Unexplained Data Increase

Yes, MichaelJ, that's a good start. Subscribers need to be reminded of the basic steps they can take to assure their network is current and that their software updated and how to accomplish that.

But the reality is also that Cox as well as their competitors are all experiencing increased complaints of greatly increased data usage, far beyond what had typically been routine daily consumption. The reasons for this are many and varied. Some are the result of forgetfulness or a lack of vigilance on the part of the customer, while in many cases there may also exist a definite source or cause of intrusion, penetration or "leak" in their network, the solutions of which may also be far beyond the remedies that Cox supplies.

I have been having the same exact problem as everyone else and have already contacted Cox several times with no resolution other than the "upgrade for $30 or $50 more" **. What I cannot understand is, how is it that AT&T/Verizon etc, can tell you HOW your data is being used (i.e. downloading, streaming), but Cox can't? 

How can you tell me I'm going over my limit, but can't tell me HOW I'm going over so I know NOT to do the thing that causes me to go over my limit? WTF???!!!

@ JonathanJ 

The usage data meter does NOT show HOW the data is being used!! This is the problem! Am I streaming too much? Am I downloading too much? Am I browsing Pinterest too much? Are my children spending too much time online gaming? Those are the questions that need to be addressed so those of us that keep getting the "reaching data limit" message can determine what activities are causing the overage, and curb it. So if we, the consumers, can't be educated on what is causing the overages so we know how to stop it, how are we to believe we are actually using that much data? Just because Cox says we are? I don't understand why this is so difficult. 

And your Data Usage Calculator is **. I have used it in trying to determine what activity could be drawing the most data, and pushing that *** to the max per day STILL doesn't compensate for the real time data Cox SAYS I'm using, which is more than what the Calculator predicted. So, again, if other companies (AT&T, Dish, Comcast, etc) can tell us HOW we are using our data, why can't Cox? Cause you prefer people go over their limit, so you generate more revenue in overage fees???

I had this very same issue during the month of Aug/Sept of 2017.  We typically use around 450-500GB per month; 4 laptops, 2 streaming tv's, VoIP phone system and two cell phones, very high usage.  We leave for a month and have someone stay to watch our house and it goes up over 1000GB for the month.  The house sitter claims she streamed TV and did not use WiFi for her phone as she had unlimited data for it.  Very interesting.

I'll jump on this thread - you betcha - same issue, same questions, and isn't it funny that I have received the exact same response (which is actually no response) from Cox over the years.  Just call me Ditto on all the above.

I have a degree in Information Systems with several certifications (I won't bore you with my entire resume) -- trust me Cox, when I say it's not me, it's you that has a problem .... I have been in this field for .... more than a minute (I cut my teeth on Win95 .. yea) so when I ask you to tell me exactly how I am using my data - which devices, which sites, time of day and the total device per site I KNOW, you can tell me.... I KNOW YOU CAN ..... you just CHOSE NOT to ....because an educated consumer frightens you I suppose.  And yet you want us to believe that:

"Cox is committed to an open internet experience for our customers."

GREAT!!  Open up the silos that are stuffed to the brim with data and tell us what we want to know - SHOW US your commitment level, we want to believe your words but when your actions do not match your statements  .... well...... it's like listening to Charlie Brown's teacher - whaa, whaay, whaa, whaay, whaa, whaay, whaa -- and translated that means... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING .... just a bunch hot air.  

My situation is simple... it's just me   ... all I have is Internet (Essentials 30) .... I do not own a TV (I cut the cord several years ago) and my cell service is with another company .... 1 human using 1 PC hardwired to ASIS 6141SB Modem ..... I am NOT a gamer either so there's no freaking way I'm going over 1TB of data.  But for each 30 day period, there appears 1 day that is an anomaly - every single month I have 1 day that shows my data usage shoots way the heck up almost off the graph and then...... back to normal (what I would consider normal for my data usage).   Let's look at this most current period:

From Dec 8 - 16   The highest point on the graph is 17 Gb of data in one 24 hr period. 

BUT..... on Dec 17th --- according to Cox I used a whopping 48 Gb of data .... WTFlapjack??  That's the day I would like to have broken down for me please - I'm asking you to itemize my data usage for that 1 day (Dec 17) - I have a right to know and you have an obligation to provide that information to me upon my request.   

From Dec 18 - Jan 5, just like the beginning of this charted period, nothing higher than 17 Gb of data used in one day.

I wish I could provide more than one 30 day period as an example but, for reasons only known to Cox ... I can only go back 1 month and see my daily usage charted on the graph.  

Something else I do not understand is how come my billing dates are different than what shows for my data usage meter?  Shouldn't those dates jive?  If the meter is running then how come I'm being billed on 2 different meter cycles? 

My billing cycle runs from the 10th through the 9th (i.e. Nov 10 - Dec 9).  The dates on the data usage meter run from the 8th through the 7th (i.e. Nov 8 - Dec 7) ....they begin and end differently for reasons that make sense to Cox.... I can only surmise ...... another way that Cox continues to (try) and keep the PAYING public confused. 

Please, I am asking you to adjust my billing cycle OR my data usage meter so they will start on the same date for each 30 day period.   I have asked so many times in the past and I get one excuse after another - I got tired of asking.  It is well within Cox power to start the meter the same day Cox starts my billing cycle - I have faith in you Cox ... please don't tell me "But, but... I can't!"..... YES, you can, how do you know you can't unless you try?  

If the city water department can bill me for the exact same dates that my water meter is read then I have all faith in Cox being able to adjust those dates so they are exactly the same --- there's more red-tape in the city government offices -- so if they can do it you can do it Cox -- right?

I was just about to test if there was a builtin penalty for connecting to streaming TV services (use any of those?)

I found that I was hit with 100MB per day for only breifly connecting to these services, and that was well above what my router counted for bytes.

But; on the other side, Cox counts bytes that hit your modem, they may not actually go anywhere....

This is the byte counts of various channels on my modem.  ENP is public IPv4 address. HE is IPv6 Tunnel (public), and BR0 is to the internal network.  Notice that the total of public is 26Meg, which is what the usage for that day is, but I acutally only used 18GB in reality.  Cox has no way to know if some anonymous TOR user is blasting your network with packets that aren't being used or if you are using them.  

byt ENP: 18,546,679,517 BR0: 18,153,998,369 HE: 8,058,984,076

Not to mention that at top tiers 1TB is less than 1% of the network you can actually use in a month.

But I'm off to connect to syfy for a few minutes and see what my usage is tomorrow.

I'd like to welcome all of you to my new personal he||. It's called Cocks new way to gouge their customers! I'm going to start posting my complaints on RIPOFF REPORTS if I don't get some answers and some satisfaction because (as hard as it may be to believe) I too am having the same issue! Imagine that folks...... As soon as Cocks starts CHARGING their customers for data *** near EVERYONE is "exceeding" their allotted data!

It's all a scam people..... Plain and simple. I'm going to PROVE IT. I'm going to pick a day for my family to completely disconnect and I'm even going to unplug the power to my modem. I can't wait to see what Cocks says my data use is on that day! I'm going to post VIDEO of it on YouTube as well so I can expose them for the dirt bag scum they truly are. I would suggest you all do the same. Unplug the power from your modem for an entire 24 hours and then go look at what Cocks says your data use is!!!!