Network Connection Issues & Modem Firmware
I felt compelled to post my issues here because I have nearly the same issue every single day at the around the same time 11am - 1pm PST and I'm unable to get anywhere with Cox support. Each day I lose internet connectivity. Sometimes it's for 10 minutes, other times as long as 6 hours (2 weeks ago). I've discussed this with Cox support chat too many times to count and I keep ending up in circles with no resolve.
I have an Arris SB-6183 modem that I own. The modem is 2 1/2 years old. According to Arris the firmware on the modem is old and needs to be updated. However, Cox repeatedly states that they do not handle firmware updates and that I must contact the manufacturer. I have repeadtly told them and send them links to the Arris site where it clearly states "Arris does not have any control over which firmware updates ISP's release to their customers.".
03:09:48 PM [Customer] Who updates firmware on modem
03:10:25 PM [Customer] Is that something I’m responsible for ?
03:11:05 PM [Ruthann S.]What I would suggest is that you reach out to your equipment manufacture for them to take a further look into the modem for you.
03:11:54 PM [Customer] Well I did look and it says the cable provider is the only one that can update firmware on modem
03:24:09 PM [Ruthann S.] Thank you for waiting. I do apologize however, we don't update modem firmware. I am also weeing where your modem has been on the account since 08/17/17, we normally advise that you update your modem every 2-3 years as it can contribute to connectivity issue. What I would suggest is that you can also reach out to your equipment manufacture for them to take a further look into the modem for you.
Today, after losing connection, again, I was told by Cox that my modem is old and that I need to purchase a new one and that they can't update the firmware. Of course the Arris SB-6183 is one of the most popular modems in the USA and it is not "old". This is just a ploy for me to buy or lease a new modem. Additionally, the issue is clearly not my modem. I'm on a group chat with (4) neighbors and we all check with each other each time the internet is out and it is uniform that we are all out at the same time. I've explained this to Cox 10x and they keep saying,.. "well we dont see any issues in your area.". But, 2 weeks ago the internet went out and before I even had a chance to call, there was a Cox tech in front of my house. It took 2 techs 6 hours to troubleshoot and "fix" the issue. Although I identified myself as a senior network engineer, they refused to tell me what the issue was. They only would say "This is a complicated problem.". After they fixed it there were no issues for 3 days and then it started all over again.
Further, my modem event logs shows continuous critical errors:
- Started Unicast Maintenance Ranging - No Response received - T3 time-out;
- Received Response to Broadcast Maintenance Request, But no Unicast Maintenance
- SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Failed to acquire QAM/QPSK symbol timing
According to Arris, this is an issue with the ISP. They modem is not receiving the correct signal from the ISP. Possibly an issue related to the firmware being old.I'm super aggravated that I have to waste part of my day, almost every day to deal with this issues that Cox refuses to acknowledge. I'm in a constant loop with Cox support. They blame the modem manufacturer, and clearly its not my modem if at least 4 others (who lease their modem from Cox) also lose connectivity at the same time as me.
I really don't know what to do any more. I wish there was an alternate provider for high speed access in my area but there is not.
- How do I get to a higher level support engineer at Cox?
- How do I get my firmware updated?
- How do I get these critical errors shown in modem event logs resolved?
Finally, Cox, stop your sales people from calling me every month trying to upgrade me to 1 Giga Byte service. You've never been able to provide me with the 300 MBPS connection I'm paying for now, let alone keep me connected for a full week, so why should I believe if I upgraded I will get that speed!?