Comcast unveils new xFi Pods for faster mesh networking

Comcast is offering new, upgraded hardware for its xFinity internet subscribers, with second-gen, range-extending xFi Pods that are twice as fast as the previous version, the company says. The new pods will work with existing xFi Gateways, with support for speeds of up to 500Mbps.

The new xFi Pods are available now starting at $119 each, or $199 for a two pack.

"As families spend more time at home and the number of connected devices continues to rise, connectivity across the entire home is more important than ever," said Dana Strong, president of Xfinity Consumer Services. "In fact, since March 2020, we have seen the demand for Pods double as families and individuals are retrofitting their homes into offices, movie theaters, doctors offices, and more, by doing all of those activities online instead of outside of the home."

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Each xFi Pod is an AC3000 plug-in range extender, so they don't support Wi-Fi 6. They're tri-band, though, which means they can send and receive signals on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, along with a second 5GHz connection they can dedicate for system transmissions between Pod and Gateway. That tri-band backhaul approach typically makes for a more reliable mesh. Each Pod also includes two Ethernet jacks for direct, wired connections with your gateway or devices.