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Spectrum disables wifi if I use my normal SSID

jlearmanjlearman Posts: 4
in Connectivity Sep 10, 2019

I'm having the same issue as this post.  I would reply on that post, but for some reason I can't.




This morning, my 2.5G and 5G wireless networks both shut down on my Technicolor modem/router.  I called support; they reset to factory and it worked again.  They re-established my SSIDs and password, and the wifi shut off again.  So they reset to factory and left it that way, with a service call to replace my faulty equipment.


When the network is shut off, I see the following message:


network SSID is disabled and the Wi-Fi radio is disabled (by mso/snmp)


I doubt it's faulty equipment.  I changed the SSID/password back to my original on the 5G, and it promptly shut that off (within a minute or three.)  I could no longer manage that network or change it back to the factory settings, even factory-resetting the modem.  Thanks to seeing the item posted above plus the "snmp" clue, I disconnected the modem from the coax cable and did a factory reset, which restored the 5G network to factory.


I changed the 5G SSID to a new one, and it works.  So, clearly, TWC/Spectrum is actively disabling my SSID remotely.


Why the heck would they do that and how can I fix it?  I'd rather not have to reconnect all my devices to the new SSID.


Yes, I realize I should get my own router (feel free to recommend a good one for a big house but low bandwidth requirements.)  Meanwhile I'd like to find out why they shut down my SSIDs.  Is some device infected and they did this for protection?  (If so they REALLY need to work on customer communication!)



Best Answer

  • jlearmanjlearman Posts: 4
    Sep 12, 2019 Accepted Answer

    Replacing the Technicolor modem/router (by Spectrum technician) made the issue go away, for now at least.  So I'm not in a hurry to pick out a router now, but no doubt that's the best bet in the long run.


    Thanks everyone for the input.


  • dstoffadstoffa Posts: 988
    Sep 10, 2019

    Are you paying the additional $5 per month for the privilege of useing the Wi-Fi in the Spectrum provided all-in-one?

  • reds91185reds91185 Posts: 2,452
    Sep 10, 2019

    The other thread is old (2017)  and is disabled for new comments to prevent it from being resurrected.


    I doubt it's an equipment issue but rather a provisioning issue on your account. Did you make any recent changes or anything like? How many devices would you have to reconnect if you changed SSID?


    ...and yes, most all of us here will highly recommend you use a separate modem and router rather than a combo unit for exactly this reason. If you choose to go that direction the Wave 2 routers through Spectrum have good range but a limited feature set if you need anything more robust than the basic to moderate settings.  The TP Link Archer C7 series is also a very solid choice.

  • jlearmanjlearman Posts: 4
    Sep 10, 2019


    Yes, I'm paying the $5/mo for the privilege of using what I suspect isn't a very good router (at least my HP printer doesn't think so, plus it drops a lot of pings and has a lot of variation in ping response time.)


    I haven't made any changes in months.  It's clearly a provisioning issue from Spectrum side, since the wifi only shuts off if the SSID is my normal one and the modem is connected to the cable feed.  I counted about 15 devices, which isn't too bad; not like a fully automated house.  Plus friends and relatives who visit.


    Thanks for the router suggestions!

  • reds91185reds91185 Posts: 2,452
    Sep 11, 2019

    I use the Spectrum branded Wave 2 router myself and it really does have great range...and I have about the same number of devices. My only gripe is that it doesn't do guest networks.


    For some reason, HP printers are horrible at staying connected to a wifi network. Do you have it set up on a static IP?

  • jlearmanjlearman Posts: 4
    Sep 11, 2019

    Good idea to try static IP on the HP printer, thanks.


    Meanwhile I sure would like to understand why Spectrum is shutting down my preferred SSID.  That's the SSID that shows up for me at https://www.spectrum.net/services/internet/ .  If I try to use "Manage Network" there to change SSID/password, it fails ("service unavailable.")

  • karlbeckmankarlbeckman Posts: 2,206 ✭✭✭✭
    Sep 11, 2019

    You said you are 'renting' the Technicolor gateway from Spectrum.  They usually lock several critical router parameters so you can't accidentally make their network unstable.  Each time you try to log in and change a locked value, your gateway alerts the Spectrum CMTS, which then automatically reloads the Spectrum-approved parameters back into your gateway.  That's probably why the "Manage Network" option is not available to you.  However, the SSID normally should NOT be on the list of locked  user settings. 

    NOTE:  If your gateway was ever previously used in a different TWC or Spectrum service area, you will need to exchange it locally for a different unit of the same model.  They are NOT interchangeable everywhere! 

This discussion has been closed.