Solved: Spectrum Router Red Light Issue (10 Fixes)

Spectrum is one of the most popular internet service providers (ISP) in the United States today. Unfortunately, every now and again Spectrum hardware – especially their router – likes to “misbehave”.

How to fix the red light issue on your Spectrum router? Reset your router. Unplug it from the wall, wait for a few minutes, then plug it back in. Allow your router enough time to establish a proper connection. You can also press the “Reset” button located at the back of your router, and press it down for about 10 seconds.

If you’re dealing with a Spectrum router that doesn’t want to cooperate, that is offering an inconsistent internet signal, or is doing nothing but turning bright red all the time you’ll want to check out the inside information highlighted below. Check out the list of the Best Streaming Devices on Amazon now!

What Does the Red Light Mean on a Spectrum Router?

First, let’s find out what kind of red color your router is showing and what it indicates, and then get to troubleshooting.

Solid Red Light

A solid red light from your Spectrum router lets you know that the issues are critical, that your router isn’t able to operate normally, and that something has to be done to address your internet connection or the hardware itself to restore your connection to the web.

Blinking Red Light 

The blinking red light all on its own simply tells you that the router is unable to connect to the internet at this point in time.

Internet connection issue: That might mean that there’s something wrong with the internet coming into your home.

Cables issue: It might mean that there’s something wrong with the ethernet cables connecting your router to the internet.

Local outage: Or it might mean something else entirely – like a down to internet node in your local area that you have little to no control over.

The point is that blinking red light on a Spectrum router is not an indicator of a critical failure. It means that everything on the router is working correctly, it’s just that there’s no available internet connection to provide to your wireless devices.

Blinking Red and Blue Light 

A signal like this tells you that you don’t want to interrupt whatever it is the router is attempting at that particular point in time. Usually, it indicates the firmware update.

It might be a firmware update. It might be a security check. It might be a resetting of the username and password for the administrative account.

Or it could be a dozen different other things, too.

When you see a blinking blue and red light, though, you need to leave your router alone. Even doing something like unplugging the router while the lights are blinking can cause a catastrophic failure – and then you’ll see nothing but a solid red light.

How to Fix the Red Light Issue on a Spectrum Router

There are a couple of fixes available to troubleshoot a red light problem with your router set up.

1. Check for Local Outage

First, you’re going to want to try and see if the Spectrum service in your local area is negatively impacted.

You’ll obviously need to use a device that can connect to the internet independent of your router to do this. But a quick search for the Spectrum Outage Information and Troubleshooting page on their site will let you know if the internet services are down and that’s why your router is misbehaving.

If the service is good but you still see a red light that (almost always) means that you have a different problem on your hands.

2. Check the Cables

The next step is to check all of your connections and make sure that nothing’s gone sideways there.

Check the ethernet cables, check the coaxial cables, and check that all of the pins on each of these individual cables are in good working order.

Make sure everything is plugged in exactly where it is supposed to be plugged in. And then double-check that the power is live on your router, too.

3. Change the Location

If you have recently moved to a different location or placed your router in a new place, it is possible that it just can get a sufficient signal to work.

Try moving your router around the house to see if you can get a better connection and eradicate the red light issue. Also, make sure no electronic devices are interfering with the router.

4. Reset your Router

Modern routers are very easy to reset, and this method has proven to be very effective. Simply press the “Reset” button located at the back of your modem, and press it down for about 10 seconds.

After you have done that, allow your router ample time to establish a proper connection.

Tip: If you are using a separate modem and a router, don’t forget to reset both of them.

5. Reset the Modem via My Spectrum App

Another thing to test out is to reset your router through your Spectrum app. If there were some software issues on their end, that should help tackle the issue.

1. First, you will need to download the My Spectrum App and log in.
2. After that look for the ‘My Account’ tab.
3. Select the “Services” icon and choose “Internet”, Select your router and go to ‘Restart Equipment‘.
4. Click the “Restart” button to finish the process.

6. Reset the Modem via Web Browser

This method is similar to the one previously discussed.

1. Sign in to your Spectrum account using your login credentials.
2. Go to the Internet sub-tab under “Services and Equipment”, select “Experiencing Issues?” next to your router
3. Click “Reset Equipment”.

7. Restart the Gateway

If you happened to have a combination of a modem and a router, it is very important you reset both of them as previously mentioned. Follow these steps:

1. Turn off the switch connected to the gateway.
2. Take the batteries out.
3. Wait for about 5 minutes.
4. Put the batteries back in.
5. Connect the switch to your device.
6. Wait for 1 minute.
7. Turn the switch on.
8. Allow your device enough time to establish the connection.

8. Unplug your Router

Unplug your router directly from the wall and allow it to go completely dead for anywhere between 30 seconds and two or three minutes. The longer you leave it the better off you’ll be.

You want to make sure that there’s absolutely no power running through the router and that it’s able to reset itself.

After the 30 seconds to a couple of minutes have passed simply plug your router back into the wall, allow it to power up, and then check to see if a solid blue light returns or if the red light stays in place.

If you go solid blue it was simply a software “bug” somewhere in the system and it needed to be flushed with a quick reset.

Tip: Try resetting both your modem and router this way if you use them separately. You can try resetting them together or one by one to see whichever helps with the issue.

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9. Update your Router’s Firmware

It is possible that your router isn’t connecting to the internet and showing the red light because it needs updating. To update your router’s firmware, you will need to follow the steps below:

1. Type your router’s IP address into your web browser.
2. Enter your login information.
3. Locate the Firmware or Update section and download the latest firmware update on your router manufacturer’s website.
4. Upload the update and reboot the router.

10. Contact Spectrum

If you stay solid red, though, you’re going to need to pick up the phone and get a hold of Customer Support from Spectrum ASAP.

You can reach support at 1-833-267-6094 24/7, every single day of the year.

Closing Thoughts

There isn’t a soul on the planet that wants to have to troubleshoot their internet router system all the time. Especially when you’re paying Spectrum prices for the internet.

Thankfully, though, as you can see from the information above getting your router working right isn’t as much of a headache or hassle as a lot of people expect.

Truth be told, with just a little bit of effort you’ll be able to troubleshoot your router with no trouble at all. And if the router doesn’t respond to your troubleshooting Spectrum customer service is only a phone call away!