Comcast Changes - price increases, no free Norton

[target2019]

1) Comcast announced price increases, which are described here:
https://arstechnica.com/information...t-prices-including-a-big-hike-to-hidden-fees/

2) Norton Security Suite is no longer free through Comcast/Xfinity. You will need something to replace it by 1/1/2021.

I found an article useful in evaluating the various AV offerings. Of particular interest was the "load" table down in the article. Some of the AV products are very heavy.
https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/kaspersky

I was prepared to uninstall Norton and go elsewhere, but a new renew offer popped up in my system tray yesterday, and it ended up costing about $26 for Norton 360 Deluxe for 5 devices - 1 year. Installation was very easy, just needed to reboot to make it all happen.

 

[Sunset]

I'm so happy we only use about 30, Over the Air (OTA) free HD tv stations, for the past decade or more.

 

[Happyras]

So the offer I got was Norton 360 Deluxe for 1 year for $1, OR the same with Life Lock, free for 180 days, then $79 for the 1st year. Both options auto renew at their published rate, but you can go with it and take your time to select another AV over the next year.

Something to note, the password manager remains associated with your Intuit/Norton account so you do not loose it if you remove the Xfinity version or use another AV. Good to know, but then if you use another AV you will likely move on to that PW manager. For me, it took some time and figuring and I was told the $1 offer was a Black Friday deal ending Nov 30 so I had to cancel sooner than Jan 1 on the old version.

 

[Happyras]

Also, does anyone have anything good to say about the Life Lock feature? As far as I can see, it is pre-paid credit reporting with a flagging to tell you if someone applies for credit. It would seem to me that locking your credit would be the better method to prevent attacks rather than notice after the fact you have to pay for. Opinions? Is it worth the extra annual fee?

 

[Chuckanut]

I have never done business with Comcast because all their GREAT DEALS! have very small print that lists all the extra charges, and how they can raise them at any time during the contract, but I am still bound for the term of the agreement. That's a Lose/Win in my book with the customer being on the Lose side .

 

[target2019]

So the offer I got was Norton 360 Deluxe for 1 year for $1, OR the same with Life Lock, free for 180 days, then $79 for the 1st year. Both options auto renew at their published rate, but you can go with it and take your time to select another AV over the next year.

Something to note, the password manager remains associated with your Intuit/Norton account so you do not loose it if you remove the Xfinity version or use another AV. Good to know, but then if you use another AV you will likely move on to that PW manager. For me, it took some time and figuring and I was told the $1 offer was a Black Friday deal ending Nov 30 so I had to cancel sooner than Jan 1 on the old version.

The offer was not very clear to me. It did say $1, but at checkout the price was $26 for the year. I think it may have been 6 months for free (or $1), and you can cancel. Since I had researched other product costs, I knew I'd end up spending about $20-25 for 5 devices for a year. Knowing I'd likely forget this need, I just bought it and will stay up on the subject.

I did see a button to cancel auto renew after logging into the account, but didn't go that direction yet. I plan on following these products more closeely after just using free Norton for quite awhile.

Already have 1Password for the family, and no need for that.

 

[Lsbcal]

There is a decent article on cnet which discusses various 2020 AV software choices:
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/best-antivirus-protection-for-windows-10-in-2020/

Here is one choice for free:

Best free Windows antivirus
Microsoft Defender
Microsoft

Free version? Yes, built into Windows 10

Paid version: Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection is available to corporate users for a fee

Honestly, if you practice safe computing -- you keep your software up to date, you use strong passwords (with the help of a password manager), you steer clear of unexpected emails and you don't click suspicious links -- you probably can avoid zero-day attacks and ransomware attacks. And with the free Microsoft Defender Antivirus software running on Windows 10, you have a malware protection safety net if you do let your guard down. (Note that Microsoft changed the name of Windows Defender to Microsoft Defender and has expanded the service to other platforms.) This antivirus program is built into Windows and it's turned on by default, so just let it do its thing, and this antivirus solution will cover the basics of internet security. Microsoft pushes new updates frequently. Defender also lets you tune the level of protection you want, giving you control over blocking potentially unwanted apps and protecting folders and files from a ransomware attack.

Note that Windows 10 will automatically disable its own Windows Defender antivirus when you install third-party antivirus. If you uninstall the third-party protection, Windows 10 will turn back on its own antivirus.

I think towards the end of December I'll probably switch to MS Defender. Also I use Lastpass for PW management and have OneDrive for various machines. OneDrive gives you some malware protection as well. OneDrive comes with Office 365 and I like that I can do version control with Excel as well as see all my files on multiple PC's, iPad, iPhone.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

There is a decent article on cnet which discusses various 2020 AV software choices:
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/best-antivirus-protection-for-windows-10-in-2020/

Here is one choice for free:


I think towards the end of December I'll probably switch to MS Defender. Also I use Lastpass for PW management and have OneDrive for various machines. OneDrive gives you some malware protection as well. OneDrive comes with Office 365 and I like that I can do version control with Excel as well as see all my files on multiple PC's, iPad, iPhone.

I am glad you posted this. Over the years, I have used assorted antivirus/malware/etc programs to varied success. What every single one of them has done is diminish the speed/capability of my computer. And when there is an ancillary issue, it's almost ALWAYS one of these programs to blame. But Windows Defender? Works flawlessly. No speed degradation and as far as I know..no malware or virus issues. I have been using Win Defender exclusively for over 2 years...no issues at all.

 

[Happyras]

My offer had changed yesterday, but I called and they gave me Norton 360 Deluxe for $1 for 12 months. The chat person said that offer was good until Nov 30 and the guy in India had no problem getting it done for me. For a buck, I have 366 days to reconsider what to do next and the install was seamless.

 

[target2019]

There is a decent article on cnet which discusses various 2020 AV software choices:
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/best-antivirus-protection-for-windows-10-in-2020/

Here is one choice for free:

I think towards the end of December I'll probably switch to MS Defender. Also I use Lastpass for PW management and have OneDrive for various machines. OneDrive gives you some malware protection as well. OneDrive comes with Office 365 and I like that I can do version control with Excel as well as see all my files on multiple PC's, iPad, iPhone.

Does MS Defender come with browser protection like the others?

I look at all vulnerabilities in a system, and that includes incoming threats - such as email, browser, etc. I think it is necessary to make sure all bases are covered, or at least as many as practical.

One problem with the referenced article is that it compares free MS Defender to products which include much more. I went with Norton 360 Deluxe, and not the added services of LifeLock, which definitely takes the subscription cost to a a higher level.

The better articles include feature comparison tables, and it is easier to see what is lacking in different products.

 

[Lsbcal]

Does MS Defender come with browser protection like the others?

I think they are probably pushing MS Edge regarding browser protection. I am pretty conservative in the sites I visit. Phishing seems like a very remote possibility since we try to never use the links in emails.

Others may feel differently. There is always the fear of the unknown lurking in my mind.

 

[easysurfer]

I have Comcast as my internet provider but never installed Norton AV.

I've found many antivirus programs over sensitive and restrictive in the past. False positives.

I do us MS Defender which comes with Win 10 along with the free version of MalewareBytes to do occasional manual scans. Plus, I do plenty of backups (daily, monthly, quarterly, on-demand data syncing ) so in case my computer gets hit by ransomware or if I do something unintentional like tweaking a setting but don't know what I just did , I can easily restore from a clean backup.

Additionally, if I do wander off to sites that I'm not so sure whether safe or not, I do so using sandbox type programs that I can poof the sandbox when done .

 

[target2019]

I think they are probably pushing MS Edge regarding browser protection. I am pretty conservative in the sites I visit. Phishing seems like a very remote possibility since we try to never use the links in emails.

Others may feel differently. There is always the fear of the unknown lurking in my mind.

Everyone has an individual approach to internet security at home and that's fine with me.

My thoughts about system security are influenced by years of working at the periphery of very serious security groups in government and industry. I capped it off with an advanced degree specializing in information security. So I have a broad background, but recognize my knowledge grows stale as I'm no longer involved.

I know it seems that Microsoft, Comcast and other companies have my back, but I know it just isn't that way. The situation is very complicated from a systemic view, and you need multiple layers of protection. That is "it" in a nutshell.

I don't mean to disparage anyone's approach of not using security suite software (Norton, McAfee, etc.). But as you mentioned the unknown is lurking. For example, my ISP email sent through a phishing email, and it is very tempting. But examining headers I see it is just a really a very good attempt. Will everyone in my household recognize the fraud elements? Probably not, and that is why I installed the security suite on her system.

Each day there are reminders all around that you probably have vulnerabilities in your systems that need attention. It takes one click, and I don't feel 100% that I'll never click a phishing link.

 

[target2019]

Below is a catchy ad some may have seen in their USPS mailbox. I think "The doors to awesome are open" is a fitting contrast to a phishing email they allowed into my inbox.

Yeah, you opened a door alright. Awesome, indeed!

 

[Bamaman]

I had Comcast for years. I got tired of their chronic price increases where I'd complain and they'd cut the prices $20 a month.

They took all the authority away from their face to face employees and their "foreign" telephone employees only have the authority to cut you a deal. There was a general lack of communication talking to them.

I tried to go to "free" television on the air, but the quality of our local stations is poor. I'd still have to deal with an internet provider to fill in the stations. I'm just so much happier with Dish Network despite the price.

 

[skipro33]

I've always been able to negotiate a decent price for what I get;
High speed internet, phone and cable with the bells and whistles for $178 a month. That includes their modem rental and in-home service plan.
Then I signed up for the Comcast cellular plan. That is $50 a month for two phones and will drop to $30 a month once the phones they set us up with are paid off. One thing signing up for their cellular I didn't know was that they knocked $25 off my cable bill! Instead of $178, I now only pay $153 a month.

 

[target2019]

I checked our internet data useage through the awesome cable company. Haven't done that in a long time...

Early next year we get capped at 1.2TB like the rest of the country. Some are saying that's not fair.

I'm surprised we went over 1000GB in November 2020. Have to keep an eye on this "before getting socked by surcharges of $10 for each extra 50 GB, up to $100 a month."

https://www.fastcompany.com/90580656/comcast-data-cap-remote-work

 

[GTFan]

I've always been able to negotiate a decent price for what I get;
High speed internet, phone and cable with the bells and whistles for $178 a month. That includes their modem rental and in-home service plan.
Then I signed up for the Comcast cellular plan. That is $50 a month for two phones and will drop to $30 a month once the phones they set us up with are paid off. One thing signing up for their cellular I didn't know was that they knocked $25 off my cable bill! Instead of $178, I now only pay $153 a month.

Yeah same here - just renewed my 2-year deal with another one for $135/mo. total (all tax+junk fees included), that's the price after the junk fees go up next month. 400mb Extreme HSI + Preferred cable with all non-premium channels included. Did it via Twitter DM to ComcastCares, nice rep who got me the new customer rate. I've been getting that every 2 years for a long time now.

Can't beat that deal with streaming + HSI, Comcast continues to keep me as a customer. With my Tivo setup it will stay a good deal until Comcast starts moving a lot of channels to IP.

 

[target2019]

In 2021 Comcast will increase prices and enforce data cap (1.2 TB). We still have barebones TV service, and in our market cutting that would just increase the monthly interent fee. But I keep revisiting the idea.

Now that the cap is imminent, I looked at the relatively high one-month useage we had for internet (posted graphic earlier), and found it possible to cut 10-15% of the streaming just by watching NFL games on the basic coax.

Not looking forward to the price increase.

 

[target2019]

The new price increases hit our bill, for an increase of 7.5%. Total bill is $104, so not terribly excessive. I think the juicier plum for Comcast-Xfinity is going to be the data cap enforcement. Below is our useage for two people and a handful of devices (2 desktops, 1 Roku, 2 smart phones) that use internet on a regular basis. I know there are other minor devices that are/may use internet, so I'll hunt those down at end of month, disengage, and see if it affects our internet useage in a significant way.

It appears that shifting more TV watching to the cable TV box is not helping as much as I thought. There's no measuring of coax TV useage vs. Internet modem useage. Comcast just gives you internet useage. With a week to go in January, it surprises me that we are getting close to 1 TB (which is still below the 1.2 cap). We have about 30% more headroom before overage charges.

I expect there will be a lot of chatter about additional cap charges once this starts hitting users. If we're just two "average" users (and I don't know if we are for sure) then families around us with 1-4 children in the home are gonna have overage every month. We'll see how that plays out in the consumer marketplace.

 

[statsman]

I figure this is the next line of attack in response to the cord cutters. Data caps and sizable cost increases for Internet-only service just seems like the next step.

 

[NoiseBoy]

I expect there will be a lot of chatter about additional cap charges once this starts hitting users. If we're just two "average" users (and I don't know if we are for sure) then families around us with 1-4 children in the home are gonna have overage every month. We'll see how that plays out in the consumer marketplace.

I am not sure that your usage qualifies as "average." I also have Comcast for TV & Internet. When I checked my monthly data usage today, my peak was less than 100GB in the past four months. I am single and I work from home now so two PC's are up and running all day. I watch a little bit of YouTube and I have a Roku, which I don't use all that often. It seems perfectly rational to me for ISPs to charge based on utilization rates. I wish they would offer discounted plans for staying below a given threshold. I would jump on that deal.

 

[GTFan]

I figure this is the next line of attack in response to the cord cutters. Data caps and sizable cost increases for Internet-only service just seems like the next step.

It's really sad how these rent-seekers have managed to keep gov't regulation at bay when most areas have at most two providers to choose from. These caps exist not for network management but simply because there's nowhere else for folks to turn for HSI. Comcast did just fine last year with a cap-free spring, there's no justification for the caps other than greed. And yeah they can claim that it's due to reduced TV revenue but our HSI costs are some of the highest in the world without the extra burden of caps.

Perhaps with new FCC oversight some of this can finally be addressed, but I doubt it - was never seriously looked at during 2008-16. Regulators have been captured as in many other industries.

 

[samm]

I have never done business with Comcast because all their GREAT DEALS! have very small print that lists all the extra charges, and how they can raise them at any time during the contract, but I am still bound for the term of the agreement. That's a Lose/Win in my book with the customer being on the Lose side .

+100

Very well said

My experience with AV/phone companies has been full of fake deals, hard contracts, and constantly rising prices.

 

[target2019]

I am not sure that your usage qualifies as "average." I also have Comcast for TV & Internet. When I checked my monthly data usage today, my peak was less than 100GB in the past four months. I am single and I work from home now so two PC's are up and running all day. I watch a little bit of YouTube and I have a Roku, which I don't use all that often. It seems perfectly rational to me for ISPs to charge based on utilization rates. I wish they would offer discounted plans for staying below a given threshold. I would jump on that deal.

Yes, as I wrote, I don't know for sure if we're average, or not average.

In Comcast/Xfinity eyes, I am still in the 95% of users who do not use 1.2TB. That seems like a very wide spectrum but for now I'll accept the average label.

https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/data

How does the Xfinity Internet Data Usage Plan work?

The 1.2 Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan includes 1.2 terabytes (TB) of Internet data usage each month as part of your monthly Xfinity Internet service. If you are not on an Unlimited Data plan and choose to use more than 1.2 TB in a month, you will automatically incur an additional charge of $10 plus tax for each block of 50 GB. Maximum monthly overage charges will not exceed $100, no matter how much data a customer uses each month. In January 2021 and February 2021, customers in select markets will receive complimentary credits for any overage charges. Beginning in March 2021, those customers who are not on an Unlimited Data plan and choose to use more than 1.2 TB in a month will receive a one-time courtesy month credit that will waive any overage charges. This is a one-time credit only and will be applied automatically.
It is important to know about 95% of our customers are not likely to be impacted by this plan. Customers can continue to stream, surf, and download without worry. Only about 5% of our customers use more than 1.2 TB of data in a month.

I read on a different support page (which I can't find again) that they send email/text notification when you hit 75%, etc. of you limit. I'll have to pay attention!