Why Is My Netgear Router Blinking Orange? Quick Fix

If your Netgear router blinking orange and you don’t know what it means, here you’ll find all the information you’re looking for.

We will also share with you the most efficient ways to return your Netgear to its normal operational state.

Blinking orange light on a Netgear router signifies technical glitches with your WiFi or Netgear router. The orange light could usually blink if there is a modem connection issue, improper router setup, outdated firmware, or WiFi outages due to a hardware issue.

To get a better understanding of the situation, let’s first learn more about the possibilities and how to deal with them later.

Why Is Netgear Router Orange Internet Light?

As we’ve mentioned above, the orange light on your Netgear router usually indicates a problem with the network and connectivity.

Pinpoint that it could also mean that there is a problem with the connection to the ISP, so if that’s the case, you won’t be able to help it.

ISP – Internet Service Provider, or in other words, your local internet supplier.

Let’s guess no more and check out the most frequently reported causes for yellow light on a Netgear router.

1. Outdated Firmware

It is possible that outdated firmware might make your router blink in orange until updated.

2. No Connection with ISP

The orange light on your Netgear router will blink if there is no connection with your internet service provider.

3. Problem with Settings

If the network settings are not configured correctly, the orange light may indicate the issue.

4. Wiring Issue

Orange light could also blink in case the internet cable has gone through damage, making it unusable.

We cannot exclude the possibility that your Netgear router might be hardware damaged, but we’ll be able to justify that by the end of the post. Now let’s proceed with the solutions.

How To Fix Netgear Router Blinking Orange Issue?

Before we proceed to the methods you should perform a simple reboot on your device. Since these are the first recommendations you will get from the internet service providers once you call them, we figured to include them here as a preparation.

Once you’re ready with the restart and the issue is still there, you can jump right into our first step.

Step #1 Check For Internet Outages

One of the things that may make the orange light on your Netgear router blink, is an outage from the ISP.

You can usually check that by heading into the official website of your internet service provider and writing down your region.

You will get details on any ongoing outages or maintenance within the area you’ve pinpointed and the approximate time the internet connection will be restored.

Such things averagely take up to 2-3 hours, but since this really depends on the type of outage, we can’t tell you accurately.

The other way around would be to call them directly and insist on receiving information about internet outages in your region. If there are not, then let’s proceed with the next step.

Step #2 Inspect Internet & Ethernet Cables

If there wasn’t an internet outage in your area, then it is most likely an issue with the Lan cable.

Over time, the cable might become undone, resulting in a constant orange light until you take a look at the situation.

You must ensure that both ends of your Lan cable are tightened securely to your router and device.

How It Should Be Wired?

The Internet cable (black) should be in the blue input of your router. As for the Ethernet cable (while, gray, yellow), it should be in one of the 4 yellow inputs of your router.

The other end of the Ethernet cable should be in the LAN input of your PC/device.

Note: During the troubleshooting, it is recommended to unplug and plug ALL cables.

Lastly, inspect for visual damage and if there is not, then you can continue with the next step.

Step #3 Perform A Hard Reset

If nothing has worked so far, then maybe you should try hard resetting your Netgear router.

This method has proven to be helpful in many different situations, so who knows, it may work for you and fix the orange light blinking on your router.

To perform a hard reset on your Netgear router, follow the steps below:

1. Turn off the device by pressing the power button at the back once.
2. Unplug the power adapter from the power outlet.
3. Wait for 30 seconds and plug the power adapter in.

Note: Use only wall outlets for your router while performing a hard reset, since strips develop issues that may impact your device’s functionality.

Easy as that, you had performed a hard reset on your Netgear router.

Step #4 Check For Overheating

Another thing that could make the Netgear router blinking orange is overheating. This can usually occur in places where there is a lot of dust or the temperature is too high, making your router overheat.

Since your router works hard to provide your network with an internet connection, this might make it overheat at some point.

Hence, you must ensure that the router is located in a well-ventilated area, where there is no danger of overheating or whatsoever. This will not only save you from the orange light but also support the hardware of your router greatly.

Pro Tip: If you notice that your router panel is really hot, you can take a vacuum cleaner and try to suck out as much dust as possible.

Step #5 Update Your Netgear Router

In this step, you’ll learn 2 different ways to update your Netgear router, which have a very high chance of resolving the yellow light issue. This can usually be done either from the web or the Netgear app.

Since most users reported that there are no issues updating via the app, here is how to do it:

How To Download & Connect Netgear App

If you still haven’t downloaded the Netgear app, make sure to go to the app store and download it.

While you open the app, make sure your TV has turned on its Bluetooth and is ready to scan for your router and automatically connect.

How To Update Netgear Router Through the Netgear App

Once connected, you will be able to view and configure all of the options your Netgear router offers, but we’re looking for something else here.

Go to the Options and head straight to the Firmware version tab. From there, your phone will either scan automatically for router updates or you will be prompted to allow this operation.

Once scanned for updates, anything new should appear on your screen with a download & apply button on top and you will only have to click it for your Netgear router to begin updating!

Step #6 Factory Reset Netgear Router

As a last option, you can revert ALL router settings by default which is a really bold action against the issue.

In most cases, this is all you need to solve any internet issues, but we’ve left it as a last resort because it will permanently erase ALL router settings.

In that regard, we recommend creating a backup of your WiFi settings so you can restore them easily.

Here are the steps to factory reset the Netgear router:

1. Open the Netgear application.
2. Go to Advanced Settings.
3. Choose Reset.
4. Lastly, select Reset All Settings.

You need to be patient as the reset process might take a while, but once ready you will be able to tell if the yellow light is still there. If not, well, there is one more thing you can do!

Step #7 Troubleshoot IP Conflict

To run a troubleshooting scan, you’ll need to hook up your router via Ethernet cable to a PC or laptop.

Moreover, it has to be a Windows-operated PC, as Microsoft can provide an internet scan and hopefully locate an IP conflict that will automatically be resolved.

Here is how to run a troubleshooting scan:

1. Right-click on the Network icon on the bottom right of the screen.
2. Choose Troubleshoot network.
3. Wait for the scan to complete.
4. If there are no issues found, choose My Issue Is Not Resolved.
5. Wait for the additional inspection.

Once the scan is complete it will provide you with details for the issue (if found) and hopefully how it was resolved.

To fix the orange light on your Netgear router, you can try hard resetting the device, checking for outages in your area, and updating the router’s firmware. If that doesn’t work, move the router to a well-ventilated area and ensure all cables are connected.

Read Next: Why Netgear Router Reset Itself to Factory Settings?

Bottom Line:

Now that you know why Netgear router internet light orange may be blinking, you will be able to troubleshoot the issue by following our steps.

If the orange light persists to blink at the end, maybe it is time to get in touch with your ISP and give this case the second round of troubleshooting!