3 min fix · Related: Wi-Fi & Networking
Router Has a Red Light / No Internet
Red globe, no Wi-Fi, everything down. How to tell in 2 minutes whether it's your gear or your provider's outage.
Router Has a Red Light / No Internet — Symptom Check
- Red/orange light on modem or router
- All devices offline at once
- Started after a storm or outage
1. Check for an outage first
Phone hotspot + your provider's status page. If nearby businesses are down too, it's their problem — save yourself an hour and report it with your account number ready.
2. Power-cycle modem, then router
Unplug both for 60 seconds. Modem back on first, wait for solid lights (2–3 min), then router. Order matters — the router needs the modem ready to handshake.
3. Bypass the router
Plug a laptop straight into the modem with Ethernet. Internet works? Your plan and modem are fine — the router is the fault. Still dead? It's the line or modem — call the ISP with that test result.
Router Has a Red Light / No Internet — When to Call a Pro
- The modem never gets solid lights after 10 minutes.
- This happens monthly — you may need a modem/router replacement or wiring check.
- Storm damage: burnt smell, dead ports, gear that won't power on.
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