Is Cox Internet Down?

Things happen that can knock your devices offline. Maybe your internet service is undergoing maintenance, or there was damage done that’s currently undergoing repairs. Your outage could be on the home network side, too, like a router losing its connection to the modem.

Let’s walk through the steps of diagnosing your connection issues and getting you back online. If these solutions don’t work, contacting Cox will be the way to go.

How to find out if Cox internet is down

First, test your internet on multiple devices. A true outage will affect all devices connected to the internet. If just one or two devices can’t connect, then you’re not experiencing an outage. If every device can’t use the internet, your next step is to check the gateway.

How to check the status light on your Cox Panoramic WiFi Gateway

The Cox Panoramic WiFi Gateway provides a multi-color LED to display its current status. It’s located on the top of the gateway and positioned in the lower right-hand corner. Here are a few of the colors you may see and what they mean.

Read more about Cox gateway status lights.

If the gateway’s LED shines red, then the next step is to see if the provider is reporting an outage.

How to check your Cox account for an outage

You can check for a reported outage by using the web portal or the Cox app. Once you’re logged in, an alert should pop up if there is an outage in your area.

If you are experiencing a service interruption, Cox also offers text notifications which will notify you once the issue has been resolved. You can enter your mobile number online or through the app to get these notifications if you haven’t already.

If you’re in an outage

Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do besides wait for Cox to fix the issue.

Cox Home Security will still function on cellular backup until the internet connection is restored.

Absolutely do not factory reset the gateway, as you may create even more issues once the outage is over. A factory reset should only be performed remotely by a Cox technician.

If you’re not in an outage

If Cox isn’t reporting an outage in your area—great! That means you might be able to handle the issue at home. Follow these suggestions to get your home network back online.

Restart your gateway

Disconnect the gateway from power for 60 seconds. This action drains possible software conflicts floating around in its memory. A restart should get your devices back online.

Check your wired connections

Look behind your Cox Panoramic WiFi Gateway and ensure that all cables are securely connected.

Restart your devices

In many cases, you may be able to turn the Wi-Fi off and on to fix connection issues. Sometimes, you may need to restart your devices to clear any errors out of memory.

Make sure you are up to date on payments

If the gateway shows to be online but your devices can’t connect, your service could be paused for nonpayment. Log in to your account to make sure you’re current.

Relocate the gateway (if possible)

Sometimes location is key. Your gateway should be in a central location and about three feet off the ground for the best connectivity.

Still not working? Decide if you should contact Cox

Cox asks their customers to avoid contacting them regarding outages, as they are extremely responsive to outage issues and are already working on getting your internet service back. But, if it would ease your mind to contact Cox, you can reach out through a live chat or a call at +1-800-234-3993.

Getting a refund for a Cox outage

While Cox doesn’t publicly advertise or automate refunds for their outages, it does liberally refund customers who reach out directly. You can talk to a customer service representative online by signing into your account or over the phone at +1-800-234-3993.

Find even more ways to contact Cox for a refund.

Leave a review about your Cox service

It can be great to read our expert review of Cox home internet, but nothing can match real-life experiences from customers like you. To see what other Cox customers are saying and to leave a review of your own, head to our page for Cox customer reviews.

Here’s what other Cox customers are saying

Hundreds of Cox customers have talked to us to tell us their personal experiences reflected in our Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey. In both one-on-one conversations and customer reviews, we have heard both praises and criticism for Cox’s home internet service.

Overall, customers report that Cox has great speeds that honor what it advertises, but only when the internet connection isn’t interrupted, which happens often.

Cox customers report outages on par with the national average

Based on our Customer Satisfaction Survey, Cox ranks right on the average for both customer satisfaction and reliability. Ranking right in the middle can be seen as both a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty depending how you look at it.

Check your internet connection speed

If you still aren’t positive whether you are experiencing an outage or just a slowdown in your internet connection, you can use our easy internet speed test. This will help you decipher if your internet is running at a reasonable speed or if it is going through a slowdown.

Cox is a great provider because it offers both fiber and cable options, though neither is available everywhere. Fiber internet is the fastest and best connection type, so if you have the option to go with a fiber plan, we highly recommend that.

Cox vs. AT&T

From a pricing standpoint, Cox and AT&T are decently comparable. The biggest difference is that AT&T’s fiber internet plans are much more widely available than Cox’s fiber internet plans. You can get cable internet through Cox in more places, though the upload speeds don’t hold a candle to AT&T fiber.

Read a more detailed breakdown of AT&T vs. Cox, but we would typically recommend AT&T.

Cox vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet

T-Mobile 5G is a much more user-friendly internet service. Setup is incredibly easy, and there are no hidden fees or data limits. Cox does have higher speeds, but you only get to use those speeds when the internet is actually up and running.

Read a more detailed breakdown of Cox vs. T-Mobile, but we recommend T-Mobile.

Cox vs. Verizon

Cox has a wider availability than Verizon does, but falls short in other areas. Verizon’s fiber plans are hard to beat when they have no data caps, price hikes, and fast upload speeds, unlike Cox. Cox does have great bundling options, so if you want to group your bills together, you might want to consider sticking with Cox.

Read a more detailed breakdown of Verizon vs. Cox, but we recommend Verizon.

My take: Are Cox outages a deal-breaker?

Depending on how often you experience outages with Cox in your home, it is probably worth it to make the switch to another provider. Outages are incredibly common with cable internet services, so if you can get on a fiber internet plan instead, that would be ideal.

As the need for stable, fast internet rises with remote workers, online gamers, and more, switching from Cox if you are experiencing frequent outages isn’t a bad idea at all.

Learn about other ways to get online:

How To Get the Best Backup Internet Where You Live

How To Find Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

What Are Hotspots and How Do They Work?

FAQ about Cox