 Review by WiseOldNerd 
UPDATED: 1 year ago
member for 7.9 years, 1516 visits, last login: a few hours ago
 Phoenix,Maricopa,AZ
 $45 per month
 "Speed"
 "Poor Tech Support, business HSI is way overpriced"
 "Qwest did get speed up and Cox HSI is history!!!"
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Install Co-ordination:
Connection Reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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Updated November 4, 2008:
Well I returned to Cox HSI after several years with Qwest DSL. So far the experience is meeting my expectations. Sign up was done on line and on the second go around, things worked out fine. The installer was an actual Cox employee (my wife believes they have my account flagged since I have given them so much grief over the years so they didn't want to send a sub-contractor whom I might fold, spindle and mutilate). The installer was very professional, listened to my desires/needs and executed them faultlessly. I had pre-purchased a new Surfboard 5101 and we connected it to a single computer. Connection occurred shortly after he input the MAC address and all works great.
While I signed up for the Preferred 9 down 1 up tier, my speeds have gone as high as 22 down and 3.5 up. Actual download speeds seem to max at 1400kbs for largish files. I have seen no degradation of connection speed during the late afternoon and evening hours. The tech said that we were probably on a new node since fiber had been installed to our townhouse complex earlier this year.
So so far it is great and costs only $3 more per month than my Qwest DSL that won't go above 3M down and 640k up in my lifetime despiye all their advertising. They don't want to replace old copper.
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Some reflections from a long time Cox HSI user and an occasional DSL user.
I have had Cox since they arrived in north central Phoenix quite a few years ago. First video and then HSI. I have retained it even after multiple frustrations and flirtations with DSL simply because of the speed. Last week I ordered the upgrade from the standard HSI to Premier. This experience has precipitated these comments. The online application, after receiving email, was quick and easily done. I must note however, that the way they phrase and state things I might have thought I was buying HSI for the first time. They confirmed that order would be processed with 2 days-it was since on the third day I received an email telling me that the order had been implemented. (Like the phone companies, Cox uses stilited, complex and generally imprecise written communications. Some one should teach them some style and clarity lessons.)
When I got home this past Monday, I excitedly booted up and ran some speed tests. SIIGGHH....it wasn't appreciately faster than before. I got on here and checked out forums and read about the disappoints of others. Yesterday I purchased a new SB5120 modem to bypass the Broadcom chip issue in my SB5100. No significant improvement. I get radically variable download speeds, on occasion as high as 8500 and as low as 1500. Generally it fluctuates bewteen 4000 and 6500. The upload speed is quite consisten at 1000.
Experiences yesterday and today with tech support have produced the usual desire to do bad things to their bodies. They are not terribly knowledgeable, some are inarticulate to a fault, and ALL are incapable of fixing anything (presume Tier 1). I continue to be frustrated by their simplistic demand to have PC connected directly to the modem. I have never found that this enabled them to really fix anything, and I do not like sitting "naked and exposed" on the net. (Interesting side note: config management page on the SB5120 found at 192.168.100.1 says that the modem can act as a DHCP server and handout addresses in that IP range.But it doesn't work as ipconfig /all shows that PC is picking up address etc from Cox DNS server. Too bad as that might be good solution for many users.)
I now have techie coming Friday afternoon. It will be interesting to see what she/he comes up with. As I did once before I can cancel the Premier service and go back. But I will end up staying with Cox for the speed. I had a very good experience with Qwest DSL and Qwest net for a year as I explored MS Small Business Service. I got 1.5 mbs down and 896 kbs up. Static IPs and tech support that new how to solve problems. If Qwest can ever get a 3-5mbs down and 1.5mbs up setup for a reasonable price I will be gone from Cox in a heart beat. At that point I also dump the video and buy a dish.
I hope this is of interest to some of you.
Updated on October 16, 2005
I have since gone to Qwest (published forum message) and am quite satisfied. Cox was never able to fix the problem with Premier service, and after admitting it was their problem faded into desert when the tech changed schedules. I first dropped Premier, and have since dropped Cox HSI.
I have Qwest Premier at 3 mb down and 640 up. After an intial problem that was fixed when an outside tech found physical problem with the underground cable, speed has been totally consistent. I had two or three contacts with Qwest tech support and all were professional and they followed through and got problems fixed. Cox never did this.
I have five static IP addresses and no blockage of ports so the two servers are able to function well and provide email and web pages. Interestingly, Cox has apparently started blocking all SMTP traffic that doesn't flow thru their servers. A friend who has a website and email on GoDaddy found last week that his outgoing email was completely blocked unless he used the Cox servers. Even the work around that GoDaddy had provided was non-functional.
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