Cox also commits to keeping your system's hardware and software up to date. In either case, you can order plug-in range extender pods to pair with your Panoramic Wi-Fi modem and router at a one-time cost of $130 per pod. Essential and Preferred customers get a Wi-Fi 5, DOCSIS 3.0 device, while Ultimate and Gigablast subscribers get a faster device that supports DOCSIS 3.1 and Wi-Fi 6. You can skip this fee by ordering an Easy Connect self-install kit - it's free, but you'll need to plug everything in yourself.Ĭox also charges an extra $13 each month if you use its Panoramic Wi-Fi modem/router device. Though Cox doesn't specify the actual cost anywhere on its website that I could find, you'll need to pay an installation fee of $100 if you want a technician to get your home's internet connection up and running. You can rent Cox's gateway device for $13 a month if you don't use your own modem and router. That's faster speeds for less per month than Cox. Cable competitor Xfinity offers a 300Mbps plan for $70 after the promo period expires. Take that 250Mbps Preferred plan, which costs $84 after Year 1. That's a tall ask, given that Cox prices are on the high side. If you don't want to tumble down that slippery slope, you'll need to accept that Year 2 rate and stick with it. Doing so locks them in as a customer for another 12 months, and it dooms their bill to increase even more. Whenever someone with an expired promo rate calls to complain about their bill, it's easy for Cox to guide them into an even more expensive speed tier at a new promo rate. Like the nauseatingly busy carpets at a casino that nudge dizzy gamblers into stopping and sitting at a slot machine, the price structure is carefully constructed to confuse you into spending more money. It's no coincidence that those Year 2 rates shoot up to a monthly fee greater than or equal to the promo rate for the next most expensive plan. That's another promo rate - a fresh bait-and-switch - and if you take it, the cycle starts all over again. After all, you want a better deal, right? As it just so happens, you could be getting speeds of up to 500Mbps for $70 per month - $14 less than you're paying now for 250Mbps. Instead, there's a good chance the clever salesperson will tell you that they can't offer you the same promo rate again, but they can offer you the promo rate on a faster plan. Cox doesn't have an incentive to lower your costs. Ry Crist/CNETĪt this point, there's a good chance you'll call Cox to complain or try to renegotiate. The cycle repeats, and your bill continues to soar. You call to complain, and the "best value" available is the promo rate for a more expensive plan (green arrows). You sign up for service, and your bill goes up after a year (orange arrows). And while Cox's website doesn't do a great job of making this clear, you'll see that price increase regardless of whether you accept the promo rate. That's not outrageous - Spectrum's cable internet plans go up by $25 or $30 after the first year, and Xfinity cable internet plans come with an average increase of $40 in some regions - but keep in mind that Cox plans start more expensive than those of its competitors. What's less fine is that your bill will shoot up at the end of that year, in some cases, by as much as $30-$40. That's fine: One-year contracts are typical in the ISP industry. The catch is that - besides the introductory 100Mbps plan - you must sign a one-year service contract to get the discount. Your bill will go up after Year 1Ĭox offers promotional rates on its plans, and those promo rates will each knock significant money off the price of your monthly bill for the first year. Let me start with the one that's so critical, I'm going to write it in big, bold letters. Cox offers a variety of plans with a variety of speeds at a variety of prices, and there are a lot of important ins and outs to consider.
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