Forum Discussion

HORACE_JONES's avatar
HORACE_JONES
New Contributor
7 years ago

Internet speed testers, use by tech?

We have been complaining that our internet speeds do no match the "preferred" plan we have, i.e., 50 mb download, 5 mg upload.
On advice of CoxI have been using the Cox speed tester, MS Edge as browser. Consistently get 30-35mb download on ethernet from modem, 16-17 mg on wifi.
The URL for the Cox tester:
https://www.cox.com/residential/support/internet/speedtest.html
Last monday a tech named Joe came out, made a few checks, and then he ran a speed test and said we were getting what we pay for.  I asked him why he wasn't using the Cox is tester;  he said that Cox used OOKLA as well and would be the same.

He said that he pays for 100 mg download, but routinely gets 130 mg on the OOKLA test!
This is the URL  from the one he used:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=ookla+speed+test&pc=MOZI&form=MOZSBR
i have since repeatedly tested and compared results from OOKLA, an six or seven other rndomly selected speed test sites on the web.  The OOKLA site he used consistently scores almost double the results from the other sites, and the 6-7 other sites confirm the Cox test readings.
Why is this?  And why would the tech use the one tester (OOKLA) that shows we are getting what we pay for?
poor internet connection
speed test
  • DustinP's avatar
    DustinP
    Moderator
    7 years ago
    Hello Horace,

    Third party speed tests conducted off of the Cox network may not provide the most accurate representation of the performance of the Cox network. The results from some third party speed tests are more reliable than others and reliability can vary from location to location. The speed test infrastructure is made up of hardware, software and network capacity, which can vary for a single provider.

    To understand performance of the Cox network, we recommend using the Internet Speed Check Tool available in Internet Tools from My Account, which is available to Account Holders and Authorized Users. The Cox Internet Speed Test Tool eliminates many factors outside of Cox’s control and provides better insight into the performance of Cox’s network.

  • tonguetwister's avatar
    tonguetwister
    New Contributor III
    7 years ago

    Cox offers two sites to monitor your internet speed. One of them https://www.cox.com/internet/speedcheck.cox requires that the computer used for the test has Adobe Flash installed on it. A different Cox site https://www.cox.com/residential/support/internet/speedtest.html is one which does *not* require Adobe Flash to be installed on the testing computer. I personally use Ookla's http://www.speedtest.net, mostly for vanity reasons, as the results are typically more in line to what you think you're paying for with Cox. Yet another reputable test site is https://www.dslreports.com/speedtest. I should add that neither of the last two recommended sites requires Adobe Flash to be installed on the testing computer.

    I have recently been informed here on the Cox internet forum that logging on to your Cox account and using either of their speed tests *should* log the results of that test directly to your Cox account. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that 1) Cox' test sites will typically result in significantly lower speeds than your current subscription tier, and 2) unless vigilantly and repeatedly followed up by you, the user, inadequate or less-than-favorable speed test results will not in and of themselves amount to anything other than customer dissatisfaction.