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 and wide variety of speeds earned it our Best Value award.

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 was seventh out of 38 ISPs we analyzed in our fastest internet providers list. It also ranked fourth out of all large ISPs.

We should note that Xfinity’s score isn’t a representation of its actual download speeds. Instead, the weighted score is a combination of the average download speeds, upload speeds, and latency that Xfinity internet users saw in more than 1 million speed tests taken in 2019.

And while a score of 46.6 out of 100 may seem low, it’s actually pretty excellent. The top-ranked ISP scored 75.6 out of 100, and Xfinity was the second fastest cable provider overall.

But 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 1.2 TB data limit. That’s a pretty significant amount of data, and it matches what Cox and CenturyLink offer.

For most of us, that data limit isn’t an issue. But now that working—and vegging with Netflix—from home is becoming our “new normal,” that data cap can get gobbled up faster than you can say, “Om nom nom!”

This might be a familiar sight to some. Here’s our Xfinity internet data usage from April to July 2020. Yikes.

If your data usage looks like ours above, you do have a few options for adding data to your Xfinity plan. But be warned, extra data costs extra money.

Option 1: Pay the overage fee

Xfinity charges $10 (plus tax) to add an extra 50 GB of data to your internet plan, up to a max of $100 each month.

If you don’t go over your data limit that often, this may be the least expensive option for you. But if you go through data like we go through a bag of white cheddar popcorn, you’ll want to look at Options 2 and 3.

Option 2: Sign up for xFi Complete

The new xFi Complete program comes with unlimited data plus a few other perks:

• Unlimited data
• Whole-home Wi-Fi
• Xfinity xFi Gateway modem and router combo

The xFi Complete program costs an extra $25 a month (or an extra $11 a month if you’re already renting the Xfinity Gateway). That’s not a bad price to get unlimited data (we’ve seen more expensive options). And the xFi Gateway isn’t a bad piece of equipment either.

Option 3: Get the Unlimited Data add-on

If you prefer to use your own router instead of the xFi Gateway, you can still get unlimited data. You’ll pay a little more than you would for the xFi Complete program though, to the tune of $30 extra a month.

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 latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) shows that Xfinity improved its customer service over the last year. It scored 66 out of 100, up from its 2019 score of 61 out of 100.² That’s a pretty dramatic improvement as far as internet provider customer service goes, and we hope Xfinity continues that trend.

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 one of our top picks for internet service thanks to its competitive prices, great range of plans to choose from, and excellent download speed performance. We also like that it’s available across most of the US, plus it has one of the largest Wi-Fi hotspot networks.

On the downside, we wish Xfinity would just swap to unlimited data already. And we’d love to see it improve its customer service even more.

Still, Xfinity is an internet service that does what it should: it lets us binge-watch the latest and greatest Netflix Originals or hop online for a Fortnite match.

Comcast Xfinity internet deals

• 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. Catherine McNally, Reviews.org, “Fastest Internet Providers 2020,” August 2020. Accessed August 12, 2020.
2. American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), “ACSI Telecommunications Report 2019–2020”
3. Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, “Comcast is raising rates for cable and internet again”

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