Can I use my Xfinity account away from home?

Q: Can you use your Xfinity account anywhere?

Watch TV Anywhere, Anytime. Its easier than ever to watch your favorite TV shows and movies from anywhere, on any device, anytime you want.

Q: Can I use my Xfinity account while traveling?

If youre traveling the world, you can take Xfinity Mobile with you. International roaming is supported for phones and tablets in over 200 countries. If traveling in one of the over 200 countries that support international roaming you can talk, text and use data just like at home.

Q: Why cant I watch Xfinity away from home?

Navigate to your devices WiFi settings and ensure that your current network is your in-home Xfinity WiFi network, rather than another local connection in the area (e.g., a coffee shop, a neighbors WiFi or an Xfinity WiFi hotspot using the xfinitywifi SSID). Ensure you arent connected to a VPN.

Catherine has a degree in journalism and an MBA, and has spent the last 10+ years writing everything from Okinawa travel guides to stories on Medium. She’s been online since AOL CDs were a thing and is an unapologetic PC gamer. She believes the internet is a necessity, not a luxury, and writes reviews and guides to help everyone stay connected. You can also find her on Twitter: @CMReviewsIt.

As one of Xfinity’s long-time customers, I can confidently say that they offer one of the best possible entertainment and telecommunications services.

However, like any other device, you run into issues with it from time to time.

There’s this one issue I ran into a couple of weeks ago when trying to watch one of my favorite shows on Xfinity while I was away on vacation with my family.

I couldn’t stream the show as the “This device can only access Xfinity Stream on your In-home Wi-Fi” message kept popping up.

No matter what I tried, it wouldn’t budge. So I obviously turned to the internet.

It turned out that Xfinity uses various verification protocols on the services using your home IP address.

Unless you access them from your home network, you will be restricted from using these services.

Though the company installed it to protect your privacy, it is unrealistic to assume that every customer wants to use these streaming services from home only.

So after a bit of digging, I discovered a workaround for this security measure, and I decided to share that with you in detail via this article.

To fix the Xfinity In-Home issue at home, first check your home network settings. You can also try restarting the router, relogging into the Xfinity Stream app, and using an SSH server to change proxy settings. If you are away from home, use a mobile device/browser and tweak VPN settings.

What is the Xfinity “in-home only” Error?

The pop-up error “Connect to in-home Wi-Fi to watch” shows up on your device because Xfinity has figured that you are not signed in to the Wi-Fi using your home network.

The reason for this error could be that:

You are away from home.
If you have a VPN enabled in your system and the default route goes to the VPN.
You are accessing Xfinity Stream using a proxy server or an Internet connection different from that Xfinity recognizes.

To fix this issue, your system must be convinced that the traffic passing over the Xfinity network uses the same IP address assigned to your home network.

Here are some solutions that can help you:

If You Are at Home:

Check if You are Connected to Your Home Network

If there are multiple Internet connections available in your home, your Xfinity device might have connected to a different network that might have been at a closer range to it.

But you need to connect to the network that is set as your home network.

If this happens to be the case, you need to switch connections to the Xfinity internet network to fix the problem.

In case your Xfinity Wi-Fi is not Showing up on the device, you might be having range issues or maybe a configuration problem.

Restart the Router

There is a possibility that you are connected to the Xfinity internet connection, yet the device shows an “in-home only” error message.

The quick fix to this issue is restarting the internet router and reconnecting the Xfinity device to the home network.

Restarting or rebooting refreshes the device and clears any glitches.

Check Home Network Settings

The home network can also be muddled with typos or any error in its credentials.

You will have to log in to your router settings and ensure that all the settings, like IP and MAC addresses and login details, are correctly entered in the portal.

If you forgot the Xfinity router admin password, you will have to reset the device.

If You are Away from Home:

In case you are away from your home and you wish to enjoy Xfinity’s streaming services without interruption, these are the options for you:

Use a Browser

If you are outside your home network, you may not be able to access the streaming service Xfinity offers fully.

But you can still use the Xfinity login portal on a browser to access your account and the downloaded content easily.

Use a Mobile Device

Xfinity doesn’t impose any network restrictions when it comes to mobile devices.

You can use any mobile device, such as a tablet or smartphone, to access these services, regardless of which internet connection they are on.

Log Out of the Xfinity Stream App and Log Back In

Open the Xfinity Stream app, and navigate to the Settings tab.

Select Change Household Account to log out of your current account, and then log back in to see if it fixes the issue.

Logging out will cause any previously downloaded recordings to be returned to your DVR and removed from your mobile device.

Use an SSH Server and Change Proxy Settings

If you are at home and the problem persists, you can activate an SSH server and change your proxy settings to bypass the “only-home” error.

After setting up the SSH server, follow these steps:

Click on the drop-down icon at the top right of your browser
Go to browser settings
Navigate to System settings (included in Advanced settings in some browsers)
Click on Open proxy settings
Toggle Use proxy server to On

Setup VPN Client to Send All Xfinity Traffic to a New Gateway

If your active VPN connection at home is causing the issue, you can adjust the VPN client settings such that it reroutes all traffic to a new gateway, which will be the IP address of the Comcast modem.

Final Thoughts

So, that sums up the various methods by which you can try to bypass Xfinity’s “in-home only” error.

Keep in mind that depending on the browser or smart TV you use, there could be differences in the steps mentioned.

Sometimes, using a VPN and tweaking the traffic settings may reduce your internet speeds.

So be mindful of that if you’re facing streaming issues on the Xfinity Stream app or the website.

If nothing works out, make sure you contact Comcast support so that they can help you fix the issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Xfinity Stream only work at home?

You can use the Xfinity Stream app anywhere, but you need to be connected to your home network to access most of its functions, such as streaming services.

How do I get Xfinity Stream on my TV?

You will need to install the Xfinity Stream app on your smart TV.

Once you launch the app, it will take you through an activation process, at the end of which you should be able to access Xfinity’s content.

How do I get Xfinity On Demand to work?

Press the On Demand button on your Xfinity remote control or tune to Channel, or if your remote has the Xfinity button, press it and select Xfinity On Demand.

Navigate through the list of programs, select whichever one you wish to watch, and then choose the Watch or Buy option.

How do I unblock a device on my Xfinity Wi-Fi?

Go to the Connect section in the Xfinity app or xFi website, click on the device you want to provide access to and follow the instructions shown to Allow Access to a trusted device.

Can you use your Xfinity account anywhere?

Watch TV Anywhere, Anytime. It's easier than ever to watch your favorite TV shows and movies from anywhere, on any device, anytime you want.

Can I use my Xfinity account while traveling?

If you're traveling the world, you can take Xfinity Mobile with you. International roaming is supported for phones and tablets in over 200 countries. If traveling in one of the over 200 countries that support international roaming you can talk, text and use data just like at home.

Why can't I watch Xfinity away from home?

Navigate to your device's WiFi settings and ensure that your current network is your in-home Xfinity WiFi network, rather than another local connection in the area (e.g., a coffee shop, a neighbor's WiFi or an Xfinity WiFi hotspot using the xfinitywifi SSID). Ensure you aren't connected to a VPN.

Can I use Xfinity Stream at another house?

You are able to stream on-demand content from the Xfinity Stream app and any recordings you have set on your home cable box. However, you are not able to stream live TV from outside of the home. You are only able to view live content while connected to the home network.