What domains use Charter MX records, including Time Warner and RoadRunner?

Summary

A consensus across multiple sources indicates that domains formerly associated with Time Warner Cable (TWC), Roadrunner (rr.com), and Brighthouse are now under Charter Communications' (Spectrum) management, resulting in their MX records pointing to Charter's mail servers. This consolidation stems from mergers and acquisitions, with Spectrum now managing the email services for these legacy domains. While rr.com, twc.com, brighthouse.com, and charter.net are confirmed to use Charter's MX records, experts advise caution due to the complexity and potential instability stemming from backroom trading of domains and cable customers in the past. Consulting Charter's official support channels is crucial for obtaining the most accurate and up-to-date server addresses, and legacy MX record sheets should be treated with caution, as they might be outdated. Time Warner Cable support now redirects to Spectrum, underscoring the migration.

Key findings

  • Consolidated MX Management: Charter Communications (Spectrum) now manages MX records for Time Warner Cable, Roadrunner, and Brighthouse domains.
  • Affected Domains: rr.com, twc.com, brighthouse.com, and charter.net are confirmed to use Charter's MX records.
  • Mergers and Acquisitions: The MX record changes are a result of mergers and acquisitions, leading to Spectrum managing the email services.

Key considerations

  • Verify with Charter: Always verify server addresses through Charter's official support channels to ensure accuracy.
  • Be Cautious with Legacy Data: Treat older MX record sheets and guides with caution, as they may be outdated due to ongoing infrastructure changes.
  • Complex Domain History: Be aware of the potential complexity and past instability in cable domain configurations, and consider this when troubleshooting email deliverability issues.

What email marketers say
9Marketer opinions

Several sources confirm that domains formerly associated with Time Warner Cable (TWC), Roadrunner (rr.com), and Brighthouse now have their MX records managed by Charter Communications (Spectrum). This consolidation occurred due to mergers and acquisitions. While specific server addresses may vary, checking Charter's support documentation is recommended for the most up-to-date settings. Older MX records sheets may be outdated due to ongoing migrations.

Key opinions

  • MX Record Consolidation: Time Warner Cable, Roadrunner, and Brighthouse MX records now point to Charter Communications (Spectrum).
  • Domain Coverage: Affected domains include rr.com, twc.com, brighthouse.com, charter.net, and potentially subdomains like *.rr.com.
  • Migration to Charter: Email services previously offered under TWC, Roadrunner, and Brighthouse have been migrated to Spectrum's infrastructure.

Key considerations

  • Charter Support: Contact Charter's support or consult their official documentation for accurate and current MX record settings.
  • MX Record Updates: Ensure MX records for domains using the legacy services are updated to reflect Charter's mail servers.
  • Outdated Information: Be aware that older MX record sheets or guides might be outdated due to ongoing infrastructure changes.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares information about Charter/Spectrum/RoadRunner, stating that their MX records now point to Charter, including old Time Warner and Brighthouse domains. They looked up 4.7MM records and found only 9,063 total records. They are trying to find other domains that might also point that way.

December 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Webmaster Forum advises that businesses using Charter for email services need to ensure their domain's MX records point to Charter's business mail servers. They recommend contacting Charter business support for the exact server addresses.

August 2024 - Webmaster Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit responds that Time Warner Cable email has been migrated to Spectrum (Charter). Therefore, domains using TWC email should update MX records to point to Spectrum's servers.

June 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that if you have Roadrunner email, your MX records should point to Charter's servers. They advise checking Charter's support for updated server names as they may change.

March 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks confirms MX lookups for rr.com, twc.com, brighthouse.com, roadrunner.com, charter.net and *.rr.com all now point to Charter. They are looking for other domains that might also point that way, cleaning up old Postmaster pages.

October 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from DNSQueries explains that the MX records for rr.com (Roadrunner) point to Charter Communications mail servers. They provide current MX records including priority and hostname.

January 2025 - DNSQueries
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares an MX sheet from December specifically for TWC/RR domains, hoping it's still relevant.

December 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from MXToolbox shows that TWC.com (Time Warner Cable) MX records are managed by Charter Communications and lists the associated mail server hostnames and priorities.

September 2022 - MXToolbox
Marketer view

Email marketer from BroadbandNow provides the recommendation that you need to setup the MX records correctly with Spectrum in order for your business email addresses to function correctly and offers advice.

September 2021 - BroadbandNow

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

Experts suggest that the domain landscape for cable providers, especially those now under Charter's umbrella like Time Warner, Roadrunner, and Brighthouse, is complex. Given the history of acquisitions and customer base changes, MX records should point to Charter's mail servers; however, there's a caution against fully trusting MX records due to the complexities of past transitions.

Key opinions

  • Charter Umbrella: Time Warner, Roadrunner, and Brighthouse are now under the Charter (Spectrum) umbrella.
  • MX Record Direction: Domains still in use from these legacy providers should have their MX records pointing to Charter's mail servers.
  • Domain Complexity: Cable domain configurations are complex, likely due to previous acquisitions.

Key considerations

  • MX Record Verification: Due to the intricate domain relationships, verifying MX records is very important.
  • Charter Support: Contacting Charter's support might be necessary to verify configurations.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains the cable domain situation is messy due to backroom trading of domains and cable customers. They suggest not trusting MX records completely.

April 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Time Warner, Roadrunner, and Brighthouse are now under the Charter umbrella. If those domains are being used for email, the MX records should point to Charter's mail servers.

March 2024 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

Official documentation confirms that domains using Charter's (Spectrum's) email services, including those formerly under Brighthouse and Time Warner Cable, should have their MX records pointed to Charter's mail servers. Charter.net's MX records are managed by Charter directly. Specific server addresses can be found through Charter's official support channels. Time Warner Cable Support now redirects to Spectrum support.

Key findings

  • Charter MX Handling: Charter (Spectrum) manages MX records for domains using their email services.
  • Brighthouse Integration: Brighthouse.com's MX records now point to Charter Communications due to acquisition.
  • Charter.net Direct: Charter.net's MX records are directly handled by Charter's servers.
  • Time Warner to Spectrum: Time Warner Cable has transitioned to Spectrum, redirecting support to Spectrum's portal.

Key considerations

  • Verify Server Addresses: Confirm specific server addresses with Charter's official support channels.
  • Spectrum Support: Refer to Spectrum support for email client configuration.
  • Account Migration: Time Warner Cable users should follow Spectrum's guidance for email account migration.
Technical article

Documentation from Spectrum Support specifies the necessary mail server settings (including MX records) for configuring email clients for Spectrum accounts. This includes incoming and outgoing server addresses.

November 2022 - Spectrum Support
Technical article

Documentation from DNS Records indicates that Brighthouse.com's MX records point towards Charter Communications' mail servers, reflecting the acquisition and merger of Brighthouse into Charter.

January 2024 - DNS Records
Technical article

Documentation from Charter Support Website specifies that Charter's MX records are typically handled by their mail servers, and domains using Charter's email service will point their MX records to Charter's designated mail servers. The specific server addresses should be confirmed via Charter's documentation or support channels.

December 2022 - Charter Support Website
Technical article

Documentation from Time Warner Cable Support that the domain is now Spectrum, and links to the Spectrum support portal to assist in the configuration of your email clients.

June 2023 - Time Warner Cable Support
Technical article

Documentation from Whatsmydns confirms that Charter.net's MX records are handled by Charter's own mail servers, and the tool provides the specific hostname for those servers.

January 2023 - Whatsmydns