Cox Communications Not Very Reliable as They Say Lafayette, Louisiana
I have had Cox Communications provide me with my internet/phone/cable for about 7 months now. I am a college student working towards a degree in Computer Science. I am fully aware of how networks work, and how computers work. There has been no problem since about a month ago. I current have the Prefferred Package for internet.
While surfing the internet one day, I found that loading times of internet pages dropped drastically. I did a speedtest (speedtest.net) and found that my speeds had dropped drastically, and my ping was hitting a thousand. I reset my modem, my router, and nothing happened. I even went as far as buying a new router, and nothing happened. I called them up, they said everything looked fine but they would sent a tech. Tech came to my house the next day but by then everything was perfect again.
My internet has gone to a drastically slow speed about 5x, 4 times this month. One of those times being as I write this. I am currently pulling a 1.0 mb/s download (if im lucky) and a .6 mb/s upload. If I call Cox, they tell me everything looks fine on their end, but they can send a technician tomorrow. What I wonder is, why send me a technician if the problem is fixed by tomorrow? I told the woman don't bother, and hung up.
A tech has come to my house about 3 times in total. Everytime they come, it fixes its self right before they arrive.
On the plus side, my ping is normal (about 192).
In one case when I did call Cox, the person on the other end told me she couldn't even see my modem on her end.
My current set up is a router, a modem, and 3 wireless devices. I have tried going straight from the modem to the computer, and the speeds are the same. Therefore its not the router. I have tried new cables, therefore its not the cables. Ive tried speed tests off my ipod touch and my computer (to eliminate the possibility of maybe a virus infection) and I get the same speeds. I have restarted my computer and then tested the speeds, theress no change. I have eliminated everything on my end that could be causing this problem. Cox, there's something wrong with your network and it needs to be looked into. Until then, I love nothing more then paying 45 dollars a month for internet that works when it wants to.
What gets me the best, is that when I call, they tell me everything is fine. As if maybe I'm lying to them? I mean who doesn't love calling Cox to complain about their internet on a constant basis. Id love nothing more then to drag one of those people to my house and show them the speeds that im dealing with. Hey Cox, maybe your tests are lying to you?
So for the rest of the day, I will be sitting here, will crappy internet until it somehow decides to fix its self. The only reason I still have Cox is because they have an agreement with my apartment complex.
Does anyone have one of those AOL cds? I kind of wish I could setup dial up right now, because I would get better speeds then this.
I can't even upload a photo of the speed test:
speedtest.net/result/735081870.png
1 Updates & Rebuttals
spc3rd
Williamsburg,Virginia,
USA
Another familiar theme with Cox...
#2Consumer Comment
Mon, March 15, 2010
I certainly empathize with your problem concerning Cox as I myself have had problems with them in the past. On 1 occasion I had to call their tech support department 13 times in 33 days and even send a Certified Mail letter to the company president, before they managed to resolve the problems I was having!
One other item of interest with Cox's advertised Internet speeds is I have known people who have had Cox's Premier-grade of Internet service (the one that is supposedly the fastest???). Every single one of those people said they found no difference in their Internet speeds when they switched to the Preferred level of service which you (and I myself) have!
The only obvious difference is you pay more for the Premier-level of service. I would suggest considering writing to the company's president as I did and if the area you reside in has a local governmental agency that oversees cable/Internet franchises, such as, Cox...consider filing a complaint with them as well. We have one here in Virginia.
Lastly, I once tried dial up (DSL) with another well-known...and also WELL-COMPLAINED ABOUT company on this site. My experience with them lasted 2 months and the service was absolutely horrendous! Talk about SLOW Internet connection speed.....this company's dial up speed was so slow, I could order a pizza delivered, eat it, and still be waiting for the system to upload or download something!
I would, however, recommend thinking twice about going with DSL unless you simply have no other viable alternatives. Oh yes...perhaps when you graduate with your Computer Science degree...you might do all of we poor Cox customers a BIG favor and get a job with them! You might just be the one to get Cox back on the right "wave-length", so-to-speak...and back "up to speed"...since they OBVIOUSLY don't seem to have any tech staff with an IQ above 10.......o.k., I'll give them a break...and say an IQ of 15!!!