first 24 months with a 2-year agreement.
‡ With a 2-year agreement.</sup>

Still not convinced? See how Xfinity stacks up against competitors in some of our reviews.

• Xfinity vs. Frontier
• Xfinity vs. CenturyLink
• Xfinity vs. Verizon Fios
• Xfinity vs. AT&T

Xfinity FAQs

Q: What kind of modem does Xfinity use?

It depends on the plan, but Xfinity promotes its xFi Gateway modem and router combo. There are various models of the xFi Gateway, and if you need to troubleshoot or get started setting yours up, we recommend checking out this xFi Gateway support page.

Q: Which router should I use with Xfinity?

If you prefer to buy your own, we recommend this TP-Link Archer CR500 modem and Wi-Fi router combo from Amazon.

We always recommend double-checking compatibility with a Comcast representative just to be sure, or you can check compatible equipment here.

Q: How can I check my speed with Xfinity?

Our internet speed test will tell you your download and upload speeds and how much latency you experience.

Q: Are Comcast and Xfinity the same thing?

Pretty much. “Comcast” and “Xfinity” are often used interchangeably, but Xfinity is specific to Comcast’s cable TV/internet/voice services.

Q: What is Xfinity Blast! Pro and is it good for gaming?

The Blast! Pro or Blast! plans offer 250 Mbps or 150 Mbps, respectively. Let’s put it this way—you won’t be able to blame your Fortnite losses on your internet connection. If you lose, it’s your own dang fault.

Want to see how other ISPs compare when it comes to MMOs or FPS games? Check out our Best Internet for Gaming review.

Q: Can I bundle my Xfinity internet with cable TV?

Yes. There are quite a few ways to get high-speed internet and cable TV together with Xfinity. We recommend the Preferred XF Double Play, which gets you 220+ channels (including ESPN and STARZ ENCORE® plus 150 Mbps internet).

Sources
1. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), “2018 Fixed Broadband Report”
2. American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), “ACSI Telecommunications Report 2018-2019”
3. Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, “Comcast is raising rates for cable and internet again”

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^{Tyler Abbott}