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jwatty's avatar
jwatty
New Contributor

Why can't I just rent a modem?

What is with these ** modem/router hybrids that cox gives out now? I've tried multiple versions and they all ***.

First off, they don't keep proper logs. Inbound connections, outbound connections, ddos, scans, teardrops, etc. A cheap router from walmart or target from 2005 logs more information that the current hardware Cox uses. In fact, I had to set up a syslog server just to see what was happening with my network.

Second, when I do find that I'm being ddos'd or scanned, these crappy router/modems don't even give me the ability to block the ip address! Routers have had the ability to block IP addresses for many years now, yet Cox decided to chose model(s) that don't have this function.

Third, if I want to start over with a new IP address, it is impossible with the hardware I am currently renting. I had to learn this the hard way. Cox's DHCP server keeps leases for 24 hrs. If you release/renew your modem/router, and unplug it for over 24 hrs, you will receive the same IP address because Cox's current hardware keeps some kind of flash memory or something that makes it check in to the dhcp server with the same address.

I know that I can buy my own hardware and set up my network the way I want. However, I would like to point out that Cox has taken a step backwards in the service they provide. 5 years ago, I could leave my modem unplugged for a day and get a new IP address. I could also block IP's as well as identify scans and DOS attacks. 

Much of the world is clueless to the amount of botnet scanning and DOS attacks going on. But Cox has just made it worse by taking out the ability to monitor these actions. 

I recently notified Cox of an DDOS and scan attack from an IP address which belonged to Cox. They told me they couldn't do anything about it because it was a private IP address. I honestly wonder if the botnets out there today are owned by the NSA and Cox is working in tandem with them. 

Think about it. They took out the ability to monitor your network. They took out the ability to change your IP address. (you actually have to go get a different modem/router in order to obtain a new IP address) They took out the ability to block IP addresses. They may say they are trying to make it easier for the end user, but it seems like a very reckless approach. 

Please bring back Modems, without the router side. I have 10+ year old routers laying around that have more services and abilities than the ones you are giving out in 2016.

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  • AllenP's avatar
    AllenP
    Valued Contributor

    Nice rant but what's the point?  You know you can "buy my own hardware and set up my network the way I want".  So just do it.  If you don't like what Cox rents nobody is forcing it on you.  I agree, gateways today are junk, dumbed down for ease of support, but you're free to buy you own separate devices.

    Anyway, why would you want to unplug your modem for 24 hours just to get a new ip?  It's much simpler using the MAC address clone feature of most routers to change your MAC address, then you get a new ip.  Keeping your internet service off-line for 24+ hrs is ridiculous.

    In short, stop paying Cox a monthly fee and buy what will make you happy.

  • Becky's avatar
    Becky
    Moderator

    Hi Jwatty,

    You are welcome to purchase your own stand-alone modem from Cox, or from any other retailer, as long as it is on the list of Cox-approved devices, found HERE. You are free to choose the router that best fits your home networking needs.

    Gateways are designed for novice users that want an out-of-the-box home network that doesn’t require them to configure any settings. If you’re a power user or you are looking for a device that has features and options that you can customize to suit your needs, you won’t be happy with a Gateway. Cox began providing Gateways in order to meet our customers' demands for a simplified home network experience.

  • jwatty's avatar
    jwatty
    New Contributor

    You're right, I was ranting. I was a little angry this morning when I wrote this. I do feel it has a point though. As a customer, I'm just letting my ISP know what I prefer. As a provider, I don't see why you would take out logs and the ability to block IP's. I wonder how many "disconnect errors" tickets could have been solved by accessible logs.

  • AllenP's avatar
    AllenP
    Valued Contributor

    IMHO, most customers who rent a gateway from Cox don't know, and couldn't care less, about logs, MAC address cloning, ip blocking, etc.  All they want is for what they pay for to work as advertised.  I agree with Becky: "Gateways are designed for novice users that want an out-of-the-box home network that doesn’t require them to configure any settings"  Those users aren't power users, hobbyists, etc.  For people like us, we buy our own and configure our network to our liking.  I also help out friends, just installed a sb6183 modem and Netgear Nighthawk R7000 for a friend coming from dsl to Comcast.  No downtime, not even a reboot, in the 2 months since installation and he is ecstatic with his performance.

  • jwatty's avatar
    jwatty
    New Contributor

    In my situation, I would use the logs to block IP addresses that are nmap scanning me and denial of service attacking me. For example, last night I was gaming and starting lagging horribly until my connection stopped and I had to restart my modem/router. A simple look at the log showed I was being ddos'd from China. This helps me identify that I'm not having issues with my machine, and it's not Cox's fault either. 

    The truth about Cox's support now days is that it's bottom of the barrel. If you have bottom of the barrel hardware running your network, you are going to get bottom of the barrel support when you have an issue. If I were to call them last night when I was getting ddos'd attacked and had them look into it. There would be no way for them to tell me I was getting ddos'd from China. They would just feed me some kind of line like, " you are using the internet at peak hours and it's just everyone in your hood using up the bandwidth". 

    The end game for me, is to collect all these IP's which are acting as botnets, and report them to their ISP's in an attempt to get them taken down.

  • wees41's avatar
    wees41
    Contributor II

    like it has been said you want to get your own router  did you report the issues to cox?