An Xfinity Wifi signup page has hijacked my browser 3 times this month, blocking access to all other URLs. Am I the only one?
I'm in correspondence with two Comcast employees who so far acknowledge that this is a problem, then try to deflect me. I'm trying to find out if this is happening to others. More detail below --
While browsing in the mornings (Android tablet/Chrome) I open a site, scan headlines, then open tabs in background to read a little later. Today, for the third time this month, already-opened background tabs get hijacked, all to the same page -- a Signup page to sign up for Xfinity Wifi's 'access Internet anywhere' service for mobile customers.
Once this 'Xfinity Hijack' is in effect, I cannot open any other URL. When I try, the address bar shows the correct URL for several seconds, then changes to the Xfinity Hijack URL. Once this is in effect, it happens on Chrome and Firefox on Android tablet and 2 Win7 laptops. (Today, my Android Gmail App went offline while this was going on, although gmail saved & sent the screenshot emails I wrote after I powered down/up later.)
When this happens, I am effectively cut off from Internet access except for the Hijack page, even though I am still getting an Internet signal.
I have explained this now, by phone and email, to 4 Comcast employees since the first event, and am in communication with someone from Escalation and from Security [see Comcast Contacts below]. (Security guy wasted an hour of my phone time trying to convince me that low signal strength (which would still be Comcast's fault) was causing my equipment to switch to the available, unlocked Xfinity signal -- but that doesn't explain how the ONLY URL that works is their Hijack page. If it was only a matter of switching signal sources, why don't URLs open normally?)
I'm keeping this brief (it's late, I'm tired), but I have screenshots and the URL for the Xfinity Hijack page -- however, I'm kinda scared to post the URL in a diary.
I can post more fully later if need be, but for right now I just wanted to get this info out there to begin to see if others have experienced this, or seen it discussed online.
If you have experienced this Xfinity Hijack, please tell me abut it in Comments. If you have seen info about this online, pls tell me and leave a link, if possible.
If any super-geeksters can advise me on this, please do!
[on Comcast contacts: I signed up with Comcast in 2013, and immediately learned not to bother with their standard-access 'customer service' routes. I discovered a Magic Email Address that puts you in contact with their Escalation department -- you get a human being in response, although that human will comply with Comcast SOP and mislead or deflect you while trying to sell you additional services. Nevertheless, at this level you get someone with enough authority to do something, even if that's only to pass it along to another department. By now, I've gathered a few names, direct phone numbers, and comcast.net emails so I can take a complaint directly to Escalation. (I'll be glad to share the magic if you want me to.) A few notes if Escalation takes action: Make sure you get the 'ticket number' as well as contact info on the empolyee. And, if Escalation sends it to another department, ask Escalation for the name, phone, email and ticket number for that other department, so you can follow up. (I learned today that my Escalation ticket was given a different number by Security, that Escalation can't divulge the Security number, and that each department assigns its own number -- so ask for & keep track of 'ticket numbers'.]
I have to quit now, so I probably won't be answering comments til tomorrow. Thanks for your input!