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Why Is My Verizon Router Blinking Blue?

Your Verizon Fios router is up and running. It has four ethernet cable slots with a sleek design and a lower front panel button, known as the “unified button.” That button glows white when the router is turned on and connected to the internet.

Today you boot up your system and notice that the white glow has turned to a blinking blue.

Why Is My Verizon Router Blinking Blue?

What that slow blinking is telling you is that the router is attempting to pair with your computer or a device you’re adding to the network. Once the connection is established, the light will turn solid blue and then to white. On the other hand, the light might turn yellow or red, depending on the problem. Read on…

What If the Blue Light Doesn’t Stop Blinking?

If the blinking blue light continues past about two minutes, you might be able to solve the problem by restarting your computer and checking its WiFi settings. Is the device configured to detect existing networks? Do your PC privacy settings allow connection to your router?

Trouble-Shooting the Fios Router

If your device is ready to connect, you may need to restart your Fios router.

Before you restart the system, do the following:

1. Make sure everything is plugged in and connected firmly.

2. Press and hold the unified button on the front of the Fios router to restart the WiFi connection.

3. If steps 1 and 2 don’t work, remove any Ethernet cables as well as the power chord for your router and disconnect the router from the internet modem. Wait a few minutes and reconnect everything.

4. Switch your devices back on and wait two minutes. If the blue light turns solid and then white, you are ready to get back to the internet and go to work.

Still Not Working? Try Unplugging the Fios router AND the ONT

Your next step is to do a soft boot. Unplug both your Fios router AND the Optical Network Terminal (ONT)box. Wait two full minutes and plug the power in for the ONT. When the green lights come back on you can plug your router back in. After a few minutes, you should be back on line.

If the Soft Boot Fails, Restore Fios Factory Settings

The above steps usually solve the blinking blue light issue. If not, you might have to take the more radical step of restoring your router to its original factory settings. Be aware that this method wipes out your configured network settings, including your user name and password.

So, restoring factory settings resets the username and password indicated on a label on the rear panel of the router. The label has a handy QR code you can scan with your smartphone camera or tablet to allow an automatic connection of new devices to the WiFi network.

After doing the reset you can restore your original user name and password using the My Fios app or go into your My Verizon account or do it manually through your browser.

Now Do the Factory Reset

Unplug the router from its power source and wait a full two minutes. During that waiting period, shut down, unplug, and after a few seconds repower the device you are trying to connect to the Fios router.

Now you’re ready to do a factory reset.

Plug in and repower the system and press the reset button on the back of your router for at least 10 seconds. The factory reset can take a few minutes to complete.

One final check is to make sure all your Ethernet cables are in good condition and connected to the right spots. Also, your Fios router must be connected to your ONT with the proper CAT6 ethernet cable. If all else fails, you may need to call your Verizon technician to make sure your ONT is working and its ethernet cabling is solid.

The Dreaded Yellow Light

A yellow light means that your router is running but you are not connected to the internet. If the problem is on your end, you can reconnect with a “soft reboot.” Do that by pressing and holding the reset button on the back of the router for three seconds.

If the yellow light remains on, go through the soft reboot or factory restore steps listed above. Don’t do the factory reset until you check with your internet provider. The problem could be at their end.

Flashing Red Means Stop!

A solid red light on the Fios router indicates a hardware or system failure. If the red light flashes quickly, the router is overheating. A slow blinking red light is another sign of a WiFi system pairing failure.

Trouble-shooting the red light consists of the following:

Red light (solid)—You are off line and the problem might be in the connection or the router. Unplug the router for 2 minutes and plug it in again. If that doesn’t work, go through the rebooting procedures described above.

Red light blinking fast—Unplug the router and let it cool down. Clean any dust in the vents. Always store your router in an open space and in an upright position so that air can circulate around it.

Red light blinking slowly—Go through the trouble-shooting steps described above for the blinking blue light.

Finally, A Green Light Does Not Mean “Go”

The green light on the Verizon Fios router is an indication that the WiFi connection is turned off. To reconnect the system, check your device network settings. You might need to open your My Fios app and log into the router network settings. Those settings can be configured using Verizon’s access controls online using the Fios app, or manually through the router.

Need More Support?

In addition to links included throughout this article, Verizon has published a comprehensive  Fios Router User Guide. This 191-page guide has plain-English non-technical information about everything both end-users and network gurus need to know. For example, want to find out how to locate the IP address your computer uses? See Chapter 7, Frequently Asked Questions.

Steven Carr

Steven is a certified IT professional and gaming enthusiast. He has been working in the tech industry for over 10 years, and specializes in all things Tech-related. When he's not geeking out over the latest hardware or software release, he can be found testing out the latest video game.

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