Comcast's new home protection setup uses Wi-Fi to detect motion

Xfinity Shield is designed to bring home, family and cybersecurity protection together.

Comcast has unveiled a new home security platform it's calling Xfinity Shield. The company says this combines home, family and cybersecurity protection in a single app and it puts Wi-Fi at the center.

It's offering a service called Wi-Fi Shield to Xfinity Internet users at no extra cost. This includes a few features, including one called Wi-Fi Motion. Comcast says that a typical Xfinity customer has 36 devices connected to Wi-Fi. This particular feature, which is opt-in, can detect movement inside the home by picking up on changes in the radio frequency signal between the Xfinity Gateway and a connected device. If the system detects any unexpected changes, you can receive immediate notification via the Xfinity app.

Comcast says Wi-Fi Motion, which uses Xfinity Gateway intelligence, "provides an added layer of awareness without recording video, capturing images or identifying individuals." This kind of technology isn't exactly new , but it's interesting to see a notable internet provider integrate it into a home security platform.

Wi-Fi Shield includes a cybersecurity offering to help protect connected devices from malware, phishing and other threats. It also brings Family Settings into the same app as the other features. Through this, you can create profiles for members of the household, assign devices to them and manage factors like screen time and device limits. You'll be able to set up Wi-Fi Shield to operate in three modes that can kick in when you're up and around at home, away from your abode or asleep.

Inevitably, there's a paid option. Shield Select adds an indoor camera, a door or window sensor, cloud video storage and around-the-clock emergency response (you just need to tap a button for assistance) to the mix. This also brings the option to identify people, pets, packages and vehicles to AI-powered cameras. Shield Select costs $15 per month.

Comcast plans to build on Xfinity Shield, which is now available to its customers. It will bring more features and services to the platform next year.