Forum Discussion

gooma5's avatar
gooma5
New Contributor
8 months ago

Data usage is not correct!!

Ok,  so for the last 6-8 months I started receiving notices that my data was almost going over our plan. It is just my husband and i now and when we had 6 people living with us, we never went over or received notices. They're is a scam or something happening.

3 months ago, my daughter and 2 children moved in with us and last month we actually went over and I didn't want to pay overage charges,  so I increased it to the 500gb. We never went over before, just was always just barely under so i didn't feel unlimited was necessary. I made sure everyone's devices were not on network and guess what, this month again i received a notice that we were at 90% with 2 days left!! WTF!! How can this be?  Something is not right. Cox is just trying to get everyone to pay for unlimited. It's not right. It's there a way to check it? To see what we are actually using the data on?  I'm so frustrated. How can I compare to see if it is right or not?

 

  • gdg2rifraf's avatar
    gdg2rifraf
    New Contributor

    The same thing is currently happening with my parents! They've been with COX for 20+ years. Decided to finally get rid of their telephone and TV and have strictly internet which they moved over to the "Panoramic WiFi Gateway". NEVER had any sort of overage before and now all of a sudden they do. They've been using mostly antenna TV, very little streaming, so that's not the issue. They were even out of town for over a month during which time they had 6 days of what I would consider "normal" usage, 3-6GB but all others were WILDLY out of line, like 35-75GB. All when no one was home to use the WiFi. I've torn apart their entire network. Changed all logins and passwords, unplugged the "Gateway" for a full day and nothing works. Still most days are coming in at 50-60GB, which from what they use their internet for, there is NO CHANCE. All COX continues to do is tell them to spend more money and upgrade to Unlimited Data. Unacceptable COX! Stealing money from elderly folks on a fixed income!

    • GregP1's avatar
      GregP1
      Moderator

      Hi, I'm sorry to hear that rebuilding the network has not corrected the issue your parents are seeing with increased data usage. As Chris described in his post, many apps can be installed on smart TVs and mobile devices that can use excessive data.  It's also a good idea to check computers and mobile devices for possible viruses and malware that can cause unwanted data usage.

       The data usage meter measures the data transmitted to and from the devices in your parent's home to the internet. We have had our measurement process verified by 3rd party for its accuracy. A summary of this report can be found at https://www.netforecast.com/wp-content/uploads/COX-2022-Public-Report-Abstract.V1.0.pdf 

      I will be glad to look at this with you specifically. Please feel free to reach out to us privately. our email address is cox.help@cox.com Please include a link to your forum post and your parent's full street address to help me locate their account.

      Greg

  • Hi, there. I'm so sorry for the issues surrounding data usage and I would like to help. If you disagree with the Cox Data Usage Meter, there are many 3rd-party meters available. It might be worthwhile to compare the metrics from a 3rd-party Data Usage Meter with our Data Usage Meter. Our meter has been tested for accuracy. Netforecast, an independent third party, has also provided an independent report (PDF) verifying accuracy. To learn more, go to https://www.cox.com/residential/education-center/internet/data-usage.html. As you've mentioned your daughter and two children recently moved in, it may indicate some sort of server application. Most often, it is a BitTorrent application that may be running unbeknownst to you and serving files to the torrent network. I might recommend checking all computers for Utorrent, BitLord, Bitcomet, Shareaza, etc.... and uninstalling them if found. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article that lists most of them by name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_BitTorrent_clients.

     

    In addition, cellphones may be running "Popcorn Time" or "Showbox" which are also torrent clients. Also, if you have a Firestick for your TV, they may be running Kodi, which is also a torrent client. I hope this helps you get to the bottom of the issue. If you need us here, we're glad to assist you. Please email us the physical address and any other pertinent information to Cox.Help@cox.com with your name and a copy of this forum message. We are glad to help. 

  • Kerelidd's avatar
    Kerelidd
    New Contributor II

    Yeah, the data usage is VERY wrong. My typical usage is 30-50gb per day (I work from home and all my tv is streaming), but suddenly one day they say I used over 200gb in one day. And then another day it says zero, but I know I used some because it was a normal work day, and my PS5 did a system update, so that zero is very wrong. This month has been no different than any other as far as my activities, but I’m about 300gb over my limit somehow. This is my first overage, though, so it’s waived. I’m making sure to go around to every computer and console and get everything updated before the end of the billing period. If Cox keeps this up, it won’t be long before there is a class action lawsuit. They need to fix their usage metering.