When the internet stops working, the router gets the blame. Often it's innocent. The status lights on the front can tell you whether the problem is your router, your modem, or your internet provider, which saves a lot of guesswork.
PowerSolid: on and bootedInternetAmber: no internet, check modem or providerWi-FiOff: radio disabledLANBlinking: data moving
Reading the lights
Every brand does it slightly differently, but these patterns are common:
- Power, solid: the router is on and has booted.
- Power, blinking: starting up, updating firmware, or resetting. Leave it alone.
- Internet or WAN, solid white or green: connected to the internet.
- Internet, amber, orange or red: connected to the modem but no internet. Usually a provider or modem issue.
- Internet, off: no cable detected between router and modem.
- Wi-Fi, off: the wireless radio is disabled, sometimes by a button on the router.
The right restart order
If you have a separate modem and router, the order matters. Turn both off. Turn the modem on first and wait until its lights settle, which can take a couple of minutes. Then turn the router on. Starting them together can leave the router without a proper address from the modem.
Logging in to the router
The label on the bottom usually shows the admin address. Many brands use a friendly address instead of numbers:
| Brand | Common login address |
|---|---|
| TP-Link | tplinkwifi.net or 192.168.0.1 |
| NETGEAR | routerlogin.net |
| ASUS | router.asus.com |
| Linksys | myrouter.local or 192.168.1.1 |
Most newer routers ask you to create an admin password on first login, and many are set up entirely through an app. If the label lists a default password, change it.
When to reset
A factory reset is for when you've forgotten the admin password, the settings are badly misconfigured, or you're passing the router on. It isn't a fix for slow internet.
The reset button is usually a small recessed hole on the back. With the router powered on, press and hold it with a paperclip for the time the manual gives, usually somewhere between 5 and 15 seconds. Let go when the lights change. The router will come back up with the Wi-Fi name and password from the label, so every device in the house will need reconnecting unless you set the same name and password again.
If it's slow rather than down
Test speed with a device plugged in by Ethernet. If that's fast and Wi-Fi is slow, the problem is Wi-Fi coverage, not your internet plan. Moving the router to a central, open spot, away from thick walls and the microwave, helps more than people expect. Updating the firmware also fixes a surprising number of issues.