Frequently Asked Questions
Cogent prides itself on superior customer service. Below are some questions that are frequently asked of our support team. Scroll down to review all the questions and their corresponding answers.
Technical Support FAQ
- How do I contact customer support?
- Is it important for me to keep my contact information up to date?
- How do I change my contact information?
- How do I obtain a User Guide?
- Can I run my own Domain Name Service (DNS) servers?
- How do I get Cogent to host my Domain Name Service?
- How do I set up Backup Mail Exchangers?
- How do I request additional IP address space from Cogent?
- How do I set up BGP for my account?
- Can I call a Cogent technician for help in configuring my LAN and/or servers?
- Are there consultants that Cogent recommends to help me with my service?
- Will Cogent Communications host my mail or news groups?
Customer Care / Billing FAQ
- Who is my account manager?
- Who do I contact with questions about my monthly invoice?
- How do I contact Cogent's Billing department?
- Where should payment be sent, and what is Cogent's Tax ID and wire information?
- What will my monthly invoice look like?
- What is Cogent's Service Level Agreement (SLA)?
- How do I request an SLA credit?
- Where is Cogent's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) posted?
- How do I properly report abuse complaints?
- Can I resell my bandwidth?
- If I know another tenant who wants Cogent service, can I get a referral fee?
- How do I cancel my contract?
- How do I pay for my bill online?
How do I contact Customer Support?
For customer service questions, Cogent's support group is available to you 24 hours a day. Please visit our Support Desk page for full contact information. Our support engineers will respond and open a trouble ticket to keep track of your inquiry until resolution.
You may also elect to visit Cogent's online account management portal eCogent, which allows you to open a ticket with our support team, perform online configuration updates, such as DNS change requests, and update your contact information.
If you need to report an abuse complaint, please contact our This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. team (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
Is it important for me to keep my contact information up to date?
Yes! We keep your contact information readily available in our NOC so we can notify you if we see any problems or if we need to do any maintenance. We monitor your connection 24 hours a day to ensure reliable service.
How do I change my contact information?
If you have a change in your contact information, please visit Cogent's account management portal eCogent, which allows online updates to contact information.
If you are unable to access eCogent, you may request a Change of Contact by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
How do I obtain a User Guide?
You should have received a User Guide as part of your provisioning process. This guide contains valuable information about your service. You can also download the latest version here.
Can I run my own Domain Name Service (DNS) servers?
Yes, you may run your own DNS servers. Cogent will offer DNS name resolution service or host a domain at the customer's request. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your request.
How do I get Cogent to host my Domain Name Service?
You will need to register your domain with the proper authoritative servers to point to auth1.dns.cogentco.com and auth2.dns.cogentco.com. When that is complete, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. indicating the domain name and zone records for us to create.
After the DNS zone is created you can visit Cogent's account management portal eCogent to make record changes and updates.
How do I set up Backup Mail Exchangers?
To set up backup mail exchangers you will need fill out the SMTP Questionnaire. You can obtain the questionnaire on our website. Place the text from the questionnaire in the body of an email, fill it out, and then send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
How do I request additional IP address space from Cogent?
Cogent provides a total of up to a single /29 for any internet connectivity order at no additional charge. If you require more IPv4 space, please contact your Cogent Sales Representative for more information. If you are not sure who to contact, a representative can be reached here.
Requests for IPv6 Space can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
How do I set up BGP for my account?
To request BGP with a new ASN, please contact your Cogent Sales Representative for more information. If you are not sure who to contact, a representative can be reached here.
If you already have BGP with Cogent and would like to create additional sessions with the same ASN, please send your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Can I call a Cogent technician for help in configuring my LAN and/or servers?
Cogent technicians typically do not provide support beyond the customer demarcation (i.e. customer LAN). If you need assistance, however, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll help troubleshoot your issue.
Will Cogent host my mail or news groups?
Customers are responsible for hosting their own POP, SMTP and news servers.
Who is my account manager?
In order to provide the most rapid response time possible, we do not assign just a single person to your account. Any of our customer care staff can view your account information and address your question. Just call or email us anytime (see Support Desk for contact details). We are available 24 hours a day. Please make sure to include your order number in any correspondence.
How do I contact Cogent's Billing department?
Some of our most common billing questions are answered below. If you don't see the information you need, please call us or email us as follows:
For North America & Asia
Billing Phone: 1-202-295-4380 (Please have your customer account number or order number ready).
Billing Toll Free: 1-877-7-COGENT (877-726-4368) Select option 1.
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Please include your Customer Account Number or order number).
For Europe
Billing Phone: +33 1 49 03 18 96
Billing Fax: +33 149 03 19 60
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Please include your Customer Account Number or order number).
Who do I contact with questions about my monthly invoice?
Cogent has a monthly-based bill cycle that is processed after the 20th of the month. We bill a month in advance, so a bill for the January 20th cycle reflects your payment due for service from February 1 - February 28. For the first month that you receive service, you will have an invoice that reflects the prorated amount back to your installation date, PLUS the amount for the next month. For more information on this and all other invoice questions, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for North America and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for Europe.
Where should payment be sent, and what is Cogent's Tax ID and wire information?
Payment information is included on your invoice. Please use either that information or contact our Billing department with any further question.
For North America:
Payment Address: |
Cogent Communications P.O. Box 791087 Baltimore, MD 21279-1087 |
Tax ID: |
FED ID#: 52-2192026 |
Wire Information: |
SunTrust Bank ABA 061-000-104 Account Number: 702-324-892 Account Name: Cogent Communications Lockbox Account
Bank Address SunTrust Bank Attn: Wire Transfer Dept. 25 Park Place Atlanta, GA 30303 |
For Europe:
For local tax reasons, payment information for Cogent services in Europe depends on the country of your service location. Please check your invoice for detailed payment information, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
What will my monthly invoice look like?
Because Cogent offers simple products, your monthly invoice for a single, On-Net, flat rate service will have just a single line item. You won't see any distance sensitive charges, local loop fees or other hidden costs. Off-Net and burstable services have additional line items. Click here to view a sample invoice.
What is Cogent's Service Level Agreement (SLA)?
Cogent offers one of the best SLAs in the industry. Cogent's SLA is listed under each product description and can be viewed by visiting the appropriate product page in which you are interested.
How do I request an SLA credit?
In order to initiate a claim for Service Credit, you must contact Cogent's This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. within seven (7) business days after the end of the month for which credit is requested. The Service Credit request must provide: (a) the customer name and contact information; (b) the date and beginning/end time of the claimed outage or failed metric or the ticket number; and (c) a brief description of the characteristics of the claimed outage or failed metric. The customer will be notified via email upon resolution of the request. If approved, Cogent will issue a Service Credit to the customer's account, appearing on the next invoice issued. Service Credits will be credited against a customer's monthly payment for Monthly Recurring Charges and may not be received in the form of a refund.
Where is Cogent's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) posted?
Cogent takes its abuse policy very seriously. You can find it here and at the bottom of every Cogent web page.
How do I properly report abuse complaints?
Cogent takes its abuse policy very seriously. Please send abuse complaints to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Can I resell my bandwidth?
Cogent NetCentric customers are permitted to resell their bandwidth. However, customers need written approval from Cogent to reference our company name.
If I know another tenant in my building who wants Cogent service, can I get a referral fee?
Yes! Many of our customers have heard about us from other satisfied Corporate users in their building. Please contact your sales account manager who will guide you through the referral process or click on the following link - www.cogentco.com/referrals. Once the interested tenant has signed up for service and been installed for 30 days, Cogent will send you a gift certificate.
How do I cancel my contract?
Please review your contract to determine your terms. If you are at the end of your term, we generally require 30 days written notice. Please send your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (for North America) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (for Europe, Asia-Pacific & Latin America). All termination requests sent to Cogent or any of its employees must be documented in writing.
How do I pay for my bill online?
Customers in the United States can make payments online via ACH using eCogent, our account management portal. You can either pay on a one-time basis, or you can set up recurring monthly payments. You must be listed as the Billing Contact on your Cogent account to make online payments. You can register for online payment and make payments at eCogent.