Definition: Xfinity hotspot

A Wi-Fi hotspot for public and private use. The Xfinity wireless gateway installed in the homes of Comcast Xfinity customers has three hotspots, each with a different name (SSID). The private SSID is for in-home use and can be assigned any name the customer makes up. Two public SSIDs are for people in the vicinity who are also Comcast Xfinity customers; however, these hotspots can be disabled by the gateway customer.

Does That Slow Down Xfinity Customers?
Comcast heavily promotes the millions of hotspots it provides across the country. However, it does not make a point of telling everyone that it is the customers' equipment providing all this service. Nevertheless, Xfinity cable service is fast enough to offer all three hotspots with sufficient transmission speed to satisfy everyone, and the public hotspots are clearly separated within the customer-installed gateway.

Public SSIDs ("xfinitywifi" and "XFINITY")
Lower case "xfinitywifi" SSIDs are open, which means they are not encrypted from device to access point (AP). Free to Xfinity customers, non-Xfinity customers can purchase access by the hour, day, week or month.

Upper case "XFINITY" SSIDs are encrypted from device to the hotspot's access point (AP) and are intended for Comcast customers who have installed the Xfinity security profile in their mobile devices. In order to activate the security profile, users have to log in with their Comcast account credentials. See Xfinity.

Public Xfinity Hotspots

The "xfinitywifi" hotspot is not encrypted from the device to the access point, which, like any open hotspot, can be eavesdropped. Secure "XFINITY" (upper case) is encrypted.