Red lights blinking on a router indicates some problem with the connection. At first, you need to know which icon is flashing red. Is it the LOS (Loss of Signal) icon or others such as PON, LAN or Wi-Fi, because each icon represents a different feature and they might have a different fix to the problem. In this article we will discuss some common scenarios that causes the red blinking light problem and solution to them.
Check your Internet service provider account balance
Whether you are a prepaid or postpaid customer, check your Internet service provider’s account balance and see if you have exhausted your data limit. If you have forgotten to recharge or pay your bills, you can do so through your ISP website or official app. Your router will blink red lights in case you have exhausted the data. Once you have recharged or paid the bills, the internet will resume normally after a few minutes. You may also try to restart your router after recharging your plan. While not mandatory, but some ISP recommends turning off your router while you are recharging for a quicker access to the internet.
Check for any loose cables on your router or faulty hardware
Confirm that all the plugs are firmly attached to the router and modem. LOS often indicates when you have a loose cable. Turn off the switch from the board, plug off the cables entirely and plug them back in properly and check if it is working or not.
Look if there’s any fault in your router hardware or the cables. Are the fibre optic cables not bent/broken and in proper condition? If there is any hardware issues with your router, you may want to get it checked and request for a replacement.
Incorrect configuration during setup
Are you setting up the router for the first time? During the setup you are often required to choose an Internet connection type such in/between Dynamic IP, Static IP, or PPPoE and enter the credentials (if required) as provided by the Internet service provider. If you have incorrectly selected the Internet Connection type or have entered any other incorrect details while setting up your router, you will see red blinking lights. You can either try setting up your router again with the correct details or contact your Internet service provide (ISP) for assistance.
Check for Internet outages in your area
If your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is down in your area, you will not be able to access the internet connection for the moment until it gets back up. There can be several reasons why your ISP might be down – it can be facility maintenance, upgrades, or other internal disruptions. You can check Is It Down services or X (formerly Twitter) for outage status report. Or you can call your customer support for assistance and updates.
Firmware updates running in the background
Some routers such as the Spectrum WiFi 5 Wave 2 Router (SAC2V1K) flashes red then blue again, this indicates router firmware update and is a normal behaviour. You will not face interruption on your internet connection. However, if it is solid red then it usually means other connection issues.
Restart your devices
Turn off the switch board and unplug your router cables, wait for a few minutes and plug it back in. Now turn the router back on and wait for the lights to get stable. Now try connecting your device via Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable and see if it is working now.
You should also try connecting to the router’s network via a different device to ensure there is no issues with the device that you are using. You should also try restarting your mobile phone or laptop before connecting to the Wi-Fi network.
In all these tips should help you getting back online. However, even after ensuring you have followed all the steps the problem persists we recommend you to contact your Internet Service Provider for assistance.
And if it did work, or you have resolved the issue in some other ways, let us know in the comments below so it might be helpful for our readers as well.