In Regards To Packet Loss In Phoenix Arizona - Cox Is Unwilling To Properly Address The Problem
I'm not going to continue the existing thread with this comment as it is now very long and full of data demonstrating packet loss and latency issues in north Phoenix, Arizona during peak times over the past several months.
If you'd like to reference the data sets I've been collecting, there are two separate threads that can be found here:
Long story short, I've been experiencing high amounts of packet loss (5-30+%) and high latency (routinely spikes between 200 and 400ms) during peak times of utilization (7-11PM weekdays and weekends). This results in my internet being unusable. On the 8th, when I called in, my wife was unable to load even a simple website due to packet loss. All data sets/testing/etc were done via a wired connection.
I've replaced my modem and router several times, and have had 100% of the coax line between my modem and the nearest neighborhood node replaced. An in home tech verified the same amount of packet loss at the tap outside my home. Tier 2 agents verified packet loss between themselves and my modem during an outage. Both instances are recorded in my service history and both demonstrate the issue of high amounts of packet loss while excluding my internal network/hardware entirely.
There is zero old/faulty hardware between my modem and the nearest neighborhood node. The issue exists either as a hardware or software problem somewhere within Cox's network, an infrastructure partner's network, or both - entirely out of my control as a customer. I've had an FCC complaint open since early August and have reached out to any local/state/federal agencies that could possibly act as a mediator and/or encouraging agent to push Cox in the direction of properly addressing this issue. I have been collecting data for five months and attempting to work with Cox to get this addressed, being as patient as I can while paying nearly $100/mo for service that is not being properly rendered.
After several weeks waiting on the reply from my call on December 8, I finally received a response from Cox's Executive support team via phone yesterday. I was told by the Executive Support Team that this problem will no longer be investigated by Cox and that - regardless of the amount of packet loss and high latency I'm seeing as a customer - be it 2%, 15%, 30%, or higher - Cox is no longer going to investigating this issue. They've classified the high amount of packet loss and latency I'm seeing as what qualifies as "Best Effort Service" and that the service "is as-is". They didn't call to follow-up and attempt to properly address the issue of packet loss, they called simply to tell me they were no longer looking into this issue.
What kind of state is Cox in that it can be completely non-transparent with any work done in regards to my complaints, and then tell me that the issue is closed and no additional work will be done to remediate the obvious and consistent problems with their network?
I'm astonished that one additional service call at 1:30PM on a Thursday afternoon is supposed to invalidate the dozens of data sets I've provided - almost entirely within the bounds of peak times of utilization.
This is Comcast level support, and it is completely unacceptable.
Cox's internet service disclosure (https://www.cox.com/aboutus/policies/internet-service-disclosures.html) states the following in regards to residential connection metrics during peak times of utilization:
- Download speeds between 97 and 100% of advertised speeds
- Upload speeds between 102 and 103% over a 24 hour period
- Latency of an average of 23ms within Cox's network
- Packet loss of an average of 0.15% during peak times of utilization - so small as to be imperceptible
The problem I'm seeing does not occur every single day, but it has occurred several days a week over the past five months and has been incredibly problematic. Download speeds have varied, but during outages I've been plagued with download speeds as low as less than 2mbps. Upload speeds are almost never at or above 100% of advertised speeds during peak. Perhaps when factoring in overnight and during weekdays it may be around advertised, but that simply includes a range of time during which there is very low utilization. Latency is almost always higher than 23ms within Cox's network. During peak times, it will typically float between 40 and 70ms within their network, with huge spikes up to and above 400ms at times.
The spikes in latency are many times associated with high percentages of packet loss, which is my main complaint. I can handle download and upload speeds being lower than anticipated during peak (within a respectable margin). This is de facto cable internet - a shared medium. What I can't accept is packet loss ranging from 5 to 35% during peak times. My modem is recording literally hundreds of thousands of corrected and uncorrected packets over the course of several hours or days of uptime - across all 32 downstream channels. This issue of packet loss is my primary complaint and is completely unacceptable. It's unbelievable that I'm now being told by Cox that packet loss issues are no longer going to be investigated.
Again - this is monopolistic behavior and is very anti-consumer. I had a very good history with Cox until I moved into the Phoenix, Arizona area. After the move, I can say that this is undoubtedly the worst customer experience of my life. You are taking advantage of the percentage of people who are unable to distinguish packet loss by failing to correct infrastructure problems leading to packet loss in the Phoenix area. This is a very obvious slap in the face to anyone using your services.
I truly hope that your company can overcome this anti-consumer behavior without a direct competitor in my area of Phoenix. That would be great customer service and would lead to at least my trust as a consumer with no parallel choices for an ISP in my area of Phoenix. Unfortunately, the past five months has demonstrated that your company is unwilling to take adequate action on behalf of your customer.
