ContributionsMost RecentMost LikesSolutionsData use spike - no explanation 11 months ago I gotan email that Cox was performing service to "improve bandwidth" in the area.Within two weeks, I got a text that I was near exceeding my data use allowance - for the very first time in 3+ years (since moving into house). No change in behavior, I live alone, changed wifi password, disabled all auto updates. No solution. Cox came out, recommended their "super fantastic" panoramic router but could find no explanation why the meter showed nearly double the use. Escalated to a guy who monitored the use, spent a lot of time trying to help (this was after I reported it to the FCC, so...) and discounted the overages. After a few months (January-ish), recorded usageleveled off to normal. Fast forward to this July, the data spike is back and I was charged $50 extra in that month for data. Nothing has changed in my use, in fact I have literally started turning off wifi on all devices not actively in use andpowering them down. I feel like I am living in the stone age here, this isn't honest recording of usage and charges when I KNOW what I use and have implemented every potential solution I could get my hands on. A call to Coxrevealsthat all they can see is that it's "streaming" (which I can see for myself, thanks), but not what device. So it seemsthe super fantastic router I pay for every month is no better than the top-rated one I had before they leased me theirs as a superior solution. Anyway - if anyone has a similar experience or suggestions, I'm all ears. I've read old posts where others had the same issue but there never as a solution past change your wifi password. Re: Modem techies: Need advice Please Just reading this is giving me a headache and bad flashbacks. You changed nothing, but right after "bucket man" everything went to hell. So the techs will come out, look at this and that, ask you questions you already answeredto prove thatyou did nothing different, then they'll offer to replace your modem withtheirs("it will be so much faster, for all these reasons"). You'll do the trial and probably just keep it because you're so worn down by the whole thing. If you're like me, it won't help much if at all. ~ Congratulations, you're now renting from Cox what you previously owned (just like me!). In the meantime, you'll waste time and energy sitting on hold to consult with level 1, then level 2, on and on to "level whatever" tech support, read online articles,switch wires around, speed test,ask forums like this, and sorry to tell you - it's not going to help. It's not what you did, it'ssomething they did, and my guess it's so that they can service the "free internet for all" mentality crowd moving here that we get to support by having lousy service and getting gaslighted that "nothing is different on our end." Anyway, I wish you luck, you're going to need it until there's service competition in town. Re: Modem techies: Need advice Please I had the exact same issue a few months ago (89134) right after they did work to "improve area bandwidth." Suddenly everything (browsing, watching Netflix and Hulu) was way slower and at the same time I began getting "data overage" for the first time EVER - I have been here 3 years. It took an FCC complaint to get them to respond and I ended up with their modum and a 2 year contract for a higher speed plan that is not noticeably faster than before, still slower than before their area work to increase bandwidth. In addition, I continue to hit "approaching data max" and going over - despite nothing whatsoever changing in what I've always done. This is really maddening and I know it's not something I'm doing, it's something they've done to drive up profit. Sorry, I have no solution but you are not alone.