Internet connection dropping frequently for short durations.

am struggling with a similar issue here in north Phoenix. Here is the email thread between me and Cox "Tech Support":

******************

CustomerInquiry: I have been getting cable modem resets most every
day since the beginning of July.

From my SB 6121 Log:

TLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=a4:7a:a4:b7:c0:63;CMTS-MAC=00:1b:54:c9:b5:64;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=a4:7a:a4:b7:c0:63;CMTS-MAC=00:1b:54:c9:b5:64;CM-QOS=1.1;
CM-VER=3.0;

Unicast Ranging Received Abort Response - initializing MAC;CM-MAC=a4:7a:a4:b7:c0:63 CMTS-MAC=00:1b:54:c9:b5:64;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

My signal levels are good and have not changed.

Please have tech support look at the CMTS Flap List and check to see if other cable modems in my neighborhood are also experiencing problems.

Thank you,

****** From Cox Support ******:

Dear _____,

Thank you for your e-mail. I understand you are still having
difficulties with the service. I apologize for any inconvenience this
may caused you. In this case I recommend schedule a technical visit for
you. The closest technician available is on 07/30/12 between 8:00 am -
10:00 am and also between 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm. These times are subject to
change, so please contact us as soon as possible to confirm the date and
time you are interested in. In case the previous dates and times do not
apply, please reply to this e-mail message as soon as possible with a
date and time that is convenient for you and we will try to arrange a
technician in the closest time slot possible. Please be aware of the
following:

1. There must be a person 18 years of age or older present at the time of the visit in order for the technician to enter the
residence.

2. The technician should call approximately 45 minutes prior to the appointment for confirmation purposes.

3. Please remember that all equipment must be in an accessible location and pets should be kept
at a distance from the technician.

4. If the problem is originated by Cox, there will be no charge or additional fee for the visit.

5. If the problem result to be in your end or with your equipment you will be charged with a fee for the visit.

Please provide the information requested above at your earliest convenience to have this request fulfilled as soon as possible. Thank you for choosing Cox as your friend in the digital age. Sincerely, STP - Josh R.

*************************

CustomerInquiry:
 I indicated that I would like Cox Tech Support to "Please have tech support look at the CMTS Flap List and check to see if
other cable modems in my neighborhood are also experiencing problems."

Instead I got the predictable non response from a non technical Cox support person wanting to send out a service tech (possibly at my expense if the Cox equipment is not at fault).

This is an intermittent problem and the only way I can prove the problem is not mine is to purchase a replacement cable modem which I don't believe I should have to do since I think the problem is likely a Cox problem.

Therefore, I will give Cox 30 days to look into this issue without my assistance. If the problem is not corrected, I will probably discontinue all service with Cox and have CenturyLink come in for less money and hopefully
improved customer service!

****** From Cox Support ******:

Dear _________r:

Thank you for your e-mail. I understand you are having network latency
difficulties with your Internet service. I am happy to assist you on
this matter and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this
difficulty could have caused you.

I have checked your modem signals and it is working properly. Here are a
few suggestions to help troubleshoot slow speed difficulties with your
Cox High Speed Internet service.

First, restart your computer and then clear the cache in the browser.
When you have corrupted files or large number of files in your cache,
Web pages may hang or not fully load. Browser programs will
automatically regenerate these files as required. Performance will be
increased if you disable the use of proxy servers, as none are used on
the Cox network.

A. I will suggest you delete your Internet browser cookies and temporary
files. To clear the cookies in Internet Explorer, please do the
following:

1. Open Internet Explorer.

2. Click [Tools], then click [Internet Options].

3. Under "Temporary Internet files", click [Delete Cookies...]. The
Delete cookies window will appear, Click [OK].

4. On the Internet Options window, Click [OK].

B. After performing the above procedure, please reset the cable modem by
following these steps:

1. Turn off your computer.

2. Turn off the cable modem.

3. Wait 30 seconds.

4. Turn on the cable modem.

5. Turn on the computer.

If you use a router or hub, please bypass it and connect your computer
directly to the cable modem before performing the steps above. A router
acts as a firewall, which could block packets of information from your
cable modem to the computer if not configured properly. The same applies
for wireless connections, which are more susceptible to poor signal
difficulties.

If after following these guidelines you continue to experience
difficulties, do not hesitate to contact us with more clarification on
this difficulty. Please take a moment to answer the following questions:

1. Are you using a firewall or other type of security software?

2. Did you install anything or perform any system configuration changes
prior to this situation?

3. Are you having other symptoms such as error messages, pop-ups or
warnings? If so, please provide us with the text of these messages.

4. Do you experience slowness at all times when using the computer or
only when browsing the Internet?

Please provide answers to these questions in order to reply with a more
accurate solution to the difficulty you are experiencing.

**********************

I am done communicating with idiots. Network Latency?

NO....THE PROBLEM IS THE CABLE MODEM RESETTING DUE TO HANDSHAKING ISSUES WITH THE COX CMTS.

The log files on my SB6121 cable modem clearly show this.

Please send this up to the top level tech support team who understand these networking concept like "CMTS Flap List" .

I repeat.... Either Cox will put the right tech support on this issue or I will change to CenturyLink. Hopefully they don't load down their tech support with poorly trained, non technical, canned response monkeys.

......... CenturyLink is looking better all the time!

Exact same thing with me. I've replaced all my equipment so I know it isn't me. All my devices have the problem at the same time. I'm stuck going to AT&T.

The signal levels on your modem being reported are extremely poor.  If you have any extra cable splitters in your setup you can bypass it would probably help some however a service call may be needed to troubleshoot further.

I'm here in Norman, Oklahoma. I have the Cisco DPQ3212 modem. I am having the same problems. I have had 6 Tech visits so far. My equipment has been deemed as okay, as well as Cox's equipment. Sudden drops while playing xbox or streaming and downloading on the computer. This has been going on since April for me (when I got the service). I live in an apartment complex. Some of the techs over the phone have said that the connections around me seem healthy but yet I still have these issues. Absolutely unbearable. I have filed a BBB comlaint. Not necissarily because of the attitude of the support, but the organization of it, and the lack of reolution of an issue that has persisted for 5 months. I'm still waiting to hear back from the BBB to hopefully have my issue pushed up the chain. Even so, this seems like a wide stpread problem with no easy solution. No forums I can find online seem to ever reach the answer to what happens to get the problem fixed, if it ever does. I do have AT&T in my area. Although the speeds are not quite up to par with Cox, the reliability looks like a more attractive feature everyday I see my modem drop.

HalvinCobbes and all others dealing with intermittent short term (30 seconds to 1 minute) signal drop,

This is completely a Cox issue. I have been dealing with this since 2009. Cox technicians have been out almost 8 times (all really nice, hard working people. Each tech has changed-out something different Result? No change. Tech Supports conclusion? My modem. I've now replaced the modem 3 times  (Netgear, Belkins and Linksys). Signal still dropping. Convinced that now must be my computer hired outside computer consultants to come to house on eight separate occasions, a very expensive last resort. Result? Same dropped signal. Conclusion? THIS IS ALL ABOUT COX. If I call again they will want to send ANOTHER tech out. Why? We're getting NOWHERE. And I have clear proof that the buck stops on Cox desk. So, who are you guys switching to? Since Cox won't help, let's help each other find an alternative, consistent WORKING internet signal.

Not sure where you are located.. I know LUS has high speed internet in the Lafayette, LA area.. I'm really thinking about giving them a shot after the crappy speeds I've been getting for 6-7 month and the outage last night.. ***, I'll more than likely reduce my bill and hopefully get rid of the crappy speeds I've been getting with Cox... 2mbps up/dwn... This is the preferred package I have... Then again, I probably should've had a tech come and look sooner... Lord knows I'll get the same response... It's your modem(just bought a new one from Cox a few months ago.) or it's your computer.. or it's my wiriing/etc... I'll see what the tech has to say this weekend and that will determine whether or not I drop Cox and try LUS..

I have a cisco 3825 modem, I also have very simular issue with high speed ultimate by cox, 55mbps, when on line my signal strength drops off from 40mbps to as low as 1.5 mbps intermitantly every 10 min are so 24 hours a day. when i test the speed strengrh with speakeasy, speedtest.net and other test tools they all show the speed drop the worst is when testing to new york and california is when I get a 30 to 40 mbps loss, I also have made numerous phone calls to tech support, changed my modem test my line which is all brand new installations 2 months ago. every time I call tech support they tell me they detect a moden issue and perform a reset etc, last phone confrence was today and they said that signal loss to other areas like new york california etc. is normal and as long as my signal i'm getting through there local speed test  is good there are no propblems with my systen. I have 4 computers 3 gaming consoles all have the same signal loss when testing and all are wired connections.

I need helpwith understanding, i pay top dollar to receive 55mbps speed and I am getting as low as 1.5mbps to new york and california intermitantly every 10 minutes, help

I'm not seeing anyting standing out on this end as being an issue.  Do you get full speeds to any sites at all?  I see from test history that on network speeds at least appear where they're supposed to be.  It's possible that the path between you and the host you're trying to reach isn't capable of sustaining the speeds we're offering.

I'd definitely say you have a noise issue looking from this end.  Are there any splitters you coudl bypass for testing?  Otherwise a service visit may be in order.

I am a new customer in Orange County CA and I too am having issues with the so called "Premium" service.

I have a brand new modem from their compatible list, that is compatible with the premium service.

I have 20+ years of computer and networking experience.

Since getting connected to COX the service has been up for no longer than 5 days.  More often than not, it drops and requires a power cycle on the router and modem to work agian.

Another strange issue is that many times I have to disconnect the modem cable from the splitter, and then reconnect the cable before the modem connects properly.

I already had a COX tech come out and test the line, and we were told everything works great.  Then a day later, signal lost again.

After buying a high end splitter and a brand new router (My router was over 3 years old) the signal was up for 5 days.  Then just yesterday it dropped again.

Tech on phone claims that out of 15 people in very local area, mine is the only line with a marginal signal quality.  Tech is coming out again on Monday.  COX claims that if this tech cannot find anyhing at issue in my home or near the house, then "Maintenance" will be engaged.

I'll report back Monday.

Some thing not even funny is that my connection dropped while typing this reply.  My only conclusion at this point is that COX has laid off all the wrong people.