Slow Internet with Cox?

Everything is okay in your world until you realize your internet is too slow to do any of the fun stuff all your friends are doing. You try to download a Netflix movie to watch while traveling, and the download is still pending. Maybe your internet has always had a slow download speed, but now it’s become more of an issue with everything you’re trying to do online. 

There can be multiple reasons you are experiencing a slow internet connection. There could be an issue with your router or modem, or you could have a weak wifi signal. Perhaps your cable line is weak or faulty. Maybe all the different devices on your network are saturating all your bandwidth, or your DNS server is relatively slow.

Hopefully, these troubleshooting suggestions will assist you with finding the cause of your bad internet connection. Let’s get started:

Check Your Speed

You will need to run a speed test and compare it to your Cox plan to see if your internet is up to your plan’s standards. Many people assume their internet should be faster than it is; however, the plan they chose doesn’t provide them the speed they need. You should find the speed of your internet connection that is included with your plan on your monthly invoice. If not, just check Cox’s website for the details of your plan. 

Hit the Reboot Button

Fixing a slow internet connection can be as simple as hitting your reboot button on your router or modem. Like many other tech devices, your modem or router can be in an overloaded state, which will cause your slow internet. If this solves your bad internet connection, consider rebooting these devices more often to have them work more efficiently. 

Evaluate Your Coax Splitters

Many people who use coax splitters for their cable internet experience some type of bad internet connection once the cable’s quality has been reduced. This can easily happen from normal wear and tear or due to many splitters being used for multiple connections. 

All of this can degrade your signal strength and lead to slow internet. We recommend examining your cable and determining whether it needs to be replaced to improve your internet connection.  

Switch to Another DNS Server

This might sound technical or difficult, but it’s actually pretty easy to do. The reason you may want to try a different DNS Server is that your provider is supplying your current one, and it might be overloaded, causing internet lagging or a bad internet connection. 

Take a look at Google Public DNS to test out another DNS Server. 

Review Your Equipment

If you have old and outdated equipment that you’re using to connect to the internet, the chances are that is going to be the reason you have slow internet. Your router and or modem are only capable of doing what they were programmed to do. So if your equipment is twenty years old, you’re definitely not going to have the internet speed your plan probably offers.

Investing in new equipment doesn’t have to cost a fortune; just make sure it isn’t the cheapest on the market either. You want equipment that will match your habits and internet usage, so if you’re streaming or downloading a lot of content, you’ll want some equipment that can handle that kind of use.    

Test Your Internet Speed 

One of the easiest ways to test your internet connection speed is to run a simple speed test. Many different sites offer free speed tests, including many internet providers. However, we recommend using a source that is not affiliated with your actual provider. Google has a reliable speed test used by many folks to determine if they have a slow download speed.  

Here are our top choices for running your internet speed test:

• Google – Just type ‘speed test’ in your search bar. 
• FAST (Powered by Netflix)
• SPEED CHECK
• OOKLA

Compare Your Speed with Your Cox Contract

Cox has several different plans available that include internet speeds from 10 Mbps for the person who doesn’t require a lot of internet speed and up to 940 Mbps for the streamers and households with multiple devices connected to their wifi. 

We suggest after you run your speed tests, you check to see which plan you have with Cox and if your numbers add up between the speed test and your package’s included speed rates. If you find a discrepancy, reach out to Cox’s customer service and find out what they will do to fix your slow internet.  

Troubleshoot with Cox Customer Service

If you have exhausted all your options for troubleshooting your bad internet connection, then the next step would be to contact Cox’s customer support for technical assistance. Cox does offer 24/7 live chat on their website that should be able to assist you with your slow internet. But if you prefer to call and speak to a representative, the number is below. 

Call Cox Customer Service at 800-234-3993.

The Cox customer service rep may ask you to assist with the troubleshooting of your bad internet connection. If this happens, you made be asked to perform these simple tasks: 

• Run a speed test using their software.
• Unplug the power cords to all your devices. 
• Plug everything back in and wait until it all boots up. 
• Verify the colors on your connected equipment. 

File an Official Complaint and Get Compensated

After contacting Cox’s customer service and going through all the troubleshooting steps to fix your slow internet and your problem isn’t resolved, you should consider filing an official complaint. Be aware that Cox’s customer service reps might want to sell you additional upgrades to try and fix your bad internet connection.

Be sure not to agree to any other charges or costs to try and fix your slow internet. You also want to make sure you file a dispute through FairShake and try to get compensated for the money you spent on the internet services you never received from Cox.