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If You Have a Different Gateway or Third-Party Modem/Router

To activate an Xfinity Gateway or third-party modem/router that is approved for Xfinity service, follow the steps below.

Note: These steps apply to both Xfinity equipment and approved third-party equipment. We recommend that you also consult your manufacturer’s installation guide for instructions.

1. Place Your Gateway or Modem
   • Find the cable outlet most centrally located in your home.
   • Place your Gateway or modem off of the floor and in an open area away from exterior walls, metal surfaces, microwaves and windows. Avoid cramped spaces and anything that can block the device signal.
2. Connect Your Gateway
   • Plug the power cord in to the back of your Gateway and then into an electrical outlet.
   • Screw one end of the coaxial cable into the Cable In/RF In port on your Gateway or modem and the other end into the cable wall outlet. Make sure this connection is finger tight.
   • If you subscribe to Xfinity Voice service, connect your telephone to the Tel 1 connection on your Gateway or modem using a telephone cord.
3. Wait for Your Gateway or Modem to be Ready
   Your Gateway or modem may take up to 10 minutes to be ready to activate. Make sure the lights appear as described below before moving on to the next step. Do not unplug your Gateway or modem during this process.
   • If you have an Xfinity Gateway with multiple lights on the front, the Power, US/DS, and Online lights should remain solid for at least one minute and the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz lights should start blinking.
   • If you have an Xfinity Gateway with only one light on the top, it should remain solid white for at least a minute.
   • If you have a third-party model, see the manufacturer instructions to determine when your modem is ready to be activated.
4. Establish a Temporary Internet Connection
   Next, you need to establish Internet connectivity either through WiFi or an Ethernet cable.
   • Connect through WiFi (if your Gateway/modem supports a wireless connection)
     • Look for the Network Name (SSID) and Password printed on the side, back or bottom of your Gateway or modem. The name may look like Home-XXXX or XFSETUP-XXXX.
     • Go to the WiFi settings on your WiFi-enabled device and select the Network Name from the list of available networks. Enter the password when prompted. If you're prompted to enter a PIN instead of a password, click the Connect Using a Security Key link to enter the password in the Security Key field.
   • Connect through an Ethernet cable
     • Plug the Ethernet cable into one of the open ports on your Gateway or modem until it clicks. Plug the other end into the Ethernet port of your computer. The Ethernet port will light up when successfully connected.
5. Activate Your Gateway or Modem
   Once you've established a temporary Internet connection, if you're not automatically presented with a welcome message to begin setup, open a web browser and go to xfinity.com/activate. Follow the on-screen prompts to verify your Xfinity account and complete the activation process.
   Note: When you've finished activation, your Gateway or modem may reboot, and it may take up to 10 minutes before you can connect to your home network.
6. Connect to Your Home Network
   After activation, you’ll need to connect your devices to your WiFi name and password for your home network, if your Gateway or modem supports a wireless connection. If you replaced your Xfinity Gateway and kept the same settings during activation, your previously connected devices should automatically reconnect.
   • Go to the WiFi settings on your WiFi-enabled devices. Once you see your WiFi name appear in a list of available networks, you can connect your devices to your home network.
   • Select your home network WiFi name and connect with the password. If you changed this during activation, be sure to use the new one that you set up.
     Note: Xfinity Gateways come with a built-in Xfinity WiFi home hotspot (xfinitywifi) that may take up to 24 hours to broadcast. To learn about the hotspot, see questions about the Xfinity WiFi Home Hotspot.