gperkins6

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Thursday, June 18th, 2026

Data overage

I am being charged an extra 100.00 for data overage. I didn’t don’t anything different and all of my previous data usage information is consistent each month. Look at my usage history and it is always the same. And also service wasn’t working numerous times during the cycle. One day it was down for almost 12 hours. I know when I’m being ripped off. It might be time to change services. 

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15 days ago

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GregP1

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365 Messages

15 days ago

I can certainly understand your concern about a sudden increase in data usage.
 
I went through something very similar a few years ago, so I wanted to share what the ISP told me and the steps that actually helped track it down.
 
COX measures usage by polling the modem in your home once per day to see total data sent/received. Our measurement process is independently processed, evaluated, and certified as accurate by a third party. You can see the report here:
COX 2022 Public Report Abstract
 
Important notes:
  • We cannot see which specific device used the data or the exact times.
  • Data is pulled from the ONT around midnight. It gets processed overnight and shows up the next morning for the previous day.
If You’re Using an Eero (or Similar Mesh System)If you have an Eero attached to your COX Panoramic Wi-Fi gateway, it likely won’t see all traffic. Any devices connected directly to the COX gateway (bypassing the Eero mesh) won’t show up in the Eero’s usage stats. That can explain why your Eero reports look lower.
 
Common Causes of Spikes & What to Check
Here are the most frequent culprits I’ve seen or heard about:
  • Viruses/Malware – Especially on computers, phones, and tablets. Run a full virus scan.
  • New or Unknown Apps – Check for recently installed apps, especially video streaming or file-sharing ones. Some lesser-known apps (example: PopcornTV) use built-in peer-to-peer/BitTorrent sharing that runs in the background and burns through data even when you’re not actively using them. Major services like Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, or Prime Video do not do this.
  • Automatic Backups – Cloud backups (photos, files, etc.) that suddenly ramp up.
  • Game Downloads & Updates – Steam, consoles, etc. A single new game can be tens of gigabytes.
  • Smart Home Devices – Cameras, doorbells, TVs with unused apps, etc.
What Finally Worked for Me 
  1. Change your Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password immediately. This kicks everything off the network.
  2. Disconnect all wired devices too.
  3. Add devices back one by one only after confirming they’re not the problem. This quickly reveals any hidden device (or neighbor) using your connection.
  4. For a while, I kept the new password private while I re-added my own devices.
Device-Specific Checks I Did:
  • Computers, laptops, tablets, phones: Virus scan + check for unknown programs. Review backup schedules and disable unnecessary ones. Look for any BitTorrent clients running silently.
  • Smart TVs: Review installed apps, uninstall anything unused. Google each app + “BitTorrent” or “data usage issues” to check for peer-to-peer behavior.
  • Security cameras / Ring doorbell: Make sure footage is stored locally and only streams when you’re actively viewing.
  • Gaming consoles / Steam: Be aware of large game downloads and auto-updates.
In my case, it turned out to be my son’s friend (neighbor) who had the Wi-Fi password. They could connect from next door even after leaving our house. Changing the password fixed it instantly
 
.You might not have the exact same issue, but these are by far the most common causes. Start with the Wi-Fi reset + device-by-device check — it’s the fastest way to isolate the problem.
Hope this helps! Feel free to reply with more details about your setup (devices, any recent changes, etc.) and I (or others) can try to narrow it down further.


-Greg

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