Bill_B
New Contributor II
Joined 10 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
Contributions
Cox Speed Test - Server Comparison
I am writing to ask for some technical information and for a few folks to assist me in gathering some statistics. This stems from an effort to understand a bit about upload speeds and the consistently inconsistent speeds of the various Cox servers. I am interested in UPLOAD for live streaming. This does not seem to be a time of day or day of week issue. I previously addressed this extensively in this related thread: https://forums.cox.com/forum_home/internet_forum/f/internet-forum/26381/speed-test-to-cox-servers-around-the-country---consistently-inconsistent First the technical information: Using the Cox speed test on all the listed Cox servers, I have found that on all 13 servers (now down to 12 with the Sat, Aug 1, disappearance of Wichita) the down load speed consistently registers at 90 +/- Mbps. On the other hand, about half of the servers show the full (for me) upload speed of 10.0 – 10.3 Mbps while the other half show between 4.5 and 7.0 Mbps. It is almost always the same servers which are slow and which are fast. Unfortunately, our local server is routinely the slowest in the country. So, my questions are: Can someone explain to me how upload traffic is routed? Is it normally routed to that local server? Is there any way to make it go through a different server with routinely higher speed? Now the request for data assistance: I can test the 12/13 servers from my home in Hampton, VA and consistently get similar results as can be seen in the document attached. What I would really appreciate is if a few folks would be good enough to run a few tests for me to 2 or 3 of the fast servers and 2 or 3 of the slow servers being sure to include Hampton Roads (Norfolk) in the latter group? This would show me if it is a server issue or something else and may give me some more evidence to “share” with our local Cox. Useful information would be the date and time you ran your test (using the Cox speed test on the web), which servers you tested and the results you got for download and upload speeds from each server, and your location (at least your state). Fast servers: New England (Providence, RI); Atlanta; Baton Rouge; Orange County, CA; [others which seem to go through periods of being fast followed by days of being slow/or vice versa are New Orleans; Las Vegas, Phoenix, etc.] Slow service: Hampton Roads (Norfolk, VA) – worst in the country; NOVA (Fairfax, VA); and San Diego. [Others currently showing poorly are New Orleans; Oklahoma City; and Las Vegas. Thank you for your help. Bill B315Views0likes0CommentsRe: Speed Test to Cox Servers Around the Country - Consistently Inconsistent
Thanks Zedd. An interesting article, but it doesn't exactly address our situation. The article notes "neighborhood" throttling while what the speed test shows seems to be server issues. And while I only live a few miles from the church, I wouldn't say we are n the same "neighborhood". Nor have we received any communication from Cox on an issue. But, thanks for the article..46Views0likes1CommentRe: Speed Test to Cox Servers Around the Country - Consistently Inconsistent
Thanks to both Christ and bearone2 for your responses. Unfortunately, I didn't do an adequate job in asking my question so your responses don't give me what I was hoping for. Please allow me to expand a bit. First, I agree that the download speeds are pretty much what I expect (with limitations probably in my equipment). That is consistent across the country on ALL the 14 servers I have checked. However, my primary interest in upload speeds where I find significant differences with the differences being consistent for specific servers. Unfortunately, the lowest upload speeds in the country are right here in Hampton Roads, VA and that is where we are located and where it counts. Please take a look at this more detailed information and see if you can help me understand it and what we can to do make it better. From June 20 to July 10, I have run a speed test multiple times a day on 14 servers identified as Cox servers. I ran the tests using the Cox speed test on their web site for 13 of the servers and ookla for the one designated Hampton, VA (our location); Hampton was not listed on the Cox web site. While I got nearly identical numbers (90 +/- Mbps) for download on ALL servers, the upload speeds were either great at 10+ or terrible typically at <5. And, if a server was good it was consistently good; if bad, it was consistently bad. Note I did these tests from my home computer which has a lower speed than our church account, but the results were consistent between the two locations -- servers that show 10s at home show 20s at church; 5s at home show 10s at church, etc. Bear with me as I list some stats to illustrate: Server/average upload speed Hampton/4.7 Norfolk/4.6 Fairfax/4.6 Providence/10.2 Atlanta/10.2 New Orleans/10.2 Baton Rouge/9.3*** Oklahoma City/7.2* Omaha/5.1 Wichita/7.3* Phoenix/7.1* Las Vegas/8.4** San Diego/4.7 Orange County/7.4* Notes: *These locations had upload speeds of 10+ from June 20 until the afternoon of June 25 when they suddenly dropped to 5 +/-. **Las Vegas also had upload speed of 10+ from June 20 until the afternoon of June 25 and dropped to 5 +/-, but then returned to 10+ on July 3. ***Baton Rouge was showing 5s until mid-day June 22 when it jumped to 10+ and stayed that way. As you can see, Hampton and Norfolk -- the servers through which we are apparently routed -- are the worst in the country for uploads. Our local Cox techs claim their handheld speed test meters show us at full speed (20 at church), but acknowledge the Cox web site doesn't show that. They claim the problem is with the Cox web speed test. It does not make sense to me that it could be consistently right or wrong for the same servers. I think we are getting shorted which doesn't help our live streaming uploads, but I can't figure out how to address it. Observations and suggesting appreciated. TIA and sorry about the length of this missive. Bill10Views0likes0CommentsSpeed Test to Cox Servers Around the Country - Consistently Inconsistent
Our church has been Live Streaming for over a year. We have upgraded to 200 x 20 Mbps service, but when I run the Cox Speed test to our Cox local server (Norfolk, VA), it shows we are getting about 185 - 195 x <10 Mbps. Upload is our concern for our Live Streaming. The confusing issue is when I run the speed test to other Cox servers, i.e., Providence (RI), Atlanta, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, or Las Vegas, I get comparable download speeds, but also the full 20 Mbps upload. That tells me the problem is not our internal church network or equipment. Interestingly, running the Cox test against Cox servers in Fairfax (VA), Oklahoma City, Omaha, Wichita, Phoenix, San Diego, and Orange Country (CA), again gives me comparable download speeds, but just half +/- on the upload. The Cox technicians who have been out say their meter shows 200 x 20 Mbps at the modem, but they can't explain why all Cox servers show appropriate downloads while some are showing uploads at very slow speeds. And it is consistently the same servers which are high and which are low. The techs are blaming the Cox sped test. This just seems odd. Does anyone have any ideas? And how do we know what is right? Or how do we get it fixed? TIA Bill4.1KViews1like6CommentsRe: COX Blocked Efforts to Report Phishing E-mail
Thanks Tecknowhelp, Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, they don't seem to help. Allow me to explain a little further (better?) and maybe you can give some additional guidance. First, the the chat I "listened" to, was whoever is at the other end of the COX chat line that pops up whenever you get on their web site for help. I agree, they didn't seem to know what they were "talking" about. Second, I have now learned (figured out) how to check the IP address against those that are COX. That is useful for sending to the "right" address,but my problem is I an unable to send the concern to ANY address. I have tried sending the incoming e-mail as a forward and as an attachment. I have tried just pasting the headers into a new message and sending that that. I have tried sending the messages to COX (abuse and phishing) and to just the related security elements of the spoofed companies (in accordance with their security directions on their web sites). In every case I am frustrated by COX because they reject the e-mail. The rejection error states the message is "too large", when it clearly is not, being well under the 64KB limit suggested below. The suggestion from COX was that the message was being rejected because they "knew" it was SPAM or phishing, hence they didn't want it in their system nor did they need it to research. OK, I can maybe understand that a bit, but if it is true, why did they allow it to come to me in the first place. I am diligent and do NOT click on that stuff, but many of these messages are pretty well done and I'm sure some folks DO click on the false links. Plus, just because COX know this particular message is in the system, the spoofed company may not. And, naturally, I foolishly think someone may like to take action to try to kill some of this nonsense. So, the bottom line is how can I get these notifications through to COX and the spoofed companies? Thanks again for your efforts to provide some clarity for me.20Views0likes0CommentsCOX Blocked Efforts to Report Phishing E-mail
I regularly receive phishing e-mail purporting to be from USAA, Wells Fargo, etc. These are "well done" scams that even keep in correct links to the company privacy sites, while they have other scam links. I have tried to report them to the respective companies and to COX, but COX repeatedly blocks them with the error message the files are too large; clearly an incorrect statement. I would like to be able to forward the e-mail as attachments or at least send the headers from the incoming e-mail, but they will not go through. Previous attempts on chat with COX claims they don't need the report because the blocking means they already know it is a scam. Well, if that is true, then why didn't they block the incoming messageto me, and I presume untold numbers of others who may not be as diligent as I in not clicking on the malicious links? Does anybody have any ideas?4.5KViews0likes3CommentsRe: Reporting Phishing E-mail
Thanks ColleenD. I just tried this. I should say I used a new subject for my out going message as i think you suggested. If you mean to change the subject of the incoming message that I am sending as an attachment, you are going to have to tell me how to do that. To forward the message as an attachment, all I do is a right-click on the incoming line in my inbox and select "forward as attachment". I have no clue as to how to change that message's subject. Trying to follow your suggestion resulted in the same error message. Any other ideas? If your spam filters won't let messages be reported, especially phishing e-mail, the whole system breaks down. Thanks.21Views0likes0CommentsReporting Phishing E-mail
I try to report all phishing e-mails to Cox and the organization the e-mail is spoofing, e.g., Navy Federal Credit Union (of which I am NOT even a member). I send Cox to phishingreport@cox.net and for the spoofed organization I use the address shown on their web page, e.g., phishalert@navyfederal.org. I always try to send the offending e-mail as an attachment and paste the headers in the body of my original e-mail, identified as such. My outgoing e-mail to Cox, et. al. is normally about 14 kb, but I get a response similar to the following nonsense response from Cox through an error message on my mail program (Windows Live Mail, using Windows 8.1): "This message could not be sent because its size exceeded the server's limit. You can use the option, located in Tools | Accounts | Properties | Advanced, to break messages into smaller parts. Subject 'Phishing Email received Fw: Your Have Two New Security Message From Navy Federal' Server Error: 552 Server Response: 552 5.2.0 kLkW1q0030sfaii01LkW24 This message was undeliverable. This message has been found to be a potential spam message, and has therefore been blocked. Please visit http://ww2.cox.com/coxagainstspam for more information. Server: 'smtp.east.cox.net' Windows Live Mail Error ID: 0x800CCC6D Protocol: SMTP Port: 25 Secure(SSL): No" How can I report phishing e-mail if you block it from being sent to the applicable security folks.? The message is NOT too large! Please provide me guidance. Thanks.3.9KViews0likes3Comments