Spectrum Cable Internet

Customer No Service
1

Spectrum Cable Company has a horrible security system in place.

I work with an organization that over time has set up 4 seperate Internet accounts with Spectrum. Over the years they have various ‘owners’ associated with them. I am I.T. support.

So one site has an intermittent internet signal. I contact Spectrum, identify myself and tell them I am I.T. support and give them the account number, service address from the bill and the secret code (which is posted on the bills). The code along with the rest of the information comprises their security.

We troubleshoot the issue and determine the modem is the issue. It is a ‘CPE’ (Customer Provided Equipment) meaning that we bought it and installed it rather than lease it from Spectrum. I tell the tech I will be buying a new modem in town and will call back with the new MAC address (the technical code on the modem which Spectrum needs to have to find and enable the equipment online).

When I call back, I identify myself, refer to the previous technical call and the call taker says that since I am not the account owner, I cannot make the change of equipment. I relate that we have 4 accounts with various ‘owners’ named on them, Mr and Mrs B and Mr M. Since I had the codes from the bills, this should not be an issue. also I am replacing customer-owned equipment with customer-owner equipment that does not effect the price or services at all. He refuses to let me continue. I tell him that these owners are at various locations and I will find it difficult to get them to sit on hold for 20 minutes to see if they are the owner listed on that account. However, he tells me that my local Spectrum store can add my name to the accounts.

I write up a document listing all 4 accounts, addresses and serial numbers and secret codes and make a copy of each of the 4 bills. The document aks that I be allowed to troubleshoot and replace equipment on these accounts and it is signed by all 3 owners. I take it to the Spectrum store, wait for 45 minutes and see the clerk. He refuses to help becaiuse I and not the owner. I walk out in a huff.

I go back to the site with the modem, call tech support and when asked for my name, I say “Mr. M”. I give the secret code and the new modem is enabled.

So even though they have a secret code that supposedly identifies you as the owner, when I told the truth I was denied but by just lying I get approval to do what I wanted.

1/26/23 - Edited to correct some horrible English

2

“There’s no reason for it, it’s our policy.” :face_with_raised_eyebrow: :smiley:

3

Laverock, I feel your pain!

Most of us get our internet from a monopoly. My only cable operator in my area (NC) is Spectrum. We do have DSL from our local phone co but it’s pitiful speed. I do have a friend who’s “off the grid” so he gets his from Elon’s “Starlink”. Expensive but he can afford it. He did have Hughes satellite internet, it is a little cheaper, but not great service.

4

BY the way, I forgot to mention, while I was on the phone as “Mr. M”, I told them it was such a hassle when the tech tried to swap the eqipment. On “Mr. M’s” approval they added my real name as a caller :slight_smile:

Is this what is called “puling yourself up by your own bootstraps”? :rofl:

5

It’s what is called “figuring out the rules,” the real rules, not the one’s in the checklists that their first-line “tech support” people use. :nerd_face:

6

Decades ago I was computer support for hundreds of servers. Our interface to hardware and software support within our organization was through our help desk where regular internal customers could also call.

Because we were ‘experts’, to eliminate the need to go through those check lists (“Have you turned it off and on again?”), I came up with an idea. We had a code which when the call taker answered the phone, we could give that code which identified us and allowed us to skip to second or third tier support.