Comcast turns Xfinity routers into home motion detectors with free Wi-Fi sensing feature

Published Aug 19, 12:20 PM UTC

Comcast has announced Xfinity Shield, a new intelligent home protection service that includes Wi-Fi Motion, a feature that uses existing Wi-Fi routers to detect movement inside a home by monitoring changes in signal strength and interference between the router and connected devices. This technology requires no additional hardware, unlike traditional motion sensors or security cameras. To address privacy concerns, Wi-Fi Motion is opt-in and must be enabled via the Xfinity app, which offers three monitoring modes: Home Watch, Away Watch, and Dark Watch. Wi-Fi Motion is part of the free Wi-Fi Shield package available to Comcast customers with Advanced Xfinity Gateways, which also includes CyberSecure for phishing and malware protection and Family Settings for screen time management. A paid tier, Shield Select, costs $15/month and adds an indoor camera, window/door sensor, cloud storage, and 24/7 emergency response. The article notes that similar technology was demonstrated by Carnegie Mellon University researchers three years ago.