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blueshark2018's avatar
blueshark2018
New Contributor
7 years ago

What happened to Cox's reported data usage

I started to receive overage notification toward the end of Dec. I checked the data usage in my Cox account and found the data consumption is about 40GB+ almost everyday in Dec. As a comparison my Nov usage didn't show this pattern and I could see a more reasonable low usage (about 3GB) during weekdays and high usage (30GB) during weekend.

I looked into my router and the reported usage from my router is only about 640GB the same period. Cox's reported usage doubled what my router tracked.

What's more problematic is that my family went out of town from Dec 12 to Dec 18 and on those days the Cox reported about the same 40GB usage everyday, while my router reported less than 3GB usage per day in this period.

My router connects directly to the modem and there is nothing in between. 

Cox tech supports asked me to check if there is unauthorized usage of my wifi. I checked the router's usage report and found no evidence of unauthorized usage. The highest usage was from a device that was used to stream video from Amazon, which consumed about 440GB, less than the router reported 640GB.

So what's wrong here with Cox?

1 Reply

  • Becky's avatar
    Becky
    Moderator
    7 years ago
    Hi Blueshark2018, there are numerous factors that impact data usage. I’d first suggest that you change your home network password to something new. We’ve heard from several customers recently, who—after noticing spikes in their data usage—were able to restore their data usage to what they considered ‘normal’ for their household simply by changing their network password. Have you checked all your household devices for viruses and malware? Spyware running in the background can cause sudden spikes in data usage. Our computers and mobile devices may be sending or receiving data even if we are not actively using our Internet service. For example, a computer could be automatically downloading operating system updates, security software updates, and application updates like iTunes. Automatic uploads to back up files to cloud-based storage services, automatic syncs between tablets and other mobile devices, and internet-connected security cameras all drive data usage. If you disagree with the Cox Data Usage Meter and keep track of your data using a 3rd-party meter, we can request a comparison between your data and the Cox Data Usage Meter. Email a copy of your log, along with your full name, street address, and a link to this thread, to Cox.help@cox.com. -Becky, Cox Support Forums Moderator