Comcast’s Xfinity is a popular online streaming service offered by US company Comcast. Based in Philadelphia, Comcast is one of the giants in the telecommunications industry and it commands the world’s largest and most profitable broadcasting business. Comcast has exclusive rights to popular content including major sports events. The power that the company has in the world of broadcasting extends beyond the United States. Apart from offering TV streaming, Comcast’s Xfinity service provides internet, phone and home security solutions. Users of Comcast’s services face issues like throttling and blocking that prevents them from accessing the content they want. Here we will discuss how a VPN can help and what are the best options available for Xfinity.
Why do you need a VPN for Comcast’s Xfinity?
Comcast is known for throttling its networks, which can affect your experience with the service. However, it should be noted that there are two main situations in which you could face throttling. One of them would be if they identify excessive bandwidth use (for instance when you download large files continuously) and the other one is when you reach the limit set for your connection. There is a strict data cap set for mobile devices and if you go above it, you will need to pay extra charges in your monthly bill. It is likely that the reason why Comcast has implemented these strict limits is to prevent torrenting and file sharing. With a VPN, it is possible to get around this and by selecting a P2P friendly service, you will be able to download content securely and without worrying about throttling.
Comcast has come under fire due to some questionable business practices that have been revealed over the last few years. In the past, the company faced controversy due to its discriminatory network management and it was asked by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to reconfigure its traffic management to ensure a fair service for all customers. Additionally, the company appears to block websites without providing a justification. If you are an Xfinity customer, it is advisable to use a VPN to get access to sites blocked by Comcast. Since the service is only available in the US, when you travel abroad you will also face restrictions. However, a VPN can help you to bypass this as you can connect to a server in the US and use the service without issues. A VPN also encrypts your traffic, keeping your privacy protected from Comcast’s eavesdropping or anyone else who may want to intercept your online communications.
Best VPNs for Xfinity
Private Internet Access
PIA offers a very solid solution for a convenient price. The affordability of this VPN will get the attention from many customers, specially from those who are already paying for subscription services and want to save some money. For less than $3.50 per month (when you pay for an annual plan), you will be able to enjoy security, good speeds and access to thousands of servers in 24 countries. They support P2P, offer a high level of encryption to secure your traffic and don’t keep logs of your activities.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN allows you to enjoy a fast and secure connection, no matter where you are. They have an extensive selection of servers in the United States and in other 86 countries. With ExpressVPN you won’t experience noticeable speed loss and the service is great for streaming, downloading and gaming. They allow P2P and don’t keep logs of your online activities. Additionally, ExpressVPN offers SmartDNS service, which is also practical to bypass geo-location restrictions.
TorGuard
TorGuard focuses on offering a secure, efficient solution for torrenting and the fact that it doesn’t keep any logs means that they are strong choice for privacy. They protect your data with high encryption and manage DMCA requests internally without compromising the privacy of their customers. TorGuard stands out by offering plans designed to suit specific needs and there are also routers pre-configured with the VPN service. They also have an anonymous email service.
PureVPN
PureVPN has a vast network with servers in 141 countries, allowing you to bypass restrictions and enjoy great speeds for streaming. In fact, they have a unique features specially designed for streaming. The HDX streaming browser is an option that adds up to 20Mbps of streaming cache speed to your internet. The VPN clients offer all the features needed to secure your connection and you can easily switch between servers. They apply a high level of encryption and don’t log your online activities. P2P is supported.
NordVPN
Internet users who expect a high level of privacy, should consider a provider that doesn’t keep any logs and that is why NordVPN is an excllent choice. Apart from having a zero logs policy, NordVPN is based in Panama, which means that is outside the jurisdiction of the NSA. They offer high security with options like DoubleVPN encryption and Tor over VPN that will protect your data effectively. While the speed may be affected due to these high security measures, NordVPN is a great choice for privacy.