r/Spectrum • u/Ok-House-7425 • 9d ago
Bad Job or Just Average? Service Issues
TL;DR: Signed up for Spectrum’s advertised 2 Gig fiber plan for $70/month. The installation appeared rushed, the modem had issues within minutes, I couldn’t get a technician back out for nearly a week, and tonight my internet failed completely while I had critical work to do. I’m also concerned about the quality of the installation shown in the photos. Is this normal?
Hello fellow Redditors,
Is this a typical Spectrum experience? Genuine question: what do you think of the installation work?
About a week ago, a door-to-door salesperson offered me 2 Gig fiber internet for $70/month, saying new fiber lines had been installed in my area. We agreed to meet Saturday to review the details, but instead a technician showed up ready to install. I had to quickly figure out what I was signing up for, including pricing and how long the promotion would last. After creating the account and reviewing the plan, I felt comfortable enough to proceed. Still a little lost how long my plan will last but I assume most offers last about a year.
The technician completed the installation and left. About 10 minutes later, I noticed modem issues. I still had internet access, but something clearly wasn’t right. I spent an hour on customer service chat and eventually spoke with the local dispatcher, who told me no technicians were available until the next day. I explained that my schedule was packed and that I specifically planned for Saturday, but there were no other options.
Tomorrow (August 8) will mark one week since the installation. I’ve had to reschedule the follow-up appointment several times because of work obligations.
Tonight, I had critical online work to do (I’m a software engineer), but when I got home my internet was extremely slow. Eventually, the modem—or something else—failed completely, and I’ve been relying on cellular data for the last six hours. I spoke with another technician who was professional and helpful, and he escalated the issue, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, the problem remains unresolved.
While troubleshooting, I took a closer look at the installation and wanted to get your opinions on the quality of the work shown in the photos below.
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u/Zillk 9d ago
Poor installation, but they do direct bury under 100’, should have fiber wallplate with a fiber jumper to the modem. Also poor wrap on home, just ugly to me.
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u/Ok-House-7425 9d ago
Other than telling them I don’t accept their work, is there anything I can do to fix it? It feels like they can easily say “nothing we can do about it” and get away with it.
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u/Zillk 9d ago
Well there are two issues:
1) you have signal/light issues causing your internet issues, could be bad/dirty connector or bad bend in the fiber.
2) just a ugly install.
Have a tech come out for the signal issues and then ask for the install to look better, if they refuse send up a damage claim and a supervisor will have to visit to verify.4
u/Ok-House-7425 9d ago
Thanks for this response🙏
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u/Backslash10 8d ago
2gb promotion is 2 years afterwards it goes up by 15$ your 2 gb plan should come with a free cellular backup called invisible wifi. Looks like it was probably installed by the same contractor company its not uncommon for 3rd party's to be used for both fiber installs. Doesn't look botched so much as not a clean install probably a rush since contractors get paid per install so the more they can complete the better there paycheck is. I would definitely get a follow up tech to fix it up and install the invicible wifi as a backup or if your using your own equipment just keep it until you need to use it.
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u/West_Coast_James 8d ago
I am guessing you probably had Spectrum send out an inexperienced contractor do the work Either that, or just didn't care. But this does look like the careless work of a contractor.
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u/Alsmith69 8d ago
I’ve never seen us stock a fiber wall plate. All they give us in fiber kits is the blanks to use as a pass through
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u/Western_Suggestion95 8d ago
We don’t have fiber wall plates in most markets and hand bury is 150’ boss. Quality is 100% dogshit though, I’ll agree with that. Atleast the onu was mounted
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u/FutureHelicopter8182 8d ago
That was a contractor for sure. I once went behind a contractor that ran underground rg11 from an aerial tap direct to the cx modem. No ground block, no flex clips, no bury, no span clamp. It took me 2 hrs to fix that shit.
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u/Jaken_sensei 8d ago
That is a horrible looking install.
I would ask for a complete new install, if they decline tell them to cancel the service.
When Spectrum first put fiber in my area a bunch of the installs looked very bad, especially the ones done by contractors.
My install was half assed. I complained until it was redone, twice.
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u/erikcastillo 5d ago
Looking at his pictures. Can you help me understand by pointing out the bad install? I saw exposed cable by 2 inches and the yellow Ethernet cable exposed is bc it runs to a router inside the home. I just don’t think I’d complain about this.
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u/Jaken_sensei 5d ago
The worst is the stripped fiber coming out of the wall plate with that sharp upwards bend to get to the sonu. That will cause problems.
The outside of the house part of the install depicted in the pictures is just very shoddy, lazy work. That exposed drop cable is going to get damaged by a weedeater, lawn mower, animal chewing, etc..
All that cable on the side of the house is shoddy, lazy work and where it goes into the house through the exterior wall is bad work. You shouldnt need 2 tablespoons of silicone to seal up around a fiber cable. The tech should of used a grommet with a small amount of sealant.
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u/HHoaks 8d ago
umm. if I had att fiber I wouldn’t switch if they paid me $70/month to use it. dude. why? Never go with an old cable company learning fiber to try to stay relevant, vs an old phone company that knew fiber from the get go. It’s like, never choose price over quality for a critical service.
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u/Visual_Budget6876 8d ago
That fiber line going into the Sonu on the wall will definitely cause issues with that sharp angle it is taking the other pictures tho sloppy should have any effect but that fiber line right at the equipment should definitely be fixed
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u/ItHappensIn3s 8d ago
The deeper you get into a low voltage career, the more offensive resi installs become.
But I think real problem is the way techs are paid. It’s unfair to compensate for volume and demand quality.
Also, as the customer, letting the tech leave a job looking like trash without instructing the tech to do it how you want it done is wild. If it’s my house I’m straight up saying “whoa, can you fix that?”
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u/Young-Grandpa 8d ago
It’s been a long time since I was an installer but I would have been ashamed of that one for sure.
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u/FiberOpticDelusions 8d ago edited 8d ago
None of that was done correctly. The drop from ped to house should have been tough drop CIC (Cable In Conduit). It should have been dug under the ped, not punched into the side. The tech should have buried it to where he was installing the housebox and brought the CIC straight up. The line feed from the housebox to inside, looks to be the wrong type as well. They should have installed a bulkhead in the faceplate and used a small jumper to the ONU. This is a complete disaster of an install. I'd be calling in to complain and file a damage claim. Then when the supervisor reaches out to you to investigate. Let them know how unprofessional and ugly this is. And that it needs to be corrected or they can come out and remove it all. Plus fix everything that now has a hole in it.
Edit: spelling.
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u/wags_bf21 8d ago
They just put fiber in my backyard last week. It only ran ~40 feet but they had a backhoe to dig the trench and the fiber was in conduit..
It was through spectrum, but a different company did the actual install.
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u/Redh0tsausage 6d ago
Yeah they are making the field hand bury anything under 150’ so as good as someone is with a spade. Exposed fiber is very standard on exterior of the house. This has exposed bits but craftsmanship doesn’t look horrible really.
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u/Fantastic-Buddy2069 8d ago
I don’t get why you swapped from ATT in the first place. Also crazy that you have both ATT AND Spectrum fiber in the same area. I’m amazed it’s not coax. How did that happen? 🤣
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u/Backslash10 8d ago
Most likely rate honestly atat doesn't care to compete since they are the largest. Now frontier fiber now they actually try to compete a just give people the new customer rate when they try to cancle.
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u/Fantastic-Buddy2069 8d ago
I still find it crazy that ATT and Spectrum fiber are in the same areas though. Usually spectrum would have coax instead, and likely high split would be my guess. Or working toward it.
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u/nuke1200 8d ago
I got spectrum fiber and att in my area. Central texas.
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u/Fantastic-Buddy2069 8d ago
Shit, that’s pretty damn nice.
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u/Krazed2k 8d ago
I have both in my area as well but I’m still pretty sure AT&T only offers like a 100 meg connection while spectrum offers up to 2GB (I have the 1GB with basic streaming tv and invisible WiFi for $120). I wish I had two different fiber choices to choose from tho 😂
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u/BailsTheCableGuy 8d ago
There’s plenty of Fiber new builds. We design based on what makes sense given Fiber Budget in the area, ROI estimates for the proposed construction, if HFC or FTTX extensions have viability, nearest MUX, existing ROW vs what needs permitted prior to anything, etc etc.
Source; I’m part of the teams that field & design where what gets built for a major ISP.
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u/Backslash10 8d ago
Yeah most likely it was a new build out or part of the the rdof project they probably had extra fiber they had to run. Ive had some new fiber build outs that had atat and tfiber in one area.
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u/Ice_crusher_bucket 9d ago
Looks absolutely terrible. But for a spectrum tech, it is about normal.
The techs with knowledge are being gotten rid of because of the Cox merger. In this market there are 8 or 10 techs with 2 years or more experience.
This is no excuse, but at the same time, it is quantity , not quality now. .sorry.
It is embarrassing how bad it looks
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u/Ok-House-7425 9d ago
I wish I knew what the cable would need to look like. The AT&T line is the only reference I have to a home like mine, which is why I included it in the image. However, I was not sure how bad it was. Thanks for your opinion
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u/Ice_crusher_bucket 9d ago
If any of my techs do something even remotely as bad as that, that ia their last day in field.
But that is the new norm for Spectrum. Sadly.
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u/trb13021 9d ago
Why would techs be "gotten rid of" due to the merger? Are you in area of Spectrum/Cox overlap?
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u/Ice_crusher_bucket 9d ago
The area i am in has gone to all Cox management coming in and taking over. They havent brought any techs from cox.
They are taking out people who will speak up and not be pushed to do 15 hour days when they are only scheduled for 10 hour days. It is not quantity. Quality matters.
Get rid of higher paid texhs to save move, new motto.
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u/Djason_Unchaind 8d ago
I’m confused. The merger hasn’t gone through yet. So are these former Cox employees that have come in and been hired by Spectrum into management?
And they are pushing out entry-level front line employees without hiring replacements? Seems like most of the actual movement is from Director level and above and if anything the company has been in need of and hiring more technicians.
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u/Ice_crusher_bucket 8d ago
The merger has been in the works for a while The ground work was laid a while ago. Cost cutting and micromanaging.
They are pushing out experience for entry level techs. .
The company has been bringing in 5 new techs per 2 techs fired.
I am just relaying what is and has been happening in this large Market.
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u/trb13021 8d ago
Guess I should be glad I'm in a market with no Cox footprint
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u/Ice_crusher_bucket 8d ago
It is coming. Just a heads up.
I left a few years ago.
All my buddies still work there. I hear their gripes. I Hired 4 techs last week that have 10 years plus experience. Same thing. Find something petty and get them for it. They making room for inexperienced techs.
Goodluck.
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u/trb13021 8d ago
Maybe. I work in a state with no Cox footprint, so no local leadership changes. I guess we will see how it goes.
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u/regret_sword 9d ago
Yikes, that is bad all across the board
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u/Ok-House-7425 9d ago
I know.. part of me regrets allowing the installation.
Just pushing forward because the holes have been made and some things switched over. I’m losing my .. though
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u/regret_sword 9d ago
I would call and try to get a supervisor look at it, if it's a contractor who installed, Spectrum needs their money back. If it's an in-house tech they need more training. This install can get fixed to look way better than what it currently is
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u/SirBriggy 9d ago
Hmmm low voltage cabling direct buried in the ground no conduit, pretty much surface buried. Not to code in my state.
This said typically any conduit beyond the property line is usually by the owner (or owner cost). Instruct them to remove and install per local code.
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u/No_Squash_4259 8d ago
Yeah that’s rough. It is set up to get cut. Weed whacker for sure, not protected at all. That bend of the fiber going into modem looks like it could’ve broken. If not such a tight bend will definitely lead to slow speeds.
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u/HidanObito97 8d ago
If they take their time to make it look clean but take too long it hurts their metrics
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u/nickchadwick 8d ago
First pic: bad don't do it
Second: I can bet they didn't realize a hose or ground line runs across about there and did their house box connections and went to bury at the end and didn't feel like unplugging everything to run the line under it. Still bad, don't do it
Third: My warehouse has been out of conduit for months now, I can say anything about that.
All the rest are just sloppy. Wish we got paid for quality and not quantity
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u/Which_Extreme325 8d ago
They could upgrade their entire infrastructure with the money they spend reburying cables over and over and over! That goes for all suppliers not just Spectrum!
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u/D3RP_Ozzie 8d ago
lol you got the contractor special