How to Fix the Google WiFi Orange Light? – HomeNetworkON
Google WiFi has found its place in the hearts of those who trust the Google name and want to have full internet access in every single corner of their home. It is a home mesh wireless system that can completely replace your old wireless router to provide fast and reliable internet connection in every single corner of your home. But to make it work you still need an internet service from your ISP and a modem.
Google WiFi uses devices called “points” which can be strategically arranged to cover most of your home area. However, just like any other networking equipment the Google WiFi can act strangely from time to time. In this article we are going to see what the Google WiFi orange light means and how to fix it. This issue mainly occurs on the “WiFi points”.
Google WiFi Orange Light: Meaning
It is good to know what the different status light colors mean on your Google WiFi. This can help you find the solution to the problem more quickly.
Seeing the Google WiFi orange light blinking on one of your points indicates that the specific point has no internet connection.
What Can Cause the Google WiFi Orange Light?
Considering that the blinking orange light on a Google WiFi point indicates that the point has no internet connection there are several different reasons for that. At the same time, knowing the reasons will help us find the right solution in no time.
- Loose connections
- Damaged cables
- WiFi point out of reach
- Change in the network settings
- ISP service or power outage
- A defective WiFi point
While all of these reasons can cause the orange blinking light on the Google WiFi point, there are still some things we can do to fix the problem. Of course, in case of ISP service or power outage we can only wait, but the other cases are pretty fixable.
How to Fix the Google WiFi Orange Light
Bring the WiFi point closer to the other point(s)
Positioning the Google WiFi router and the Google WiFi points properly plays a key role in the stability and performance of your wireless network. Generally, when you place the points they shouldn’t be too far from each other. Ideally this distance should be less than two rooms. For example, if the WiFi signal in one of the rooms is too weak, you shouldn’t place a WiFi point in that room. Instead position the WiFi point a bit closer to the other point where the signal is stronger. It is also recommended to position the points a bit higher, on elevated positions so the signal doesn’t get blocked by furniture and other things.
Basically, you need a strong connection between the WiFi points and they shouldn’t be too far away from each other.
Check the Ethernet cable
A damaged or loose cable will almost definitely cause some problems and even make one of the points blink orange. The first thing to pay attention to is the Ethernet cable and whether it is firmly and properly connected.
One end of the Ethernet cable should go to the WAN port of the Google WiFi point and the other end to the modem. The primary WiFi point also has to be plugged into the wall outlet.
Check All the WiFi points
At this point you need to check whether your WiFi points are plugged in and whether they are connected to the same wireless network.
Unplug Everything for 5 minutes
If the previous step didn’t fix the problem, try restarting your whole network. This requires disconnecting the modem, the Google WiFi router and points from the power source. Then wait for about 5 minutes and then plug them back in. This should fix the issue and if it doesn’t then move to the next step
Reset your Google WiFi to factory settings
Resetting your Google WiFi to factory defaults is another solution. You can do it traditionally using the factory reset button or using the Google Home app. There is one thing you should know if you decide to factory reset your Google WiFi and that is – you will have to set up the system again using the Google Home app.
When you launch the google Home app on your device you will have several options to try:
- to reset your network (router and all points) to factory settings
- to reset a WiFi point to factory settings
You can follow the steps described here on how to factory reset your Google WiFi network or just the WiFi points.
Get in touch with your ISP
If you have no internet connection at all or you are receiving a very weak and unstable signal you can expect to see the orange light on your Google WiFi. The reason for that is maybe your ISP is experiencing any service downtime or they are just doing some maintenance on their network. The best thing to do in order to check this would be to contact them. Just ask them if there is anything going on with their services in your area at the moment, or even ask them if they can test your connection and help you figure out what might be causing the issue.
FAQ
Where is the Google WiFi reset button?
If you decide to reset your Google WiFi manually, you need to find the Reset button first. It is usually located at the back of the device.
How to reset Google WiFi manually?
If you decide to reset your Google WiFi manually you need to know that your settings and data will be saved and kept on your WiFi app for the next six months. On the other hand, if you reset the device from the app all your data will be erased immediately.
- First make sure your Google WiFi is OFF and disconnected from the power source.
- Press and hold the reset button and connect the device to the power source while keeping the button pressed.
- Keep the button pressed for about 10 seconds. The device will flash white and then blue. Release the Reset button at that point.
- The device will continue flashing blue and then turn into solid blue. Wait till it resets to factory defaults and boots up completely. This should last for 5-10 minutes.
- When you see a slow pulsing blue light on the device it is ready to be set up again.
How to add additional Google WiFi points?
When you create your Google WiFi network you can always add an additional WiFi point to expand your wireless signal.
- When you decide where to place the WiFi point, connect it to a power source.
- Launch the Google Home app on your device.
- Tap the Add (+) icon and then select Set up device and then New device.
- When it finds your device select Yes and then Next.
- Scan the QR code on the bottom side of the device.
- The WiFi point is going to connect.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
- Perform a test of your mesh network to see whether everything is working properly.
How to test my Google WiFi mesh connection?
The connection strength can be measured with a mesh test using the Google Home app. Just launch the app on your smartphone, then select Wi-Fi. Then Wifi devices. Now select Points and click on Test mesh. Ideally, the connection should be more than 50 Mbps. Less than that s considered to be weak mesh connection
Final Words
Google WiFi was designed to boost your internet experience and make the poor wireless signal coverage a history. This is the reason why we need to know how to fix some basic networking issues like the Google WiFi orange light. And knowing how to fix these issues on your own is important because we often don’t have time to wait for the tech support to fix the issue for us.