It’s happened to us all—just seconds ago we were enjoying our favorite Netflix or Hulu show or crushing it in Fortnite, and now the internet has inexplicably stopped working. Spectrum is one of the top internet service providers (ISPs) and for good reason, but that doesn’t mean it never experiences an outage. If your Spectrum internet is down, our guide will help you troubleshoot the problem and get you back online, doing all the things you love.
In this Spectrum internet outage guide:
- How to check if there’s a Spectrum internet outage
- What do I do if there’s a Spectrum internet outage?
- What do I do once my internet is restored?
- What to do if my Spectrum internet is down
- How to speed up your Spectrum internet connection
- Best Spectrum internet plans
- Compare high-speed internet plans
How to check if there’s a Spectrum internet outage
If your Spectrum internet is down, you’ll want to check if there’s a Spectrum service outage or if the problem is with your home only. An easy way to check if there’s a Spectrum outage in your area is to use Spectrum’s site to talk with a virtual assistant. The virtual assistant will ask you for your zip code and once you enter that, then it will prompt you to sign in to your Spectrum account. Another quick way to see if other people are having the same problem as you is to check the hashtag #spectrumoutage on Twitter. Oftentimes, Spectrum will make an announcement on Twitter about a current outage and what they’re doing to rectify the situation.
If you don’t want to chat with the virtual assistant, you can simply skip right to signing into your online Spectrum account and doing the following:
- Click “Account & Billing”
- Select “Check Service Status”
- Scan the list of equipment on the page
If your Spectrum internet is down, you’ll see this message: “A service disruption in your area has been detected and we are working diligently to resolve the issue.”
You can also use your My Spectrum app to check for a Spectrum internet outage by:
- Opening the app and signing in
- Selecting your equipment
- Waiting while the app establishes a connection with your equipment
- Checking for a service interruption message, which means there’s a Spectrum internet outage
- Clicking “Notify Me” to receive an alert when your service is restored
If you don’t see an alert on your online account or My Spectrum app, then there might be a problem with your home internet connection as opposed to Spectrum’s network.
What do I do if there’s a Spectrum internet outage?
You don’t have to do anything if you’ve received an alert that there’s a Spectrum internet outage. Spectrum is well aware of the issue and is actively working to fix the outage. Just sit tight while Spectrum works to restore your internet. If you need to use the internet, you can always use your phone as a mobile hotspot while you wait or connect your devices to a Spectrum WiFi hotspot. You can turn on your hotspot from your settings app then connect devices to your hotspot the same way you would any other WiFi.
What do I do once my internet is restored?
Once your Spectrum internet has been restored, it may be necessary to reset your Spectrum equipment so that everything works properly. Here’s how to reset your standalone modem or gateway:
- Unplug the power cord and remove any batteries.
- Wait at least 30 seconds then insert the batteries and reconnect the power cable.
- Wait 2 minutes to make sure the reset is finished.
- Check that your modem’s lights are solid and not blinking.
- Check your Spectrum internet connection.
Here’s how to reset your WiFi router and modem:
- Unplug the power cord from the modem and remove batteries.
- Unplug the cord from the WiFi router.
- Wait 30 seconds then put the batteries back and reconnect the cord to the modem.
- Wait at least 2 minutes for the reset to finish.
- Check that the modem lights are solid (as opposed to blinking).
- Reconnect the cord to your WiFi router and wait another 2 minutes.
- Check your Spectrum internet connection to see if it’s working.
Does Spectrum have 24/7 customer service?
Spectrum does, in fact, have 24/7 customer service. If you need to contact Spectrum, you can call 1 (833) 267-6094. You can also Tweet Spectrum @Ask_Spectrum for help.
What to do if my Spectrum internet is down
If there is no Spectrum internet outage but your internet is still down, there are a few things you can try to help restore your internet. These steps include:
- Check that you’ve paid your Spectrum bill—late payments could disrupt internet service.
- Test that your outlets are working and you haven’t blown a fuse.
- Double-check that your equipment is securely connected.
- Try rebooting your modem and/or router.
How to speed up your Spectrum internet
If your Spectrum internet isn’t down but your speeds are much slower than usual, there are many different things you can try to boost your internet speeds. The first thing you’ll want to do is check your current internet speeds. Use our free internet speed test and see what download and upload speeds you’re getting, as well as your latency period.
Latency or “lag” or “ping” refers to the length of time it takes your signal to travel from your device to Spectrum’s server and back to your device. You can think of it as how long your delay is. The lower the latency, the better. For most people, 100 milliseconds or below is a good latency period, although online gamers will want closer to 30 milliseconds or fewer.
Once you know what internet speeds you’re getting from Spectrum, you can then run the speed test again once you try a few of our troubleshooting tips.
Here are some easy (and free) things you can try to increase your Spectrum internet speeds:
- Use an ethernet cable for your computer or laptop (this frees up bandwidth for other devices).
- Clear your cache.
- Check your computer for malware or viruses then run a free virus removal software, if necessary.
- Move your router closer to a more central location and make sure it’s not blocked by walls or furniture.
- Turn off unused devices, such as tablets, phones, laptops, etc.
- Exit all unused applications.
Now, run an internet speed test again. If your internet is still really slow, then you may need to try some paid solutions, such as buying a new router or modem or a WiFi range extender, which helps boost your WiFi signal to expand its coverage.
If none of these solutions fixes your slow speeds, you may need to consider upgrading to a faster Spectrum plan or switching to a new ISP with faster speeds. Switching to a new ISP could save you some money on your monthly bill since providers often offer discounted introductory rates to new customers. You can expect a price lock at that discounted rate for 1-2 years, depending on the ISP.
