You have probably already heard about Cox Cable, but you should also know that Cox provides internet service to millions of people across the United States as well. Cox offers competitive prices for acceptable cable internet that keeps people connected to the outside world. In fact, it is one of the top five ISPs in the United States, despite only being available in 19 states. This alone attests to its effectiveness and its popularity.
Yet is Cox Internet the right choice for your household, especially when considering the alternatives available? We have looked into the details here for you and done the research, so please keep reading below to learn about our findings and better inform yourself.
Common Service Plans and Pricing
You could have the nicest and most reliable ISP in the world and not get the download speeds you need to stream the content you want. Just as important as your internet provider is the actual internet service plan you receive from them. Yet what Cox Internet offer? Use the following chart for reference:
Cox internet offers a few options for its subscribers. However, the maximum you'll get is 150Mbps in many areas, which while enough for most streaming and uses, might not be perfect for a large household of users. If you are lucky, fiber internet might be available in your area, and you can take full advantage of that. Check first to see what your household might need and compare it to both these plans and others offered by other ISPs in your area.
Affordability and Value
If you don't need much of an internet plan, we find the Cox Internet Essentials plan to be one of the best deals in its class per dollar. $30 for basic internet access is a perfectly solid choice. If you just need something and aren't concerned about speed, the Cox Internet Starter plan at 10 Mbps is one of the cheapest internet plans we have seen from any provider and will be sufficient for things such as checking email. However, it might be useless for most other online purposes, so keep that in mind before you are drawn in by the low cost.
On the upper end of the scale is their fiber offering, Cox Internet Gigablast. It settles right in the middle of the pack for affordability; however, the default data cap should give you pause where value is concerned. There might be a better fiber internet provider in your area if you happen to be in a densely populated area with the infrastructure already installed.
And finally, as for Cox Internet Preferred and Ultimate, they are fine cable options that should be able to satisfy your household's needs if there are no faster options offered in your area. The extra download speed will likely be worth it if you have more than one heavy internet user in the home.
Additional Fees and Charges
When working with practically any internet provider, you may also find that there will be a series of extra charges, fees, and more to be on the lookout for. With Cox, it is not as bad as some other providers, but go over the following to make a more informed financial decision:
Data Overage Fees: With Cox Internet, if you go over the Data Cap on your plan, you will be charged an overage fee of $10 for every 50GB of additional data, which can add up quickly on your bill if you aren't aware of what's going on. We recommend double-checking your data usage either now or during the first few weeks after you sign up to ensure you don't run into any problems.
Unlimited Data Plan: If you're worried about data caps or know your household will likely use the 1TB of data available each month under a standard plan, you can pay an additional $50 a month to get an unlimited data plan instead. If you just need some more data, people in some areas can instead opt for an extra 500 GB per month data plan for $30 per month.
Early Termination Fee: If you have a contract with Cox Internet, you may pay up to $120 to cancel your plan early (assuming this is after your 30-day trial period offered with some plans). Overall, this is not a hefty termination fee compared to other providers, and it's a good way for potential Cox customers to be more comfortable with the service.
Equipment Rental Fee: You can expect to pay about $11 a month for their Panoramic WiFi Gateway, which acts as both a modem and a router. However, if you wish to use your own equipment or want to avoid paying this indefinitely, you can buy your own modem and router and use that instead, although you should make sure it is compatible first.
Professional Installation Fee: If you want to have your equipment installed by a professional who will come to your home and take care of everything for you, there is a cost. However, you can avoid this if you are willing to work with their Easy Connect self-installation kit, which is free.
Our Recommendations
Not all internet service plans are created equal. From those listed above, we recommend the Cox Internet Essential plan for people who want basic internet access (people who won't stream too much content and don't need to download many files.) Cox Internet Gigablast is the best choice for power users wherever it is available, especially given fiber's advantages over cable internet, and the highest available plan for those interested in a fiber plan but don't have it available.
Bundling Options and Additional Deals
Cox Internet was effectively built to bundle and built to bundle with a cable plan. You might not even be able to get internet without a cable subscription in some areas, or you will find that your options are more limited or strangely more expensive than even a combined package. For brevity and focus, we will not detail every potential cable package and bundle that you can get from Cox; you can find both cable and phone options from them.
Additionally, you can get sports packages and additional premium channels on top of the bundle, so all of your entertainment needs are covered.
Data Caps and Limitations
Many internet service providers impose data caps and similar restrictions on service, after which customers can expect either additional charges or throttling of their connection (or both), and Cox Internet is no exception. At the time of this writing, all their plans have a 1TB data cap, with an additional charge of $10 per every 50GB of data you go over during the month.
If you wish to avoid this problem, you can buy an unlimited data plan at $50 per month or an additional 500GB on top of your cap for $30 a month. Depending on your usage, this should be a key point of comparison with other internet service plans in your area, even if Cox is by default cheaper than most alternatives.
Consistency
Does Cox Internet stay true to its promises when it comes to internet speed? While there will be variances because it is cable internet, and there is little in the short term that Cox can do on that matter, Cox does a great job keeping expectations at where they should be and not over advertising. Based on the FCC data, Cox Internet customers get on average more than 102 percent of what they were promised, which is something most other internet service providers can say.
Equipment and Setup
Next, we move onto what sort of setup process and equipment you can expect to be using with Cox Internet. You will be getting the Panoramic WiFi Gateway modem/router, which will be more than enough no matter what plan you will be using and would be enough to create a strong network throughout your house. This is leased from Cox, with a monthly lease fee. You will be able to get professional installation in your home for a fee as well, and setup should take only a few hours (at most).
Alternatively, as mentioned above in the fees section, you can handle everything yourself if you want to save money both in the short and long run, especially if you already have a modem and router compatible with Cox Internet service.
Customer Service
While customer service isn't exactly what cable and internet companies are best known for, you should know that Cox does have good ratings when it comes to customer service for the most part. However, you might find yourself with a particularly poor representative, based on some customer notes and reports, so just be aware of this and be prepared to call to find a better agent if you run into trouble.
Customer Notes and Reviews on Cox Internet
While we can provide information on Cox Internet services, we cannot provide a full picture of how Cox operates and whether they keep their promises to every customer. However, those customers can, and as such, we went and looked over as many customer reviews as we could possibly find. Here are our main findings:
· Almost in contrast with some of the general impressions about the customer service, many reviews from customers went out of their way to praise the customer service agents, proving at least a good portion of Cox's team are great to work with.
· Some customers noted issues with occasional periods of downtime where the internet would not work instead of slowdowns that commonly occur with cable internet service.
· Some people were not aware of the data caps and were deeply displeased to find out about them.
General Summary
While Cox might not be known for its internet services (even if they should be), that does not mean that they should not be considered. In some areas of the country, they are clearly the best internet service provider, cable bundle, or not. To bring it all together, here are some of the main points and takeaways you should consider before making a final choice:
Pros:
· The value you are getting for your money is fantastic, especially compared to other common lower-speed internet plans. This trend evens out at the rare high-speed plans on offer.
· Excellent and affordable basic bundle options that will be able to satisfy many households.
· Despite mostly being a cable internet provider, they do a good job making sure that actual internet download speeds match their advertised speeds.
Cons:
· Customer service generally leaves a lot to be desired if we believe many customers and other reports. You may have difficulties dealing with customer service agents if you have an issue. However, these notes could be individual exceptions to the general rule, and we did not find such a problem with customer service so that you should not consider Cox whatsoever.
· The data caps found with Cox Internet aren't uniform and may dissuade power users who do not wish to spend a sizable sum each month from enjoying their service fully.
Learning More About Cox Internet
Availability: While Cox Internet is available in many areas over 19 states, it is not available everywhere. In all likelihood, not all of its plans will be available in your area. Additionally, what is strange is that service isn't centralized in any one region like many other providers. Instead, it is spread throughout, which is why, before considering things much further, we strongly recommend you use this website to determine what you have to work with.
Deals and Special Offers: While prices are already quite low, you might be able to find a special deal or offer from Cox (either on standalone internet service or from a bundle.) While we won't list them here because they generally don't last too long, you should certainly consider them and factor them into your final decision.
About Cable and Fiber Internet: Most of the plans are cable internet, and there are a few things you should know about the internet speeds and service. The first is that your effective download (and upload) speed is partially dependent on whether your neighbors are using the internet, as there is only so much that the wires can handle. Additionally, the upload speeds you will be getting will be a fraction of the download speeds. However, this usually is not a big problem unless you regularly upload or video call people for work at high resolutions while uploading other files.
On the other hand, fiber internet runs on fiber-optic lines comprised of extremely thin glass strands that allow for the rapid transmission of data, both for downloading and uploading. However, due to the more advanced infrastructure involved instead of the already existing cable or phone lines, fiber is generally only located in more densely populated areas.
Conclusion
Cox Internet can be an excellent choice for many households, especially if you're primarily interested in a cable TV plan or overall cheap access, but just keep in mind that in some areas there will be internet providers that can either provide you with more or provide you with the same at less cost. Naturally, there will be many factors to weigh, and you know your home best, so think carefully and use this site to make every comparison you can. We wish you the best of luck in your search and hope this review has provided you with all the valuable information you need.
