Install Charter Spectrum Internet

What’s included with the Spectrum Internet self-install kit?

The Spectrum self-install kit will include:

1. Modem
2. Router
3. Ethernet cable
4. Coaxial cable

Sometimes, the Spectrum Internet modem and router may be combined into one device. They may also throw in some additional coaxial cable length — this is in case you need to extend the distance between the modem/router and the cable jack in your wall, in order to reach an optimal position for your hardware.

Spectrum Internet Self-Installation Process

You don’t need any technical skills at all to self-install Spectrum internet. Just adhere to the following:

Step 1: Connect the modem to the cable jack

You will be provided with a modem as part of the package; this is the first thing you will need to plug in.

Since Charter Spectrum Internet is providing you all the equipment, you don’t need to do anything special to activate the service — it is literally “plug and play.”

The cable jack in your house should be sticking out of the wall in a central room like the dining room or living room. In some cases, it may be in a basement or bedroom.

Note: This is installed by placing a coax cable in the wall, then connecting the splitter, you then connect one side of the splitter with another coax cable to the back of your modem.

Step 2: Connect Spectrum Internet modem to a power outlet

The lights on the modem will flash until they achieve a stable Charter Internet Speed. This may take five minutes or more.

Step 3: Connect The Modem To Your Wi-Fi Router (ethernet cable)

The ethernet cable included with Charter Spectrum Internet self-install kits is usually yellow. Plug it into the yellow ethernet port on the modem and the similar yellow ethernet port on the router.

Step 4: Plug in the router

The router will have its own power supply, similar to the modem. Once you plug this in, the lights on the router should start blinking.

If it’s the high-end router included with Charter Spectrum Internet 400–1,000 Mbps plans, it’ll be just one light and not multiple. In either case, once it stops blinking and remains solid, your WiFi is active and connected to the internet.

Note that this process will take 5–10 minutes in some cases. If it doesn’t connect at this point, you can call the tech support number on the box to check if the issue is on your end or theirs.

Step 5: Connect Your Devices To Your Wi-Fi Router

You’ll now need to individually connect each device in your home (laptops, phones, baby monitors, etc) to the new WiFi network.

The network has a default name and password which is printed on the back of the router, as well as included on a slip of paper with your self-install kit.

You can expect that the router will create two WiFi networks for you to choose from:

• MySpectrum[number]-5G
• MySpectrum[number]-2.4G

The 5G network is for the devices you want to prioritize, such as your laptop and phone. However, if they are more than 7 years old, they may only be able to connect to the 2.4G network.

The 2.4G network is for older devices, or devices you don’t want to prioritize.

5G WiFi does not have as wide a range as 2.4G, so you may need to switch depending on the location of your devices.

And don’t worry — 5G WiFi is not the same thing as the 5G cell service everyone is scared of right now.

Step 6: Activate your network

We’re nearly done! The last part of the process is just to activate your Spectrum account online. This will enable you to set up automatic billing and access support, assuming you didn’t already have that done as part of your signup process.

• Click on Spectrum’s Self Install link from either your computer or your smartphone
• Click on “Get Started” when it appears on your screen and then just go through their step-by-step instructions (P.S. if you need your account number – it’s on the order slip/letter that came with your self-install kit)
• Create a Spectrum username to have control over your Wi-Fi name and password:
  • On the Spectrum.net homepage – click the “Create a Username” option in the menu in the top left of the screen
  • Enter either your e-mail address or your primary contact number (the one associated with the Spectrum account)
  • Complete the Captcha process to show you’re not a robot
  • Wait for the e-mail or text they send you with an authorization code
  • Enter the authorization code in the right box on the screen
  • Confirm your info
  • Chose your username (you can pick your e-mail address or any other name you want)
  • Create a password (we’d recommend that you follow their instructions with reference to making this a strong password)
  • Pick a security question and provide an answer (please make this obvious and memorable – if you forget this will cause you real problems when you need to make changes)
  • The username you have created is the “Primary” or “Master” username for this account and it has full privileges – so you may want to create “Secondary” accounts for other members of your family too , you can set specific access levels for each secondary account.

Tips On How To Ensure The Best Performance From Spectrum Wi-Fi

If you want to get the most out of your Spectrum Wi-Fi connection, then we’d recommend:

• Put the Wi-Fi router as centrally as possible in your home – this will offer you the best coverage of the whole space. A lot of people make the mistake of putting the router in the corner of the building and this effectively reduces the coverage from the router dramatically.
• If you decide to make a custom network name (and we don’t blame you for doing this – it’s much easier to connect to “Jones Family Wi-Fi” than to an SSID) you should rename each network with 5GHz or 2.4 GHz at the end of the name, so that you can easily tell the 5G and 2.4G networks apart.