BT Hub flashing orange light indicates a possible issue with your home network. But what exactly does this light indicator want to tell you?
Understanding what it means and the other colours on your broadband equipment are essential to get the best internet connection you can have.
Here, we will walk through why your broadband equipment is not working and the troubleshooting methods for each light indicator colour.
Reasons for BT Hub Not Working Issues
There is nothing more frustrating than experiencing broadband issues while streaming your favourite music or binge-watching your most awaited TV series.
Although this issue may arise from time-to-time, understanding its root cause is an excellent way to determine the best troubleshooting technique you can do.
Below are the primary reasons for all your broadband frustrations.
Wrong Placement of Device
Our first and most often overlooked reason is the placement of your BT Hub. Remember that enough network signals should reach your device to function correctly.
So, placing your device in closed cabinets or near electrical interference may result in a myriad of connectivity issues.
Faulty Cables or Devices
The next neglected reason is faulty cables or issues with the broadband equipment itself.
When wirings are damaged or loosely connected to the power source, your device may act up.
Meanwhile, problems with your device may range from outdated firmware to physical damages when accidentally dropped.
Noisy Phone Line
Noisy phone lines may indicate an issue with your landline. This problem is a handy way to determine whether your phone line needs fixing.
So, the next time you are calling, make sure you hear a stable dial tone.
Issues with Your Internal Telephone Extensions
There are instances in which your phone line is not the problem. Instead, your internal telephone extensions may be the culprit for your connectivity issues.
Microfilter Issues
Every home in the UK must have a microfilter installed. This tool separates your broadband from your landline, thus, minimizing your chances of experiencing a noisy phone line.
Service Outage
Our last reason is a service outage from BT’s services itself. Power interruptions or damaged cables and equipment may sometimes cause temporary problems with their network.
When this problem occurs, your whole residential area may experience internet disruptions.
But since the issue is with BT itself, all we can do is wait and check their service status page for any updates concerning their faults.
BT Hub Colours
Generally, you do not need to worry if you see the green or blue light on your device. Otherwise, the colours red, orange, purple, and pink may indicate connectivity issues.
Here is how you can diagnose the meaning of your BT Hub colours:
Green Light
There is nothing to worry about when you see a green light on your Hub. This colour only indicates that your device is booting up.
It may stay green for a couple of seconds and will then change into blue afterwards. However, if the green light does not switch to blue, your device may have stopped responding.
Blue Light
If your device is working in peak condition, you should see a blue light on your BT Hub.
This indicator means that you can connect to your internet without any trouble. But on older models, this colour may mean that your device is in its energy-saving mode.
Orange Light
Now we move on to the colours that indicate an issue with your broadband. First on our list is the orange light. Typically, a BT Hub flashing orange light means nothing wrong with your network.
This colour will then turn blue after a couple of minutes. But if you get a steady orange light, it may indicate that your device is in good condition yet has not successfully connected to the internet.
Purple or Pink Light
You may also observe a flashing purple or pink light on your device. When you see this, it may indicate that your cables are loosely connected to your Hub.
In some instances, it may also mean that you have damaged or malfunctioning cables. However, these colours may indicate that your device is still connecting to the internet on older BT Hub models.
Red Light
If you observe a red light on your Hub, it is an indication that the device itself is malfunctioning due to internal or external damages.
It may also mean a possible service outage in your area.
No light
There can only be two primary reasons why your device does not have any light indicator turned on.
The most apparent reason would probably be because it is not switched on. But sometimes, it may also mean that your light indicator settings on the Hub are off.
Fixing BT Hub Not Flashing Lights
BT’s devices make it a lot easier for us to identify whether we are experiencing connectivity issues.
If you have recently gotten your BT Hub, you will notice various lights compared to the typical red and green light indicators. Each colour indicates a different meaning.
But they all function to allow us to understand the condition of our Hub better.
Whether you see an orange, purple, pink, or red light on your Hub, there are quick and easy troubleshooting techniques you can do on your own.
We also suggest trying these methods before contacting BT’s customer service to save time and additional costs for your technician’s appointment.
Let us look through solutions to fix your connectivity issues:
How to Fix BT Hub Flashing Orange Light
A flashing orange light on your Hub indicates that your device is connecting to the internet. After a few minutes, this will eventually turn blue.
However, in some cases, it may get stuck on the orange light. When this occurs, your Hub is telling you that you are experiencing issues with your broadband connection.
Luckily, there are several ways to go about this problem.
Below is how you can troubleshoot this issue:
1. Try A Wired Connection
If you are getting a steady orange light on your device, the best way to resolve this problem is by trying a wired connection.
For this method, you would need a hardwire to connect your laptop to your Hub.
Once you have connected your wire ends to your devices, open any browser, and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your device.
2. Changing WiFi Frequency
There may be instances in which your Hub settings affect your network connection. One of which is your WiFi frequency.
Although this issue may rarely happen, here is how you can modify your device’s settings:
- Enter 192.168.1.254 in your browser’s address bar and select the Advanced or Settings menu under the management page.
- Check whether your WiFi settings have the 2.4GHz and 5G frequencies enabled.
3. Troubleshoot Using Your Browser
An alternative to resolve this issue is by using your browser’s very own troubleshooter.
All you need to do for this method is to open any browser and select the “Troubleshoot Internet” option.
4. Connect with Your Microfilter
For your internet connection to work correctly, you would need a working landline. Thus, we suggest using a microfilter to minimize issues with your phone line.
But if you need to connect more than one device to your landline, you may also need a splitter aside from your microfilter.
5. Use Your Master Socket
Besides connecting your Hub to a microfilter, we highly recommend using your master socket because this is where your connection signal is most robust.
It will also help if you refrain from using internal telephone extensions.
If this does not resolve your problem, you can try removing the screws on your socket to reveal another hidden test socket behind it.
Afterwards, plug your Hub’s power cable here and check whether your issue goes away.
How To Fix Purple Flashing Light on BT Hub
A BT hub flashing pink light (or purple) on your Hub indicates issues with your wiring.
Compared to troubleshooting the orange light issue, this section’s methods are far more straightforward and quicker.
Here is how to fix purple flashing light on BT Hub:
1. Restart Your Device
The first method we have on how to fix purple flashing light on BT Hub is power cycling your device.
In this method, you only need to turn your Hub off and wait for a couple of minutes before turning it back on.
2. Secure Your Cables
If power cycling your device does not resolve your issue, you need to check whether you have securely plugged in your cables into the master socket and their respective ports.
Make sure that there are also no damages to your wirings.
3. Check Your Cable Placement
When you see BT Hub flashing pink light (or purple), you also need to check whether you have plugged them into the correct ports.
For instance, ensure that you have connected the grey wiring to your broadband port and your power cable to your master socket.
How To Reset BT Hub
If your issues persist even after trying out all the possible troubleshooting techniques above, it may be time to reset BT Hub.
But take note that doing this is different from restarting your device because it will bring your Hub back to its default factory settings, overwriting all the changes you have done in the past.
So, for your last resort, you can try out these quick and easy methods on your own:
Method 1 – Pinhole Technique
The pinhole technique makes use of the pinhole button found at the back of your device. But to do this method, you would need a paper clip on hand.
Once you have all the materials required, you can follow the steps below:
- Look for the Factory Reset pinhole on your device.
- Press the button using a paperclip for at least 20 seconds.
- Wait for several minutes until your central power light turns blue.
Method 2 – Physical Button Technique
The second reset method you can do on your Hub is by pressing its physical reset button, also located at the back of your device.
Find the Factory Reset button on your device and hold it down for at least five seconds without turning off your Hub.
Wait for another five minutes after you release the button or until your central power light turns blue.
Reconnect your Hub by entering the default network name and password found at the back of your device.
Method 3 – 30-30-30 Technique
An alternative to the second method is the 30-30-30 technique.
For this method, you would need to do the following steps:
- Hold the physical reset button down for thirty seconds.
- Remove all the plugs from your device and wait for another thirty seconds.
- Plug your router into the power source and hold down the physical reset button for thirty seconds.
Once you have tried out any of the possible reset methods on your BT Hub, you would need to restore any changes you have made in the past.
For instance, changing your network name and password can help stray away from cyber threats and malicious attacks.
You may also need to update your firmware when prompted.
Wrapping Up
BT has made it easier for its customers to identify the root cause of their connectivity issues.
By understanding the various light colours on their Hub, users like you would know the best troubleshooting technique before contacting BT’s customer service.
However, there are instances where your issue may persist despite having tried all the methods above.
It may be best to report any fault using your My BT app or their online troubleshooter page in such cases.
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Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.