Don’t know what to do when the nbn box flashing red? This short read will guide you through!
The National Broadband Network (nbn) is the input box that your internet service provider uses to supply broadband connection to your home.
The red light is never a good sign, and here, we will unwarp everything you need to know about the problem and how to address it accordingly.
To resolve the red light on your nbn connection box, you must verify the power supply, soft reset the box and inspect the cable connections. In addition, you need to check for service outages with the internet provider.
To unwrap everything, continue reading!
Why Are nbn Box Lights Flashing Red?
The first step is to learn what the LED lights on your nbn connection box mean since this can suggest a lot about what’s going on.
So, below is a complete table for you to check, understand the red light and be aware of what your nbn connection box is telling you throughout the guide.
| Light Indications on a nbn Connection Box | |||
| LED Indicator | Colour | Reason | Solution |
Power Light | ⚫No Light | The nbn box is OFF. | Connect to a working power source. |
| 🔵 Solid Blue | There is a power supply. | No action is needed. | |
Connection Light | ⚫ No Light | Not connected to the nbn outdoor access network. | Verify that all the cables are connected securely. |
| 🔵 Blinking Blue | The nbn box is turning on. | Wait for the initialisation to complete (20 minutes). | |
| 🔵 Solid Blue | The nbn box is connected to the outdoor unit. | No action is required. | |
| 🔴 Blinking/Solid Red | An issue with the service line of the nbn box. | Troubleshoot your nbn box (wiring, reset, power and overheating). | |
| 🔴🔵Red/Blue Cycle | Unplugged connections. | Unplug non-supported devices from the telephone jack. | |
DSL Light | ⚫No Light | The broadband connection is down. | Contact your phone and internet provider. |
| 🔵Solid Blue | The DSL is synchronised. | No action is required. | |
| 🔵Blinking Blue | Ongoing synchronisation or firmware update. | Wait for the update to finish. | |
| Local Area Network(LAN) Light | ⚫No Light | There is no Ethernet cable connected. | Verify that your modem/gateway is “ON.” |
| 🔵🟠Blue/Amber | Working data flow in your nbn setup equipment. | No action is needed. | |
Let’s jump into troubleshooting!
How to Fix When an nbn Box Flashing Red?
Tip: Follow the steps consecutively!
1. Soft Reset the nbn Connection Box
The first and easiest step against a red light on your nbn connection box is to perform a power cycle or a “soft reset,” which is a safe application method.
Nothing from the nbn connection box will be deleted or misconfigured, only the power supply and system will be reset and refreshed.
Here’s how to soft reset any nbn connection box:
- Optional: Check if the nbn has a Power button.
- Optional: Use the Power button to power it “off.”
- Unplug the power connector from the nbn’s port.
- Disconnect the power adapter from your outlet.
- Wait for 60 seconds for a complete discharge.
- Connect the nbn box directly to a power outlet.
- Turn on the box and wait until the device loads.
When the nbn connection box starts receiving power, the “connection light” will be blinking blue for a while and should turn solid blue.
However, if the light goes red, this is not a bug, so you’re probably facing a service connection problem.
So, continue reading…
2. Check for Internet Service Outages
The reason why your nbn box is showing a red light may be due to a lost service, and this might happen because of an outage.
Based on your service provider, you can check whether there is a service outage and if the national broadband network is online.
So, according to your provider, visit the network status and check:
- For Telstra outages, click here.
- For Optus outages, click here.
- For Foxtel outages, click here.
- For Dodo outages, click here.
- For iiNet outages, click here.
If you would like to check the service status of the national broadband network, go to nbn Outages, input your service address and click “Check address.”
Note: If there’s an ongoing outage, you may not be able to resolve the red light on your nbn box until the issue is addressed by technicians.
3. Correct the nbn Service Connection
If you still see a red light flashing on nbn box, it’s time to check and possibly correct the wiring!
In general, there are four different types of nbn connection boxes that you may have, so based on your equipment, you must verify that the wiring is correctly connected.
We will review all the nbn connections, including FTTP, FTTN, FTTC and HFC.
FTTP nbn Connection:
Info: White service connection cable.
- One side plugs into the “Uni-D1” port of the nbn.
- The other plugs into the “WAN” on the modem.
FTTN nbn Connection:
Info: Grey telephone service cable.
- One side plugs into the “nbn wall mount” port.
- The other plugs into the “XDSL” on the modem.
FTTC nbn Connection:
Info: White service connection cable.
- One side plugs into the “Gateway” nbn port.
- The other plugs into the “WAN” modem port.
HFC nbn Connection:
Info: White service connection cable.
- One side plugs into the “WAN” modem’s port.
- The other plugs into the “Uni-D1” nbn’s port.
Important: When reconnecting the cables, verify that the tips of all wires are not bent, defective, or broken, which may cause connection disruptions and an nbn red light.
4. Prevent Your nbn from Overheating
The nbn connection box may not work correctly because the device constantly overheats, which makes the machine automatically restart to preserve the hardware.
The nbn red light may result from connection failure caused by the constant restarts, so it’s essential to check and justify.
- Touch your nbn box with your hand to find out whether it’s hot to the touch!
If your nbn box is hot, the machine is likely overheating.
The best solution would be to relocate the box to a dry, well-ventilated area without any obstruction or cover.
Avoid placing the nbn box on a shelf with a lot of stuff, in enclosed compartments or near any heat conductors.
Warning: Overheating may damage your nbn connection box lethally!
5. Plug the nbn into a Different Outlet
Another thing that can make your nbn box restart and service lose connection, which causes the red light, is power fluctuations from the outlet.
This is why, before proceeding, we recommend checking whether the nbn red light will blink when the box is connected to a tested power outlet.
It’s crucial not to use any power extenders, smart plugs and A/C dividers and to connect the nbn box directly to the outlet.
In addition, we recommend inspecting the power equipment, including the power cable, the cable’s connector and the nbn box power port.
Tip: Find a proven and working power outlet near the service and telephone jack!
6. Reset Your nbn to Factory Defaults
If nothing helps and your nbn box’s connection status light continues to blink in red, the issue may come from the device’s system.
One of the best methods to address the problem would be to perform a factory reset, resetting the system and removing all the operating configurations.
Warning: The factory reset may not allow the nbn box to initialise automatically, so our advice is to perform the process on a weekday when you can receive phone help.
Here’s how to factory reset an nbn connection box:
- Verify that your nbn connection box is working.
- Acquire a pin, paperclip, needle or a toothpick.
- Locate the “Reset” pinhole on the nbn box’s back.
- Press and hold the Reset button for 7 seconds.
- Wait until your nbn connection box is factory reset.
The nbn connection box should automatically connect to the nbn network, but the process may take up to 10 minutes, so remain patient.
If the red light re-appears, it’s time to contact your broadband service supplier and report the problem.
Reminder: Double-check if the service cable is properly connected to the nbn connection box!
Quick Recap:
Hence, when the nbn box flashes red, start with simple steps such as power cycling and checking for ongoing outages.
If the problem continues, you need to inspect the nbn box wiring, prevent hardware overheating, switch to another power source or reset your nbn.
We hope this guide was helpful, so follow us for more!
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.