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1. General·What are the advertised speeds for Cox HSI?
·Where can I find the AUP, SA and usage limitation information?
·What type of email/newsgroups service does Cox offer?
·Is my IP address static or dynamic?
·Does Cox provide web space for my homepage?
·What should my modem signal levels be?
·How should I ping my first hop?
·Who are the authorized Cox employees that provide support on this forum?
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Several packages are available in each Cox market with speeds up to 12 MB downstream and 1 MB upstream.
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by RedXII1234  edited by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2006-09-17 10:25:31 |
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You can find the Cox HSI acceptable use policy at: http://support.cox.net/custsup/policies/acceptableuse.shtml
The Subscriber Agreement can be found at: http://support.cox.net/custsup/policies/acceptableuse.shtml
Here is the information regarding customer usage limitations:
http://support.cox.net/custsup/safety/bytecapfaq.shtml
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by PapaSmurf edited by bmn
last modified: 2003-05-09 03:34:49 |
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Currently Cox gives free access to about 50,000 newsgroups included with service. Email service is available via POP3/SMTP and you can access it over the web at http://webmail.cox.net.
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by scavio edited by RedXII1234
last modified: 2002-03-25 20:18:59 |
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Cox High Speed Internet IP addresses are dynamically assigned to each computer on the Cox High Speed Internet network. Therefore, an IP address can change at any time. If you need static IP addressing, please contact Cox Business Services for a business solution that fits your needs.
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by RedXII1234 |
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Currently Cox let's you have 7 different email addresses per account with 10MB storage for each. Each account is allowed 300MB per month of bandwidth. Note though, you can't take all seven accounts and make them continguous (string them together) to get a 70MB site. Each 10MB of space provisioned will have it's own URL. However, you can use one allocation as your main site, store data on the others, and cross-reference the pages through your links (the poor man's continguous site.)
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by scavio edited by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2002-03-26 13:43:41 |
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Information on signal levels: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/robin.d.h.walker/cmtips/signal.html#signal
Downstream power level (Receive): -15dbmV to +15dbmV
A value of -15 or worse indicates a poor downstream signal path. A tech would aim for a value close to the optimal 0 dBmV, but a good cable modem should be capable of working within the broader range of -15 to +15 dBmV, provided the downstream Signal to Noise Ratio remains good enough.
Upstream (Transmit): +8dbmV to +58dbmV.
A value within the range +25 to +55 dBmV is within spec with 40's the most common. The lower this figure is, the better the upstream path to the UBR. If the cable modem is going offline, and the upstream signal strength is at +58dBmV, then a poor upstream path is probably the problem.
Carrier/Noise Ratio: 30dB to 36dB .
The downstream Signal to Noise Ratio must be 23.5 dB or higher, and should ideally be 30 dB or higher. The lower ratio the more noise and the poorer the performance. The Cable Modem will have to keep requesting retransmissions of packets with uncorrectable errors.
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by RedXII1234
last modified: 2005-02-03 18:37:40 |
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You should ping your first hop apprx fifty times. (To get your first hop do a tracert to anywhere and note the first address like 10.xx.xx.xx
Then go to the DOS prompt and enter: ping -n 50 xx.xx.xx.xx)
The pings to your first hop should normally be under 30ms with an occasional ping in the 60-70ms range. Disregard the first ping. If you see high pings or a high spike and are running Win9x/ME hold down Ctrl/Alt/Del and "End Task" on all programs except for Explorer and Systray. Then try the ping to your first hop again. If they look normal now that usually indicates it is a program running in the background that is causing the problem. Reboot and try disabling programs loading at start up to find the one causing the problem.
If the pings remain high or high spikes after closing all programs except Explorer and Systray, then you can eliminate the possibility of a background program as a cause.
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by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2003-03-06 14:16:15 |
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At Cox, we strictly enforce our authorized posting policy. Employees must go through a validation and authorizing process before we sanction their postings on the Cox Forum here at Broadband Reports. We also keep an eye on postings, and with the help of the members of this forum, make sure we respond professionally and responsibility to questions. In doing this, we can ensure your confidence in our employees that opt to help out here.
That said, participation by employees is voluntary. We don't tell anyone they have to do this. Thus, you'll find some markets have great coverage while others may not be directly represented. Likewise, we have a lot of folks that opt not to post. Instead, they frequently "lurk" in order to stay in touch with the feedback we receive here.
Final disclaimer: This forum is not a replacement or substitute for our official call centers and support web sites.
Now that I've dispatched with the "batteries not included" formalities, here's the list of Authorized Cox Employees posting in this forum and their system or area of expertise:
All Things Cox:
coxengr (not for individual support issues)
PapaSmurf
Residential Tech Support in All Markets:
CoxTech1
CoxTOC1
CBS Tech Support in All Markets:
bbeesley
Abuse Issues:
CoxAbuse
Provisioning/DOCSIS/Engineering:
Cox_BEng
coxatlengr
EMail Issues:
CoxEmail
Product Issues:
ProductDiva
CoxInfoGuy
CoxProducts
Middle Georgia:
PapaSmurf
MGA_SOC
Arizona:
AZHSISupport
AZHSISUPPRT2
Gulf Coast:
intercede007
Hampton Roads:
CoxTOC1
TOC_HRD
New Orleans:
louhsieng
New England:
ridataguy
NOVA:
CoxNVAHSI
CoxNovaDOC
OKC:
engnr1 cx ok
San Diego:
CoxSanDiego
SDKiwi
BTD
Las Vegas:
bbeesley
dnacke
Baton Rouge/Greater Louisiana:
bigeasyengr
Significant Lurking Parties:
CoxJimR
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by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2008-10-14 14:27:46 |
2. Terminology·What is Provisioning?
·What is a CMTS?
·What is an MLS?
·What is a backbone Router?
·What is Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC)?
·What is a node?
·What is DOCSIS?
·What is a cable modem?
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Provisioning occurs when a new modem is initiated/activated. Sometimes configuration issues can come up, and you'll hear tech support say, "We will "reprovision" the modem." Think of it as "resetting" your connection.
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by PapaSmurf |
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CMTS stands for Cable Modem Terminating System. It enables access over the hybrid fiber coaxial network via a cable modem.
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by PapaSmurf |
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An MLS is a multi-layer switch. It interconnects with other network elements at the edge of the network. Multiple CMTS will usually aggregate into a single MLS.
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by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2002-03-19 16:29:52 |
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A backbone router is an OSI layer 3 device that connects with other backbone routers to form the complete network backbone. Some backbone routers will connect to backbone routers of other providers (non Cox HSI) as well to "peer" the network. Connection to the internet is provided through a backbone router that interconnects to an Internet provider's network.
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by PapaSmurf edited by RedXII1234
last modified: 2002-03-19 19:16:28 |
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Hybrid Fiber Coax is a way of delivering video, voice telephony, data, and other interactive services over coaxial and fiber optic cables.
An HFC network works consists of a headend office, distribution center, fiber nodes, and network interface units.
The headend office receives information such as television signals, Internet packets, and streaming media, then delivers them through a SONET ring to distibution centers. The distribution centers then send the signals to neighborhood fiber nodes, which convert the optical signals to electrical signals and redistributes them on coaxial cables to residents' homes where network interface units send the appropriate signals to the appropriate devices (i.e. television, computer, telelphone).
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by RedXII1234 |
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The cable system is divided into nodes. In most cable systems, there is fiber optic cable running from the cable company to a large box somewhere in that node. Inside that box there is a media converter which converts the signal from optical (light)to RF (radio frequency).
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by RedXII1234 |
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DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) is the Cable Modem standard that defines the interface requirements of high-speed data transmission over cable networks. You can also see the CableLabs® Certified logo on some modems, which also means the modem is DOCSIS compliant.
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by RedXII1234 |
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A cable modem is an electronic adapter that permits a personal computer to receive Internet data from the high-speed information resources of a cable television system. Cable modems permit personal computers to receive Internet information at rates of up to hundreds of times faster than typical, consumer market telephone modems. A cable modem attaches to a personal computer through a network interface card (NIC) installed inside the computer. The cable television system's cable brings the information into the cable modem and then the cable modem sends the information into the computer through the NIC.
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by RedXII1234 |
3. Service Settings·TCP/IP Setup
·What are the mail and news server settings for Cox HSI?
·Does Cox HSI work with Linux?
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After successfully completing the installation of the Network Interface Card you will need to verify that your computer’s TCP/IP settings have been correctly set. TCP/IP is the communication protocol that your computer uses to communicate with the Internet. You must have TCP/IP installed and properly configured in order to access the Cox High Speed Internet service. Your Cox High Speed Internet installation disk should have automatically configured these settings. It is, however, a good idea to verify that these properties are correct.
If your computer is already part of a network, you must modify the network configuration on your computer in order to connect to Cox High Speed Internet.
This involves one of the following actions:
•Change your computer’s configuration, disconnect from the network, then connect to Cox High Speed Internet.
•Use another computer which is not connected to the network to connect to Cox High Speed Internet.
Use the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service to obtain the
following items:•IP Address•Default gateway•Domain Name Service (DNS) address.
Select your operating system below to continue:
Windows 95, 98 & ME
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows XP
Windows NT 4.0
Macintosh 8.5 - 9.x
Macintosh OSX
Source/Reference
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by RedXII1234 |
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Cox is divided into three (3) regions:
East = CT, FL, GA, LA, NC, OH, RI, VA
Central = AR, IA, ID, KS, MI, NE, OK, TX, UT
West = AZ, CA, NV
Email (POP)
pop.east.cox.net
pop.central.cox.net
pop.west.cox.net
Email (SMTP)
smtp.east.cox.net
smtp.central.cox.net
smtp.west.cox.net
News (NNTP)
news.east.cox.net
news.central.cox.net
news.west.cox.net
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by PapaSmurf |
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Cox HSI does not officially support the Linux operating system. However, the service works quite well (some say even better) under Linux. For help setting up your Linux system to use Cox HSI, please visit our All Things Unix forum.
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by hotshotDJ edited by RedXII1234
last modified: 2002-07-29 15:47:44 |
4. Networking and Sharing·Can I use a Router with Cox?
·Does Cox offer Multiple IPs?
·What ports and services are blocked on Cox residential accounts?
·Why can't I send e-mail outside of Cox's network?
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Cox will allow you to create a home network and have helpful FAQs on their support page. However, if you do have problems with your connection you may be required to connect your modem directly into a computer since Cox will not support home networks due to the complexities and numerous configurations they can have.
"I think it's pretty safe to point out that the option "enable WAN requests", if your router has that option, makes your router pingable, and thus can be troubleshooted by a Cox tech. It'll simply appear as the primary machine on the network."
Thanks to MetalMorph for that.
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by scavio edited by RedXII1234
last modified: 2002-03-26 00:12:08 |
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Cox does offer up to 2 additional IPs to make it possible to have 3 total. This option can be added to the account by the HSD phone tech reps (tier1). After the IPs are added the modem must be power cycled (power disconnected for approximately 45sec-1min and then plugged back in) for the modem to obtain the setting change (new config file) that allows it to pull multiple IPs from the DHCP server. Once this is done the IP lease should be renewed on each machine to verify it can now obtain a public address.
Cox will not support the network directly or the hardware associated with it (hub/switch etc). To troubleshoot problems that arise with this the modem must be attached directly to all PCs individually. Troubleshooting of the LAN hardware itself is generally left up to the manufacturer of said hardware.
The cost is typically a $9.95 one-time setup fee and $6.95 per month per IP. This price may vary slightly from market to market but can be used as a general guide when determining the best multi-pc solution for your individual situation.
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by dustedpuppy edited by RedXII1234
last modified: 2002-03-30 20:32:36 |
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Cox blocks a number of ports and services for security reasons and to ensure consistant service to all of our users.
A complete list of blocked ports and rationale is at: »support1.cox.com/sdccommon/asp/c···579e132a
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by NoVA_CoxUser edited by RedXII1234
last modified: 2007-05-25 15:00:31 |
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Quite simply, it is to reduce spambots.
If you are in such a situation that you are away from home, say in college, there are two ways around this:
-Use Cox's webmail
-Specify an alternate SMTP server, that you have access to such as your school's mail server, in your e-mail client.
You will probably prefer to use an e-mail client. The incoming server will not change, but you will need to consult your network administrator on getting details for changing your SMTP server.
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by RedXII1234 |
5. Hardware·Should I buy or lease a modem?
·Modems supported by Cox
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Not paying a monthly fee on the modem will save you money in the long run (normally about a year, sometimes less depending on price) as long as you keep your service for a significant period of time. Be sure to check with Cox before buying to verify they support the modem.
A list of approved modems can be found at:
http://support.cox.net/custsup/help/MS_hardware_supported_modems.shtml.
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by scavio edited by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2003-03-06 14:25:52 |
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For customers who want to purchase a cable modem from a source other than Cox, A list of approved modems can be found at:
http://support.cox.net/custsup/help/MS_hardware_supported_modems.shtml.
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by RedXII1234 edited by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2003-03-06 14:26:33 |
7. Troubleshooting·Is there a preferred test for posting problem info on the forum(ping plot,etc)?
·Is there a web site for Cox HSI support?
·Are my ping times and packet loss a problem?
·Is there an official Cox speedtest site?
·Why would I see ARP traffic outside my subnet
·Will I loose my Cox HSI service during a power outage?
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Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a gospel. Far too many variables to count on any single measurement. While a ping test MAY give an indication of a problem, it can also be misleading.
All that said, it really helps to have someone express what service (e-mail, news, web surfing speed)is affected and how. Saying something like, "My e-mail is slow," doesn't give us a lot to work with. It would be best expressed if you said something like, "My e-mail keeps timing out," or "I can't get to my personal web space, it keeps giving me error x." That's sufficient substance to know where to start trouble shooting, and it's a universal language most tech support professionals understand.
On speed tests, that's an imperfect science as well. Since the packet(s) being measured leave the Cox network(at some point), traverse the Internet and then return, your results are likely to be scewed if you only test once. In my humblest of opinions, the best measure comes from running the test at the same site at different times over a number of days(making sure you clear your cache after each test). This establishes a trend of peaks and valleys, and can give you a better indication of your particular connection's performance. Yet, even this method has it's down side. Once you leave the Cox network you'll likely pick up those Internet dust bunnies (external latency, slow or congested servers, etc.) that can return slower speed results that what you're actually getting through the Cox network. Again, multiple tests over a period of days can minimize the impact of this.
Back to the gospel thing, there are some really good tools here at this site. On occasion, we have been able to help customers just by interpretting the results they've posted here. There are just some obvious things that jump right out. However, what we've found is that a blend of tests work best. In most cases we revert to following up on ping tests and the findings of tools here with our own internal diagnostic tools. That way, we have as much data as possible and can better determine what things to look at and solutions to try.
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by PapaSmurf |
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Yes. The URL is http://support.cox.net.
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by PapaSmurf edited by RedXII1234
last modified: 2002-03-25 20:25:22 |
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First, remember that a "ping" is an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) packet. It's a pretty simple as protocols go. ICMP is defined in RFC 792 and provides a way for IP stacks to send simple messages containing information or errors. Given this, it often gets the lowest priority of any protocol on the routing totem-pole, and may actually be rejected by routers if there is a lot of traffic on the network at a given time. To all that, ICMP has been used for scanning, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and tunneling thus some providers/markets turned off replies to ping.
Next, pinging the network and trying to correlate packet loss as the cause of your specific problem falls a bit short of the mark. Latency could be a result of the ICMP packets being held while higher priority traffic gets passed. Some devices will even discard ICMPs and give a false positive reading on packet loss. Furthermore, networks are loaded with electronic devices that will experience hiccups (for lack of a better word). That you saw a ping spike or two in a twenty four hour period is probably not an indicator of a problem.
To all that, pinging to a specific interface can give you inconclusive results. You should try to ping through the interface to a known device on the other side. Also, it's not uncommon to see that a ping coming from the ingress side of an interface yields a different result than one coming from the egress side. For example, someone in Middle Georgia, pinging to an interface on the Atlanta network(pinging from egress point)might see packet loss, where someone from Phoenix pinging (ingress)that same interface would see none.
So, what do you do? Well, don't discount packet loss or latency completely. This may indeed be an indicator of a problem with a router or interface. Do post the results of trace routes and ping plots, just remember to further quantify the problem by telling a little bit about what drove you to start trace routing in the first place (i.e. - slow download speeds (under 1 MB), frequent disconnects, modem losing sync, etc.)
Secondly, check all the obvious things -- your cable connections, RWIN settings (see the Tweaks forum here), look at the modem diagnostics if you have access to it, make sure you have all the latest patches for your browser, e-mail, and news client, etc. Check »support.cox.net for details on technical problems and service configuration.
If you're an online gamer, check the gaming forum here. Lots of pros to help you ensure your game and PC configurations are correct, and that you get the most out of the experience.
Also remember that the more info you can provide about your problem in the post, the easier it will be for other participants and tech support to assist in getting your problem resolved.
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by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2002-06-18 19:38:41 |
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Cox does not have an official speedtest site. Some systems may have a home grown solution in place, but nothing exists for the global audience.
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by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2002-10-03 20:22:55 |
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“ARP” stands for Address Resolution Protocol. It’s a protocol that allows the OS to associate an ip address (layer 3) with an ethernet MAC address (layer 2). For instance, let’s say we have two computers, A and B. A has the ip address 10.0.0.1 and the ethernet MAC address 00:00:00:00:00:01. B has the ip address 10.0.0.2 and the ethernet MAC 00:00:00:00:00:02. Both machines are on the same ethernet segment.
The first time A wants to send an IP packet to B, it initiates a conversation like this:
1) A -> FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF, ARP who has 10.0.0.2? This is a broadcast ethernet frame. It goes to every computer connected to the segment.
2) B -> A, ARP I have 10.0.0.2. This reply is directed specifically to A.
Now A knows that B is on the same segment as itself and the ip address 10.0.0.2 is associated with the ethernet MAC 00:00:00:00:00:02. Any traffic bound for 10.0.0.2 is then addressed to 00:00:00:00:00:02. It caches this ARP entry so it doesn’t have to rebroadcast every time it sends a packet to B.
The same principle applies to a CMTS. All the computers connected to cable modems registered on the CMTS are on a virtual ethernet. When the CMTS receives an ip packet, it sends out a broadcast ARP request to every computer attached to the interface for that subnet to find out what CPE MAC is associated with the IP. Most (all?) markets are now using ip bundling, which means that subnets span multiple interfaces. Because of this, each bundled interface has more customers on it, and thus they see a good deal more ARP traffic than they did back in the @Home days.
An ethernet ARP packet is only 60 bytes long, so the extra traffic does not affect the customer’s service in any way.
So to sum it all up:
1) It’s normal for customers to see lots of ARP requests
2) It’s normal for customers to see ARP requests for ip addresses on subnets other than the one their computer is currently on
3) The ARP traffic is harmless.
(SPECIAL THANKS: To the Cox abuse department for this input)
UPDATE:
ARP traffic is INCLUDED in your data totals for your connection usage and does count against the amount specified in the Cox usage limitation policy. It is estimated that approximately 1GB per month in traffic to your connection is ARP packets.
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by PapaSmurf edited by bmn
last modified: 2003-05-10 03:49:19 |
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That depends. At a high level, in order for your HSI service to say "up," if you've lost electricity at you house your cable modem and any essential network devices would have to have their own backup power (e.g. UPS) so that they could continue to operate during the power outage.
The various network devices between the head-end and your cable modem have backup power available to keep them running during comercial power failure. Most distribution systems are actively monitored and will continue to operate on batteries for a number of hours. In this scenario, as battery capacity starts to dwindle below a certain standard, a technician is dispatched to the power suply and a portable generator is connected -- thus, keeping the connection alive. Other systems have backup generators which can maintain operation of the system as long as there is a fuel source.
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by NoVA_CoxUser edited by PapaSmurf
last modified: 2006-09-17 10:40:21 |
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1) Check the network status at status.cox.net first. There may be an outage in your area, thus no need to seek help here.
2) If you do post, please give details. While one might consider "my connection sux" or "this Cox stuff don't work" as a keen, fact filled observation, it does little to explain the problem in enough detail to help. Think about giving the OS, modem type, or whatever info you can that may be helpful in diagnosing the issue and determining the solution. That said, make sure you also read www.dslreports.com/faq/4313 in this FAQ. It explains a bit about latency and packet loss and when you should really be concerned.
3) For connection, packet loss or latency issues post a ping plot (download free from pingplotter.com or an equivalent. A picture is indeed worth a thousand words and can speed up the process of getting you going again. Also try visualroute.visualware.com
4) Check previous threads. There may already be one going on your particular issue.
5) Try to find a fix on the Cox knowledge base at www.expressresponse.com/cox_isp or poke around support.cox.net. You'd be surprised at the number of people who've encountered your exact trouble and we've got the resulting fix posted in one of these locations.
6) Check out the tweaks forum here on this site. Loads of good tools to help you optimize your connection as well as FAQs on how and what to tweak.
7) Have a home network? Cox is in the process of launching a fully supported home network product. Additionally, for the do-it-yourselfers, while Cox doesn't officially support your home grown networks, there's lots of knowledgeable help here in this forum and in the Networking forum.
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