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6 Common Spectrum Problems & Fixes

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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

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.

Spectrum Cable Problems & Fixes

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.

Spectrum  Cable Internet Problems

When you experience Time Warner Cable Internet problems you can fix many with a restart.

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.

Spectrum Phone Not Working

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.

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

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.

Spectrum Internet Slow

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.

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 Issues

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 Digital Adapter Problems

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.

How to Get Faster Spectrum Support

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.

50 Comments

50 Comments

  1. Laveda Peters

    02/16/2015 at 2:35 pm

    I’m having a problem with my wifi and phone service! I’ve tried to restart it and nothing it’s been messing up all weekend long February 13th through February 16th I would like it fixed!!!

    • Furious

      07/22/2016 at 5:43 am

      I am not from TWC, I am instead a customer. The message should say “We here at TWC/Spectrum believe in gouging the hell out of you with ever increasing prices will maintaining crappy equipment as the government allows us to have a monopoly thanks to us contributing to political campaigns. Please forgive us, but we do not give a damn.”{

  2. Mark

    03/25/2015 at 4:12 am

    I live at 9831 walnut street and my box wont turn on so I’m out of Internet please help out

  3. fred

    04/03/2015 at 4:20 pm

    I’m sick of returning boxes and keep getting crappy rebuilt units . and destroying my t.v. by constant over heating which they say doesn’t happen . bunch of b.s.

  4. Tony

    06/28/2015 at 8:31 am

    ” When you can’t fix your Time Warner Cable Internet problems by unplugging you may need to schedule service, but you can start by contacting Time Warner support online instead of calling, using the details at the bottom of this guide “…….
    how can i go TIme Warner Support Online with out the internet????

    • Spacegy4

      02/20/2016 at 11:31 am

      Use a smart phone. Drive somewhere where there is free Wi-Fi and use a laptop. I believe in you. You are not stupid.

      • chris burd

        04/06/2016 at 1:15 pm

        Thanks for being the tool of the year – stuck. Maybe just maybe we pay for something that none of us receive. Asshole

      • nothappy

        04/21/2016 at 8:38 am

        what an ass. they shouldn’t have to do that. the Internet should work. twc purposely has shitty service because they refuse to update thier equipmemt. they send you a new modem for “faster speeds” but it’s even slower than the old one. complete bullshit.

  5. Sheila

    06/28/2015 at 10:12 am

    I live at 7100 Hamilton Ave Apt 3 and I can’t connect to the internet or watch cable I have tried to unplug the modem and it still doesn’t work it doesn’t work on any of the electronics I have . Please respond quickly

  6. Raj

    06/28/2015 at 1:49 pm

    Hi Shiela,how are you trying to connect to the internet is it a wireless or a wired connection if it is a wireless connection just make sure you are connected to the network.regards to the cable box frist take the power cable out then take the coax cable out which comes from the wall socket and goes into the box.and then press and hold the power cable for ten second while all the cable are out and then connect the coax cable and then the power cable .Hope that will fix the issue

  7. Kevo

    07/08/2015 at 9:17 am

    Cable internet slows down at night due to it being a shared connection. I used to work for an Internet company and would run into this often. Everyone around you that is using cable Internet is sharing off of the same connection you are. More usage from your neighbors means slower speeds for you. If you do a connection speed test I guarantee you’re never getting anything near what you’re paying. Best bet is to go fiberoptic (if available in your area) or get internet through your local telecommunications company if you’re not too far out in the boondocks. The only real problems people ever really run into with them is outdated wiring that can’t handle the speeds. Even if you pay for the highest speeds you have to have the right equipment to support those speeds (old computers, old routers, modems, gateways, old wiring)

  8. Rick

    07/19/2015 at 9:53 am

    So… if I follow the TW advice and restart my router every time the Internet shuts down (3-4 times a day for ten minutes each) that means I am the one who is providing the “repair” service to renew my connection. It does not solve the reason behind the regular outages. And the call for a Service Technician is agreed to if they can charge me if they determine it is my fault, even though they are the only ones who can A. provide the service in my area: B: the only ones who can make judgement on the reason for the outages.

    Isn’t this why we have laws about monopolies on basic utilities? (ensue argument on Internet being a basic utility when we could not be having this conversation without it.) One could get cynical…

  9. Jessica Faries

    07/21/2015 at 10:57 pm

    My motem has been going out very frequently since friday where it cuts out all the internet connection. The top 3 symbols go from being solid to blinking and no devices in the house c an connect to it. I have a ps4 connected via ethernet. And I have multiple devices connecting to the motem via wifi. I then unplug the power source for the motem and plug it back in, it connects for five minutes and disconn3cts again. Please respond asap

  10. n. massioli

    08/28/2015 at 8:47 pm

    your equip is junk

  11. Judy Spencer

    10/08/2015 at 8:05 am

    I live in West Portsmouth,Ohio and I’m tired of getting bad service. I keep having problems with the channels going out and seeing “one moment please, the channel will be available shortly” all the time. I’m seriously thinking of going to Frontier or some other satellite company,anything right now would be better than Time Warner.

  12. Sandyjeanie

    10/29/2015 at 12:52 pm

    Home Profit System is a SCAM! An old fashioned copy cat scam at that! So BEWARE!!!!

  13. Laverne

    10/30/2015 at 8:59 pm

    I’m a new customer fresh modem out of the box and what do you know…..it won’t connect via ethernet or wireless modem. Sigh

  14. Elizabeth Cash

    12/01/2015 at 2:36 pm

    I have a problem with my cable TV. Several channels freeze frame while I am watching
    a program. If I click onto another channel and then click back to the frozen
    one, it will be okay. This happens about every fifteen minutes. I have tried rebooting, but
    it does not help. Some channels involved are 59 and ShoTime. My PBSstations and Turner
    Classic Movies never do this.

  15. Karen

    12/02/2015 at 4:59 pm

    The one channel i watch the most on my tablet always is skipped…it goes from 30, 31, 32, straight to 34! 33 is what I want to watch! Why does it do this?????

  16. Silver1

    12/03/2015 at 9:49 am

    For the past three weeks my internet stops working in the early a.m. We’re talking from 3am until 8am. I’ve kept track of my speed tests to show the Time Warner tech (ping: 14, down: 0.13 – 6.13, up: 0.52 – 6.54). All that was done was a hard reset, checked line and changed channels. Of course it worked while he was there, my problem isn’t in the afternoon, it’s in the early morning when service techs are not available. I don’t know what to do at this point. I’m paying for high speed internet (up to ) 200mbps, though only getting a fraction of what I pay. What a rip off!

  17. TincanJoey

    12/04/2015 at 3:39 am

    I just love it when I read articles & the internet companies information pages that suggest going online to report your internet is not working or to get troubleshooting tips. Does anyone else see the problem with that?

  18. Donnie Nicholson

    12/22/2015 at 4:22 pm

    emails left on my Verizon phone arrive one to two days faster than they do on my TWC line at home. What gives?

  19. Alberta Tijerina

    01/09/2016 at 4:55 am

    I have a cable that is expose, is not under ground. Bedroom room cable connection not working at all.

  20. Kenneth(Lorraine ) Snyder

    02/18/2016 at 10:13 am

    My tv that is connected to a box is freezing

  21. James Clodfelter

    03/04/2016 at 7:20 pm

    DVR not recording, record light on the remote comes on .

  22. Matthew Baker

    03/18/2016 at 8:52 pm

    Modem is on and all lights are fine. No wifi signal though. How do i fix this?

  23. Annette

    03/31/2016 at 9:50 pm

    Cable keeps freezing and going out at least every 10-15 min. This really sucks!! I tried calling twc and was told there was no outage in my area and to reboot it. That’s what it keeps doing on its own! Can anyone help since they won’t???

  24. nothappy

    04/21/2016 at 8:52 am

    Rebooting your modem is not a fix so please stop telling people that. there is an underlying issue with thier service. I received a brand new out of the box modem for “faster speeds” they say. hook it up, get it activated, and it’s worse than my old one. had little to no connection. Tried to go back to my old modem and they told me it’s not supported for said “faster speeds.” well it was okay and working better than the new one 5 min ago so that’s crap. All lights are on like they should be but guess what? I have to reboot my modem again. I shouldn’t have to do this 5x a day. I’ve been a long time customer since before twc bought insight and I keep getting screwed.

  25. Disappointed

    04/29/2016 at 7:51 am

    @nothappy…I’m having the same issue too. Thought upgrading would be wonderful but is totally a set-back to my original standard speed. I exchanged the modem twice and the cable box once. I too hooked up my old cable box and they told me that it did not support the faster speeds. And yes, it was working better than the new one. Technicians have been out twice and I have spent hours and days, yes days, on the phone with TWC to no avail. I did get my upgrade for like $5-$10 dollars less than my standard service but what good is it if the WiFi won’t connect as well as the standard. The last technician that was out did tell me that since they split the nodes on the cable lines in town that everyone in the area is having trouble with their service…especially their WiFi. It is extremely slow and buffers with almost every action attempted on the internet. After 5:00 my speed drops down to 3-4 Mbps download with 0 upload. WiFi is constantly dropping off of my phone where before the “upgrade” it never dropped the signal. Quite frustrating. Not sure how the Charter-TWC merger will affect the service in the Elkland, PA area but, I do hope that it will be an improvement. Dish and Direct TV are out of the question since I live in a valley surrounded by hills and trees. So I’m pretty much stuck with TWC for any service. Usually when you’re frustrated, getting screwed will release that frustration but not in this case, lol. It only adds to it!

  26. GLENN

    06/16/2016 at 1:56 pm

    FYI – Most modems now have a battery built in, so unplugging it simply makes it use battery power. It is best to use the modem Reset button to imitate a power shut off.

  27. Tony

    06/20/2016 at 10:25 pm

    Same problem as some here. Internet speeds today 6/20/16: 41 mins past midnight=3.2 mbps, 9:13 a.m.=6.54 mbps, 4:20 p.m. 2.05 mbps, 9:51 p.m. 1.45 mbps. Just tested at 10:25 p.m. 2.12 mbps,
    I am paying for 50 MBPS!

  28. Will

    06/30/2016 at 9:28 pm

    Same problem as Tony. Paying for 50mbps… getting 3mbps….. whats happening Charter?!?!

  29. Marc

    07/08/2016 at 6:09 am

    I have to unplug my cable box and restart my cable box everyday.

  30. Gladys Willis!

    08/19/2016 at 7:26 pm

    This i ridiculous time warner use be a good cable company now th

  31. Gladys Willis!

    08/19/2016 at 7:31 pm

    Now that they merged with concord the company has went down hill smh im imbarrest with my country and all of this greedyness other countries are sitting back laughing at our country and thats a darn shame

  32. MaltFlcn

    10/08/2016 at 11:51 am

    Spectrum is going in the same way our Nation is going. Downhill. Run by a bunch of incompetent Nerds. With complete disregard of their faithful paying customers. Shameful. This merger is going to put the customer from a bad situation to worse, I mean a lot worse. Charter was not known for their “stellar” customer service. Get a grip.

  33. Disappointed

    10/20/2016 at 8:15 am

    Wound up switching from decent cable service to twc bundle. what a buch of crap, dvr box keeps ‘rebooting’ on its own or freezes so I have to reboot. comments suggest to remove shows so you are below 50% full – WHAT? why would I be paying for DVR then? That should accompany any DVR they sell to people, you can only fill up to 50%. If it is true that twc or whatever the stupid name is you are going by now, you should also update/improve your equipment to provide good service. I am also talking customer service. You are spending enough on commercials trying to say this for you, put your $$ where your mouth is.ALSO , my router alternatively will not recognize devices/devices will not show internet so I have to reboot router at least once a week.
    WHAT SUCK-TASTIC SERVICE, thanks twc

  34. Jay

    01/05/2017 at 12:59 pm

    Ever since the announcement of Spectrum, I’ve noticed very poor, even worse than normal customer service. Also in Dayton Ohio beware of lying operators selling stuff at a quoted price that doesn’t match the bill when you get it. DO NOT TRUST THEM! Tried to charge us for service call for upgrade, then lied about internet upgrade. Speed got worse, not even sure they ever flipped an upgrade switch, but they did charge us 500% more than they quoted, we had them downgrade, and the speed is the same. Very odd and poor service. Uverse isn’t the best either, but I always felt internet was better, even though supposedly technically its inferior.

  35. darryle williams

    01/06/2017 at 3:03 pm

    webpage stop responding

  36. D.K. Lloyd

    03/01/2017 at 11:42 am

    Time warren Inert phone service sucks !! I had nonething but trouble with both of them i went to centurylink last year have
    Not had any trouble since……

  37. Tee Bell

    03/10/2017 at 5:53 pm

    Does your company ever listen to it paying customers? Because it certainly does not seem that way. What are you guys doing to fix the on demand problem where if you pause a movie or show to long it automatically starts it over. That is so aggravating!!! I’ve called and called and all I get is the same basic script reading and that the information will be forwarded to the appropriate persons but nothing has been done to resolve this. And this has been going on for the better of 2 years now.

  38. JD Vela

    03/20/2017 at 5:38 am

    having trouble connecting to websites even though is says im connected

  39. Susan Anthony

    03/25/2017 at 3:15 pm

    Upstairs TV Cisco remote not communicating with tv. Cisco remote will turn Cisco box on and off. The red light came on while I was using it. Could I have accidentally messed up the remote programming?

    Checked batteries. Turned system off several times.

    Thank you.

    Susan Anthony
    250 Wainsley PL.
    Matthews, NC
    704.904.1125 (mobile)

  40. Anthony Morin

    04/25/2017 at 7:36 am

    My TV in the bedroom has not worked right since they hooked it up about three weeks ago and now I’ve got nothing on it except 1A01 and it doesn’t I’ve unplugged it several times does not work

  41. Mark Wagoner

    05/03/2017 at 8:42 am

    Hi, My name is Mark Wagoner(account/phone # is 704545-8612) and my cable box, internet.and my home phone are ALL …OUT!!! I called TW/ Spectrum customer service and my cable box was rebooted 3 times…WITHOUT SUCCESS!! I was then told I would have to make an appointment for a tech support person to come to my house. I was given an appt. Fir tomorrow at ~11:00am. My wife is disabled and is homebound except to go to her MD appts and Walgreens for meds. I asked for an appt. for a sooner time (due to my wifes illness) but was DENIED!
    Is there ,PLEASE , an available time for today??!! It would be greatly appreciated!!! If so, my wifes cell # is (704)609-2145, a text or a message can be sent.
    Thank You in advance for your help and timely response.

  42. Stan

    05/22/2017 at 4:20 pm

    I need to reboot my cable modem and DVR multiple times a week and I am very unhappy about it.

  43. free ip proxy

    09/11/2017 at 10:45 pm

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  44. J

    10/14/2017 at 1:54 pm

    I upgraded, if you can call it that, to a 60Mbp/s plan however the new equipment they gave me says right on the box it has a Max Output of 25Mbp/s. The service tech tried to pull some crap about ‘thats the average speed. It goes faster’ but even when plugged in with the hardline im only hitting 15Mbp/s.

    Also the upgrade supposedly came with 80 new channels i got 2 channels in 78 that only show Spanish Soap Operas. Not even a joke! I have 260 channels total and only 74 of them are in english!

  45. Patty Davis

    12/23/2017 at 6:21 pm

    Our movie froze after 1 1/2 hour and coming toward the climax it stopped and a window came up stating error. We called tech support and said they could not explain the problem. They told us to unplug the box. However, they tried not to refund our money – we were unable to finish watching the movie we bought. …it was not until we threatened a Class Action Lawsuit- if this was the way they treat paying customers, then this needs to stop. How would you like it if you went to the movies and the projector broke 10 mins before it ended? Feel free to find me on FB if you ever had this problem – Bought a movie that you could not watch and did not get a refund.

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