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Cox/Comcast FAQ

Cox is mostly within the city of Tucson and Comcast is mostly outside the city. Here's a comparison:

Can I get cable modem service without cable TV?

Cox:

yes

Comcast:

yes

How much does it cost?

Cox: $39.95/month for residential service if have cable TV
$49.95/month for residential service if no cable TV
$15.00/month for cable modem rental (purchase for $129.95)
$79-219/month for business service*
$25.00/month for router rental (modem included)
$245 installation fee (reduced based on term - 2 year minimum**)
Comcast: $42.95/month for residential service if have cable TV
$57.95/month for residential service if no cable TV
$  3.00/month for cable modem rental
$95.00/month for professional service (includes cable modem rental)

What are the upstream/downstream speeds?

Cox: 1.5Mbps download, 256Kbps upload (residential)
256K/256K, 384K/384K, 1.5M/256K, 1.5M/384K, 3M/384K (business)*
Comcast: 1.5Mbps download, 256Kbps upload (residential)
3.5Mbps download, 384Kbps upload (professional)

Is there a security problems since cable is a shared medium?

Cox:

no - DOCSIS-compatible modems are required

Comcast:

no - DOCSIS-compatible modems are required

Do I get an email account?

Cox:

5 email accounts - each with 10MB limit, max 5MB message size, 10MB web space

Comcast:

7 email accounts - each with 10MB limit

Can I get a static IP address?

Cox:

no - lease period is ~4 hours (residential)
yes (business)

Comcast:

no - lease period is ~7 days (residential)
no - lease period is 6 months (professional)

Can I use the University's VPN software through this connection?

Cox:

yes - according to CCIT (residential)
yes (business)

Comcast:

yes (i.e., allowed but not supported)

Can I use more than one computer (i.e., use a home router with NAT)?

Cox:

yes (i.e, allowed but not supported)

Comcast:

yes (i.e, allowed but not supported)

Can I run Windows, MacOS, or Linux on my home computer?

Cox:

yes (Windows and MacOS supported; Linux OK but not supported)

Comcast:

yes (Windows and MacOS supported; Linux OK but not supported)


*Cox Business rates:

  256/256 K 384/384 K 1.5M/256 K 1.5M/384K 3.0M/384K
with Router $104.00 $124.00 $174.00 $204.00 $244.00
w/o Router $79.00 $99.00 $149.00 $179.00 $219.00

**Current Promotion till May 31, 2003. Sign a 5 year agreement, the $245.00
install is waived, and you get 1 free month.


Last updated Monday, 07-Jan-2008 09:32:28 MST, by John Luiten
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