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Through absolutely no fault of Cox, the buried Cox neighborhood distribution cable was severed by a utility crew working nearby because it "was in their way". This cable runs on the other side of the street from my property and parallel to the sidewalk. I phoned Cox and I have 3 options:
1. Fix it myself (which I think means hire my own contractor).
2. Pay $75 for a Cox truck to assess the damage and provide a quote for repair.
3. Sign up for the $10/month complete care premieres wiring protection subscription and they will waive the $75 assessment charge, but still not fix it.
Since the break is not even on my property, I doubt if it meets the definition of "premises wiring". It is located on the opposite side of the street.
After 2 days without internet service, I decided to interpret Option 1 literally. I exposed both ends of the cable, and spliced in an 8 foot piece of RG-6. Incidentally, the data meter indicates I continued to rack up 5GB-10GB of data each day even with no service!
To my amazement, this repair, which would be generous to describe as a "hack job" not only works, but a speed test indicates normal download and upload data rates.
However, I need to follow up with a permanent weatherproof repair and re-bury the cable, but I do not know where to purchase connectors for this cable. The existing "fix" will never survive a New England Winter frost. I think the cable is called "one-half inch P3 hardline direct burial cable. It consists of a ~14 gauge solid copper inner conductor, polyethylene insulator, thick aluminum foil shield, self-sealing "goo" and an outer plastic jacket. Overall diameter is approximately 0.5 inches.
I see connectors on the internet that look line giant F connectors with threaded barrel housings. They are available in several sizes and I am not sure which are the correct ones. Perhaps I could purchase some from Cox (along with ~8 feet of the cable)? Would a Moderator know?
I was under the impression that anything before the demarc is Cox's responsibility. Wasn't it them that put it in place? I would pay the 10$ a month and cancel it after a month. The rest should be taken care of for free IMO.
First, you're not allowed to repair this cable because it's part of the Cox network. Cox needs to fix this break and will contact the utility crew to bear the costs. Why should you be fixing and paying for this?
Second, the cable is commercial-grade RG11 requiring commercial-grade components and commercial-grade goo.
Send an email to cox.help@cox.com with your Full Name, Complete Address and if you don't want to re-explain this issue, the URL of This Post.
If OP subscribed to Complete Care, Cox wouldn't fix this cable because it's not within the service address and is not part of the "initial configuration." Initial configuration means, if Cox connected a modem to Primary Feed in the Living Room and the subscriber later moves the modem to the basement, Cox wouldn't repair the wiring in the basement...or anywhere...except at the Primary Feed. It's kinda a fine print scam.
OK, so schedule a tech. and if there is a charge fight it out with billing? I thought Complete Care covers diagnostic truck rolls?
OP isn't responsible for any of this other than to report it. Cox phone reps only saw an opportunity to sell something. OP should send an email.