Speed test

No – you are not required to sign in prior to starting the Speed Test; however, by signing in first, you can see your current Cox Internet plan speeds to easily compare them to your speed test results. The test is intended to be run on your in-home Cox network but can be run on another network, such as using your mobile carrier data or public wifi.

Absolutely! We have designed the speed test so that it scales to multiple device types (Desktop Computer, Laptop, Tablet and Phone) and most major operating systems. Please note that laptop and desktop computers connected directly to your Cox modem typically provide better results than mobile devices due to the factors listed above.

No. Cox does not guarantee that the results of the speed test will match your plan subscription 100% of the time. This is due to a number of factors beyond Cox’s control which may impact your speed, including (but not limited to) the processing power of your personal computing equipment, applications running on your computer, the nature and quality of your home network connection, third party networks you may be connected to, and the performance of the websites you visit and congestion on the Internet.

The Cox Internet Speed Test is backed by Ookla and measures the ping (latency), download speed and upload speed between your device and a test server. Note that it does not measure the speed Cox is delivering to your modem since many factors affect the speed in your home as it's processed by your modem, device, and everything in between.

During the test, multiple connections to a nearby test server are made to measure latency and download/upload speeds. All samples are sorted by speed, and the two fastest results and the bottom quarter of the remaining samples are removed. The remaining samples are then averaged.

Test methodologies differ between speed test websites, which can cause your results to be different even if the conditions under which you're performing the test are the same. Here are some factors that can differ:

1. The location of the server being tested
2. The number of threads being used
3. How results are measured from analyzing test samples

Wired Connection – using an ethernet cable connected from your device directly to the modem to connect to the Internet and other devices

Wifi Connection – a wireless network that uses a radio frequency signal to connect your devices to the Internet and to each other

Cellular Connection – a network distributed by mobile carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.) over land through cells that together provide radio coverage over larger geographical areas

Download – how fast your connection delivers content from the Internet to your device. It determines how long it takes to download files (like photos, movies, songs) or display webpages with lots of images.

Upload – how fast content is delivered from your device to the Internet. It determines how long it takes to post pictures to social media or upload an email attachement.

Mbps – Megabits per second (Mbps) is is the industry-standard measure of transfer rate or Internet speed.

Latency – The reaction time (measured in milliseconds) of your connection–how quickly your device gets a response after you’ve sent out a request

Test Server – a computer system used as the central repository of data and various programs that are shared by users in a network

IP Address – a unique string of numbers separated by periods that identifies each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network

Modem – a small device that connects to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to provide Internet in your home

Router – a small device that connects to your modem via an Ethernet cable and passes the Internet connection on to other devices either via additional Ethernet cables or via a wireless network