Spectrum problems are destined to arrive at the worst possible time knocking out your Internet, home phone or cable TV. We’ll walk through common Spectrum problems and how to fix them without wasting time on the phone or waiting for a repair person to come in a four-hour window when you are at work. This will help you fix Time Warner Cable problems as well, but if you call in you are likely now a Spectrum customer even if you didn’t switch anything, as they are now the same company. Read: How to Save $100 on Your Spectrum Bill If you constantly have Spectrum problems, you may need to look at cord cutting options. You may be tempted to use Spectrum TV streaming, but you will likely be better off looking at a full break to a service like DirecTV Now or Sling. You can also opt to switch to DirecTV. If your TV stops working or you can’t connect your mobile devices like the iPad or a game console to your internet, this is what you need to do. Many times you can solve common Spectrum problems on your own, fixing an internet outage or a what seems to be a broken DVR with small actions. This saves you the time and hassle of calling for help unless you really need it.
Here is a look at how you can fix many Spectrum problems on your own and how to get faster support if you can’t fix it by yourself.
Learn how to fix common Time Warner Cable problems. 360b / Shutterstock.com
If you have Spectrum problems you still should call the same number you’ve always called for help while a Time Warner Customer. You can call 1 (800) 892-4357 for support if you are a former Time Warner Cable customer. All these TWC problems and fixes are the same as Spectrum problems and fixes that you will run into since the only thing that is changing is the name.
If there is a Spectrum outage you can’t fix it using these steps. Occasionally Time Warner Cable and Spectrum goes down when there is bad weather, an electrical problem or other major issues nearby. You can use a tool like DownDetector to see if others in your area are also experiencing Spectrum problems, or you may need to call in for help. When you call Spectrum, the automated phone answering system will normally tell you if there is a problem in your area right away. I typically try these fixes for Time Warner Cable and Spectrum problems before calling, since many issues are easy to fix on your own in less than five minutes.
When you experience Time Warner Cable Internet problems you can fix many with a restart.
When your Spectrum Internet is down you can’t connect your computers or tablets to the Internet. If you look at the front of your Spectrum modem, which might look similar to the photo above, some lights will not be lit up. When things are working well you will typically see a light for power, a solid light for online and depending on the model solid or blinking lights for Send and Receive or Upstream/Downstream. If the lights look different from the norm, there is something wrong. This may be in your house or it could be an outage. The first fix for Spectrum problems is to reset the modem. To do this you unplug the modem from power for at least one minute. After that is done plug it back in and many times it will connect without any other actions. You can also make sure your wires are connected right.
You should also look at your router, which normally sits next to the modem and has an antenna or two on it. Make sure that it is not showing an orange color for Internet on one of the front lights. Typically green is good an orange is bad. If this is orange or indicates there is no Internet connection you can restart it by unplugging for at least a minute. If you need your phone to connect whenSpectrum is down you can turn off WiFi on your phone or unplug your router until Spectrum fixes the problem.
When you can’t fix your Spectrum Internet problems by unplugging you may need to schedule service, but you can start by contacting Spectrum support online instead of calling, using the details at the bottom of this guide.
For users with a Spectrum home phone, there are also times when it does not work. Many times if the home phone stops working it is tied to the Internet being down, but it can happen all by itself.
Restarting your phone and your modem can fix some Spectrum home phone problems.
When this happens you may need to unplug your phone from power for a minute and plug back in and do the same with your modem. If that does not solve the problem you will definitely need someone to come out and investigate the problem further.
Spectrum TV problems are similar to the Internet problems, but you may see poor picture quality or sound issues. If you cannot watch any TV there is likely an outage of some kind. You can still check your connections, but odds are good you’ll need to wait for Spectrum to fix it. When you see bad picture quality on Spectrum you should check your connections. Do not use a lot of splitters and avoid using right angle cable adapters, as they can cause problems as well. By removing splitters and adapters you may soon experience better looking and more reliable Spectrum TV service.
We’ve all experienced the Spectrum Internet slow down. Anyone using Time Warner runs into this weekly, or even daily. If you ask for help they only consider it slow if you are plugged into the modem directly, which is not how 99% of people use the Internet. It’s a nice out for them to basically say tough luck, can we sell you a new package.
Check your TWC Internet speeds.
Here’s what you need to do to figure out why your Spectrum Internet is slow. First, off you should restart your router. This can fix many slow downs. Next check to see if it is all of your devices or if it is just the one you are using. You can also restart that device. Another thing to check is the location in your house. The farther you are from the router, the slower speeds typically are. This is especially true with walls and multiple floors between you and the router. If you still experience a slow Internet connection, especially if you can test while pintod in to your router, you can narrow this down to being Spectrum’s problem. You can check your speed using Speedtest.net. It should be close to what you pay for.
Is it slow all the time or only at a specific time of day? For months the Internet was unusable at night and despite 5 trips out no one could figure out why. Eventually they determined the cable that connected my house to TWC (now Spectrum) was damaged and at night interference basically broke the Internet. Time Warner phone support was not helpful, telling me I would be charged for technician visits multiple times, because the Internet worked fine during the day, when they could come out to diagnose the problem. If you experience a similar problem you will need to relentlessly badger support and if the technician doesn’t suggest it, ask for a new line. Most of the time they will cover the cost of installing a line to the outside of your house. Another possibility is that you are paying for a slow internet plan. If this is the case you should ask about what types of deals you can get. The best advice is to not pay sticker price for Spectrum Internet plans.
Spectrum DVR problems are a frequent complaint of subscribers. This includes the DVR freezing, skipping recordings and other problems that prevent you from watching. Two solutions to Spectrum DVR problems are power cycling and deleting videos. The first thing to do is unplug the DVR for a minute. This can fix many issues. Many other problems come from poor software on the DVR that freaks out when it is over 50% full. Try deleting a lot of old TV shows and movies and see if that fixes it. If your DVR is very old, call and ask for a newer model, but that may not actually fix the problem.
Spectrum makes you buy a Digital Adapter for any TV that doesn’t have. DVR or full-size cable box attached to it. These small Spectrum Digital Adapters are very buggy and one of the worst ways you can watch TV. When, not if, your Spectrum Digital Adapter stops working you will need to unplug it for a minute and then plug it back in. This should fix the problem for at least 28 hours. At which point you may need to reboot it again. This will fix the video output and sound output, which frequently breaks on these fragile little boxes. Unfortunately, there is no fix to make the Spectrum Digital Adapter remote work correctly and control everything it needs to or to reliably use a universal remote with these boxes. You may find a better deal with an actual cable box instead of this $3 to $5 a month box that only offers limited channels and routinely breaks. If all else fails, you can switch to DirecTV.
If you cannot fix your Spectrum problems on your own, you can reach out to the Spectrum customer service team on Twitter. This group is helpful and you can send a message and get replies without waiting on the phone for support. Send them a message at @Ask_Spectrum to get started. The team behind this is not as empowered to fix problems as they used to be, but it’s still a good group to go to for help.
