Trouble connecting to XFINITY wifi, using Kubuntu 20.04

Question

I just finished installing Kubuntu 20.04. Everything looks great, etc., but I am having trouble connecting to a secure XFINITY wifi hotspot. I am, however, able to connect with all of the other wifi networks I have tried, including non-secure xfinity wifi. ("XFINITY" in all caps is how they indicate their secure wifi spots, as opposed to "xfinity" all lowercase which indicates their non-secure wifi hotspots.) I've also seen others with similar issues, with particular wifi spots, such as at work or university.

I've scoured the Internet for others with this problem, as well as any solutions of course. The closest I seem to have found to a solution was on this page: Securely connecting to XFINITY hotspot on Linux

The reason that this solution didn't actually work for me, however, is that the answer on that page required configuring Network Manager for XFINITY to first select "Tunneled TLS (TTLS)" and then to select "GTC" a little bit down on the gui. For whatever reason, GTC does not appear as an option when TTLS is also selected. (I think this may be because the Gnome version of Network Manager has this option, whereas the KDE/Plasma version does not. One solution might be to install the Gnove version and remove the Plasma version, but I don't know how to do that either.)

This then sent me off trying to figure out how to somehow add the GTC option, or thinking maybe I could install a different or updated version of Network Manager, or maybe a Snap version, but to make a long story short I never found a working solution. (It would be fantastic to find a Snap version that just works, just as well as say, my phone or even the dreaded Windows for pretty much all wifi connections, which I could then use on other distributions in the future, but this does not have to be a Snap solution. I will take what I can get!)

(I also intend to use a VPN once I figure this out, which seems like it might preclude me from using WICD, from what I have read. Just thought I should add that.)

EDIT: I just figured out how to replace the KDE Plasma widget with the Gnome widget, and can now set ttls along with GTC. The problem now, however, is that I cannot save the changes. The save button is grayed out, so I can only use the cancel button. The search continues...

Answer 1

I had the same problem and your question led me on a wild goose chase to figure out GTC inner authentication with KDE. I tried PEAP+GTC using KDE Plasma network manager but once the connection is established, you can't get past the network login prompt / Xfinity wifi connection instructions page.

The solution I stumbled into is to use TTLS Authentication + PAP inner authentication. The network now connects without any network login prompts.

TLDR:

Use these settings and fill in your username and password:

Answer 2

Buy an Apple or 2nd device (i.e. walmart TV) for use as your TV/Streaming on Netflix and Amazon or Xfinity Stream. Comcast hotspot compatible with Apple or other streaming device for tv/movies/music downloads in seconds.

For more private matters, use your Linux/Ubuntu plugged in Ethernet wired directly into router. You can use both devices (i.e. Linux/Ubuntu) and Apple or Walmart TV at the same time.

Ubuntu will use Ethernet wired for enhanced security. Apple or Walmart TV will use the wireless hotspot.

And you keep your business/family private matters separate from your entertainment needs.

(This is one workaround that may or may not meet your requirements, it is just a suggestion as a possibility for you to consider to avoid lot of headaches, but there are of course a lot of ways to get the job done).