Having connectivity problems today, dropping 4 - 6% of packets. Ran a ping test, then a traceroute, and found the packets were dropping at first hop after it leaves my house (gateway), and ping test showing drops at gateway:

Reply from 216.234.247.228: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=53
Reply from 68.109.32.1: Destination net unreachable.
Reply from 68.109.32.1: Destination net unreachable.
Reply from 68.109.32.1: Destination net unreachable.
Reply from 68.109.32.1: Destination net unreachable.
Reply from 68.109.32.1: Destination net unreachable.
Reply from 216.234.247.228: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=53
Reply from 216.234.247.228: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=53
Reply from 216.234.247.228: bytes=32 time=80ms TTL=53
Reply from 216.234.247.228: bytes=32 time=130ms TTL=53
Reply from 216.234.247.228: bytes=32 time=220ms TTL=53
Request timed out.
Reply from 68.109.32.1: Destination net unreachable.
Reply from 68.109.32.1: Destination net unreachable.
Reply from 68.109.32.1: Destination net unreachable.
Ping statistics for 216.234.247.228:
Packets: Sent = 1809, Received = 1728, Lost = 81 (4% loss)

I called the ISP (cox), and after 45 friggin minutes on the phone, got a technician. I stated my problem, and he said he had to transfer me to level 2 support.

This time no wait, but then she asks me the problem, asks for the IP that's dropping, then monitors it for a bit. While were were talking, it dropped off 15 times at the gateway in which she saw too. Then she said, let me see if others have reported any problems..........then comes back and states that no one else has reported any problems.

I said then that anyone can connect, but it's just drops every 20 - 30 seconds for only 5 - 10 seconds, and the typical user would just see a lag in page loading, and may have to refresh. She says they would have to send someone to my house to check my equipment. I asked what the hell for? She replied that if no one else has reported a problem, then they have to check it from my end.

I then reminded her that she saw the problem too, and if it's not at my house, why do the techs need to come here to see where the problem is if she can see it's at the gateway? She then asked when they can setup an appointment to come out.

It's typical Nobody wants to be the one (and large companies design their systems/culture around it) to say fix it.
In your case that gateway is misconfigured,overloaded, or failing. rather then her writing a trouble ticket to the NOC techs, their system requires, they send a tech to your house (typical truck roll costs for a 20 minute appt. are around $400 ) who will confirm that the problem is at the gateway, ticket will than be issued, NOC tech will then spend $100-200 checking the logs/running diagnostics/reconfiguring/ or replacing the offending part.
So your phone call costs them between $500-$1000 depending on parts.
do that 10-100 (or 1000's of times a day) and they could have upgraded service and prevented problems like yours from ever happening Instead they adopt the customer is never right method to save accidentially doing an occasional unnessary repair.

They came out to my house today, and found what I suspected......nothing wrong at my end. It appears the problem was fixed, and there never was a problem with my stuff, only their equipment. BTW, there is no charge for them comming out.

And here we go again. Same drill, this time they realize it's THEM and not me.

Not directly on your bill (everybody gets to help pay for this one) but remember those charges next time the price goes up. (or in today's competitive market fails to go down)

Don't know if you have a provider supplied modem, but many of the early deployments (before you were allowed to provide your own) the modems had a built-in service mode with allowed them to do many remote diagnostics. This probably still exists in most modems even if the isp is unable/unwilling to use it.

I think it's fixed now. It actually wasn't the gateway, but the node right after it. I pinpointed that for them last night. They finally realized I was "no regular user", but knew what the hell I was talking about. I have tools even their techs don't even have.
I have been troubleshooting circuits for 25 friggin years.

ace the smiley certainly explained your argument in a few little frames! sooooo dumb, there not help desk its just a reason to employ ppl to give them a job!

That is entirely why I don't bother calling anyone's help desk!