New Spectrum Routers Force You To Admin via “My Spectrum” App, Many Features Unavailable

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So I had Spectrum replace a malfunctioning RAC2V1K router the other day, and they replaced it with one of their new “smart routers”, model number SAX1V1K. As the technician was installing and testing the device, I mentioned I was going to go into the admin UI, usually at 192.168.0.1 in my previous Spectrum routers, to change the network SSID/name and WPA2 password to that of my old network, so all my devices wouldn’t have to be changed over, and he said that was a good idea. But I couldn’t access the admin UI at that IP address, and the tech just changed it for me on his equipment. I didn’t think anything of it.

So I was surprised today to find that when I attempted to go back into the admin UI to set up all my port forwarding, UPnP, DMZ, QoS, etc settings again, which by the way, is accessible now at 192.168.1.1 on this new model, that instead of a router admin UI, it simply provides you with a QR code that links to download Spectrum’s “My Spectrum” app. I couldn’t believe the tech didn’t even mention this when I brought it up.

With the new Spectrum WiFi 6 routers, and I am assuming with the WiFi 7 routers that will come out next year, the only way to access any router settings at all is through the “My Spectrum” app, and while this in itself would not be such a bad thing, unfortunately, they’ve apparently stripped all of the normal features a router should have in its admin UI with this move to their mobile app, meaning that the following functionality is no longer available through Spectrum-provided routers:

  • QoS
  • Port Triggering
  • DMZ
  • NAT Pass-through
  • Parental Controls
  • WebDAV
  • FTP
  • Printer Sharing
  • WAN Settings
  • DLNA
  • AFP
  • NFS
  • WiFi Scheduling
  • VPN

and more

On top of this, port forwarding is available through the “My Spectrum” app, but the UI is horrible—essentially you get a list of MAC addresses (unless you have all your devices’ MAC addresses memorized, this is extremely tedious to use), and you have to configure port forwarding within click-through screens for each device’s MAC address, instead of a single port forwarding UI where you can visualize/monitor all ports forwarded to all devices on a single screen.

I can’t stand this kind of thing…it’s like I’m stuck using AOL in 1994. They call this a “smart router”, but it really is more of a “stupid router”, dumbed-down to a stupid simple level. The worst part is, I spoke to customer service rep about this, and there is not even any kind of a back door way into an “advanced” admin UI hidden at something like 192.168.1.1/admin or 192.168.1.1/config—it’s just the bare bones options to change your SSID and password in the “My Spectrum” app, and then the “Advanced Settings” has a switch for UPnP and that god-awful port forwarding UI.

It’s not that I don’t understand why for a large portion of their customer base, having a simplified UI accessible through the “My Spectrum” app would be a good thing, it’s that it makes no sense why they would even still offer an “advanced settings” section in this context, that lacks said advanced settings. All they had to do was just retain the old router admin UI and link “advanced settings” to it with a web view in their mobile app.

Just fair warning to Spectrum customers who still use the RAC2V1K or a previous gen router, and who want any sort of freedom to configure their own device. Like me, you will now have to provide your own router if you need this basic functionality.

PS/Edit:

To all those who have responded with a variant of “stop complaining and just buy your own router”, yes, obviously that is what I am going to do, and if you had read until the end of the post you would have seen that is how I left things. The whole point of this thread was the complaining and the hope of commiserating with others who feel similarly, and to warn other customers who valued the basic functionality and freedom that this ISP provided for years and then unceremoniously cut us off from, so the next time they are about to schedule a Spectrum tech to replace their equipment they stop before they lose their entire router config and just install an own router themselves without having to deal with this situation.

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Most average customers don’t understand anything about a internet or a router.
I couldn’t deal with it the Spectrum router and went shopping.

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The Spectrum routers are designed for the typical Wi-Fi user, not for someone that is able to use advanced settings. It is simplified to the point of idiot-proofing, because the last thing we need is 10,000 trouble calls because people fucked up their router trying to change their WiFi name.

If it bothers you so much, go buy your own router so you can feel superior to “stupid, simple people.”

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That’s why I am returning that one to them, got a router of my own, $5 off every month, and I can control it.

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Just buy your own router and sign up for Spectrum service without WiFi so they give you a modem instead. I’ve been doing that for 10 years.

You’re paying $5 a month more for WiFi in most markets. The service without WiFi would save enough to buy a new router every 3 years and break even.

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You care this much about your network but don’t have your own router lol

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Nothing you said is wrong. I wish customer side had slightly more features they could access, specifically some of the RSSI history that reps have access to, which would make convincing people that their wifi connection issue is environmental rather than a service issue much easier. Reps don’t even have access to any of the features you are wanting. We have a slightly more informative version of the My Spectrum App router features as a browser tool. However, there are customers who have bricked their router because of being able to access settings they dont need. They eliminated the customer having the ability to lock Spectrum out of the equipment. People mess with things they dont need to, so they made it super easy for everyone and eliminated the need to train reps on it. Like everyone has said, sadly, you have to buy your own router and assume responsibility for any and all issues that Spectrum can’t see at or before the modem.

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Oh yeah, f that. Long time spectrum customer but with my own hardware. Honestly they have been good since time Warner cable was bought out by them. They consistently deliver at a mildly annoying price tag, :person_shrugging:.

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Yup had this happen to me last year. I like to have my DHCP set a certain way in a certain range and give all my hardwired stuff static IPs. It really keeps conflicts down to nothing and just by looking at the address when I see who/what is on my network I can tell if the device is wired or wireless. Sometimes the router lies and says a device is wireless when in fact it’s wired. I tried to connect a second router and set it up with a totally different set of IPs but it became too much of a problem for the family. So will just deal with it for now but when I move in a couple of years I will invest in my own router and let Spectrum keep their POS stuff.

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you could just get your own router and not complain about something so trivial.it works for 99% of the people that don’t want or need your preferences. you are the outlier. figure it out.

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pick up the new Unifi Express for $150, you should be able to put their dumb box into bridge mode and never have to worry about them screwing up your network again

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No one that has any idea what those settings are would ever get caught dead with a router provided by the ISP, so why does it matter? No settings should be available aside from SSID and Password. ISPs provide their equipment so basic users can have “the wifi”. Basic users don’t need QoS settings.

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I promise you that this community does not understand the importance of the Web UI.

Look at my post history and you’ll see I posted here recently about this and it resulted in gaslit people defending a companies poor decision making.

You’re already finding them on your own post.

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New? Its been like this for a good while now

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dude your doing good. but actually you aren’t mad enough. look at the bigger picture. this is THEM taking away more of our choices which turns to our rights then we are in a distiopia. wait…to late. stand up against corporations trying to take out freedoms.

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Thank you very much. You saved me a lot of time and effort by explaining this whole thing and assuring me that there’s essentially nothing I can do without replacing the router with one that I can manage.

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I agree with your sentiments, but I would just like to point out you can in fact make the same changes on the spectrum.net website as you can with the my spectrum app.

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For every person like you that wants advanced features, there’s a person like me who is satisfied with what it does.

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Bravo tresmagistus(sp)! Indeed, long winded but I’ve been looking for a detailed explanation of what the hell is happening. Spectrum tech had to adjust the cable connection and was very surprised to see that I planned to use a left over Spectrum v6 router. He was curious if it would work. It did but as you pointed out, minimal adjustments available.

Advancing technology requires catering to the lowest common denominator.

Seems to be the same thing everywhere and everything.
Grow, merge, grow, merge provide the most basic service to accommodate the most customers/constituents.

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bro … you have to understand that the ones commenting on “buy your own router” those are the peeps who have the system shoved far up their ass , they have forgotten what freedom is all about. What they dont realize is that once a company begins to make these changes , it just a matter of time that the advanced settings will no longer be available whether you do or dont buy the router we all will be limited. They walk the earth on auto pilot instead of waking up and acknowledging what you and I see that this not cool .