t3 time out- unicast maintenance ranging

Here is a follow up. This is in the last 30 minutes... 

If you cannot tell why this is frustrating, we should have a talk.

I've gotten these while on hold,

This is beyond pathetic. Something needs done.

Hi Seth,

It definitely sounds like you have had more than your fair share of connectivity issues lately, and for that I apologize. T3 errors can indicate an issue affecting the modem's upstream signal. Since the problem continues even after several service calls, I'd like to bring this to attention of our Field Leadership Team so we can get their assistance. To ensure I've found the correct account, please email your full address to my team at coxhelp@cox.com. I'll have one of my team members give you a call so we can get this issue resolved for you!

Sincerely,

Becky, I don't know if there was anything on your end that was done, but the issue was resolved. The keyword there is was... 

I was gone for a week, so I cannot speak for that time, but my internet for the past 2 weeks has been perfect. Maybe an occasional time-out, but nothing out of the ordinary. Then 3 days ago I was experiencing a few time-outs, maybe one every 30 minutes. 2 days ago it was about every 5 minutes and continued for well over an hour. I called Customer Support and am now waiting for the 5th technician to come out, because the Network Support Ticket I had has been closed. The only way apparently to fix that is to send more technicians out. 

I have been having this issue with increasing annoyance as well. My husband and son ttook my router in a few weeks ago into a Cox store. They came home with a new router that they had to pay for. They were  told by  a representative in the store that the same issues were happening to people who had an old modem. They assured them that the problem would be resolved but they must pay right there and then for a modem. No where were they given the chance to agree to a rental.The modem did not work at all. They returned it and paid even more for The DOCSIS 3.0 11-N Data Gateway. Now, I am into this problem for roughly $130.00 dollars and I am having the same problem.

I have noticed that my internet is fine until somewhere between 6pm and 6:30pm every day. At that point I cannot maintain a steady stream of service without interruption for more than 30 minutes and sometimes as few as 10 minutes if  at all.

My take away from all of this is that COX has oversold Bandwidth they cannot support.

I am currently looking for another ISP as I am tired of fighting this and having the CSR blame something different every time I call.

It's entirely possible your particular issue is more signal than equipment related at which point we would need to have a technician come out and troubleshoot further.

Bella, I honestly don't think you realize how exactly alike our issue is. It is 100% the same, down to the gateway even. I too was forced into buying one, because I was informed that "that's your issue." When I subsequently realized it wasn't I called and they were 'generous' enough to refund half of the price of the product. Your thought about bandwidth is an interesting one and with all the cases similar to ours, it has to be something network side. I put in a network request about 3 weeks ago and thought my issue was resolved. The issue started back up however, and now my only logical assumption is that it had to do with the lack of people for the holidays.

Chris, I now have had 5 contractors out and 2 cox employees. The last one to come out was just last week. He proceeded to insult my intelligence by saying it was obviously because I didn't have my cables as tight as humanly possible, that it's probably my fault, and that it could be an analog television causing it somewhere in the apartment complex (pause for contemplation on the nonsensical notion that one analog television would disrupt your entire network that badly). When there was a network specialist at my apartment, at the tap, I was talking to him on the phone when the issues were occurring and he could see spikes on the tap. That's before my apartment and if it's happening before my apartment, how could seething in my apartment be the issue; never mind the fact everything in my apartment electronically has been changed at least twice.

It actually is quite possible that a device connected to the coax cable can introduce noise interference into the lines.  TVs are on possible source as well as perhaps a neighbor that has their satellite TV cable lines cross-connected with their Cox lines for Internet, etc.  Especially when these issues are intermittent in nature they can be very frustrating for all those involved in the troubleshooting process.

Okay so hypothetically lets say that's it. Say one analog television is causing that. When you type in Cox T3 timeout on google are the thousands of people with the EXACT same issue having that happen to? Sometimes when the answer is staring you in the face it's hard to admit it. If it was a tv or anything similar why would I only have issues during peak hours and be fine during the day or any or weekends during the day? To assume that this imaginary person only watches tv at night when I want to get on my Internet is farcical at best sir.

The T3 timeout event is a very general event therefore nearly every modem will log them from time to time.  The items I mentioned are possible causes for this event as well as other possible causes but they're so frequent that just because many people are logging them that is not an indication of a systemantic problem.  If a device in the home is suspected of introducing noise into the cable lines a simple enough test for that would be to disconnect that device from the coax cabling and see if the issue continue.  Again, this may not be the issue but just one possible cause.

I too am having the same intermittant service problems...

Don't listen to the people at the call center...they are fos, spouting the script they're told to read. The problem is that Cox is over their head and over extended beyond their capacity to effectively manage their network.

The only thing that will fix this problem is for the complaints to be filed and hopefully enough people will complain instead of just taking this tripe for service.

I've had the techs out to my house scores of times over the years I've had Cox. They've replaced everything from the pedastal to the house, the box, cables, amps, filters, you name it. No, the problem is not my modem either. I have replaced it 5 times over the last 6 years to no avail.

Reality...Cox has a screwed up service field infrastructure and they can't fix it  fast enough to keep up with it imo.

They bit off too much market to take care of the people that gave them the revenue money to build their network  to begin with, people like me of good faith and fair expectation for consistent quality service.

I am waiting for the next hungry service provider to come to town. Someone that cares, like Cox used to care before they got too big to fail. Now they are no better than the bells.

The solution is in free market competition...come on you entrepreneurial wanna be's where are you? We are a large group of very dissatisfied customers just waiting for a chance to get some good service. Wireless anyone? How about some LEO satellite platform?

A T3 error indicates a problem with the upstream signal quality, usually a noise related issue although there can be other causes as well.  The best way to troubleshoot these issues would be to have a technician come out and check for signal problems.

Chris, 

Not sure what you are trying to accomplish other than take home a paycheck. You may be doing that just fine, however your statements to the issue regarding Cox infrastructure succeed in only making customers like me that are experiencing huge problems with COX service even more angry.

As you know, I noted in my earlier post that this problem is a COX problem with COX infrastructure. 

I gather by your reply, COX has no intention to glean information this forum with the intent to improve the quality of service to its customers. 

Whereas:

1. My problem is a COX infrastructure problem.

2. I have had this problem for years.

3. I have had COX service techs to my house on numerous occasions with short term or no results in resolving problems.

4. I have spent an inordinate amount of MY TIME trying to understand WTF is going on, only to learn it is a COX issue.

5. I have spent hundreds of dollars to replace cable, modems, filters, etc. all to end up with similar results.

6. I have asked on numerous occasions for COX to take control of this issue and resolve it COMPLETELY and they have done what you have just done by nature of your post...deferred it back to ME.

Therefore:

1. You should take initiative on this forum to escalate the problems that might be related to COX infrastructure issues up to COX field managers for RESOLUTION.

2. COX should contact me on THEIR DIME and COMMUNICATE to me that they are COMMITTED to SOLVING my service deficiencies and then proactively pursue a successful conclusion to this problem with my service. 

3. I should not have to spend another minute trying to "fix" a problem I have no access, authority or capability to fix in the first place. I am paying COX to deliver quality premier level broadband service to my home and I am not getting the level of service that a reasonable person would fairly expect. It is not my responsibility in this relationship to do anything except pay for and utilize the expected service COX has represented and CONSISTENTLY FAILED TO DELIVER. 

4. COX should review their policies and procedures protocols for managing trouble that has a direct impact on customers. Customers like me are the basis of COX business to begin with and WE are not happy. I say we because I can see many people with similar problems and similar unacceptable results. 

5. COX should monitor infrastructure throughput better and proactively attack trouble in an effort to maintain high quality service to customers in a seamless and enjoyable fashion. 

6. Customers in trouble spots should be contacted and advised about quality of service issues. We are in the dark and have no way to know if COX is doing anything or not. Our only interface is through the call center and I must say, the people on the COX end of the phone are polite and useless for obtaining any information regarding resolutions. My calls have always resulted in the tech telling me it is not a COX issue. So frustrating. 

7. I will be escalating this issue to the state legislature, recommending remedial steps be taken towards real solutions and honest customer interface through increased tracking and accountability protocols being tied into licensing. It is time COX solves these problems and stops dancing around their responsibility. 

Finally,

here is another screen shot of my most recent trouble with COX infrastructure. 

Thu Feb 07 09:06:30 2013 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
Thu Feb 07 07:23:50 2013 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
Wed Feb 06 17:57:31 2013 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
Wed Feb 06 05:11:16 2013 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
Tue Feb 05 23:37:49 2013 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
Tue Feb 05 09:28:18 2013 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out
Mon Feb 04 08:56:49 2013 Critical (3) Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out

Location: Granby CT - Extremely similar problem start for me a few days ago.  Very frustrating.

It doesn't look like anybody has been out in a while to troubleshoot this for you.  There could be plent of causes for this and if a technician finds that nothing is going on at your residence they'll escalate to our maintenance team for a fix.