Cox Communications forms the third-largest cable and ISP in the USA, with over five million broadband users. Users throughout the USA have complained about the company’s deliberate act of slowing down their connection speed. Also, Cox accepted that they are involved in ISP throttling because of the users’ excessive internet usage.
When a strict lockdown was imposed globally, many ISPs started throttling users’ connections. Cox Communication was among them; they throttled the bandwidth to reduce the user load. It was frustrating for the users of Cox Communication as they experienced slow internet speed. One who uses a VPN to prevent Cox Communication throttling saves themselves from interruptions while surfing the web.
Because of the lockdown, hundreds and thousands of people stayed in their homes and worked remotely. There was a sudden spike in internet dependency. People of age groups relied on the internet to make their time worthwhile. Some spend time streaming Netflix and playing online games, while others remain busy with their work and attend online classes. As a result, broadband speeds started to decrease.
Quick Tip
ISP throttling worldwide issue, whether you like it or not, it’s there. Sometimes it is the name of peak hours, bandwidth loads, extensive torrenting or streaming, or because of the net-neutrality bill. There are many ways to get around this issue, but the most effective and quick way is to use the fastest VPN service.
- CyberGhost (9.9 ratings) is the most recommended.
- NordVPN (9.9 rating) has fastest severs
- Surfshark: offers better support for streaming and downloading.
Using the fastest VPN, you can easily change your IP and get around the ISP throttling filter.
With the repulsion of Net Neutrality, the ISPs like AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon throttled the connection. But, the new name that joined the club was Cox Communication. In this article, I will inform my readers about Cox Communication throttling and how to prevent Cox Communication throttling. So, let’s jump into the piece.
Does Cox Communication Throttle Your Bandwidth?
Cox Communication is the third-largest cable and internet provider in the USA. At present, it has approximately 5.2 million broadband customers. Back in June, the major ISP Cox communication started throttling their users’ connection.
Users complain that the ISP was reducing internet speed throughout the USA. The ISPs were doing so to prevent excessive usage. This initiative was taken to create a fair environment between heavy users and average internet users.
The ISP sent warning notices to some heavy internet users and asked them to use fewer data. The letter informs them that the other neighbors are experiencing slow speeds because of their excessive use.
The service provider confirmed that they were imposing speed slowdowns in different neighborhoods. They were reducing the upload speeds on the gigabit-download plan from 35Mbps to 10Mbps throughout the neighborhood. This wasn’t fair at all for the heavy users who were paying extra bucks to enjoy the unlimited data plan.
It is a clear example of ISP throttling, and Cox also accepts it by justifying their actions. It is not the first time when Cox’s name was in such activities. In 2008, there were shocking revelations about Cox Communication. A report discloses that the ISP has a bad habit of impeding the BitTorrent traffic regularly. The study further revealed that the service provider throttles all around the clock, not during peak hours.
From this, it is clear that, like all other ISPs, Cox is also involved in ISP throttling.
Why is The Internet Suddenly Extremely Slow?
There are a few potential reasons why your internet is suddenly slow. One possibility is that your ISP may be throttling your bandwidth. This means they are intentionally slowing down your connection speed to manage their network traffic. This can be frustrating if you’re trying to stream video or download large files.
Another potential reason for a slow internet connection is that too many devices may be connected to your home network. This can overload your router and cause a slowdown. Try disconnecting some of your devices and see if that helps improve your speed.
Lastly, it’s possible that there could be an issue with the website you’re trying to access. If the site is down or experiencing technical difficulties, that could cause your connection to crawl to a stop.
What Are The Legal Reasons for Cox Communication Throttling?
The prime reason for bandwidth throttling is because of the excessive use of a data plan. But, in most instances, bandwidth throttling is legal. The service providers are responsible for informing the users about throttling their connections.
We usually see that ISPs don’t inform the customers, making them frustrated over the entire course. Most of the time, ISPs leave the legal point of view of throttling and throttle the connection because of their policy.
The legal reasons for Cox Communication throttling include the following:
- Controlling network congestion
- Late payment of bills
- Preventing DDoS attacks.
- Optimizing the traffic
Other Reasons for Throttling
ISPs, like Cox Communication, throttle your connection for several other reasons. There are many reasons for it. The following mentioned below are all those points that clear the main aim behind ISP throttling.
Excessive Internet Use
The ISP starts throttling your connection if many users join a single network. Too many users mean more network congestion and load on the local servers. Thus, to decongest the network, you experience bandwidth throttling. It happens during peak hours and on weekends. Think for a moment when you stream Netflix for your favorite movie on weekends, but it takes a long time to get loaded. You think that the Netflix service is not working correctly. But actually, it’s your ISP who’s hindering your Netflix experience.
Playing Online Games
Online games consume a lot of bandwidth. It also puts extra load and pressure on the network. When you play online games, you need a super-fast speed that isn’t possible to get when several other users are on the same network. As a result, you face buffering, and it spoils your entire gaming experience.
Torrenting
Torrenting is one fine reason why ISP throttles your connection. P2P file sharing is not legal in most regions of the world. Most users already know the consequences they can face if caught torrenting. Legal authorities worldwide encourage ISPs to track and block all users involved in torrenting. No matter if they aren’t doing anything wrong, you must bear the consequences. If your ISP finds you downloading P2P files, they’ll take action against you. They throttle your connection, and you might lose your internet connection forever.
Streaming Netflix or Other Sites
If your ISP notices that you’ve been overusing Netflix for a long time, then be ready to experience slow speeds. Your ISP will throttle your entire connection or limit your access to Netflix. As a result, you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows without any interference.
How to Bypass Cox Communication Throttling?
There are two best possible ways to bypass Cox Communication throttling.
- Use a Proxy
- Use a VPN
Proxy Server
Using proxies is a crucial way to prevent ISP throttling. It is a gateway between your server and the internet that helps prevent restrictions, censorship, and throttling. When you request to access any website, your device first connects you to the proxy server. Your request remains hidden, and thus your ISP won’t ever detect you. The website receives the request from the IP address of the proxy server instead of your real location.
With time, proxy servers are improving both in performance and availability. They’re quite common among users because, unlike a VPN, they come for free. But, this is also a fact that proxy servers bring lots of vulnerabilities themselves. They are not much safe and should be avoided if you tend to use them for long-term use.
Proxies hide your IP address but don’t encrypt your data. It means that your browsing data and activities are visible to your ISP. It is also possible that hackers can invade your privacy and compromise your valuable data. The most vital aspect of bypassing throttling is fast speeds. But proxy servers are slow with connection lags. So, it’s possible that your ISP can identify you.
It’s not wrong to use a proxy server. But, use them only for limited action and time.
Use a VPN
The best available solution to prevent throttling is to use a VPN. VPN usage is common nowadays. No matter if you want to secure your identity, bypass restrictions, or remain anonymous on the web, a VPN is a complete package for all. A VPN is an affordable solution to bypass throttling. It blocks the ISP from monitoring your data traffic and allows you to surf the web privately.
The privacy tool comes with excellent encryption capabilities that prove useful for throttling. It redirects your traffic through an encrypted tunnel without your service provider knowing about it.
Here it is important to note that you always choose premium VPNs over free ones. They are more reliable, both security and boosting online privacy. Moreover, they’re free from all kinds of vulnerabilities, so you don’t have to worry about your online safety. Other things that you should consider while choosing a VPN to prevent throttling include:
- Fast speed
- Vast server size
- No-log policy
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Kill switch
- No data leaks
FAQ’s
Most people use the internet during the day for work, school, or leisure. But at night, when everyone is home and trying to relax, internet speeds can drop significantly. And it’s not just you – Cox Internet has a history of being incredibly slow at night.
The unfortunate reality is that many ISPs throttle internet speeds at night in order to manage network congestion. And while this practice isn’t entirely new, it’s only recently that major companies like Cox have been caught throttling speeds for their customers.
If you’re wondering why your Cox Internet is so slow at night, it’s likely because of bandwidth throttling. And unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about it besides switch providers.
If your internet connection feels slow, you can take a few simple steps to reset your Cox modem and improve your speeds.
First, unplug the power cord from your modem for 30 seconds and then plug it back in.
Next, log into your modem’s web interface and navigate to the ‘Advanced’ tab. From here, you will need to find the ‘Reset’ button and click it.
Finally, reboot your computer and test your speeds again. If these steps do not improve your speeds, contact Cox customer support for further assistance.
Resetting your router will not make your internet faster. Bandwidth throttling is when your ISP limits your internet speed. This can be due to high traffic during peak hours or because you have reached your monthly data limit. If you are consistently experiencing slow speeds, you should contact your ISP to see if they are throttling your bandwidth.
Parting Words
Cox Communication started throttling users’ data when heavy users were overusing the bandwidth. But, it is not the first time they’re into such activities. ISPs like Cox are always into such activities because of various reasons. Although there are some legal reasons for torrenting as well, most of the time, these reasons are neglected.
Every user wants to have complete freedom over the internet. The ISPs always create barriers, but you can still overcome them if found the best solution. With a VPN, you can prevent ISP throttling and enjoy surfing the web according to your wish.
its such BS they are allowed to do so. They claim they don’t throttle, but its obvious they do. I pay a lot of money for fiber gigabit and get 200Mbps down. What’s the point of even paying for higher speed and unlimited data(which is even more BS to begin with)?
Can understand the pain, they just not only throttling rather, track, monitor, and sell your activities by law. your privacy in your hands, take measures. here is a good guide https://www.beencrypted.com/vpn/bypass-isp-throttling/ to learn deep about, which ISP is involved, how they do it.
This is what happens when Republicans are in charge, but unfortunately no one seems to remember this. The party that preaches populism and a free-market economy based on competition and limited governance somehow always seems not to have any problem with making giant monopolistic corporations richer when given the chance…and of course screwing the average American. The average American who works full-time yet still struggles to pay their bills as everything gets more expensive.