Cox Internet Service Fails at Fixing the Real Problems

We've all been there: your internet speed slows to a crawl for some unknown reason. It's happened when you're watching a youtube video and it stops loading halfway through, or websites take a much longer time to load than they should. And then, after a short while, maybe after rebooting your modem and/or router or even restarting your computer, things begin to operate normally.

Well, that's not what I've been experiencing with Cox Communications. For over a year I have complained that the quality of service (QoS) I have been receiving is inconsistent and unacceptable.

"Have you restarted your modem?

When my internet service quality takes a nose dive my first reaction is to check my hardware to make sure it is functioning properly. After verifying that my equipment is functioning properly the only other conclusion I can arrive at is that Cox is not delivering the service that I am paying for, so I call their tech support line.

Now for the frustrating part of the story that does not seem to have a happy ending on the horizon. Whenever I call Cox, the tech support ignores my entire explanation of how I arrived to the conclusion that the problem must be on their end and not mine and asks, "have you restarted your modem?" and is immediately followed by, "are you using a router?".

Once the tech sees that they cannot convince me that my hardware is the source of the problem they arrange to send someone to investigate further and explains if the problem is on my end they will hit me with a hefty fee.

And round and round we go as I beat my head bloody against the wall, exasperated that I cannot find enough single syllable words to reach a level of understanding that is cognizant to the tech. The problem is not at my house, but somewhere between Cox and my house. My neighbors are experiencing the same level of inconsistent service and at the same times, which is becoming more frequent and for longer periods as time progresses.

And then you say, why don't you just change service providers? And then I reply with disdain, because Cox is our only choice.

So it would seem that I, and my neighbors, are doomed to power cycling our modems and routers in the vain expectation that it will someday fix the problem.