Comment use the neighbor's built-in hotspot (Score 2) 344
Get a Comcast account by some other means. Get a directional antenna. Login to a neighbor's Comcast Wifi router using the default "xfinitywifi" hotspot SSID that comes with every Comcast-provided router. Presto: WiFi for life.
I did this at a vacation property, and because I already had Comcast at home, I didn't need a new account, just used my existing credentials to login to my neighbor's hotspot, so no additional costs at all. Worked for years without a hitch until I sold the place. (Pro tip: this is also a great way to get WiFi in an apartment)
This is one of the relatively unheralded great features of Comcast Internet: there are (literally) millions of "xfinitywifi" hotspots all over the country (even in rural areas) available to any Comcast customer. I detest Comcast customer service as much as the next fellow, but this universal hotspot SSID is a great thing.
Alternatively, he could be aboveboard about it and offer to split the Comcast costs with a neighbor. Or even pay the whole monthly fee, like he would have paid otherwise ("Hey neighbor, want free WiFi for life?" seems like it would be hard to turn down). Maybe run direct burial cable through the backyard. Or a point-to-point laser (but that's likely pretty expensive, too).
Maybe this guy isn't a techno-geek himself, but surely he could find one... in Seattle, right? I sense a distinct lack of creativity here, coupled with a tendency toward whining.
I did this at a vacation property, and because I already had Comcast at home, I didn't need a new account, just used my existing credentials to login to my neighbor's hotspot, so no additional costs at all. Worked for years without a hitch until I sold the place. (Pro tip: this is also a great way to get WiFi in an apartment)
This is one of the relatively unheralded great features of Comcast Internet: there are (literally) millions of "xfinitywifi" hotspots all over the country (even in rural areas) available to any Comcast customer. I detest Comcast customer service as much as the next fellow, but this universal hotspot SSID is a great thing.
Alternatively, he could be aboveboard about it and offer to split the Comcast costs with a neighbor. Or even pay the whole monthly fee, like he would have paid otherwise ("Hey neighbor, want free WiFi for life?" seems like it would be hard to turn down). Maybe run direct burial cable through the backyard. Or a point-to-point laser (but that's likely pretty expensive, too).
Maybe this guy isn't a techno-geek himself, but surely he could find one... in Seattle, right? I sense a distinct lack of creativity here, coupled with a tendency toward whining.