Are you reading this because that light is burning on your Verizon Fios Router, and you don’t know what to do?
Read on and we will help you to troubleshoot your router problems.
Fios router lights can display 5 different colors: white, blue, green, yellow, and red. White, blue, and green indicate regular functional information like if the Wi-Fi is off. However, yellow and red typically indicate operation issues such as overheating.
Knowing what each color means can help you quickly get to the bottom of what may be ailing your precious internet connection. Over and above the colors, the router light may also flash, giving you more specific information.
The White Light – Ops Normal
The color you really want to see on your router is a solid white light, which indicates that the router is operating normally. In other words, a solid white light means that the router has a stable inbound connection and the Wi-Fi is on and functioning.
There are times when you will see a flashing white light; fear not, this simply means that your router is rebooting and busy establishing a connection.
So, suppose you have restarted your router or installed a firmware update. In that case, you will see a flashing white light, which will turn into a solid light as soon as a stable connection is established.
The Blue Light – Your Router Is Making Friends
The blue light on the router relates to pairing your router with an additional device like an extender. If the single router doesn’t cover your whole house entirely, you will do this.
If the blue light is blinking, your router is trying to pair with a new device, and a constant blue light means that the pairing was successful. After successful pairing and once the connection is stable, the light will return to a solid white light.
Starting Pairing Mode
If you want to pair a new Wi-Fi-Protected Setup, or “WPS,” enabled device to your router, push the button for a few seconds until it starts to flash blue.
Put the other device into pairing mode as well, and if the pairing is successful, you should get that solid blue light.
There’s A Slowly Flashing Red Light
If your attempts at pairing a new device great you with a slowly flashing red light, it means that the pairing was successful. After blinking for a bit, it should return to a solid white light.
If you cannot pair your device, it could be that the device is out of range, so bring it closer and try again. If that doesn’t work, try rebooting your router and the device, and if that doesn’t work, you may need to reset your router and/or device.
The Green Light – Your Wi-Fi Access Is Off
If the router’s light is green, it means that the router is operating normally, but the Wi-Fi has been disabled.
Why would it be disabled? Well, it may have been switched off intentionally. For example, if you need full bandwidth access to a wired device, then switching off the Wi-Fi will help dedicate more speed to the wired device.
So, how do you switch your Wi-Fi on or off? There are three ways. The simplest is to use the “My Fios” app and switch it on or off there.
Another option is to log in to your “My Verizon” account, which will give you access to your router settings under the “Services” menu. In Services, select “Internet,” then “My Network,” then select “Manage,” and you will see the Wi-Fi access setting in there.
The other option is to change the setting by logging into your router. Use the IP address 192.168.1.1. Your username by default is “admin,” and the password is on your router label. If this doesn’t work, you can reset the router, which will return the settings to default.
Inside your router settings, you will be able to switch the Wi-Fi on or off.
The Yellow Light – Caution Caution
While the previous three light colors indicate that the router is functioning normally, the yellow and red lights indicate some external or internal problems with the router’s functionality.
If the router light is yellow, it means that the router has no internet connection.
The first thing you can try is a soft reboot. At the back of the router, locate the reset button and push it for around 3 – 4 seconds, and you should see the light blink white, showing that it is trying to make a connection.
If the soft reboot doesn’t work, there are a few things you can try.
Check The Router Connection To ONT
When the lovely folks from Verizon came to set up your fiber internet, they didn’t just install a new router and call it a day. They also installed an ONT or Optical Network Terminal. You will need to find this terminal. It may even have been installed outside your house.
There needs to be a wired connection between this ONT and your router. If you are trying to set up a new router yourself, remember that you need to connect your router to your ONT with a CAT6 cable.
If you have issues with an existing router, first check to see if this connection hasn’t accidentally been broken or pulled out.
Reboot Your Router And ONT
If there are no issues with the physical connection that you can see, the next step is to try a reboot. Not the quick “have a tried switching off and on again” kind. Instead, you need to pull the power socket out of the wall and wait at least two minutes before plugging it back in.
I suggest doing this for both the router and the ONT as the ONT can sometimes lose power and, when restarting, fail to make a connection. So rebooting it is often the solution to that problem.
Do A Factory Reset
If the above steps have been unsuccessful, you need to try doing a hard- or factory reset on your router, which will return it to its out-of-the-box settings and state.
Find the exact reset on the back you used for the soft reset, but this time you need to hold that boy down for at least 10 seconds.
Phone A Friend
If none of the above are successful, it could be one of several deeper issues, such as a damaged CAT6 cable. At this point, you should get hold of Verizon and ask them to come to help you.
The Red Light – Danger Danger
A red-colored light generally indicates a hardware or software-related failure of some kind of potential failure.
A solid red light could be the hardest to diagnose as it simply indicates that there is a hardware or software-related issue. And the specific culprit can be one of several potential issues.
If the red light is solid, your first move should be to unplug the router for at least two minutes and reboot it. Be patient as it reboots and tries to sort itself out.
Failing that, do a soft reset by holding the reset button on the back of the router for about 3 seconds. Your router’s light should start flashing white as a sign that the soft reset is complete and trying to re-establish a connection.
If the soft approach doesn’t fix it, then it’s time for the hard reset. Use the same reset button on the back but hold it down past the point of no return (around 10 seconds). Once the hard reset (factory reset) starts, it could take time to complete.
A Flashing Red Light
There are two reasons why the red light on your router could be flashing. First, if it is flashing quickly, it is an indication that the router is overheating. If you see this, unplug your router and wait for it to completely cool down. Don’t rush this process.
The two biggest culprits that can cause overheating are placement and dust. So firstly, make sure that your router is positioned correctly (upright) and in a place where its vents are not obscured or limited.
Next, give the vents a good “dust clean out.” Dust builds up over time, eventually clogging up the vents, restricting airflow, and potentially causing overheating issues.
If the light is slowly flashing red, it means that you have tried pairing your router with a device, and the pairing has failed. The light should return to a solid white light shortly.
Conclusion
The light on your Fios router can display five different colors. A solid white light means the router is operating normally, and a flashing white shows that the router is starting. A blinking or flashing blue light indicates that the router is ready to pair with a device, while a solid blue light means that pairing was successful. A green light means the Wi-Fi is off.
A yellow light indicates that there is no internet connection. A solid red light means that there is a hardware or software issue. Finally, A fast flashing red light means that the router is overheating. In contrast, a slowly flashing red light means that a pairing attempt was successful.