Nearly all modems, routers, and internet gateways have LED status lights. Your equipment may also have just one led light, in which case, the light’s behavior or color is often used to signal different statuses. ISPs usually provide a guide to interpreting the behavior of their rental equipment. If you purchased your own equipment, consult the manual.
Either way, the LED status lights on your equipment are very helpful for quickly diagnosing network problems.
Check the internet signal light
The light for an internet connection is on your modem and is usually labeled WAN, Internet, or with a globe icon, and you can tell the internet is on if the light (usually white or green) is solid.
If the light is red or not on at all, you have an internet signal problem as your modem isn’t successfully connecting to the internet. If this is you, skip ahead to our internet signal troubleshooting section.
Check the Wi-Fi light
The WiFi light(s) will be on your router or somewhere below the internet connection light if you have a modem/router combo unit. Labels for Wi-Fi lights vary but usually will read “2.4G” and “5G,” “WLAN,” or “Wireless.” These lights should be on and are usually blinking. If the Wi-Fi light(s) are off or red, your router isn’t broadcasting a signal. Skip to the Wi-Fi troubleshooting section to begin troubleshooting.
If you’re connected to your Wi-Fi but still don’t have internet access, there’s probably something wrong with your internet signal. The same is true if you’re unable to access the internet using a wired connection. Try these fixes first.
Restarting your modem and router should be the first thing you do when encountering an internet signal issue. Don’t skip this step! This is almost always what tech support will ask you to try first, as it often solves the problem.
To restart your equipment, unplug the power cable for 60 seconds and plug it back in. The equipment will take a few minutes to reboot. It’s also a good idea to restart the device you’re using.
Wires and cables often become loose or damaged from repeated stress. The cable feeding the internet to your modem is either a coaxial cable (the same used for cable TV), an Ethernet cable, or a phone cable. The best way to troubleshoot cables is to swap them all out, if you have extras.
Otherwise, make sure to connect these cables to both the modem and your wall outlet. Ethernet and phone cables should click when they are fully inserted into a socket. Coaxial cables should be screwed on snugly.
Also, check for damage. See if the cable looks torn or perhaps chewed by a pet. Ethernet and phone cables are especially prone to damage, as the copper wires inside are very thin.