I live in Santa Barbara. All my neighbors have been complaining about how slow the Internet service has been this week. I just checked and I have the most expensive package and I am only getting ~0.5 MB/s download speeds. Interestingly, I have higher upload speeds than download speeds.
The modem your using is end of life and you'd probably see performance benefits from upgrading to a DOCSIS 3.0 modem. Have you also tried without the router to see if there is any difference there?
What a nonsensical response. I guess that's why I am reluctant to contact Cox technical support. I checked the speed this morning and the speed was back up to >2.5MBps. It has nothing to do with my cable modem, nor my router. What is most surprising is that the Cox representatives don't even know when their own system is malfunctioning. My whole neighborhood was complaining about slow download speeds and you make comments specific to my setup. Is anyone there listening?
I pulled a report and there have been no service calls placed in your node in the last 7 days, and the 6 internet-related ones in the last 38 days throughout your entire node were all verifiably individual issues. (1 customer damaged his own drop, 1 had a corroded ground block, 1 had a bad amp, 2 had bad modems, and 1 was disconnected in error by a contractor.)
And these were on 4 different streets, out of 40 whole or partial streets encompassed by this node, so 6 internet service calls in a reporting area that large in the period of 3/1-4/7 is not bad.
Low download speed is something we will place a service call for as long as the customer is willing to troubleshoot properly, and we don't charge for service calls if it's an outside issue.
So, in a nutshell, if your whole neighborhood was complaining to us, we would know it. If they're not complaining to us, they should be, so we can troubleshoot it properly.
We have an ongoing forum for our neighborhood where many Bel Air Knolls inhabitants are continually voicing their concern regarding slow downloads speeds -- especially in the evenings as people are using high-bandwidth services like Netflix, etc. I can also state that we are not calling tech support at Cox as he only advice we are receiving is to power down modems, wait then repower, as if by magic that will solve slow download speeds. I plan to put together a daily log of downloads speeds wrt time of day and I can assure you it's nothing to do with modems -- it's the fact the Cox system cannot handle the requisite bandwidth as promised during peak use hours.
If this cannot be resolved by improving your hardware, then our next course of action will be to approach the Santa Barbara City Council and request Cox be replaced or augmented by other Internet suppliers. I am paying $55 per month for 18 Mbps and receiving 1-2 Mbps every evening, and ~18 Mbps in off hours. This is not acceptable and requires more than a simple (and run-of-the-mill) response.
Given that you suspect the cause of your problem is " ....people are using high-bandwidth services like Netflix" or better known as peek bandwidth saturation that occur at predictable time frames, wouldn't the suggestion of using a DOCSIS 3.0 modem be rational? A D3 modem increases the total amount of bandwidth and improves load balancing, so that helps when a given area starts to increase in population, where bandwidth saturation starts to be a concern. It helps both you and them get more value out of the network. If it was a malfunction of some kind, it wouldn't be so time specific. Perhaps your focus could be on getting everyone in your forum using D3 modems? Your position puts you in a fortunate spot.
If you believe an updated modem will address the problem, then Cox Comm should supply them as it seems to me you are the one(s) responsible for the slowdown and should provide the improved equipment necessary to address the problem. Is Cox providing these modems at no cost?
My current modem is clearly capable of providing high transfer rates under nominal conditions. If increased bandwidth is indeed the problem, then Cox should supply the answer to this issue. Why should consumers be stuck with the costs. I already pay nearly $200 per month. This clearly seems like a problem that should be brought to the attention of our elected officials.
I disagree sir. I take responsibility for any hardware I buy. You do not lease your modem, correct? They offer a service (D3) that you may take advantage of by purchasing the required equipment. What you are suggesting is like ATT giving out free 4G phones. Is it your opinion that your group should be given privilege or should Cox give everyone a free modem?
You must be so proud to work for such a great company who has done nothing to upgrade the equipment in our neighborhood and who arbitrarily raises prices with no warning nor concern for the consequences.
There is nothing that says a D3 modem will do anything to improve the slow download speed. It simply uses multiple lines in an attempt to multiplex to obtain higher bandwidth. Do you guarantee this solution? By my math, 4 times 2 Mbps is still only 8 Mbps, well below the 18 Mbps as advertised on the Cox site. I expect a credit for every day the bandwidth is not met. That means every day until the Cox hardware is fixed. And I think every Cox customer should contact Cox and demand the same credit, every day until the situation is resolved or additional internet service providers are added to the Santa Barbara area. This may well be the beginning of a movement to stop monopolies from operating in such a capricious and arrogant manner.
Your analogy of AT&T is also nonsensical; AT&T does provide a free phone if you use their service.
First, I do not work for Cox. Im a freight trucker by trade, but took up contract Dish install work before my body couldn't take it anymore. I know some of the lingo, and some of the background, but thats all. Just because I defend my opinion, do not mistake that for defending a company. My background be it what it is, I like to solve problems. A solution was offered to you, one I personally see as valid, and you insulted it. It was not a copy/paste answer. He obviously looked at your account to know what kind of modem you had, and rather then just saying "We don't promise speed" he gave you a workable solution.
As for how D3 works, there is alot of public reading on the matter
http://www.cablelabs.com/specifications/CM-SP-OSSIv3.0-I21-130404.pdf
http://www.cablelabs.com/cablemodem/downloads/docsis_30.pdf
It doesn't just open up a bigger pipe, but it allows for many pipes, and open and close pipes as needed, say like when a area has an increased demand. It can close off pipes that be causing interference and change the size of each pipe. The metaphor isn't accurate, but all you have to do is ask someone who upgraded from D2 to a D3 modem and they will tell you. It helps.
Anyway, im done with this thread. On to try to help others. Bye.
