jrcoop's profile

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2 Messages

Friday, October 21st, 2022 4:20 PM

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Internet service shifted from coaxial cable to fiber optic???

I've lived in my home for 3 years and had Cox bundled services (TV, Internet, Phone) for the entire time via coaxial cable. When we moved into the house there was a fiber    optic connection (I believe) in a bedroom, which the previous owner had used as an office. When we ordered our Cox services they set everything up through the coaxial cable ... all good.  Last month I received an email from Cox that my modem was eligible for a free upgrade, so I went to the local store and got a new modem. While I was picking up the new modem the clerk said he had already activated it and I could just swap it out and return the old one. When I arrived home the old modem had already been deactivated so I proceeded to swap them out, only to discover that the new one wouldn't connect, either through the PC via ethernet or WiFi from my phone. I called Cox and went through 3 tiers of customer support ... to finally be told that my area is now a fiber optic area and the cable couldn't be used, and there was nothing they could do to get this new cable modem activated TWO HOURS after deactivating the old modem. So now I have no internet and no phone service, until a tech can come out to the house and see what needs to be done to get the fiber optic service operating!!!  How does this happen without anyone from Cox mentioning that this was going to be an issue??  Who at Cox decides to shift an area from cable to fiber optic service and doesn't bother to tell anyone in the affected area???  Has anyone else had this happen to them? I was very polite with all the phone support folks, who were only trying to help - but if there was a way to get a hold of somebody in management who allowed this situation to become so screwed up, the conversation would be very different. Hope this finds its way up the chain ... but not holding my breath.

Honored Contributor III

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5.7K Messages

3 years ago

This doesn't sound right.  Did you notice any trucks with large spools of cable and crews digging trenches in your area during the past year(s)?  Did the crews also dig a trench in your yard or pull cable?  This would indicate your area is now a fiber area.  Cox would not just disconnect you from your neighborhood node without wiring your house.

Send an email to cox.help@cox.com with the following and request a rep activate your modem:
 - Full Name
 - Complete Address
 - URL of This Post

Upload a pix of this fiber connection in the bedroom.

Honored Contributor

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2K Messages

Hey, Bruce.  Verify this for me or tell me I'm wrong.  If the cable from the tap to the customer’s house wasn’t replaced and all the internal wiring and the modem are the same, wouldn’t Cox changing the main line from cable to fiber be transparent to a customer?   Wouldn’t the only noticeable difference  be a likely improved signal?

Honored Contributor III

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5.7K Messages

From the neighborhood node to the house wasn't replaced?  Yes, it'd be transparent to the customer because the neighborhood node would be converting the signal from light to electrical.

Light being immune from EMI, yes, much better signal...that is, if OP had a noisy signal.

Honored Contributor

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2K Messages

Wouldn't the main line from neighborhood node to the tap have to be replaced too?  I thought the tap converted the signal.  If that's not the case, then wouldn't my neighbor, who shares the tap, and I both have to change our internal wiring if one of us wanted to change to all fiber?  Wouldn't Cox have to replace the line from node to tap then?  I'm asking because this is your bowl of rice, not mine.

Honored Contributor III

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5.7K Messages

The tap or NID or NIU on your house would only connect to whatever technology of the Internet provider (fiber or copper).  It wouldn't convert the signal but accept the signal as is from the pedestal or neighborhood node.

You could change your internal wiring to fiber if you wanted, but you couldn't connect it to the demarc of Cox because Cox has coax connected to your demarc.  Since your tap is connected to the pedestal with coax, Cox would be looking for a DOCSIS to authenticate and not an ONT.

If Cox told the OP his or her residence is only configured for fiber, this sounds like it was news to the OP because somebody ran fiber within the residence without he or she knowing.

Yes, if Cox told the OP his or her residence is configured with only fiber, somebody would have had to replace OP's wiring and tap and install an ONT.

Honored Contributor

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2K Messages

Thanks.  That’s a thorough explanation.  The node converts signal, not the tap.

I knew that if I wanted to convert to all fiber, the line from my house to the tap would have to be replaced.   All my internal wiring would have to be replaced and my modem would have to be replaced with an ONT.    But, I’m not planning to change my internal wiring for fiber.

I got a bit more confused than usual when you said “From neighborhood node to the house wasn’t replaced?”.  When the main line runs parallel to houses, wouldn’t replacing cable with fiber also include from the node to the tap?

New Contributor II

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4 Messages

3 years ago

Sounds like the neighborhood has been wired for PON fiber for a good minute (brownfield) and the previous occupants of the house were subscribed to GPON (gigabit over PON). As a way to improve reliability and higher upload speeds immediately, any new transactions are likely set to get a PON upgrade. This caused an inconvenience for the OP but it is well worth it long term. Cox has had GPON fiber in some of their areas since late 2015 so it would make sense if the rep said its been there for 7 years. 

Also this being a brownfield overbuild, fiber was ran overlaid on the existing coaxial HFC network. So both transport methods are available. 

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