Forum Discussion

Cawks's avatar
Cawks
New Contributor
5 years ago

Cox Gigablast, Subpar Speeds - I'm sure this is a common issue.

I've perused numerous old, current, and recent posts throughout different forums looking for a viable solution to my issue. Over the past few years I've used Cox for internet. At my previous address I could only get the "Ultimate" speed package, supposedly 300Mbps. Of course I frequently got much less than that. Cox techs were frequently in and around my neighborhood tinkering with/fixing things (never by my call). I work from home, so it was routinely quite the inconvenience.

I moved to a nearby state and was excited to be eligible for Gigablast. Last Wednesday I called and scheduled the service transfer. Supposedly I got a deal at 111$ a month after tax - after all was said and done, somehow that became $135. Fast forward to the scheduled install date, the following Wednesday, and no one shows up. I call Cox to find out that the install had been accidentally canceled on their end, and I got the runaround (call dropped, transferred and then dropped, promised call backs to my number, etc., with no call backs, horrible service, lots of apologies and no action -- repeat my personal information 20x to 10 different reps and techs).

That Wednesday it took a solid 4 hours of back and forth on the phone to finally arrange the install of Gigablast. The tech comes the next day. Installs Ultimate. I only realize this after testing my speeds and getting no more than 98Mbps, directly connected to the modem. The WiFi of course was getting less than a third of that, regardless of its proximity to my modem.

I call Cox, and this rep is actually quite amicable. He was able to remotely enable Gigablast, a supposed 1024 Mbps - gig transfer speed. Only problem is, I haven't gotten over 600 Mbps on any wired device, and haven't breached 50Mbps wireless. I understand that one cannot expect perfect data transfer, so I was expecting around 800 - 900 Mbps wired, and around 400 or 500 Wireless, dependent upon the device and range from modem/router. I had been using a DDWRT router (because Cox feeds data to big gov whenever politely asked) wired into the Cox Panoramic modem in bridged mode, but doing so greatly affects what sub-par speed I already have, so I have to use the Panoramic modem/router. You would think with a wireless device that has a decent NIC that is directly next to the modem, or in the same room, or even say, 30 feet away, would at least get 300Mbps. However, I'm only getting about 30. I should also state that the results of the speed test vary significantly, as could be expected...to an extent - when I do a Speakeasy test I get around 500 - 600. When I do google's built-in search speed test, I barely get 300 (the speed I should have been getting with the "Ultimate" package...

I've heard so many people with the similar issue. I'm not sure if everyone just has bad connections and incorrectly configured cabling/fiber, if the modem is junk, or if Cox low key throttles people's speeds who don't complain too much.

I would call a tech again, but I'm really not up for restarting my modem while on the line (something I've of course done), or hearing that "the signal on our end is great", etc. etc. I simply want close to the speeds that I paid for. Additionally, every similar anecdote I read ends with techs coming out, changing things, doing the hand-held test, etc., to no avail.

Any suggestions? My configuration is pretty standard. There isn't anything that would be obviously contributing to a slow connection on my wired connection.

Thanks!

5 Replies

  • KevinM2's avatar
    KevinM2
    Former Moderator
    Hello, we're sorry to learn that you're experiencing slower than normal speeds with our service. I'm including a link which may provide some additional insight on how to achieve Gigablast speeds:

    www.cox.com/.../achieving-gigablast-speeds.html

    Your modem levels do appear to be quite healthy, and I am not detecting any packet loss at this time. I recommend also clearing the cookies/cache off of your web browser and restarting your PC or laptop. If this issue does not resolve, our best course of action would be to send out a service technician. If this interests you, please reach out to us at cox.help@cox.com, Facebook or Twitter. -Kevin M. Cox Support Forum Moderator
    • Cawks's avatar
      Cawks
      New Contributor

      Hey Kevin,

      Thanks for the response! Actually it appears that my speeds are now closer to what I expected. I'm not sure what's changed, but I'm getting what I would expect as of today -- thanks for the help!

      • PGriffin's avatar
        PGriffin
        New Contributor III

        It would be nice to understand how your issue was fixed.

        I am in the exact same situation - Gigablast with Panoramic Wifi gateway, wired ethernet connection, speeds max out at about 300-350 Mbps. One technician came, tested and left - made no difference. Now waiting for another technician to stop by...

  • Shavonne's avatar
    Shavonne
    New Contributor

    Wow you're lucky we're getting around 300 mbps with our gigablast with ethernet...... Cox hasn't found any solution or offered any compensation or other offers, just an oh well for a fee of $100 we can have a tech come out and look at the cables and see if theres a problem.....Really? ANOTHER $100 just to see if it might possibly be the wires? 

  • I agree. Gigablast is a gigabust. It’s a total marketing scam. Now that I’m signed up, I’m locked in to a contract. I feel it’s one of those things where at some point in the future, there will be a lawsuit.