Forum Discussion

DLabit29's avatar
DLabit29
Contributor
5 years ago

Advice for some of you with ongoing issues.

This thread is to hopefully help some people that may just need tk do some troubleshooting on their own.

At the end of this post is my situation 

While most of the time, issues in your network can be fixed on your end, sometimes it is out of your hands.

Things you can check to ensure it isn't your *fault*:

  • First, ensure your modem/router isn't faulty, and is strong enough to support the speeds within your internet package
  • Ensure all ethernet cables are not damaged, pinched, or bent too much to where the inner cable may be damaged.
  • Check all coax for lacerations, pinches, and ensure connectors are properly installed. Also ensure all connectors are securely screwed on.
  • Ensure that you don't have any unneeded splitters on your coax line as it will reduce signal levels with each split.
  • Ensure all splitters are in good condition.
  • Check your modem status page. Using a device on your network, open your browser and navigate to 192.168.100.1 or 192.168.0.1 (depending on what modem you use). In the case of it being a modem/router combo, it may be 192.168.1.1. Check your downstream/Upstream channels to ensure they are all in recommended ranges. Google your device model manual to find these levels.  Correctables are ok. Uncorrectables are not ok. If you have an excessive amount if Uncorrectables, report it to your internet service provider.
  • Also, within your modem page, be sure to check your event log. Any t3 or t4 timeouts should be reported to your internet service provider 
  • Keep in mind, most wifi routers now are dual band. 2.4ghz and 5ghz.  2.5ghz is a weaker signal, but has a much larger distance.  5ghz will have a much stronger signal, but has a much smaller distance. 

If all of the above checks out, then you may have an issue on your isp end.

The situation im in is to the point where I've given up. 

Things I've done:

  • Had all coax and connectors in home replaced.
  • Only one necessary splitter at beginner coax line in home for tv/cable modem. Splitter brand new.
  • All wiring from home to road replaced.
  • Issues discovered in my neighborhood were resolved 
  • All my modem levels are perfectly fine.
  • I've tried 3 different docsis 3.1 modems for variance. Which all gave same results 
  • All brand new CAT8 ethernet cables.
  • All my devices are hardwired

I want to point out that I am a competitive gamer, and if I wasn't gaming, I probably wouldn't notice any issues.

I have a gaming router with very good qos. 

I also have a geo filter which finds servers that are of good latency based on my preferences and limits me to only those servers.

I cant even utilize such a good device because while it is connecting me to low ping servers, I have very avid ping spikes snd sometimes packet loss and its unplayable.

I've been diagnosing this with cox for months and months and im still in the same boat.

As of today, I am degrading my service plan to a much slower and cheaper plan as im now accepting that whatever the issue is, the technicians are not qualified enough to narrow it down to the cause.

  • Bruce's avatar
    Bruce
    Honored Contributor III
    5 years ago

    What's your advice?  If all else fails, downgrade your service?

    With the exception of the modem log, a moderator, tiffanyr, already posted this troubleshooting checklist (Packet Loss and Latency) 5 months ago.

    Faulty Modem/Router.  If you're troubleshooting a network, how do you ensure a modem/router isn't faulty?

    Recommended [Spec] Ranges.  Only Cox can provide the acceptable range of signal strengths for your particular data plan and modem...not Google.

    Weaker-Larger.  Bad wording.  2.4 GHz is not a "weak" signal but quite a strong signal because it can penetrate walls, floors, furniture.  2.4 GHz has a longer range but transmits data at a slower speed.  5 GHz has a shorter range but transmits data at a faster speed.  2.4 GHz is quite sufficient for most applications at 450-600 Mbps; however, its problem is being an unlicensed frequency.  Being unlicensed, any electronic doodad can use it so the frequency becomes overly crowded or congested.

    Gaming Router.  If all your devices are hardwired, QoS wouldn't be an issue.

    Low Ping Servers/Avid Ping Spikes.  How do you know this is an issue with Cox?  It could become an issue with the server

    forums.cox.com/.../packet-loss-and-latency

    • DLabit29's avatar
      DLabit29
      Contributor
      5 years ago

      Because I've tested same scenarios on different networks.  It's not thr game server, nor is it my equipment 

      • Bruce's avatar
        Bruce
        Honored Contributor III
        5 years ago

        Testing games servers from another network (provider) would eliminate the games servers but not the connection inside and outside your house.  This problem would be narrowed to your house.

        I don't know what the problem is because you never provided it but "it" could be your equipment (maybe not), it could be EMF within your house, it could be ingress from outside your house, it could be your neighborhood node, it could be anything.

        What is the problem...ping spikes and latency?  Does this only occur during gaming?  What speed tests do you get?

  • Xylem's avatar
    Xylem
    New Contributor III
    5 years ago

    How to fix your internet

    1)  Call the FCC

    .....That's it. That's really all you have to do if you've already been messing with cox techs and getting no real fixes for over a month. Call the FCC and they'll call Cox.

    • DLabit29's avatar
      DLabit29
      Contributor
      5 years ago

      well i mean it's not that they aren't doing anything they're genuinely trying. They just can't quite figure it out

      • Xylem's avatar
        Xylem
        New Contributor III
        5 years ago

        Yes, that's the lie they fed me for 3 months as well.

        Then I called the FCC. Then Cox called me. Then my internet was fixed the next day.

  • Bruce's avatar
    Bruce
    Honored Contributor III
    5 years ago

    All devices have fluctuating uploads.  Are these fluctuations wired, wireless and directly wired to the modem?

    Do you have any bandwidth monitoring, parental controls or firewall software on your router?

    Have you reset your router to factory default, updated its firmware, inventoried all connected devices?

    If your greatest complaint is upload speed and you have a 35 Mbps plan (up), it wouldn't take much to halve the bandwidth if another device is uploading...even with a scant bit of data.  All connected devices compete for time and the more the devices, the smaller the slivers of time.

    Perhaps you should just eliminate the router...for now...and treat the WAN port on your modem as your only connection until you can get consistent uploads.

    In a previous post, you have a coaxial tap on your line.  Has any tech mentioned why you need a tap?  Have the techs inspected this tap?  Is the tap near any electrical lines or amplifiers?  Have you tested without the tap?

    • DLabit29's avatar
      DLabit29
      Contributor
      5 years ago

      I've tried all this. Fluctuating even straight to modem. 

      Modem is not defective.

      Not using tap anymore 

      • Bruce's avatar
        Bruce
        Honored Contributor III
        5 years ago

        Just stick with the modem being your only connection until we can find the source of the problem.  If you want to game, connect your console to the modem.

        I don't believe your modem is defective.  Something between your modem and the headend at Cox is defective.  I just don't want the router involved until you can consistently fault something.

        Who installed the tap?  Why'd they install the tap?  After you removed the tap, how'd you connect the segments?  Your house is a rental, right?

  • Mk_bA389's avatar
    Mk_bA389
    New Contributor
    5 years ago
    • My advice for now is don't live in The Brownsville Community of Pensacola. It seems as if we live in the desert and also we have another hurricane coming and fiber optics are expensive. Much of our neighborhood is coping with the possibility that we have been forgotten about.
  • Mk_bA389's avatar
    Mk_bA389
    New Contributor
    5 years ago

    My advice for now is don't live in The Brownsville Community of Pensacola. It seems as if we live in the desert and also we have another hurricane coming and fiber optics are expensive so it it being assumed in my neighborhood that we should give up on our positive expectations.