Spectrum Internet Review

No one likes overpaying for internet, even if it works well. With Spectrum, you generally get well-priced plans that deliver solid value. As shown in the pricing table above, the average cost / speed (Mbps) of their first two plans (300 and Ultra) is $0.15. So, while not the cheapest, that puts it in the middle of the pack compared to competitors.

Speaking of which, how does Xfinity compare? Well, Xfinity's 400 Mbps plan (aka, "Fast") is a fair way to do it. Being 400 Mbps, it puts it exactly in the middle of Spectrum's first two plans. Xfinity 400 goes for $50/mo and that translates to a cost/speed $0.10. So, comparing that to Spectrum's cost/speed of $0.15, Xfinity's a bit cheaper. One important caveat though. Those Xfinity prices are only guaranteed for 24 months. Thereafter, prices generally increase > 30%. Spectrum's prices don't increase after x months. So, long-term Spectrum actually comes out cheaper.

Contract buyouts

If you're stuck in an internet contract, Spectrum is willing to buy it out so you can switch to them. Good for up to $500, it's a quick and easy way to give yourself a bunch of flexibility. We've taken them up on this offer in the past and the process is surprisingly quite painless. You simply document how much is left on your contract (bill or statement works), submit it to Spectrum and a check goes out a couple weeks later. No small print or other hoops to jump through.

Internet is a mandatory service for most, especially if any part of your income depends on it. So, if it's down for even part of a day, it's a big deal. Sometimes downtime isn't the provider's fault either. A tree knocks down a line, power goes down, etc. How and when a provider takes action is what matters.

With Spectrum, in most parts of the country, they do an above-average job of keeping their network stable and active. Over the years, we've tracked over 50 major Spectrum outages (either personally or relayed to us by customers) and over 90% of them resolved sooner than we estimated. Those estimations were based on the severity of the issue, current weather conditions and population density of the area impacted.

With regard to their network, it's relatively new compared to competitors. In nearly all Spectrum areas, all the wiring delivered to your neighborhood is via Spectrum's fiber backbone. When it gets close to customers' homes, that last stretch is connected via regular coax cable. That fiber-coax setup is about as stable as it gets... provided it's not overloaded. Meaning, if too many customers in your area are sharing the same fiber backbone, that can slow things down for everyone. If Spectrum does a solid job of capping the number of users on the same fiber line. If things do slow down during peak hours, they'll often shift customers around to different lines or isolate high-usage users if they're responsible for the majority of the bandwidth.

Internet delivered to your home via coax cable involves two pieces of equipment: a modem and router. The modem converts the signal to a usable form (and an Ethernet cable takes it from there). If you need WiFi or want to split wired lines, you'll also need a router. Let's take a look at what Spectrum offers...

Spectrum Modem

Spectrum uses a pretty reliable modem. The tech standard you'll need is either a DOCSIS 3.0 or 3.1. DOCSIS 3.0 works with plans of up to 1 Gbps. They're also cheaper and have less built-in security. DOCSIS 3.1, though more expensive, is noticeably faster (less latency) and innately more secure. It supports speeds of up to 10 Gbps. It also does a better job of keeping you connected even when the incoming signal is on the weaker side or it's the peak usage time of day.

Spectrum includes a free modem with all their internet plans and it's a DOCSIS 3.1. So, no need to look elsewhere unless you already own a newer DOCSIS 3.0 or 3.1 modem that you prefer.

Spectrum Advanced WiFi Router

If you want WiFi (who doesn't?), you'll need a compatible router. Just about any modern router works. Spectrum's most recent version is their "Advanced WiFi" router. It has added security and management over which devices are allowed to connect (and lets you remove unwanted devices). It's actually quite good overall.

However, it comes at a cost, literally. For a rental price of $7/mo, you can use it indefinitely. And, no, it's not a lease-to-buy type thing. If you have Spectrum for three years, you'll be renting a router for three years as well (and forking over a hefty $252).

Not surprisingly, we always recommend you use your own router. One, it'll save you from the monthly fee and pays for itself in a handful of months. Two, you can customize it to your exact needs, even if you switch providers -- the interface, features and settings will stay the same, ensuring you never have gaps in your online security.