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Lovemylab's avatar
Lovemylab
Contributor III
2 years ago

My Experience with Cox

Two days ago my home internet went out 4 times in a period of about an hour. To summarize: I checked my signal levels and signal to noise ratios and they were good. I checked my event log and saw several T2 and T3 timeouts, which is unusual. When I went to the Cox site (via phone after turning off the wifi) I saw the notice that there was an issue in my area, so I signed up for text updates. (I didn't get any this time.) Everything cleared shortly.

I offer this reinforce the importance of being diligent getting a good connection to your modem, and becoming reasonably proficient at checking your signal levels and logs, and using the available tools. The vast majority of problems I have had with Cox internet have been cable/connector related. There are periods when the internet goes down, apparently for service, but it's almost always between 2am and 6am so it doesn't cause us any significant issues. When there is a real network problem at Cox, I have had the positive experience of it being pretty easy to tell and Cox usually has a notice up by the time I've done my basic troubleshooting. A power outage/blip can disrupt service in unpredictable ways, so I make a point of restarting all my key devices when that happens.

I'm not saying Cox is perfect, but by using the approach above, I have had very stable service and haven't tried to call into the customer service line in years. I recognize the challenges in working with agents and prefer to avoid it. If something really requires "in person" action, I make sure I go to the local service center, transact my business, and make sure I leave with a printout of any service changes or pricing changes. Being methodical helps keep things calm.

  • Darkatt's avatar
    Darkatt
    Honored Contributor
    2 years ago

    Just a reminder, on the phone after turning off WiFi, you should have been able to open the Cox App, and get the same information. 

    I do agree with the gist of you post, most problems are addressed by due diligence, cable connections, splitters, etc, checking signal levels, and modem logs. 

    • Lovemylab's avatar
      Lovemylab
      Contributor III
      2 years ago

      That's what I was trying to say. Just flip the wifi off, use the phone, and get an update. I have a really poor signal, so we have a Verizon extender in the house, but when the internet is down, I can usually get a good enough signal for basic web functionality.

  • WiderMouthOpen's avatar
    WiderMouthOpen
    Esteemed Contributor
    2 years ago

    I think one problem is the lack of communication between field technicians and maintenance technicians. Many times signal problems are ingress/noise issues out on the street. Technician comes out and "escalates it to maintenance" yet nothing ever gets done. When I had someone out for T3 timeouts, they just looked at me and shrugged, like there was nothing he could do. I think every maintenance issue should have a clear escalation path with ticket number for follow up.