Xfinity’s modems and routers are known for their ease of use and straightforward design. These devices, also known as Xfinity Gateways, function as all-in-one hubs for your internet connection. For the same reason, you may panic when you first see your Xfinity router blinking orange.
But you do not have to. In this guide, I have explained what the blinking orange light means for your Xfinity modem and easy ways to resolve the problem.
How to Fix When Xfinity Modem Router Is Blinking Orange
To fix the Xfinity modem router linking orange issue, you first have to ensure that your router is receiving proper connections and power supply. You should also check whether there are network outages caused by Xfinity. You can also reset the Xfinity modem or router before contacting tech support.
About Xfinity Modem and Router Models
As you may know, there are different types of Xfinity modems and routers that you can get.
These major models are Xfinity Advanced Gateway, xFi Advanced Gateway, and X5 Advanced Gateway XB6. For reference, xFi Advanced Gateway XB6 is designed to offer up to 1Gbps of speeds, along with advanced control over the Wi-Fi network. As you can guess, all these routers and modems come with a couple of lights that help you understand the current status of the device.
What Does Xfinity Modem Lights Mean?
Here is a quick overview of what Xfinity modem lights mean.
If you see a stable white light or a purple light on the modem, it means the device is working fine.
However, if the white light or the purple light is blinking, it means you have not completed the necessary activation steps.
Another situation is a solid red light, which indicates that the internet connection is not working. This might be due to a lack of connection from your side or an issue that the ISP has to address.
Similarly, if the Xfinity model has a flashing blue light, it has something to do with the WPS connection method.
The modem may also show a green light, which is designed to let you know when the connection is strong.
Finally, we come to the orange or yellow blinking light, which indicates that the device is taking more than the normal time to connect to the internet.
As I said, the Xfinity modem or router blinking orange means you have to resolve the issue.
Possible Reasons for Xfinity Router Blinking Orange
The blinking orange light essentially indicates that the Wi-Fi router or modem is taking more time to connect to the internet. To provide better clarity on this topic, I have listed the potential specific reasons for the Xfinity router blinking orange.
- Scheduled maintenance or network outage from the ISP
- Firmware issues with the router could also be responsible for why the connection is not successful
- You may also want to check the connection from the ISP to the router and from the modem to the router
- The current status (temperature) of your modem or router could also cause the blinking orange light.
- I have seen people complain about Xfinity router blinking orange issues, and they sometimes happen due to something called modem overload.
- Finally, the orange blinking light could also mean a defective router or modem.
As you may have noticed, the potential reasons for the orange-blinking light on an Xfinity router are pretty expensive. Therefore, we have to follow a systematic method to resolve the problem as well.
Easy Ways to Fix Xfinity Router Blinking Orange Issue
So we will start from the basic tasks and move on to advanced steps, while also ensuring that the problem is with your device and not the ISP.
#1 Restart the Router/Modem
The first step is to restart the router or modem that is part of your Xfinity network.
- Press the power button on the router or modem, and it should turn off.
- After waiting for 10 or 20 seconds, you can turn the device back on.
- These steps will prompt the modem and router to re-establish the connection.
So if the orange light was due to a temporary issue with the router or the network, this step should resolve the issue.
#2 Check the Cables/Splitters
Next, you should also check whether all the required cables and network splitters are properly connected. Even if they seem to be connected properly, you might want to reconnect all of them.
To avoid potential damage, I recommend turning off your router while you reconnect all these cables. While you are at it, I also recommend looking for potential defects on the table, such as a bend or a rupture.
If you see that there is a problematic Ethernet cable or splitter, you should get it replaced. In most cases, Xfinity will be able to provide you with a replacement.
#3 Troubleshoot Power Issues
You should also check whether the router and modem are receiving sufficient power supply. These routers and network devices are designed to function at very specific power supply ranges.
So, using a third-party charger or adapter could affect the performance of these devices. Therefore, I find it imperative that you stick to the adapter that you got with the Xfinity package.
#4 Check for Network Outages
You should also check for Xfinity network outages. These outages may happen throughout the country or in a particular area. And in my experience, Xfinity is pretty transparent about these outages.
It means you can sign in to the dashboard and track the potential outages in your area. If you find an outage that is affecting your area, I recommend waiting for some time until the outage is fixed.
#5 Check if Your PC is Compatible
If you have been coming across the router blinking orange multiple times, it is also good to check whether your network environment is compatible with the Xfinity system.
Depending on the router and the modem that you have, the network requires a particular set of cables belonging to a specific category. Using a non-compatible set of cables or splitters can cause problems in the network, which would be the cause of the orange light.
#6 Check the Ambient Temperature
As I mentioned earlier, the ambient temperature of the modem or router can also affect the performance and functionality of the device.
So if the environment is too cold or too hot, you might face connection issues. And for whatever reason the router cannot connect to the internet, it could show you a blinking orange light or a red light.
Therefore, I suggest making sure that the ambient temperature is within the limits.
#7 Check for Connection Overload
Do you see the blinking orange light when you connect too many devices to the network? Or do you already have many Ethernet connections from the modem? In both these cases, you should check the modem and router for potential connection overload.
While Xfinity modems and routers are designed to work with several devices, the network throughput and bandwidth may not be suitable for your requirements. So if you are going beyond the device limit, there could be a modem overload.
#8 Check if a Wired Connection Works
While you are doing the previous step, you should also check whether wired connections from the modem are working fine. In that case, the problem might do, might have to do with the wireless connection.
If so, you don’t have to worry about the modem. Instead, you have to focus on the Wi-Fi router.
#9 Update the Router Firmware
It is important to make sure that you are running the latest version of router firmware from the ISP. Sometimes, you have buggy firmware installed on the device. In both cases, you can change the situation by updating the router to the latest version of the firmware.
To update the firmware of your Xfinity router/modem,
- Log into the router admin panel by entering the credentials
- Navigate to the section named Firmware
- Click the option to download and update the firmware
- Follow on-screen instructions while the router updates to the latest version of the firmware
In some cases, you will have to download the firmware package from the Xfinity website and upload it to your router. This is not a complex job, and you can find the specific instructions based on your router model on the website.
#10 Power Cycle the Xfinity Router
The steps to power-cycle your router are simple.
- You have to unplug the power cable of the router.
- Now, wait for at least 30 seconds.
- After that, you can connect the power cord
The router should start up normally.
#11 Soft Reset the Xfinity Router
If you do not have luck with the power cycling option, the next step is to soft reset the router.
Soft resetting the router refers to the process of telling the software to use, set, and reset the device to the factory settings. You may have an option to select what gets erased. For instance, there won’t be changes to the firmware or user-configured settings.
To soft reset an Xfinity router, you can log into the router dashboard, go to general settings, and find the option to reset the router back to factory settings.
#12 Hard Reset the Xfinity Router
If you cannot solve the Xfinity modem blinking orange light with a soft reset of the router, you should consider a hard reset. This process is simple but has advanced implications for the settings of the router.
To begin, you have to turn off the device and press and hold the reset button that you can find on the back of the router. This will erase everything from the router and turn it back to the state how it was produced from the factory.
I recommend this method only when other options do not work because it involves data loss and requires some kind of additional setup.
#13 Use A Different Router Operation Mode
It is also likely that the current operation mode of the Xfinity router or modem is causing the orange light on the status panel. So you might want to alter the operation mode into something different.
For instance, you might want to choose the Access Point mode instead of the router mode. The access point mode also works, but it treats the modem and the host device differently.
#14 Check if the Router Is Faulty
If all the methods I have covered are not fruitful, you have to suspect that the router is faulty. To confirm that you have a faulty Xfinity router or modem, you might want to retry the connection with another router.
#15 Contact Xfinity Support
As a last resort to the modem router blinking orange, green, or yellow, you should contact Xfinity support. These technicians will either ask you to courier the router or visit your place to get it repaired.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the Xfinity modem or router is working properly, the light should be a stable white with a purple tint. It means the device can connect to the internet and the Wi-Fi is also working fine.
Your Xfinity router is not connecting to the service, probably because of software or hardware errors. It could be something wrong with the router or an outage from Xfinity itself.
Conclusion
I have created this extensive guide on the Xfinity router blinking orange issue by referring to multiple sources and use case scenarios.
More importantly, I have also included steps that have helped me while facing the same issue. Even though I currently don’t use Xfinity at my office, I used to be a customer for quite some time, and it still powers the internet in many of my friends’ places. Hope this guide helps you as well.
