Cox Internet Review [2023]: Plans, Speeds, Availability, & More!

Are you contemplating cable-based internet providers to set up a fast, reliable WiFi connection at your home or office? Do you want to know how Cox performs regarding speed, consistency, uptime, etc.?

Whether you’re into gaming or professional work or your family members go on weekend binge-watching sessions, if you want to ensure you subscribe to the right ISP, this review of Cox internet shall be helpful to you.

Note: All the tests were performed on third-party equipment. So, if you’re renting the Cox Panoramic gateway, check out my suggestions on:

• Modems compatible with Cox
• Wireless routers that work best with Cox

Stay until the end of the Cox review to find out all the ‌information required to make an informed decision.

Cox Internet Plans

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of Cox internet reviews, have a quick glance at the service packages on offer:

Plan	Download Speed	Upload Speed Speed	Cost	Data Cap
Internet Essential 100	Up to 100 Mbps	Up to 5 Mbps	$49.99	1.25 TB
Internet Preferred 250	Up to 250 Mbps	Up to 10 Mbps	$59.99	1.25 TB
Internet Ultimate 500	Up to 500 Mbps	Up to 10 Mbps	$79.99	1.25 TB
Gigablast	Up to 1 Gbps	Up to 35 Mbps	$99.99	1.25 TB

Cox Internet Essential 100 Review

Speeds & Data Cap

With this plan, you’ll get up to 100 Mbps download speeds and up to 5 Mbps upload speeds on paper. When I was testing the internet speed of this Cox plan, my downloads were clocking above 120 Mbps, and uploads were well above 10 Mbps consistently.

Here’s a speed test result of the Cox Internet Essential 100 plan:

A data cap of 1.25 TB applies for this package, but I hardly recollect crossing the data limits or paying overage charges.

Performance

I had no problems streaming movies at the highest quality on my laptop, tablet, or even a smart TV. The speed plan handled multiple sessions of streaming without any buffer. Up to 8-10 devices access the network with music/video streaming, gaming, and browsing. It was pretty much hassle-free.

Cost-to-Ownership Value

The Essential internet plan will cost you $49.99, the costliest among the other cable/fiber-based service providers. Unless you are left with this Cox plan as the sole option in your neighborhood, it makes little sense to go for it.

Cox Internet Preferred 250 Review

Speeds & Data Cap

Cox promises download speeds of 250 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 10 Mbps. But in my testing, with the Preferred 250 plan, I could witness downloads of 220 Mbps, and it was graciously allowing upload speeds over 30 Mbps.

Here’s a speed test result of the Cox Internet Preferred 250 plan:

Even with this plan, breaking the 1.25TB data cap is pretty hard, unless you are hell-bent on doing that with multi-player gaming sessions daily or downloading/binging media around the clock.

Performance

I could use my gaming console and smart TV to stream videos at Full HD quality.

There were multiple mobile gadgets and tablets engaged in surfing and music streaming at the same time. I only noticed some buffering during multiple High quality streaming with heavy gaming load.

Cost-to-Ownership Value

The $59.99 for the 250 Mbps is for sure expensive. This plan has a higher cost than other cable and fiber-based service providers. This plan will be your best fit if you choose between other ADSL, Broadband internet service providers.

Cox Internet Ultimate 500 Review

Speeds & Data Cap

Cox allows download speeds of up to 500 Mbps and upload speeds of 10 Mbps. In my testing, the actual speeds stood true to the speed tier. My download speeds clocked over 500 Mbps, and the upload speeds were consistently above 35 Mbps.

Here’s a speed test result of the Cox 500 Mbps plan:

The data cap of 1.25 TB applies to this speed tier as well. At the helm of super fast internet, I broke the limit a few times with regular hardcore multiplayer gaming sessions.

Performance

You’ll need a DOCSIS 3.1 modem and a good tri-band router like TP-Link Archer A20 to process the data-intense tasks. The speed tier can handle console gaming, 4K streaming, and many smart home gadgets. High-quality video calls and business conferences were seamless, even with simultaneous gaming and streaming activities.

Cost-to-Ownership Value

Cox’s ultimate internet plan costs $79.99, substantially higher than its other cable and fiber competitor. Go for this plan if the competitors are not offering a similar speed tier. This is one of the best cox internets plans to bundle TV and phone services.

Cox Gigablast Review

Speeds & Data Cap

Cox’s fastest internet speed plans stand well compared to other top ISPs like Comcast Xfinity and Charter Spectrum. With this service plan, the ISP promises download speeds of 1 Gbps and upload speeds of 35 Mbps. One reason I upgraded to this speed tier was the increasing list of smart home gadgets at my home.

When I was testing the gigabit internet speed of the Cox, the downloads were consistently above 930Mbps. The cox gigabit upload speeds were delivering the above-promised capped speeds of 35Mbps.

Here’s a speed test result of the Cox Gigablast plan:

It is with this speed tier, that I frequently breached the data cap of 1.25TB. But was successful in managing to keep the overage fees at $10.

Performance

Coupled with a powerful DOCSIS 3.1 modem and Wi-Fi 6 router, you’ll be able to get the most out of this internet plan. Full-fledged automated smart homes with security cameras, video doorbells, multiple smart TV, and gaming consoles will come close to testing the throughput capacity of this plan.

Cost-to-Ownership Value

Like other plans, Cox charges a premium of $99.99. From the second year, the cost raises to $119.99, which is still more expensive than its competitors. With this plan, you’ll get better value than the other plans offered by Cox internet.

Cox Internet Availability

The Cox Internet is available in the following states of the US:

Arkansas	Idaho	Nevada
Arizona	Kansas	Ohio
California	Louisiana	Oklahoma
Connecticut	Massachusetts	Rhode Island
Florida	Missouri	Virginia
Georgia	North Carolina
Iowa	Nebraska

The Cox Internet is available in the following cities in the US:

Availability	Availability	Availability	Availability	Availability
Adamsville	Coventry	Harrison	Mulberry	San Juan Capistrano
Addis	Coweta	Harrisville	Muldrow	San Marcos
Alachua	Cranston	Hartford	Mulvane	San Pedro
Albion	Crescent	Harvey	Mustang	San Ysidro
Alexandria	Crestview	Haven	Narragansett	Sand Springs
Aliso Viejo	Crowley	Hayes	National City	Santa Ana
Alma	Cumberland	Haysville	New Iberia	Santa Barbara
Alpine	Cunningham	Henderson	New Kent	Santa Rosa Beach
Ama	Dana Point	Hereford	New Orleans	Santa Ysabel
Andale	Darrow	Herington	New River	Santee
Andover	Dearing	Herndon	New Sarpy	Sapulpa
Annandale	Decatur	Hesston	Newalla	Saunderstown
Apache Junction	Del Mar	Higley	Newberry	Scott
Arabi	Delcambre	Hiwasse	Newington	Scottsdale
Arcadia	Denham Springs	Hoisington	Newport	Seaford
Archer	Derby	Holland	Newport Beach	Sedgwick
Arkansas City	Des Allemands	Hope	Newport Coast	Shacklefords
Arkoma	Descanso	Hope Valley	Newport News	Shalimar
Arlington	Destin	Hopkinton	Newton	Shannock
Arma	Destrehan	Hoyt	Niceville	Sierra Vista
Arnaudville	Dodge City	Huachua City	Nickerson	Siloam Springs
Ashaway	Donaldsonville	Humboldt	Nicoma Park	Silver Lake
Auburn	Douglas	Huntington	Norco	Silver Springs
Augusta	Dry Branch	Hurlburt Field	Norfolk	Silverado
Avondale	Dunn Loring	Hutchinson	Norge	Slatersville
Baker	Duson	Imperial Beach	Norman	Slaughter
Baldwin	Dutton	Independence	North	Slocum
Barataria	Dyer	Inman	North Granby	Smithfield
Barhamsville	East Glastonbury	Iola	North Kingstown	Solana Beach
Barling	East Granby	Irvine	North Las Vegas	Somers
Barrington	East Greenwich	Jackson	North Newton	Somersville
Baton Rouge	East Hartford	Jamestown	North Olmsted	Sorrento
Bella Vista	East Hartland	Jamul	North Providence	South Glastonbury
Belle Chasse	East Providence	Jeanerette	North Royalton	South Hutchinson
Bellevue	East Windsor	Jenks	North Scituate	South Windsor
Bennington	Edmond	Johnson	North Smithfield	Southington
Benson	Eglin AFB	Johnston	Oakhurst	Spencer
Bent Mountain	El Cajon	Jones	Oakland	Sperry
Benton	El Dorado	Julian	Oakton	Spring Valley
Bentonville	El Mirage	Junction City	Ocala	Springdale
Berea	El Reno	Kansas City	Oceanside	Springfield
Bergman	Elkhorn	Kaplan	Offutt A F B	Stafford
Berryton	Elkins	Kathleen	Ogden	Stafford Springs
Berryville	Ellington	Kechi	Oglethorpe	Sterling
Bethany	Elm Springs	Kenner	Oklahoma City	Suffield
Bixby	Encinitas	Kenyon	Olmsted Falls	Summerland
Bolton	Enfield	Ketchum	Omaha	Sun City
Bonaire	Erath	Kiefer	Orange	Sun City West
Bonita	Erie	Kingman	Ottawa	Sun Valley
Bonsall	Erwinville	Kingston	Owasso	Sunset
Boones Mill	Escondido	Kinsley	Palomar Mountain	Sunshine
Boulder City	Eureka Springs	Knotts Island	Palos Verdes Peninsula	Surprise
Boutte	Everton	La Jolla	Papillion	Tahlequah
Boys Town	Exeter	La Mesa	Paradis	Tecate
Bradford	Fairfax	La Place	Paradise Valley	Tecumseh
Braithwaite	Fairfax Station	La Vista	Pascoag	Tempe
Breaux Bridge	Fallbrook	Lackey	Patagonia	Tiverton
Brecksville	Falls Church	Ladera Ranch	Patterson	Toano
Bristol	Farmington	Lafayette	Pauma Valley	Tolleson
Broad Brook	Fayetteville	Lafitte	Pawtucket	Tombstone
Broadview Heights	Fiskeville	Laguna Beach	Pea Ridge	Tontitown
Broken Arrow	Florence	Laguna Hills	Peabody	Topeka
Broussard	Foothill Ranch	Laguna Niguel	Peace Dale	Towanda
Brusly	Forestdale	Laguna Woods	Pearce	Trabuco Canyon
Buckeye	Fort Belvoir	Lake Forest	Pensacola	Tucson
Buhler	Fort Dodge	Lakeside	Peoria	Tulsa
Burke	Fort Eustis	Lakewood	Perry	Tustin
Burrton	Fort Huachuca	Lanexa	Phoenix	Tyro
Byron	Fort Monroe	Larned	Piedmont	Vail
Cameron	Fort Smith	Las Vegas	Pine Valley	Valley
Camp Pendleton	Fort Valley	Laurel Hill	Pirtleville	Valley Center
Campo	Fort Walton Beach	Lavaca	Pittsburg	Valley Springs
Caney	Foster	Laveen	Plantsville	Van Buren
Cantonment	Fountain Hills	Lecompton	Plaquemine	Vienna
Capistrano Beach	Franklin	Lemon Grove	Pocola	Vinton
Cardiff By the Sea	Fredericksburg	Lightfoot	Poquoson	Violet
Carefree	Freeport	Lincoln	Port Allen	Virginia Beach
Carencro	Frontenac	Lindsborg	Portsmouth	Vista
Carlsbad	Gainesville	Litchfield Park	Poway	Waddell
Carolina	Garden City	Little Compton	Prairie Grove	Wakefield
Carpinteria	Garden Plain	Lizella	Prairieville	Walker
Carter Lake	Garfield	Loreauville	Pratt	Wallingford
Carville	Garnett	Lorton	Pride	Wamego
Casa Grande	Gas	Lowell	Prospect	Warner Robins
Cashion	Geismar	Luke AFB	Providence	Warren
Catoosa	Gentry	Luling	Providence Forge	Warwick
Cave Creek	Gila Bend	Lutcher	Pryor	Waterloo
Cave Springs	Gilbert	Lyons	Queen Creek	Watts
Cedarville	Glastonbury	Macon	Quinton	Weir
Centerton	Glendale	Maize	Ramona	West Fork
Centerville	Glenpool	Manchester	Rancho Palos Verdes	West Granby
Central Falls	Gloucester	Manhattan	Rancho Santa Fe	West Greenwich
Centreville	Gloucester Point	Mansfield	Rancho Santa Margarita	West Kingston
Chalmette	Goddard	Manville	Rayne	West Point
Chandler	Goleta	Maple Hill	Reston	West Suffield
Chantilly	Gonzales	Mapleville	Rio Verde	West Warwick
Charenton	Goodyear	Marble Falls	Riverside	Westerly
Charleston	Goshen	Maringouin	Roanoke	Westwego
Charlestown	Gramercy	Marion	Rockville	Wethersfield
Cheney	Granby	Marrero	Rocky Hill	Wheatland
Chepachet	Grantville	Mary Esther	Rocky River	White Castle
Cherryvale	Gravette	Mattaponi	Rogers	Wichita
Chesapeake	Great Bend	Maurice	Roland	Wickenburg
Cheshire	Great Falls	MC Lean	Rose Hill	Wicomico
Chester	Green Forest	McConnell AFB	Rosedale	Willcox
Chetopa	Green Valley	McPherson	Rudy	Williamsburg
Choctaw	Greene	Medicine Lodge	Rumford	Willington
Chula Vista	Greenland	Meraux	S Coffeyville	Windsor Locks
Church Point	Greenville	Meriden	Sahuarita	Winfield
Claremore	Greenwell Springs	Mesa	Saint Amant	Winslow
Clayville	Greenwood	Metairie	Saint Bernard	Wood River Junction
Cleveland	Gretna	Middletown	Saint David	Woonsocket
Clifton	Grosse Tete	Midland	Saint Gabriel	Wyoming
Clinton	Gulf Breeze	Milford	Saint George	Yates Center
Coffeyville	Guthrie	Milldale	Saint James	Yorktown
Colcord	Hackett	Milton	Saint Joseph	Youngsville
Collinsville	Hahnville	Miramar Beach	Saint Martinville	Youngtown
Colwich	Hailey	Mission Viejo	Saint Rose	Yukon
Coolidge	Halstead	Moffett	Salem	Zachary
Copper Hill	Hamden	Mounds	Salina
Corona del Mar	Hampton	Mount Hope	Saluda
Coronado	Harper	Mount Vernon	San Clemente

Installation & Additional Fees

Cost	Description
$100.00	Professional Installation from the ISP
$13.00	Equipment Rental (Panoramic WiFi)
1.5% (of balance)	Late Payment fees
$10	Overage fees (For every extra 50GB)
Early termination fee	$120/Year

Apart from pricey Cox internet packages, the ISP has the costliest professional installation fee. This is why I suggest you self-install Cox internet and save $100. Trust me, it’s easy!

The two dominant players in the cable-based internet segment, Xfinity and Spectrum, charge less. Monthly rentals on modem-router combo offer value if you cannot afford to invest in a powerful modem and router at the outset for your high-speed plan. If you are on the lower-speed tier, you are better off getting your own devices.

While Spectrum doesn’t charge rentals for the modem, Xfinity charges $14. The other internet service providers charge between $5-$10. The early termination fee can also come to bite back if you end up changing service providers.

Cox charges late payment fees after 23 grace days, the standard among internet service providers. Spectrum offers up to 30 days of the grace period. The late payments with Cox are a percent of the bill, which ends up being lesser than the standard fixed-rate charged by other ISPs.

Bundle Packages from Cox

Cox offers internet, TV, and voice bundles, one of its strong suits. Even as a bundle, they are pricier compared to their competitors. Going for a Cox bundle makes much more sense as a customer than a stand-alone internet package.

You’ll have full-fledged customer support with the Internet, TV, Voice, and Homelife. You can connect up to 4 cameras with recording facilities with home life.

Customer Support & User Reviews

The reviews for Cox cable services are a mixed bag. While it has seen an increase in Customer satisfaction surveys, it remains lower than the average for ISPs. Of all the cable-based service providers, only Xfinity had a better rating, which faced a drop in satisfaction compared to the previous year.

During the last year, Cox faced multiple instances of unplanned outages with longer resolution times, one of the major reasons for lower customer satisfaction in the southern region of the US.

Cox’s strongest customer service rating came from the eastern states of the USA, where the customer service and downtime were comparatively better.

Here’s what existing users have to say about Cox internet services:

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Cox is one of the most expensive internet providers. They offer reliable internet, where the limit of fiber and other big market players’ foot presence is minimal. And that’s when it makes sense to opt for them.

Their video of demand and TV services have been one of their strengths with the customer satisfaction index, seeing constant improvement over the years. It’d be diligent to go for their bundle services, where you’ll avoid the hassle of managing the services separately.