Forum Discussion

sjo102784's avatar
sjo102784
Contributor
6 years ago

Internet Issues - Consistent Lost Packets North Phoenix, Arizona

Continuing my previous post that was closed:  https://forums.cox.com/forum_home/internet_forum/f/internet-forum/21292/internet-issues---consistent-lost-packets-north-phoenix-arizona

The same issue is still occurring.  I now have months of data collected to support packet loss beyond my home, as well as an in-home Cox technician that confirmed the infrastructure beyond my home was the issue and that he was seeing packet loss at my tap while excluding my entire internal network. The call date was September 8, 2018 and packet loss beyond my home should be notated on my account in accordance with that call.

Here are screenshots from a packet testing utility I've been using while hard wired to my modem and through a router - the same packet loss issues persisted with or without the router in between.  Packet loss also persisted through different hardware and operating systems.  This packet loss issue persisted through three separate/new routers, two separate, brand new DOCSIS 3.0 modems, a Cox supplied Panoramic modem/router combo as well as the current Motorola MB8600 DOCSIS 3.1 modem.  The modem provisioning can be found in my account history.



In the photo below, you can see lost packets using UDP (in the Ping Plotter application window, not a normal ICMP request that would normally be dropped due to low priority) and a normal ping in the command prompt window both displaying dropped packets at the same time using two separate types of communication:

Here is a screenshot from my modem indicating the uptime (less than three weeks, modem is brand new) and the several hundred thousand of corrections needed on bands 2-21:

I called Motorola to confirm my understanding of the "correction" column, and was immediately informed that the number of corrections based on the modem's status page is indicative of an issue with Cox's infrastructure beyond my home. 

My RG6 line runs direct from the tap at the outside of my home to my modem - no splitters or other devices in use, and was replaced about two months ago by a Cox technician.  The RG11 line that runs from the closest Cox ingress point to the outside of my home was replaced as well, about two months ago. 

There is a problem with the Cox infrastructure in my area of Phoenix.  I've been dealing with this problem for months, and have provided Cox with dozens of data sets like the ones linked in this post - yet no tangible corrective measures beyond replacing the lines running to my home have been taken. 

I currently have a complaint in with the FCC and FTC, and will continue documenting and communicating this information out until the issue of packet loss is identified and corrected. 

Arizona
bad service
connection issues
connectivity
high latency
packet loss
packet loss slow internet
Phoenix
  • sjo102784's avatar
    sjo102784
    Contributor
    6 years ago

    Here's my latest modem connection information:


    As you can see, in five days of uptime, I've had 125,838 corrected packets, as well as 171,636 uncorrected packets.  

    Channel 15 alone is responsible for 57,427 corrected packets and 67,947 uncorrected packets.  

    According to Motorola's tech support, these documented packets are 100% indicative of packet loss on the end of my ISP.  And this is in five days of fairly low utilization on my part.  

  • sjo102784's avatar
    sjo102784
    Contributor
    6 years ago

    Bringing this post back to the top of the forums - I still have yet to receive any communication from field techs or anyone else from Cox.  Still seeing regular packet loss.  Still do not need an in home technician.  Still need signal bleed or infrastructure problems in my area addressed. 

    • KevinM2's avatar
      KevinM2
      Former Moderator
      6 years ago
      Hi Sjo 102784, we are still actively investigating this, and are waiting to hear back from out plant maintenance team. When we receive additional information, we'll follow-up with you. We appreciate your patience, and we apologize for the delayed response. -Kevin M, Cox Support Forum Moderator
      • sjo102784's avatar
        sjo102784
        Contributor
        6 years ago

        For clarification of anyone following this post, this issue of consistent packet loss has been interrupting my internet for over a year.  Cox has had an official FCC complaint open since early August, 2018 and have failed as a company to correct the issue I'm facing for nearly five months, despite replacing the entire run RG6/11 run from my modem direct to the nearest neighborhood node, and after I replaced my modem and router several times to demonstrate the issue to be external to my home.   

        This specific response was supposed to be received no later than Wednesday December 12 and is now almost a full week beyond when I was told I'd receive a call specifically from field techs regarding this issue. 

        I'm not sure why it's taking this long to hear back internally, unless nothing is being addressed internally. 

        Since Cox has been unresponsive, here is my best guess as to the problem I'm having:

        1. The neighborhood or area infrastructure is either faulty or incapable of handling the amount of traffic going through the node(s) during peak times and packet loss/high latency is occurring as a result.  This is likely as the issues usually occur during peak times. 
        2. Excess noise is entering my network as a result of a neighbor's connection problem.  This was a guess by the last in home tech who confirmed packet loss while excluding my entire internal network.
        3. Network partners like Level 3 aren't able to handle the added bandwidth of Gigablast/or can't handle the amount of traffic in general and are dropping packets/increasing latency as a result. 

        You'll note that none of those options are under my control as a consumer.  They can only be corrected by Cox themselves working either internally or with network partners. 

  • sjo102784's avatar
    sjo102784
    Contributor
    6 years ago

    December 20 - still no response or communication about this matter from Cox. 

    EDIT:  I received a call from the same in home technician that validated packet loss while excluding my internal network back in September.  He was very friendly and informed me that he would be checking my connection today, unfortunately the check was around 1:30PM on a Thursday, not during peak times of utilization. 

    I explained that the problem is almost entirely limited to peak hours, specifically mentioning nights (7-11PM) and weekends - to which I was told the issue would be passed on to the night crew to examine the neighborhood node during the evening. 

    No word as to when I'll hear back in regards to a test during peak hours. 

    I appreciate finally receiving communication from a field tech (despite it taking nearly two weeks), unfortunately testing during the middle of the day on a weekday is not an adequate assessment of the problem in question.