Optus Modem Not Working? – (Fix Your Modem in Minutes!)

When your Optus modem not working the way you expect, there are many things to inspect!

The Optus modem works like a gateway, receiving internet from your NBN connection box and spreading the data over Wi-Fi or via Ethernet cable.

However, many issues can arise, and in this guide, we’ll help you uncover what is causing your modem not to work and how to fix this. 

When your Optus modem is not working, first check the front LEDs to understand what exactly is not functioning. Reconnect the modem, reboot the NBN connection box and configure the modem’s wireless setup.

To unwrap more, continue reading!

Why is My Optus WiFi Modem Not Working?

Here’s why your Optus modem is not working:

To understand more about the Optus modem’s problem, here’s how the LEDs on the front should look when everything is working correctly:

Successful Optus Modem Connection
Light	Power	DSL		Internet	Wi-Fi	Phone		4G Backup
Status	Green	FFTN/B	OFF	Green	Green	Green	OFF	Red
	🟢	🟢	⚫	🟢	🟢	🟢	⚫	🔴

Note: If your internet, Wi-Fi or Power LEDs are “OFF,” there is a problem with the connection, and you need some troubleshooting.

How to Fix When Optus Modem Not Working?

Tip: Follow the steps chronologically!

1. Connect to a Standalone Outlet

If your Optus modem is not working, and the “Power” LED is “OFF,” then your modem is not receiving power from the source.

This is the most straightforward problem to deal with since you only need to connect the Optus modem to a standalone outlet, meaning “direct connection.”

Here’s exactly what to do to restore the power to your Optus Modem:

1. Press the “Power” button to turn “OFF” the modem.
2. Disconnect the power cable from the modem’s back.
3. Also, unplug the power cable from the current outlet.
4. Remove any outlet extenders, A/C strips or plugs.
5. Wait 60 seconds for the Optus modem to discharge.
6. Connect the A/C adapter directly into a wall socket.
7. Connect the power cable to the back of the modem.
8. Press the “Power” button to turn on the Optus modem.

Note: If the “Power” LED does not light up, your power equipment is defective, the A/C outlet is not working, or the modem is faulty.

2. Check for NBN Service Outages

Before digging deeper into the Optus modem troubleshooting, a quick setup that may answer most of your questions would be to check for NBN Network Outages.

To check for ongoing outages affecting your residential area, click the link and input your service address.

Finally, click the “Check address” button to determine whether any outages are affecting your NBN broadband service.

Note: In case of any outages, your Optus modem will not work correctly, and you will not have access to the internet.

3. Power Cycle the Optus NBN Box

If your Optus modem is not working correctly, and the “internet” light is not lit, the machine is not receiving an internet connection from the NBN box.

This may happen due to a connection issue, service outage, or a temporary problem with the NBN connection box and its services.

However, the first step is to straightforwardly reboot the NBN connection box by unplugging the power adapter from the power. 

You only need to keep the NBN unplugged for about 60 seconds and turn on the device.

This will refresh the internet stream to your modem.

Shortly, your Optus modem’s “internet” light will come on, which is a prime indication that you’re connected to the internet.

Note: After power cycling your NBN connection box, it may take up to 5 minutes for your Optus modem to reconnect and the “internet” light to come on.

4. Check the NBN Connection Setup

One of the most important steps when your Optus modem is not working correctly is to check the wiring with your NBN connection box.

The setup is different based on the type of NBN box you’ve got and whether or not you’re subscribed to a telephone service with your broadband.

So, based on your NBN connection, here’s how to connect the cables:

Optus FTTP NBN Connection:

• Plug the white cable with red connectors to the “WAN” port on the modem.
• Plug the other end of the white cable into the “Uni-D1” port on the NBN box.

Optus HFC NBN Connection:

• Plug the white cable with red ends into the “WAN” port on the modem.
• Plug the other end of the white cable into the “Uni-D1” NBN box port.

Optus FTTN NBN Connection:

• Plug the grey telephone cable into the grey port “xDSL” on your modem.
• Plug the other end of the telephone cable into the wall mount socket.

Optus FTTC NBN Connection:

• Plug the white cable with red ends into the “WAN” input port on the modem.
• Plug the other end into the “Gateway” input port on the NBN connection box.

Note: If the Optus modem “internet” light is still not green, connect the red end of the white cable to another available “Uni-D1” port on your NBN connection box.

5. Adjust the Optus Wireless Settings

If the “Wi-Fi” light on your Optus modem is not lit up, you won’t be able to connect to the Wi-Fi network with your external devices.

There are many reasons for inaccessible Wi-Fi, and you must make minor adjustments to the modem setup settings to restore your wireless network.

To configure the settings of your Optus modem, you must enter the graphic user interface (GUI).

So, we’ve made a few steps that you must follow chronologically:

Step #1 Enter Your Optus Control Panel

Note: You can only enter the Optus GUI from a wireless or hardwired (connected) device.

1. Connect a PC/laptop to the Optus modem network.
2. Insert “192.168.0.1” into the URL of a web browser.
3. The login password is at the bottom of the modem.
4. Click on “Login” to get redirected to the dashboard.

Step #2 Configure the Wi-Fi Credentials

1. From the Optus GUI, click on the “My Wi-Fi” section.
2. Insert a unique SSID for both your Wi-Fi frequencies.
3. Type a secure Wi-Fi password in the provided field.
4. Click on “Apply” to save your wireless configurations.

Note: Use the newly set credentials to access your Optus modem Wi-Fi!

Step #3 Turn ON “Guest” Wi-Fi Network

1. At the Optus modem dashboard, go to “My Wi-Fi.”
2. Click on “Guest Wi-Fi” and toggle the option “ON.”
3. Then, set the “Wi-Fi Security” to “WPA Protected.”
4. Set an SSID and password for the guest network.
5. Click on “Apply” to save the network configuration.

Step #4 Turn OFF Wi-Fi “Band Steering”

The band steering combines the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi into one single network, which sometimes causes connection issues.

You can find the feature’s toggle in the “My Wi-Fi” tab from the dashboard of your Optus modem.

Note: When you’re ready with all the wireless configurations, reboot your Optus modem and test whether the device is now working correctly.

6. Factory Reset Your Optus Modem

If your Optus modem is still not working, even after all the solutions, it’s time to perform a factory reset, which will erase all the settings and revert everything to default.

However, with Optus, you can create a Backup File, which will help you later on if anything goes wrong after the reset.

How to Backup Optus Modem?

• Go to “192.168.0.1” from the URL of a browser → sign in → “Maintenance” → “Backup & Restore” → “Create a Backup File.”

Note: If you can’t restore the internet access after the reset, you can quickly load the backup file from the same tab by clicking on “Restore.”

Here’s how to factory reset your Optus modem in easy steps:

1. Verify that your Optus modem is currently working.
2. Acquire a pointy tool such as a needle or paperclip.
3. Locate the “Reset” pinhole near the modem’s ports.
4. Reach within the reset pinhole using the pointy tool.
5. Press and hold the Reset button for 10+ seconds.

Your Optus modem will shortly factory reset, and you’ll need to configure your wireless settings from scratch, so refer to the previous solution for guidance.

Note: Alternatively, factory reset the Optus modem from the admin tool (GUI).

Quick Recap:

Hence, whenever the Optus modem not working, start with rebooting the modem and nbn box and inspecting the connection between the devices.

In addition, you must check the wireless configuration of your modem, and if nothing helps, initiate a factory restoration.

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