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Spectrum internet reviews

Charter Spectrum brand logo
Staff rating
3.5
Customer rating
4.0
(513)
Price: $29.99 - $169.97/moSpeed: 30 Mbps - 1 GbpsChannels: 140+
staff review
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Rebecca Palmer smiles for the camera
Headshot of Dave Schafer
Researched by
Headshot of Bri Field
Reviewed by
Bri FieldAssigning Editor
Updated 2/7/23

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Fast internet at reasonable prices

Spectrum offers speedy, reasonably priced cable internet service, and a strong budget plan. We wish there were fewer fees attached, though.


What we like

  • Simple plan selection
  • No contracts
  • No data cap
What we dislike

  • Pricey gig plan
  • Lots of small fees
  • Price increase after 12 months

Spectrum internet review of 2023 - faster-than-advertised speeds? video thumbnail
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Spectrum internet review of 2023 - faster-than-advertised speeds?
Our expert review on Spectrum cable internet
Source: Switchful Youtube
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Before digging too deep...
Make sure Spectrum is available in your area.
Savings tip: Spectrum often has sign-up promotions for first-time customers. Call 1-844-733-6483 to ask a rep about current deals and discounts.
Check deals

Our expert assessment

Value
3.0
Straightforward internet plans with budget-friendly pricing

Spectrum service offers a solid value—particularly at the lowest tier. There are only three plans to choose from, which could either be a plus or minus depending on your perspective. In this case, we feel it’s a good thing: the plans are straightforward and easy to understand.

The lowest-tier plan offers speeds up to 300 Mbps (wireless speeds may vary) at a decent price, according to government benchmarks (1). That's just $0.17 per megabit per second, with speeds that blow any DSL plan out of the water. The other two internet plans are less exciting, but still reasonably priced for the first year. After 12 months, your price could be up by $20 or more.

Pricing details vary by location. Visit
Spectrum's website
or call 1-844-733-6483 to speak with a rep.
See pricing
Performance
4.0
Reliable internet with speeds up to 1 Gbps

Spectrum offers speedy performance overall, with packages up to 1,000 Mbps available (wireless speeds may vary). The lower tiers are more exciting—almost every provider has a gig plan these days, but Spectrum’s lowest plan has speeds up to 300 Mbps, which is still excellent for all but the heaviest users. Additionally, there are no data caps on any of the plans, so you can use as much bandwidth as you like.

Speed is only half the equation, though—even the fastest connection is useless if it doesn’t work when you need it. Luckily, Spectrum is on par with its closest cable competitors here. It offers faster-than-advertised speeds most of the time, according to the US Federal Communications Commission (2), and earned the top spot for median speeds from Speedtest.net (3). Spectrum’s latency scores were a little higher than competitors Xfinity and Cox, but at just 25 ms, you’re still within the playability range for most online games.

Available speeds vary by location. Call 1-844-733-6483 to speak with a Spectrum rep or
go to its website.
Equipment and Installation
4.5
You can rent a router or use your own, and there’s a fee for self-installation

Spectrum’s equipment setup is a bit different than most—at least when it comes to fees. There is no charge for the modem, but there is a $5 monthly fee for the wireless router (waived on the gig plan). What this means is that Spectrum gives you a separate modem and router, instead of a combined gateway. It also means you can opt to bring your own wireless router if you prefer. Customers can also add Wi-Fi extenders, called Pods, for $3 each per month. If you use the Spectrum router, you can use the company's highly rated smartphone app to manage settings and parental controls.

Installation is straightforward and affordable. If you need a pro to come out, you can opt for a professional installation for $59.99. If you can handle the installation yourself, the self-install kit is about $25. We’d prefer free self-installation, but it isn’t the highest self-install fee we’ve seen, so we’ll take what we can get.

Equipment and installation options can vary widely depending on
Spectrum plans
available in your area.
View plans
Customer Experience
2.5
Watch out for hefty fees and price hikes down the road

We’ll just come right out and say it: Spectrum has a lot of fees. While you may never see most of them, it’s worth noting that they’re there. Here’s a sample:

  • $5 to pay over the phone(?!)
  • $5 reconnection fee
  • $19.99 to upgrade equipment when switching to the Internet Gig plan

These aren’t going to be on every bill, and you may never see most of them. However, when you do, it makes for a poor experience.

When you add second-year price hikes in the range of $20+, things aren't looking good for Spectrum customers. However, Spectrum customers seem to be about as satisfied with customer service as customers with competitors Cox and CenturyLink, and it's only slightly worse than average. (4)

If Spectrum is the only cable provider in your area and your home isn't wired for fiber internet, we recommend the service. Just set a calendar reminder to contact customer service in a year and see if you can negotiate the price down!

Visit Spectrum's website
or call 1-844-733-6483 for more information on contracts and money-back guarantees.
Go to provider
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Ready for the next step?
See if Spectrum services your area.
We stand by the validity of our reviews and are committed to transparency: Our team uses consumer sentiment software to source customer reviews, which are entirely unique to this website. Reviewers attest to being current customers of the providers they review and are not incentivized to speak positively or negatively about their experience. We do not alter the reviews in any way. Learn more about how we source reviews.

Spectrum customer ratings overview

Spectrum
4.0
(513)
5 Star
34%
4 Star
41%
3 Star
20%
2 Star
4%
1 Star
1%
Our reviews come from real customers who weren't incentivized to leave a review. The rating distribution typically shows a range of experiences and opinions that helps you get a sense for the average customer experience, not just extremes.

Top reviews from Spectrum customers

C
Christa from Delphos, OH
Spectrum Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 5-8-2023
I have never had very many issues. When my internet was out it was fixed quickly. It is nice to have reliable service.
T
Thomasfrom Hickory, NC
Spectrum Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 5-7-2023
I have been happy overall with the service. There have been several evenings that the reliability was much less than normal. The outages run from several minutes to an hour or longer. These outages are from their DNS service quits working, If I go to an actual ip address, it works fine, if using the name, it fails.
B
Benjaminfrom Seguin, TX
Spectrum Customer for Less than a year
Reviewed on: 5-6-2023
My experience with spectrum is limited. The installation process is quick and easy but very impersonal. The hotline can answer any questions but is still limited to automated responses. I would think that a more personal approach would be better for customer satisfaction.
J
Jay from Pasadena, CA
Spectrum Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 5-5-2023
I've been a Spectrum customer for a long time. It's the best in the area and I have no plans to change.
R
Richfrom Carmel , IND
Spectrum Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 5-4-2023
It's fine but is nothing special. The internet speed is slow and on not so nice weather days the connection can be very slow and cuts out of service
R
Rebeccafrom Stockton Springs, ME
Spectrum Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 5-4-2023
When they can and know of a problem and will be down for a bit they try to get that news out ahead of time.They are terrific to their customers.They cater to us and have a lot to choose from.
J
Joanfrom Valrico, FL
Spectrum Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 5-4-2023
Spectrum is the best for me perfect speed for my needs. No disconnect issues, if I need to call, customer service is great.
M
Marilynfrom Youngstown , OH
Spectrum Customer for 4+ years
Reviewed on: 5-4-2023
I had problems with spectrum with my internet going out a lot . Had a technician out to fix it . Sometimes it slow . I wish I can have fiber optic where I live to have better service
C
Carolynfrom Eaton, OH
Spectrum Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 5-4-2023
The service is not too bad. I feel that it has become over priced. I do have some issues with the WiFi at times in the back of the home but realize this might be the router.
T
Tammyfrom Fairport, NY
Spectrum Customer for 4+ years
Reviewed on: 5-4-2023
It was bad at first and had problems streaming tv until they replaced the "new" wifi box with another "new" box
D
Dawn from Dayton, OH
Spectrum Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 5-3-2023
They have a great affordable rate for households that are in income limited situations. This allowed me to get internet installed free with a affordable rate. This was a great opportunity for my family because we had not had access to regular internet in over 10years.
M
Michellefrom Bakersfield, CA
Spectrum Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 5-3-2023
Spectrum is VERY expensive and it goes up every few months. At the same time, level of service does not change. Unfortunately I bundled services,so it is not practical to change providers.
M
Matthew from Riverside, CA
Spectrum Customer for 4+ years
Reviewed on: 5-1-2023
Overall my service is great. Its speed is solid, especially ever since we got a new router. Some of the upload speeds could be better of course. But it is reliable.
K
Katharinefrom Stedman, NC
Spectrum Customer for 4+ years
Reviewed on: 5-1-2023
Our internet service is great. If we have outages they will credit our bill, any questions or concerns they are quick to help.
T
Thomasfrom Asheville, NC
Spectrum Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 4-30-2023
Spectrum is the community wifi supplier for the complex where I live. Service is generally good with a few outages and the cost is affordable.
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Endnotes and sources
  1. 2022 Urban Rate Survey – Fixed Broadband Service,” FCC. Accessed 17 June 2022.
  2. "Measuring Broadband America," FCC. Retreieved Dec. 7, 2022.
  3. "Fastests ISPs of 2022," Speetest.net. Retrieved Dec. 7, 2022.
  4. "Satisfaction Benchmarks by Company, Internet Service Providers," ACSI. Retrieved Dec. 7, 2022.