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rripps's avatar
rripps
New Contributor II
6 years ago
Solved

Intermittent internet quality and upstream issues

Hello,  I am trying this venue as a last resort to getting a substantial answer to my Cox Internet service challenges.

Cox Internet Premiere (grandfathered) 150Mbps\10Mbps

Intermittently, internet quality drops from well above 150 Mbps/ 10Mbps to something far less.  The primary issue I have is the diminished upstream and huge packet loss that occurs each time.  At worst, the upstream drops to 0.9 Mbps and I get packet loss in the 10-30% range.  Of course this happens most often after business hours, though not at regular times/days through the week, and never when the techs have shown up.

For almost two years I experienced exceptional internet service.  Beginning February 14th, the intermittent issues began to occur.  Over time I have narrowed the issue down to a degradation of service from/through the Cox. 

I replaced the modem 3 times, including one of the new Cox Panoramic modems from a Cox store.  I simplified my home network to one PC (ethernet), one game console (ethernet), one laptop (wireless), and one cell phone (wireless).  Wired devices are plugged straight into the modem/router.

Arris SBG7580-AC with latest firmware.

3 tech visits, with the last one checking all the way out to the pole.  There is currently an escalated support ticket that has been unassigned for over two weeks. I've been told by 4 different Tier 2 folks that they escalated the ticket and that I would hear back from someone within 24-72 hours.  I am currently in the 4th iteration of that...  no one has contacted me back yet.

I have spent at least 40+ hours of my time trying to troubleshoot and work with Cox support to resolve this.  Oh, and I have worked for 20+ years managing small business networks, so I'm not one of those 'techs that are not worth their salt' as one T2 tried to insinuate to me.

What is going on?

Is this situation being addressed?

Is there anything I can do to help resolve this?

  • Cox tech Dave came this morning and made sure service on the property was in good shape. He and another tech monitored for the issues above throughout the day and were able to track down the trouble to two different issues at two different locations.  Kudos to them both.  Internet has stabilized and I'm hopeful that this will remain the case.  Thanks guys and gals for all the help.  My faith in the folks at Cox handling the field work has been restored.

    One of the issues was tracked to a loose connector on a neighbors modem two streets away.  So make sure your modem cables are tight!  Cheers.

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  • rripps's avatar
    rripps
    New Contributor II

    Cox tech Dave came this morning and made sure service on the property was in good shape. He and another tech monitored for the issues above throughout the day and were able to track down the trouble to two different issues at two different locations.  Kudos to them both.  Internet has stabilized and I'm hopeful that this will remain the case.  Thanks guys and gals for all the help.  My faith in the folks at Cox handling the field work has been restored.

    One of the issues was tracked to a loose connector on a neighbors modem two streets away.  So make sure your modem cables are tight!  Cheers.

  • rripps's avatar
    rripps
    New Contributor II

    Thank you. I also got a call back from Executive Escalations.  

    I have swapped out the modem to my original Arris SB6141.  I have my Win10 PC plugged directly into the modem; no router, no other devices.  

    Current ping and pathping:

    Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.16299.371]
    (c) 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

    C:\Users\fillin>ping 68.105.28.11

    Pinging 68.105.28.11 with 32 bytes of data:
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=43ms TTL=61
    Request timed out.
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=61
    Request timed out.

    Ping statistics for 68.105.28.11:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 2, Lost = 2 (50% loss),
    Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 9ms, Maximum = 43ms, Average = 26ms

    C:\Users\fillin>ping 68.105.28.11 -n 20

    Pinging 68.105.28.11 with 32 bytes of data:
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=61
    Request timed out.
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=61
    Reply from 68.105.28.11: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=61

    Ping statistics for 68.105.28.11:
    Packets: Sent = 20, Received = 19, Lost = 1 (5% loss),
    Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 8ms, Maximum = 25ms, Average = 10ms

    C:\Users\fillin>pathping 68.105.28.11

    Tracing route to cdns1.cox.net [68.105.28.11]
    over a maximum of 30 hops:
    0 Torus-PC [70.176.232.109]
    1 * * *
    Computing statistics for 0 seconds...
    Source to Here This Node/Link
    Hop RTT Lost/Sent = Pct Lost/Sent = Pct Address
    0 Torus-PC [70.176.232.109]

    Trace complete.

    C:\Users\fillin>tracert 68.105.28.11

    Tracing route to cdns1.cox.net [68.105.28.11]
    over a maximum of 30 hops:

    1 * * * Request timed out.
    2 8 ms 9 ms 8 ms 100.127.68.200
    3 26 ms * 25 ms 70.169.74.52
    4 9 ms 9 ms * cdns1.cox.net [68.105.28.11]
    5 10 ms 9 ms 9 ms cdns1.cox.net [68.105.28.11]

    Trace complete.

    internet speeds currently 100.9Mbps down / 0.4Mbps up

  • Bertolat's avatar
    Bertolat
    New Contributor

    I just posted something similar as well same issues!!... my last thought was that they ain't pushing firmware updates for modems... I'm this close to switch companies man...

    • rripps's avatar
      rripps
      New Contributor II

      12;12p -  124.7Mbps down, 8.7 up, 5% packet loss.

      this is more than modem updates.  as was indicated earlier in this thread by one of the mods, it may e more like old lines and equipment, or troublesome compatibility with the newer docsis 3.1 in this area.  

      i can't completely walk away, as this is the only provider on my block that has decent internet.  but will be checking around if I don't hear back from EE in a week or so.  I can say that I do have patience. 

      • rripps's avatar
        rripps
        New Contributor II

        4/20 3:20p - 7.3Mbps down, 0.2 Mbps up 20%packet loss

  • rripps's avatar
    rripps
    New Contributor II

    4/21 8:05am  196.2Mbps down, 10.8Mbps up.  Working well.