I called Cox and there are no internet issues, and I have no viruses (run AVG and Adaware everyday), and the cable tv in the other room is okay.
Who knows.......maybe the modem is going bad. Have had it for about two years now.
Ask around and see if anyone else is having the same problem in your neighborhood, if not, it's your modem.
You might be surprised how much faster your PC runs. It won't mess up your machine, either -- it's pretty straightforward, easy to use.