Question Trying to self install a spectrum modem/router but the online icon won’t come on. Help.

Jun 8, 2019
3
0
10
Hi.
I’ve been stuck on this for a few days and feel like a failure. I thought I could install a technicolor mta on my own but apparently I can’t.
Online it says the device is not connected and the online icon on the device has not yet lit up. I talked to spectrum and they said my modem was on quarantine (?) and they took it off. I’ve had them send the activation signal a couple times, and I’m wondering if I just haven’t screwed in the coaxial cable enough (it seems pretty tight but I’m not that strong and I don’t know what it’s supposed to look like.) I’ve unplugged it a few times. And I tried hitting that reset button to no avail. They said I could hop onto the WiFi and go to registration.rr.com but that did not work, as the website said I wasn’t connected to a spectrum account and to try on my computer and then the page didn’t load on my computer. Is it time to throw in the towel and pay for installation? The reason I didn’t go with AT&T was because I thought this would be faster (they couldn’t get someone out here for weeks) but so far it’s taking quite a long time. Is there anything I can try that would help? Did I just get faulty equipment? Thanks.
 

mihen

Honorable
Oct 11, 2017
466
54
10,890
What lights can you get to come on? My guess is that you don't have sufficient signal strength to the unit for it to establish a connection.
If you are up for diagnosing the issue. I would examine the condition of the cable and their connectors.
Go to where the Spectrum line enters the home. Remove the ends and make sure the internal core is mated properly to the connector. Then reconnect finger tight then a quarter turn more.
Follow the line going to your modem and do the same at each connection point. The only exception being the modem that should only be finger tight.
Make sure there are not too many splits in the line going from where it enters the home to where it connects to the modem. Ideally there should be no more than 2 splits.
Make sure the wire at each point is RG6 or above. This may be hard to do if you don't know what your looking for.
Make sure any other wires being split off the line entering the home is not open. That being a wire with a connecter on it not plugged into anything.
 
Jun 8, 2019
3
0
10
What lights can you get to come on? My guess is that you don't have sufficient signal strength to the unit for it to establish a connection.
If you are up for diagnosing the issue. I would examine the condition of the cable and their connectors.
Go to where the Spectrum line enters the home. Remove the ends and make sure the internal core is mated properly to the connector. Then reconnect finger tight then a quarter turn more.
Follow the line going to your modem and do the same at each connection point. The only exception being the modem that should only be finger tight.
Make sure there are not too many splits in the line going from where it enters the home to where it connects to the modem. Ideally there should be no more than 2 splits.
Make sure the wire at each point is RG6 or above. This may be hard to do if you don't know what your looking for.
Make sure any other wires being split off the line entering the home is not open. That being a wire with a connecter on it not plugged into anything.
All the other lights are on or blinking. The 2GHz and 5GHz are mostly solid with the occasional flicker. And the UD arrows are flickering pretty consistently. I don’t have any splitters. They gave me several lengths of coaxial cables so I’ll try a longer one and see if the one I put in was just no good.
 

mihen

Honorable
Oct 11, 2017
466
54
10,890
If I were you I would give up and call for an installation. The UD lights should be solid not flickering. If they are flickering it means you have not established a connection to the network so any type of activation sent won't go through.
It's most likely a wiring issue with your home not an equipment issue.