If your Spectrum internet keeps dropping, and it’s happening almost every hour or even in less time, there could be varying explanations, and in some cases causes of the issue.
It could be caused by hardware issues with your router or devices, or it could be caused by some software issue on any of the devices.
In a few cases, the cause could even be from their end, so we put this article together to see possible causes and share tips on how to handle it if your Spectrum internet keeps cutting or going out.
Why Spectrum Internet keeps dropping and going out every hour
There are just so many possible causes of why Spectrum internet keeps dropping every hour, and we will be trying as much as possible to share some of them in this article.
- One of the most obvious reasons why Spectrum internet keeps going out is a situation where your router is sending out errors. This issue is mostly caused somewhere in the splitter box connection. Fixing this is often left for the Spectrum tech as they would have to replace the wiring from the pole to the house and in some cases even replace the modem, as it could be a lime issue.
- Another reason why Spectrum internet keeps going out could be an issue with the feeder line or node.
- In some cases, your Spectrum internet keeps going out because your neighbors are bumping you out from your own Wi-Fi connection. If you’re sharing the same Wi-Fi frequency with a couple different neighbors, you’ll probably have to deal with the internet cutting out very often.
- Something as simple as a bad Wi-Fi hotspot, poor strength of the hotspot, an overloaded internet network, and as we mentioned earlier, a defective cable running through your connections could make your Spectrum internet keep going out.
- You might also want to check if the router is up-to-date. If your router or router firmware is out-of-date, and your Spectrum internet keeps dropping every hour, then that may be the cause of the problem.
- You might have to check your ping rates as they could cause internet drops every hour. In these cases, a ping represents the speed of the data transfer between your computer and a server, if you notice the ping rate is high, it’s often a case of slow Ethernet, and that would cause drops in your internet.
- Another possible cause of internet drops every hour is dirt in your PC, so see if the internet drop is general or if it’s happening on one device. If it’s only on your device, then a clog of dirt may be causing your machine to overheat, so the system is constantly resetting itself.
- For Spectrum users, the company mentioned that the devices need to be rebooted daily, so we imagine that their systems need constant updates, hence a need for a boot so that the changes can be applied. If you haven’t rebooted your device in a while, then that could be the culprit for the internet drops.
- If it’s hourly, your PC might not be handling IP address renewals well, hence the persistent internet drops.
- If you have made any recent Windows update or firmware update to the router before the sudden drops, you might have messed things up along the way.
Read also: Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration? – Working Fixes for Microsoft Windows 10
Spectrum internet keeps cutting out/ disconnecting? Working fixes
Now that we have seen some of the causes, let’s explore possible fixes if you notice that your Spectrum internet keeps cutting out.
- As we have mentioned with Spectrum modems and routers, the company seems to recommend regular restarting of the device, and that is what we will advise. If the issue of internet drops, either every few minutes or hours is the same on all devices, you might reboot your Spectrum device and see if that works. If it is happening on just one device, then you might need to reboot the device in question and see if that fixes the issue.
- If you are still experiencing this issue, you might check if your router is up to date or if the firmware is up to date. Older routers are the norm in many households, with people still holding on to Wi-Fi routers that are ten years and older. Speak to the customer care team and see if there is anything they can do. If the firmware is outdated, your router might find it really hard or even unable to detect new WI-FI broadcast messages, which is the same as saying it will be unable to keep in pace with the speed of the data traffic that most services require, and that could be causing internet drops every hour.
Read also: Solved: Working Fixes For the DNS Probe Finished No Internet Error
- Checking and changing the internet cables might also be an option, although this will be in the domain of the technician that Spectrum sends. While there might not be visible damages to your cable, the wire carrying the Wi-Fi signal might have some damage, and it’s serious enough to cause the ‘Spectrum internet keeps cutting out’ issue.
- Your next option to consider will be both the strength of the signal, and the number of devices connected, and the demands of each device. On older devices, when all the devices are pulling quite a lot of resources at the same time, there could be a drop on the internet, especially when this doesn’t match the speed. If you have more than four devices connected to your subscription plan, you might experience lags since many networks have 4 as the max number of devices connected at once for fast, interrupted Wi-Fi.
- Wireless interference could be an explanation when the Spectrum internet keeps cutting out. To tackle this, you might have to connect your PC to the internet using the cable and see if that fixes the issue on the device level.
- In case the explanation for Spectrum internet keeps dropping is your neighbors bumping you out of your Wi-Fi, changing the frequency might be a way to go. The FREE Wi-Fi analyzer Android app is a great way to find that out. If you discover that this is the case, you might need to change your wireless channel settings from auto to a manually entered figure, and that should fix it.
- If the Spectrum internet keeps dropping every hour after making some upgrades or changes in settings, either on your router, your machine, or your firmware, you might need to roll back the changes you make, as something might have been broken while you’re working on the changes.
How to kick devices off WiFi on Spectrum
Removing devices connected to your router is a good idea if you notice your Spectrum WiFi keeps dropping.
- 1. Sign in to the Spectrum Community WiFi device management portal by using this link.
- Enter your username and password in the appropriate field.
- Select your location from the drop-down menu and click on Sign In.
- Once you successfully sign in, you can view and manage all the devices connected to your Spectrum account.
5. Look for the device name and click on Remove to kick off any device.
6. Select Confirm
How to turn off internet access at night on Spectrum
- Input the web address 192.168.1.1 into your Web browser to go to the router’s administration page.
- Sign in with your username and password on the back of the router, or use the default username and password as “admin” if you can’t find them.
- Look for Advanced >> Connectivity and click on the gear icon under 2.4Ghz.
- Change 2.4GHz Wireless to “OFF” below basic settings.
- Click on Apply and follow the process for 5Ghz
- To enable WiFi when you wake up, follow the same procedure. Then change “OFF” to “Enable“
Tips
- The steps work for Spectrum Wave 2 routers like the RAC2V1S Sagemcom and RAC2V1A Arris routers.
- For Spectrum Netgear routers, use the web address http://www.routerlogin.net/ to sign and begin the process.
- If you fail to find your router’s name, still follow the steps above by going to the wireless settings to disable the router.
How to check devices connected to WiFi on Spectrum
Managing devices connected to your router is necessary when you notice your Spectrum WiFi keeps dropping speed. Reducing the number of devices can solve the problem.
- To check devices connected to your Spectrum WiFi network, sign in via the website or download the “My Spectrum” app from the Google Play Store and sign in.
- Search for the “Services” tab at the bottom of the mobile app and tap on it.
- Look for “Devices.”
- Under Devices, you would see three options, one of them is “Connected.” You can see the number of devices connected to your WiFi from here.
Tip
If it’s your first time going to the section of the app, you would have to Tap on “Manage Devices” before you can select a device.
How to keep Spectrum app from timing out
Spectrum app timing out is primarily because of the Bandwidth Saver Feature.
- Sign in to your Spectrum app
- Look for Settings and tap on it.
- Tap on Network and look for Bandwidth saver.
- Toggle Off Bandwidth saver.
Can you have 2 internet accounts in one house on Spectrum
Spectrum Internet services allow only one active account for each house address. Although you can activate the second line of Internet service under the first account. The problem here is the second line will be under the parent’s account, and you can’t split the bills.
There is, however, another option; open a new account under another Internet service provider if you want a new account under your name and the same address.
How to update firmware on Spectrum router
If you notice that your Spectrum WiFi keeps dropping, updating the firmware is also an excellent way to solve this problem.
- Use an Ethernet cable to connect your router to a computer. Place one end of an Ethernet cable to the router and the other end to the computer to establish a connection.
- If you have a Netgear router, go to the Netgear Download Center webpage and enter the correct router model number. The model number and firmware version of the router can be found below the router.
Tip: You can also visit this link to download a universal firmware released this year or check the update for your model.
- Click Downloads and select the firmware version.
- After selecting, click on download.
- The downloaded file is likely in zip format, so you must unzip it.
- Once you’ve unzipped the firmware, enter the web address routerlogin.net in your browser.
- Sign in with your credentials (username and password)
- Click on “Advanced” or “Settings,” depending on the type or model of your router. Next, click on “Administration.“
- Choose the “Firmware Update” or “Router Update” option depending on the type or model of the router.
- Click on the “Choose File” or “Browse” option.
- Select the firmware file update, which could be in the “.Img” or “.chk” file format.
- Finally, click on the “Update” option. The firmware update should begin, and your router should restart afterward. The update usually doesn’t take long. Ensure you don’t turn OFF the router and don’t browse the Internet.
How to reset Spectrum internet box
- Disconnect the internet box from the power source and take out the battery, if there’s any.
- Unplug the power cord
- Allow the Spectrum router to cool down for at least a minute, and place the batteries.
- Connect back to the power source and wait about two minutes before restarting the modem.
- Once the light on the router becomes stable, it means your wireless devices connected to the router are ready to go online.
How to change DNS on Spectrum router
- Open your browser and enter your Spectrum router’s IP address
- Go to the Spectrum admin page and click on the “Services” tab.
- Under “Equipment,” click on “Router.”
- Scroll down and click on “Advanced Settings.”
- Click on “DNS Server.”
- Select “Manage DNS.”
- Enter the DNS server of your choice either in the primary or secondary DNS Server fields.
- Click on “Save” to confirm the change.
Tip: You can reset it to default by selecting “Use Spectrum DNS.”
How to change the IP address on the Spectrum router
There are several ways to change the IP address of a Spectrum router:
1. Turn the device OFF
Most times, the first thing router owners do is restart their modem to change their IP address. However, most ISP won’t give you a new IP address by simply restarting. Instead, I suggest you turn OFF your router for 10-12 hours which should give enough time for the new IP address to be assigned to your router.
2. Connect your router to a PC
Directly connecting your PC to a modem through a cable should give you a different MAC address and IP address. If you have already done this, try to change the device you connect to the modem.
3. Get a static IP address
Users are allowed to use static IP addresses on Spectrum. Usually, ISPs give dynamic IP address that changes after restarting the router. However, the new dynamic IP does not give the much-needed effect if your Spectrum WiFi keeps dropping.
Note that static IP addresses don’t change even after rebooting your system and significantly affect your router speed more than Dynamic IP addresses.
4. Use a VPN service
Another way to temporarily change your IP address is to use a VPN that changes your location and IP address. This is one of the easiest ways to change your IP address if you only need to for a short time.
How long does it take for WiFi to turn back on after payment on Spectrum
Once you successfully make payment, WiFi service usually takes about 1 to 2 hours to return. Restart the router if you still have problems connecting or if your Spectrum WiFi keeps dropping speed once your service is restored.
For most issues you have with your Spectrum internet, we recommend contacting the company’s customer support, and they’ll be sending a tech over to see firsthand what the issue is. If you have tried some of these that are within your skill level and your Spectrum internet keeps dropping, you sure will be saving yourself time and resources by requesting that they send you a professional.
- How to Reset Spectrum Remote Control
- Where Is the Reset Button on The Spectrum Cable Box?
- Spectrum Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet Access? Causes and Best Fixes