Forum Discussion

gooma5's avatar
gooma5
New Contributor
4 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
    4 months ago

    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
      4 months ago

      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

  • ChrisJ2's avatar
    ChrisJ2
    Moderator
    4 months ago

    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.