With all these lights on the router, it is imperative to understand that not all of them blinking simultaneously is a normal thing, it depends on which lights are blinking as explained below:
Routers as we know are devices that act as a link between different devices as well as networks to enable them to exchange data. All routers have a set of blinking lights on the front or at the top which give information on the performance and usage of the router. Understanding what these lights depict can assist you in solving certain problems if the router is not functioning as it should.
Power Light
There are two types of light, and that is the power light. This LED shows that the router is receiving power and is on. The power light must be always green when the router is connected to the electricity source and functioning as it is supposed to. If this light is out, it could be an indication that the router is dead as in not receiving any power at all. Some common reasons for this include:
- The router may have been disconnected or the power cord may have been frayed or disconnected at the source.
- Attention is drawn to the fact that there is a power outage in your region.
- This is an internal hardware issue with a router.
It is normal for the power light to blink or even flash and that can mean that there is an issue with the router’s physical components. It should always remain to be steady and firm. If the power light is still blinking after replacing the routers, then it is prudent to change the router.
Internet/WAN Light
The internet light is the status of the connection between the router and your ISP or the satellite internet provider. This light typically, is identified as either the “Internet” or “WAN” light, depending on the make of the router. When functioning properly this light needs to be either a constant light or blinking, which implies that it is connected to your ISP and has an internet connection.
If the internet light is out, then it means that there is no connection between you and your ISP. Some reasons this light may be off include:
- It could be due to the broken ethernet cable or a cable that is not well connected to your modem.
- There is a problem with the ISP where there is no connection possible.
- This is due to a misconfiguration that is on the router side and therefore proper connection cannot be established.
The most common reason for the internet light not turning on is when it stays off for a long time as such you would require consulting with your ISP.
LAN/Ethernet Lights
Routers also include a set of lights that relate to the LAN ethereal ports on the rear part of the router. These suggest current connections to other devices in your home using a local area network connection. If there are four ports available for LAN connection in the router, there will be four separate LED lights labeled LAN 1 through LAN 4.
If the cable is inserted into one of the ports connecting to a device such as a computer, then the LAN light corresponding to that port should turn on. The light is generally steady when it comes to a 100 Mbps network speed while the light is blinking with 1000 Mbps.
Lan lights blinking is okay which just indicates that there is network cable connection activity going on. However, if one or more of these lights are permanently off, it may point to issues like:
- Damaged ethernet cables yield no result.
- The connected device being powered off is another common reason for this error code.
- Some problems are more related to the physical aspect of the router’s internal LAN ports and connectivity.
WPS Light
Some routers also have a WPS light to assist users with the connection process. It is a term that stands for Wi-Fi Protected Setup, and it is used to describe the process through which new devices are connected to a wireless network. When turned on, this enables you to quickly configure wifi devices to be included in the router’s wireless network. During this execution of the setup process, whenever a wireless client is added, the WPS light blinks. It can be marked as WPS, or WLAN or have the dedicated Wifi symbol light indicator.
Once the entire WPS setup process is complete, this particular light will go off or return to steady illumination. If the WPS light is blinking and it fails to create the wireless connection, then there could be problems such as interference with wireless signals or compatibility of the devices used.
It is advisable not to be concerned about the WPS light if you are not seeking to extend a wireless device to the router. Some routers leave this indicator light off when the router is not actively in use or does not have any activity going on.
Other Lights
Some high-end gaming routers and mesh wifi systems have additional lights that indicate connectivity and status for other networking features:
- Wireless radio lights: Differentiation of distinguishing lights of 2. 4Ghz and 5Ghz wireless radio bands launching from antennae.
- MU-MIMO light: Stands for Multiple User – Multiple Input Multiple Output, the wireless technology used, which is indicated when active for improved speed and connectivity.
- Backhaul light: For mesh routers, it conveys the status of the connection between the main router and the satellite components.
If you do not see the mentioned blinking lights in action in your router’s user manual, then it is crucial to know that blinking lights for these additional features are common and are an indication of active wireless communication.
Conclusion
It is wise to know what some of these router indicators mean because they can assist in identifying connectivity issues. Depending on the router model, different colors of the lights indicate different things; but the common ones are the power light, the internet light, the LAN light, and the wireless light which indicates the level of wireless communication that is going on. If some specific rooms or areas remain in the dark at certain times of the day or night when they should not be, then there could be issues that require more attention. It means using the light codes, you can differentiate whether the problems stem from the ‘death’ of the router, the settings on the router, or some other issue outside of the router.
