Spectrum Advanced WiFi vs. INVINCIBLE WiFi: What’s Best for You?

In February, Spectrum launched a new Spectrum WiFi subscription service called Invincible WiFi™. It joins Spectrum’s existing Advanced WiFi service, giving customers a second Spectrum WiFi solution to choose from for their home. Invincible WiFi offers a few extra perks for a slightly higher price and is available to new and current Spectrum Internet customers.

So, which Spectrum WiFi service is best for you? I’ll break down the differences between Advanced WiFi and Invincible WiFi, so you can decide what’s the ideal solution for your home network.

Advanced WiFi vs. INVINCIBLE WiFi: In a nutshell

There are only two major differences that separate Invincible WiFi from Advanced WiFi.

With Invincible WiFi, you get a Wi-Fi 7 router with a built-in 5G modem, providing automatic cellular internet backup when your primary Spectrum internet connection goes down. The new service also includes a battery backup at no extra cost to keep Spectrum WiFi running during short power outages.

Meanwhile, Advanced WiFi lacks the router with 5G backup internet and the battery accessory. Here’s a deeper comparison of the two Spectrum WiFi services:

Did you even know that Spectrum offers a battery backup to residential customers? It’s provided in 8- and 24-hour capacities for a one-time fee of $60 each—and it’s yours to keep. Forever.

Meanwhile, the battery backup you get through Invincible WiFi is a new model that’s included with the subscription. Like with the router and options extender(s), you can’t keep it (unless you want to pay the full retail price, of course).

Now, let’s take a look at the differences between the routers offered with Spectrum’s two WiFi services.

Advanced WiFi vs. INVINCIBLE WiFi: The routers

Overall, the only notable difference between the Advanced WiFi and Invincible WiFi routers is that the latter has an integrated 5G modem and backup-friendly firmware. Here are the specifications of each:

In both cases, the routers support wired internet speeds of up to 9,400Mbps (9.4Gbps). You’re not going to get the full 10 gigabit speeds due to what’s called overhead, which consists of data used to transfer your usable data (the payload) through the network. This is why you see some gigabit internet plans locked to 940Mbps; something on the hardware side still uses Gigabit Ethernet versus 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet or faster.

Currently, Spectrum doesn’t offer 10Gbps internet to homes, but that should change in the coming years as it upgrades its infrastructure to support speeds higher than 2Gbps. Spectrum is expected to roll out 5Gbps downloads sometime in 2026.

But what if you don’t have Wi-Fi 7 devices?

You don’t need Wi-Fi 7 devices to use Advanced WiFi or Invincible WiFi. Wi-Fi 7 is backward compatible, so you can use Wi-Fi 6E and older devices with either system. In fact, based on my tests, you should experience slightly better speeds with those devices connected to a Wi-Fi 7 router than when connected to Wi-Fi 6E and older routers due to how new Wi-Fi 7 routers handle interference.

However, you do need a Wi-Fi 6E device to use the 6 GHz band—Wi-Fi 6 and older devices support 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz connections only. But keep in mind that Wi-Fi 6E devices can’t take advantage of the 320 MHz channels offered with Wi-Fi 7, so their max speeds are around 2,400Mbps due to using the narrower 160 MHz channels.

Advanced WiFi vs. INVINCIBLE WiFi: The price

Spectrum’s pricing gets a little complicated when you look at the cost of Advanced WiFi vs Invincible WiFi. First, let’s see how much Advanced WiFi adds to your monthly bill.

Advanced WiFi price

Next, let’s take a look at how much Invincible WiFi costs on its own, and when you upgrade from Advanced WiFi.

INVINCIBLE WiFi price

The bottom line is that if you have internet only and haven’t used Spectrum WiFi, Invincible WiFi is an optional service you can get for $20 per month. Customers with Advanced WiFi can upgrade for an additional $10 per month (excluding the Internet 2 Gig plan).

In both cases, you can remove any Spectrum WiFi service at any time using the My Spectrum app or by logging into your account portal online. You’ll need to return the router, battery, and any WiFi Extender you added. Spectrum WiFi service is not required for you to use Spectrum Internet, and will only be added to your account when you choose to use it.

Ready to switch? Check out Spectrum Internet plans

Advanced WiFi and Invincible WiFi are offered to new and existing Spectrum Internet customers. If you find the Spectrum WiFi offerings exciting and you’re ready to switch internet providers, here’s what Spectrum offers nationwide (with the exception of the super-new Internet 2 Gig plan):

Advanced WiFi vs. INVINCIBLE WiFi: Which is right for you?

5G internet and battery-based backups have mostly been built-in services offered to Spectrum Business Internet customers until now. As previously mentioned, Spectrum does sell battery backups to residential internet customers at $60 each, but the new Invincible WiFi service eliminates the need to make that hefty one-time purchase.

Overall, Advanced WiFi is ideal if you don’t experience a lot of power and internet outages. If you’re having ongoing issues with your internet, either consult our troubleshooting guides or give Spectrum a call.

Also, if you live in a hurricane zone and believe Invincible WiFi may be a better fit, just remember that your connectivity squarely depends on the current power grid and 5G conditions. If cellular is down and the power grid is out, your best bet is to light a candle and play some cards.

Disclaimers