High-speed internet at home is a must-have in the technological age. Just as important, however, is high-range internet, meaning internet that covers all parts of your home. To avoid internet dead zones, you can consider using a Wi-Fi extender.
Cox sells Cox Panoramic Wi-Fi Pods for $129.00 per pod. They are only available for subscribers of Cox Internet. It is also possible to use other Wi-Fi extenders with Cox Internet. Good Wi-Fi extender options include the TP-Link AC750, the Netgear Nighthawk, and the Amped Wireless High Power AC2600.
We’ll explore Wi-Fi extenders and their functionality along with Cox Internet in this article.
What is a Cox Panoramic Router?
Cox Wi-Fi is a service provided by Cox Communications, a cable provider located in Georgia, USA. The Cox Panoramic Router is one of the main features of Cox Wi-Fi.
The Cox Panoramic Router uses the latest technology to combine a router and modem in one. This technology allows for speedy, reliable Wi-Fi that covers your entire home. The Cox Panoramic Router supports Wi-Fi 6, with speeds of up to 1 gigabyte per second (Gbps, or 1,000 megabytes per second, Mbps).
What are Cox Extender Pods?
Cox Extender Pods are a type of Wi-Fi extender. Sometimes, Wi-Fi routers are not able to cover an entire home. Wi-Fi signals tend to get weaker as you get farther away from the source. This can be especially problematic when you live in a home with certain types of materials, such as brick and cement.
Wi-Fi extenders seek to solve this problem by receiving the original Wi-Fi signal, amplifying it, and then sending out a stronger version of the signal. Some Wi-Fi extenders can cause slowdowns for this reason, because they act like a device that is connecting to the Wi-Fi.
Cox Extender Pods are high-end Wi-Fi extenders that use mesh configuration to help avoid slowdowns. Mesh configurations use different frequencies for the Wi-Fi signals to help avoid slowdown. But don’t worry about all of the technical jargon—Cox has an app that can help you set up your pods with ease!
How much do Cox Extender Pods Cost?
In order to get Cox Extender Pods, you must be subscribed to Cox Internet and have a Cox Panoramic Router (or another router/modem). You cannot rent Cox Extender Pods (some companies allow you to rent Wi-Fi extenders, although the rent typically surpasses the price of a Wi-Fi extender within a few months). You can buy them from Cox for $129.99 each.
Are Cox Extender Pods Worth the Money?
Cox Extender Pods may be a good investment if you need to expand the range of your home Wi-Fi network. They appear to be fast, reliable, and super compatible with Cox’s other products. If you buy from Cox, you’re buying into customer support and other services, such as the Cox app, as well.
However, Cox Extender Pods are rather expensive for what they are. Other Wi-Fi extenders with the same kind of range and power are typically much cheaper. For the price of Cox Extender Pods, you could get Wi-Fi extenders that have more features and run at faster speeds. It’s unlikely that the faster speeds of these extenders will make much of a difference relative to the Cox Extender Pods, as Cox internet’s highest speeds are 1 Gbps, but if you ever upgrade your internet or switch services, it is possible that other Wi-Fi extenders will work better and will be cheaper. We offer some alternative options below.
How Many Pods Do You Need?
The number of pods you need will depend on many different factors, including the size and construction of your house, the number of floors, and more.
Cox offers tips on how to optimize your Wi-Fi signal throughout your house. Before you buy a pod, do the following and see if it improves your Wi-Fi signal.
Ensure that your router is in a centralized location, and is not near any reflective objects, such as metal or mirrors. Also, ensure that the router is not near any other devices that emit electronic radiation, like radios or microwaves. Make sure that no furniture is obstructing the router, as this can block the signal. Keep in mind that cement and brick are more likely to block the Wi-Fi signal than drywall or wood.
If you’ve followed these tips, and still have an area where you would like to boost your signal, Cox recommends buying one pod at a time. This way, you can test and see which areas still might not be covered, or if your entire home now has a Wi-Fi signal.
If you are COX panoramic router user we recommend using panoramic WiFi pods to extend the signal across the home and outside the home. If you are COX cable user and looking for alternate router option for your home check this article on our blog – Bring your own router for the COX cable
Alternate Wi-Fi Extenders
If you don’t have Cox Internet, but still want to extend your Wi-Fi, or if you’re subscribed to Cox but want to be ready for an upgrade or a change, here are some other great options!
Best Deal
TP-Link is one of the very best brands on the market for Wi-Fi products, and you won’t go wrong with any of their products (they have many more Wi-Fi extenders available that you could research).
The TP Link AC750 is one of the best budget Wi-Fi extenders on the market. Coming from a trusted brand, the sleek AC750 is a beast for the price. It has a range of up to 1,200ft and can handle up to 20 devices. It can’t quite handle 1 Gbps, but it comes close at 733 Mbps, which is close enough that most people wouldn’t notice much of a difference. This is a good option in most cases and is extremely affordable.
We also recommend looking at TP-Link’s other products.
The WiFi Extender has over 500 ratings and nearly four stars. It has a price of $39.99 and can cover up to 3,500 square feet. This makes it a fierce competitor compared to many similar products. With the main purpose of purchasing a WiFi repeater to reach an outbuilding, you will want to make sure that it can reach far distances.
The Rockspace is a popular purchase for those in need of a Wifi repeater. This product has been reviewed almost 17,000 times. With so many reviews, you can be confident knowing that this is a quality product to purchase, especially given its near four star rating. The $49.99 price puts it on the edge of being overpriced, however, it is still a good purchase.
Best Modem/Router Alternatives
These three modems are available on Amazon, have high reviews, and are compatible with Cox Panoramic Wi-Fi.
Motorola MB8611 has over 21,000 ratings and nearly 4.5 stars. It can cover up to 3,500 square feet. It enables ultra fast internet to your home devices and saves money from rental plan in long run.
Surfboard S33 has over 1,300 ratings and 4.6 starts. It is compatible with Cox and other internet service providers like Xfinity, Spectrum and others.
Netgear CM600 has over 2,500 ratings and 4.5 starts. It is compatible with Cox and other internet service providers like Xfinity, Spectrum and others.
The TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System costs $169.99. The coverage fares better than other common systems and ensures up to 5,500 sq. ft of coverage. With over 17,000 reviews, it has been given a rating of 4.6 stars, which makes it easy to assume this product is worth its price. This mesh network comes in a package of three, but other packages are available as well for various prices.