Orange Light On Router (A Detailed Guide) – HomeNetworkON

Normally the LED lights on your router will be green, blue or white, depending on the router brand and model. However, an orange or red light on the router usually tells us that there is a problem that needs to be taken care of.

In this article, we are going to see what the orange light on your router usually means and what steps you can take in order to fix it.

Orange Light On Router (Meaning)

Sometimes you will see a solid orange light on your router, but most often it will be blinking.

There are several different reasons that usually cause the orange light on the wireless router, like:

• There is a firmware upgrade happening at the moment
• The router can’t establish a connection with your ISP
• The connection is unstable or the signal is too weak
• Your service is not activated
• Equipment Issues

In most cases, you will be able to fix the problem on your own, unless there is a problem with your ISP. In that case you will have to be patient until your ISP fixes the problem.

Orange Light On Router (Best Fixes)

Fixing the orange light on your router doesn’t require any special tech knowledge. Just follow the solutions that are explained below and you should fix the orange light on your router by the end of this article. Of course, you can also skip to the last solution which is contacting the ISP support and asking for help, but there are great chances that they will suggest something already explained here.

Take A Closer Look At The Cables

The cables coming to the router and the modem are sensitive to abnormal bending and can be easily damaged if you run over them with your chair or your pet finds them interesting.

At the same time, they can be loosely connected to the port or connected to the wrong port. This can happen if you have replaced a piece of your equipment recently.

All these situations can cause the light or lights on your router to turn orange. Therefore, you need to check the cables and connectors thoroughly and replace any cable that seems suspicious. Or just disconnect and reconnect each cable and make sure everything is firmly connected.

Check The Micro-Filter

When there is just one master socket it is very possible that you are using a micro-filter. This device is used to separate the phone line and the network connection.

Pay close attention whether the cables coming into the filter are properly and firmly connected.  And you can also try to connect the router directly to the master socket and see whether the orange light is present after that. If it isn’t it is very possible that the micro-filter is defective and needs to be replaced.

Restart The Router

Restarting the device is one of the solutions we can try whenever we are having problems with the router or the modem. There are great chances that this solution will clear the issue causing the orange light.

All you need to do is to unplug the router’s power cable from the electrical outlet. After 4-5 minutes, connect the power cable again. The router will boot up and after the LED lights stabilize check whether the orange light is still there. If it is, please try the next solution.

Is Your ISP Down?

Your ISP might be down for a few reasons, and during that time your router might get no internet signal at all, or it will get a weak or unstable signal. This may trick your router that there is an internet connection, but it won’t be able to connect. This can result in the orange light on the router.

The easiest way to check this is to contact your ISP. Another way to check if your ISP is down is by visiting the outage or service status page on their website.

If there is an outage you will have to be patient and wait till your ISP resolves the problem on their side. Usually, these problems don’t last for too long and once they fix the problem, the orange light will disappear.

Is Your Service Activated?

If this is the first time you are using your ISP internet service in the house or apartment it is possible that your account is not activated yet. Generally, you will have to wait until after midnight. However, this may last for up to 14 days for the service to get activated.

Once your service becomes active, the orange light should vanish.

Perform A Firmware Upgrade

When there is a firmware upgrade going on at the moment this can cause the orange light on your router. This can happen if your ISP is pushing automatic firmware upgrades from time to time.

In that case, it is best to leave the firmware upgrade to complete. Make sure not to interrupt this process because it may damage the router. In most cases, everything should be over in less than 20 minutes.

The orange light can also appear as a signal that you need to upgrade the router firmware. You can easily do it from the router’s admin panel. Login to the router using the admin login details printed on the router label and find the Firmware upgrade section. In most cases, it will appear under maintenance or Administration. The router should reboot after the firmware upgrade and once it boots up again it will be running the latest firmware version.

Check whether the orange light is still present and if it isn’t, consider the next solution.

Factory Reset The Router

IMPORTANT: Factory reset deletes all the custom settings and your router has to be set up again after that. If you think it would be easier, please get in touch with your ISP or manufacturer’s support.

Depending on the router model we can reset it to factory defaults either using its dedicated app or we can do it manually. Generally speaking, we prefer the manual method.

Please take a look at the router’s manual to see the exact factory reset process because the time how long you should keep the reset button may be different depending on the router brand or model.

To factory reset the router, find the Reset button, press it with a pen o a paper clip and hold it for 10-20 seconds. In most cases you will see that the LED lights will stop blinking and then you should release the reset button. The route will reboot and when it boots back up again then it will be reverted to its factory state.

Now you can set up the router again and see whether this solution has fixed the orange light issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Fix Solid Orange Light On Ethernet?

There are several things you can try in this case. You can check the connection between the Ethernet port and the cable. Restart the router. Connect the router to another electrical outlet. Upgrade the firmware or factory reset the router.

Should The LED Lights Be Blinking On My Router?

In most cases the blinking lights on your router are an indication that the specific function is being used. For example, the WiFi, 2.4 and 5GHz lights will blink when data is being sent and received. The WPS light on the router will blink when it is searching for another WPS device to connect to. The Ethernet light will blink when it’s in use.

What should worry us is when the LED color changes into red or orange and is blinking. This is usually a sign that there is an issue that needs to be fixed.

Final Thoughts

The orange light on your router usually indicates that there is a problem and requires your attention. In case you are experiencing this issue, we hope that one of the solutions explained in this article will help you fix it and continue using your internet connection as usual.

However, don’t hesitate to contact support if none of the solutions has helped you fix the problem.