Having random, but mostly small issues with internet connection. - Cox

[iFrogMac]

Hey guys, been having som random issues with my internet connection over the past few months. I'm going to list the issues / troubleshooting I've done to help readers have a better idea of what's going on.

I pay for Cox 1G plan. Initially I had their panoramic gateway, and started having issues with that.
So, I gave them back their gateway, and bought an ARRIS S33, to completely separate the modem and router (even though I had the gateway in bridge mode). Also wanted to completely get rid of the modem rental fee.

After having cox out about 5 times, it seems like everything outside is fine, and one of the techs did replace the F connector in the wall jack I use as it had tarnished with age.
For a while things were fine, and then I noticed I would start losing download speeds slowly after a couple weeks. Not huge drops, but more than just normal peek times, and there were never issues reported in the cox app of problems, maintenance, etc.

So, I bought a new coaxial cable on Amazon, and I get really good speeds with it, and then i saw the slight drop after come time connected. So, I took out the F connector from the Tech, and put the one in the jack that came with my cable since I knew it was new and fresh.
That's been stable and then yesterday the internet connection completely dropped and I had to power cycle the modem to get it back and it's been fine since.

Here is where I'm at in my troubleshooting:
I don't think it's a modem issue as Cox has always been able to confirm network signal issues (over their network) and once addressed signal has returned to normal and the modem hasn't missed a beat.
I have noticed that I've had to reboot the router (Asus RT-AX86U) latest stock firmware a few times to get back up to my normal speeds. So wondering if possible incompatibility with modem and router. Have a Tp-link router I could swap in to test that possibility.

Also wondering Cox increasing their upload speeds to 100Mbps is also stressing the modem. I ask because the S34, is said to be compatible with Xfinity's next gen upload speeds while the S33 isn't. I know Cox and Comcast are two separate companies, and as stated the upload speeds from cox do work with the S33. Just wondering if there would be a reason to get the other modem at this point because of the higher uploads, even though working are pushing the modem too hard.

So pretty much after doing my research, talking to Cox, having them out, replacing the coax cable / jack connector, etc. Here is where I'm at, and what I'm bring to this community.

Line issues
Modem / Router incompatibility, or an older modem trying to handle upload speeds it was never intended to.

I've used all the resources I have to try and stabilize the problem(s).

Thanks for any feedback, or suggestions.

EDIT: I have disconnected the RT-AX86U and have switched in the TP-Link Archer AX4400 just to rule out Router / modem, or router related issues. So far things are stable. I had configured the TP-Link with all applicable settings that would be able to be set the same as the Asus in the event it would be easier to troubleshoot in case of issues. Both routers are on the latest firmware from earlier this year.

 

[degrub]

Sounds like your modem is fine. If spec'd for 100 Mbit/s up, then no issue.
Many times power blips can cause issues. Ultimately causing failure. Lightning strikes nearby can cause issues months later.
Is the modem, router, switch, etc on a UPS ? If not, is it at least on a good quality surge protector ?
Power bricks can degrade and cause weird issues on electronic gear. They can be replaced on the ASUS. Sometimes, you just get a flaky router. If you start seeing frequent reports of router issues for a particular model that are cured by a power cycle or reset, then count your stars if yours doesn't , but you may have to change to a different model if issues start.

 

[iFrogMac]

Sounds like your modem is fine. If spec'd for 100 Mbit/s up, then no issue.
Many times power blips can cause issues. Ultimately causing failure. Lightning strikes nearby can cause issues months later.
Is the modem, router, switch, etc on a UPS ? If not, is it at least on a good quality surge protector ?
Power bricks can degrade and cause weird issues on electronic gear. They can be replaced on the ASUS. Sometimes, you just get a flaky router. If you start seeing frequent reports of router issues for a particular model that are cured by a power cycle or reset, then count your stars if yours doesn't , but you may have to change to a different model if issues start.

Hi, the modem / router are on a UPS, the modem is brand mew within the last couple months. The Router(S) are older with in a few years. Probably 3 or 4 years old ballpark. As far as the switch, I do have an 8 port switch for devices in the bedroom, and that's on a decent surge protector as it doesn't need to stay on if the power goes out. I was asking about the modem because right now according to ARRIS the only difference between the S33 (my modem) and the S34, is the S34 is compatible with Comcast /Xfinity's next gen upload speeds. While Cox (my provider) recently upgraded their 1 and 2 G plans to 100 Mbps uploads, there has been no mention of having to buy a new modem to be compatible. So since the S33 does give me the 100 Mbps upload (about 114/115). I'm going to call it as supported. However, I thought it also a good idea to ask, because since switching to owning my own modem, I've heard more and more, that just because a modem says it's supported, doesn't always mean it's fully supported. So, power protection is good here in terms of being covered outside the extreme that no one has control over.

 

[Tech9]

Not huge drops, but more than just normal peek times, and there were never issues reported in the cox app of problems, maintenance, etc.

Residential lines are not guaranteed, but shared between number of subscribers. The advertised plan speed is "up to" with some ISPs doing overprovisioning to get closer. Speed test servers load varies, also not guaranteed accurate measuring tool. My own residential line is up to 1000/50 and measures 600-990/50 in different hours of the day to different test servers. It works well and as expected in my understanding.

 

[iFrogMac]

Residential lines are not guaranteed, but shared between number of subscribers. The advertised plan speed is "up to" with some ISPs doing overprovisioning to get closer. Speed test servers load varies, also not guaranteed accurate measuring tool. My own residential line is up to 1000/50 and measures 600-990/50 in different hours of the day to different test servers. It works well and as expected in my understanding.

Right, that part I understand and am fine with. I've actually have dealt with issues that go beyond that though, and why I brought my troubleshooting steps here to see if I've missed anything. As long as the speeds fluctuate in normal increments without high jitter / ping / packet loss. I'm fine. In the past couple months as mentioned above though have been download speeds down to 300 at lowest or upload speeds so slow that it kills the whole connection to the network so I'm completely offline. The just mentioned extremes seem to have been resolved so now the main one I've dealt with is unusually slow download speeds with normal upload speeds that have only come back by disconnecting the cable from the jack, power cycling the modem, or rebooting the router. The extreme speed loss seems have been cable related at the jack, the little speed loss was usually router related. When the internet occasionally just disappears, that requires a modem power cycle as it's status light never changes to reflect it's offline. I just have no connection until the power cycle. Thankfully that's only happened twice and a few months apart. Here are a couple of screenshots to show what I normally get, and then when things get strange. BTW, the packet loss and jitter issues in one screenshot seem to have gone back to normal after I changed the F connector in the jack to the one that came with my new cable.

 

[PunchCardBoss]

Also wondering Cox increasing their upload speeds to 100Mbps is also stressing the modem.

As others have said, modem is not likely an issue. But I would make sure the modem is on COX approved modem list on their website.

You didn't mention how your coax cable is routed from the house junction box to your modem. Do you have splitters? Likely you do. Perhaps several in series before the coax reaches your modem.

I also use COX with a Netgear modem now. I occasionally lost internet connection during damp or rainy days. After tracing the coax through my house, I found 3 splitters between the COX junction box and my modem. After re-routing coax and replacing all splitters, I haven't had a problem.

I suggest you replace all your splitters with high-quality ones. And, if possible, have as direct a path (few splits) as possible because every coax split weakens COX signal strength.

 

[iFrogMac]

As others have said, modem is not likely an issue. But I would make sure the modem is on COX approved modem list on their website.

You didn't mention how your coax cable is routed from the house junction box to your modem. Do you have splitters? Likely you do. Perhaps several in series before the coax reaches your modem.

I also use COX with a Netgear modem now. I occasionally lost internet connection during damp or rainy days. After tracing the coax through my house, I found 3 splitters between the COX junction box and my modem. After re-routing coax and replacing all splitters, I haven't had a problem.

I suggest you replace all your splitters with high-quality ones. And, if possible, have as direct a path (few splits) as possible because every coax split weakens COX signal strength.

I may have forgotten to mention that I rent an apartment so, I don't have as much freedom to fix cabling as I would have if I owned the property, I It was my property. I would have absolutely checked cabling and replaced if needed. One of the Cox techs that was out mentioned the particular Jack I use is a direct run to the pole. The two in the bedroom, I don't use, so I don't know if they are split, or not.

As far as cox Certified, yes the modem is on their list. That was the first thing I checked before even buying a modem. I looked for one from a reputable brand such as ARRIS.

https://www.cox.com/residential/support/cox-certified-cable-modems.html

My chosen modem is the S33, it's listed under 2G and lower retail modems, also the S34 is listed as well. As mentioned, I never thought it was a modem issue and rather more a line issue somewhere or the jack, but covering all bases to make sure.

https://www.cox.com/residential/support/arris-s33.html

 

[Tech9]

to see if I've missed anything

covering all bases to make sure

Your ISP sees the modem stats and if the issue is on their end they will fix it for you. You are always making sure and checking if you missed something, stressing yourself for no reason. It's just a DOCSIS modem with your home AIO router connected to it, not a rocket science.

 

[degrub]

Just report it to Cox with a time stamped log every time it has an issue. You may have to escalate up the tech support chain.

 

[iFrogMac]

Just report it to Cox with a time stamped log every time it has an issue. You may have to escalate up the tech support chain.

I have reported it several times as mentioned. Here is what bothers me the most regarding dealing with them. The last tech that was out didn't even bother to check the inside cabling he only checked the pole. I was the one who found the problem inside so that's why I was going to see if it was something I could take care of without bothering them. The description I gave the person on the phone the last time I called was, the issue never stays fixed. They do fix it when they come, but it usually starts again in some form after a week or two. Here is how it's been different the past few months than it has been. Usually if I was having issues before, I would simply check the mobile app and there would typically be a status message about reported issues, or planned maintenance. Lately it's said everything is OK "as far as they know"

I found out in the process of talking with several people that COX doesn't just know when there is a problem unless someone calls and reports it. It has to be a large enough outage before their system automatically detects it. In fact, they said the whole apartment complex could be out for example and it wouldn't be large enough for auto detection so they wouldn't know about it, unless someone reported it. With this said, that's why I starting looking here for the problem (here as in this apartment). I did get feedback from the property manager that they've had random issues all over, so I'm glad to know it's not just me.

I do want to remind people here that I have to rely on a stable internet connection for ways many people don't (for the time being) for shopping and daily needs because of not being able to drive due to poor vision, and also living in an area that there isn't any place safe to walk to such as stores.

I also wanted to mention that it's not just the cox issues I've had to deal with while living here. The apartments were very poorly managed when I moved in and I had to deal with multiple issues from plumbing to other issues. Because of this the new management company has had to clean up a lot of stuff. Things are much better than they were, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the issues I may have aren't also related to that. The other frustration is, Cox is the only provider here in this area, so I don't have the option of switching to something else. I had wanted to stay with spectrum because I had very few issues with them and if I did they fixed it right the first time. I think my only other option would be to seek home internet service through Verizon. I've had them over 20 years for my phone, and I've been happy, but I'm not real familiar with 5G home internet, so not sure if it would be any better. I did mention to Cox that when they can provide fiber here I want to switch to that so I have synchronous 1 G up and down. They have mentioned to me they want to eventually provide fiber to all customers. I was also told that fiber typically doesn't suffer the problems cable does. It would be nice to have more options vs being forced into only one.

The other issue now being taken care of is a roach problem. Thankfully there didn't seem to be any right inside the jack. So hopefully they haven't destroyed the internal cabling in the walls.

 

[degrub]

If your bandwidth needs are low, then cellular can work. You will also want to be direct line of sight to the cell tower and close by. They have the same issue with over demand on their infrastructure slowing down web activity as the number of RF clients increase on a tower or at one of their relay stations. i had a friend with a small business in a residence that switched from ATT 1Gb fiber to Verizon cell based. After 2 months they were back to ATT for the reliability of cable based infrastructure. She was seeing dropouts/slowness during cell congestion periods. At my mother's house, cell service is in a "hole" on the radiation plot so sometimes her / my phones go offline. Upstairs, with line of sight to the tower, is a little better, but the provider will not adjust their antennas to cover the gap between coverage lobes as it is only about 200 ft wide.

 

[iFrogMac]

I have reported it several times as mentioned. Here is what bothers me the most regarding dealing with them. The last tech that was out didn't even bother to check the inside cabling he only checked the pole. I was the one who found the problem inside so that's why I was going to see if it was something I could take care of without bothering them. The description I gave the person on the phone the last time I called was, the issue never stays fixed. They do fix it when they come, but it usually starts again in some form after a week or two. Here is how it's been different the past few months than it has been. Usually if I was having issues before, I would simply check the mobile app and there would typically be a status message about reported issues, or planned maintenance. Lately it's said everything is OK "as far as they know"

I found out in the process of talking with several people that COX doesn't just know when there is a problem unless someone calls and reports it. It has to be a large enough outage before their system automatically detects it. In fact, they said the whole apartment complex could be out for example and it wouldn't be large enough for auto detection so they wouldn't know about it, unless someone reported it. With this said, that's why I starting looking here for the problem (here as in this apartment). I did get feedback from the property manager that they've had random issues all over, so I'm glad to know it's not just me.

I do want to remind people here that I have to rely on a stable internet connection for ways many people don't (for the time being) for shopping and daily needs because of not being able to drive due to poor vision, and also living in an area that there isn't any place safe to walk to such as stores.

I also wanted to mention that it's not just the cox issues I've had to deal with while living here. The apartments were very poorly managed when I moved in and I had to deal with multiple issues from plumbing to other issues. Because of this the new management company has had to clean up a lot of stuff. Things are much better than they were, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the issues I may have aren't also related to that. The other frustration is, Cox is the only provider here in this area, so I don't have the option of switching to something else. I had wanted to stay with spectrum because I had very few issues with them and if I did they fixed it right the first time. I think my only other option would be to seek home internet service through Verizon. I've had them over 20 years for my phone, and I've been happy, but I'm not real familiar with 5G home internet, so not sure if it would be any better. I did mention to Cox that when they can provide fiber here I want to switch to that so I have synchronous 1 G up and down. They have mentioned to me they want to eventually provide fiber to all customers. I was also told that fiber typically doesn't suffer the problems cable does. It would be nice to have more options vs being forced into only one.

The other issue now being taken care of is a roach problem. Thankfully there didn't seem to be any right inside the jack. So hopefully they haven't destroyed the internal cabling in the walls.

Thanks for the feedback. Just wanted to make sure people knew I was over stressing about just this. It's just ben a bunch of things since I've moved here. Cox has been relatively problem free. And as long as it's stable I'm fine, and I've just been trying to do what I can to help since I've gone to them first and they can't seem to completely solve it. so that's why I checked the local environment.

Anyway, so far things have been stable since I made changes here. As long as it stays stable. I'll be happy.

 

[Easy Rhino]

I haven't used Cox service in a few years. But back when I did every 2 to 4 weeks I would need to power cycle my modem because it would just lose passion. And this is with multiple different modems and having a technician check out the cableing. I eventually just wrote it off as a fault in their service

During the early part of the pandemic, when everyone started working at home it was worse. Not even that the service would get slow, but it would actually just get unreliable and lose connection after about noon when everyone tried to use the net at once

An easy way to see if you would get good speed with a cell-based service is to do speed tests with your phone. If your phone gets good coverage then the hotspot probably would too

 

[iFrogMac]

I haven't used Cox service in a few years. But back when I did every 2 to 4 weeks I would need to power cycle my modem because it would just lose passion. And this is with multiple different modems and having a technician check out the cableing. I eventually just wrote it off as a fault in their service

During the early part of the pandemic, when everyone started working at home it was worse. Not even that the service would get slow, but it would actually just get unreliable and lose connection after about noon when everyone tried to use the net at once

An easy way to see if you would get good speed with a cell-based service is to do speed tests with your phone. If your phone gets good coverage then the hotspot probably would too

Thanks for the feedback. Will keep that in mind. Seems like Cox can be really quirky and I also read they have a lot of BBB complaints as well.

 

[iFrogMac]

Hey guys, coming back here to post a quick update. Seems like I was correct in diagnosing router issues as part of things. After gettin the new router yesterday (Asus RT-BE92U) which has the 1x 10G port and the 4x 2.5G ports. It looks like the actual Cox issues are resolved for the most part and the remaining glitches are related to mixing old and. new hardware. While my Ethernet speeds can dip below 900 Mbps the wireless speeds on the phone are 900 to a little over a1G on a pretty consistent basis. However, putting speedtest aside, and looking at this purely from a daily use prospective, things seem to be stable now. I am glad I have full access to what I'm paying for now, even if not all my current devices can fully use it. Just means when I get new hardware, with updated specs. They'll be able to use the full connection.
Edited to add screenshots of wired and wireless speeds now.

 

[iFrogMac]

@degrub Hey, just thought I would follow up here. A tech came out yesterday, while talking to the sales rep during my upgrade to 2Gbps. I had casually mentioned that had an issue where i would slowly loose speeds and have to disconnect the coaxial cable to get things back to normal, and a modem power cycle didn't fix it and that it was cable specific. Turns out after he tested the line from inside the apartment that the problem was at the tap. Apparently some components had gone bad, and rain / moisture was getting in the tap as this problem happened mostly after rain. So he replaced everything that had gone bad and said I shouldn't have anymore issues. So, it pays off to be persistent. some problems are harder to find than others

BTW, I never asked for a tech to come out, they offered. So, I was happy to see them take responsibility to make sure it was nothing on their end.