The blinking white light on your Xfinity modem or router can be quite annoying, especially when you are trying to connect to the internet. There are some easy steps to resolve the problem and get your router working properly in just a few steps.
In this guide, I will share some of the easiest ways to fix and understand what the blinking white light means on an Xfinity router or modem.
Fixing White Blinking Light on Xfinity Modem/Router
A white blinking light on Xfinity modem or router models indicates a connectivity issue. You can solve this by restarting the router, and checking if there is an Xfinity outage. If the router is at fault, reset it to factory settings and update the firmware to the latest available version.
Understanding the Xfinity Router’s Lights
The convenient thing about the modern set of Xfinity routers and modems is that it only has a single light. So, by looking at the color of this single light, you can understand the potential issue with the router.
In this case, we want to understand what the blinking white light means for the Xfinity router.
Meaning of Blinking White Light
A blinking white light on your Xfinity router or modem indicates that it cannot connect to the internet service. So, even if you can find an active Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi network will not have internet access. Therefore, the blinking white light on Xfinity routers is a serious issue, and you should fix it as soon as possible.
Potential Reasons for Xfinity Blinking White Light
Here is a quick list of the potential reasons why your Xfinity router is showing a blinking white light:
- An internet outage is preventing the router from connecting to the Xfinity network.
- The device is stuck in a firmware update that has stopped the router from working properly.
- Your router may not be receiving sufficient power input from the power supply.
- You have not yet activated the Xfinity modem using the provided account.
- The device may be running an outdated version of the system firmware.
- There could be an issue with one of the connection cables, including Ethernet/Power.
As you can understand, multiple factors cause the Xfinity to blink white light. It also means you have to try multiple steps before you can even understand what is causing the model to show the blinking light in the first place.
Fixing the White Light: Troubleshooting Steps
#1 Check Power Connections and Cables
The first step is to make sure that you are using proper connections for the power and Ethernet. First, make sure that the router or modem is receiving proper power from the outlet. The switch should be on, and you should be using the ISP-provided adapter.
Second, you should check if one of the connection cables, such as the Ethernet cable, is faulty or loose. You may try reconnecting it to the port to be sure.
If you find that a faulty cable is causing the issue, you can simply replace it, and the white blinking light should go away.
#2 Restart the Router
If you find that all the cables are working fine and the power socket is providing power, the next step to follow is to restart the Xfinity router. The white blinking light could be the result of a temporary issue that you can solve through a simple restart.
While restarting, make sure that you wait 30 seconds before plugging the device back in. This way, your Xfinity router will completely disconnect from the ISP network and reconnect, potentially solving the temporary issues while doing so.
#3 Check for Service Outages
If you don’t have luck solving the white blinking issue, even after restarting the router, you have to check whether there is a service outage. The easiest option here is to check out the official website of Xfinity or get in touch with customer support.
You should also check whether you received an email or SMS saying that a maintenance program is underway. In this case, you will have to wait for the maintenance session to be over or for Xfinity to solve the problem.
#4 Update Router Firmware
As I mentioned earlier, router firmware issues can cause the Xfinity modem or router to blink white light even when there is a proper internet connection. This happens when the current firmware version cannot process the information and provide you with a successful internet connection.
The solution here is simple: update the router firmware to the latest available version.
To do this, you have to,
- Log in to the router admin panel, which you can access by going to 192.168.1.1 or the default IP address that you can locate on the back of the router or in the user manual.
- Once you are there, you have to go to the firmware section where you will find an option to download the latest firmware.
- Once you proceed with the steps on the screen, you can set up the firmware installation.
The process may take up to 10 to 15 minutes depending on the model and firmware version. The Xfinity router may restart multiple times during the firmware installation.
I recommend restarting the router and reconnecting the power cable after the firmware update is complete.
#5 Reset the Router to Factory Settings
If a firmware update has not solved the problem, you should reset the Xfinity router to factory settings. This is the only option if you cannot access the Wi-Fi router control panel. To reset your Xfinity router:
- Find the Reset button on the rear panel of the router
- Press and hold the button for 10 seconds
- Wait for the router to reset to factory settings
- Once the lights are stabilized, you can set up everything from scratch
Even though this step is a little inconvenient, it can solve most of the issues that you come across causing the blinking white light on the Xfinity modem or router.
#6 Contact Xfinity Customer Support
If these five steps have not helped you solve the blinking white light issue, you should contact Xfinity support. Your router may likely need replacement or expert reset.
You can use the toll-free number or the Xfinity Companion App to book a service appointment. Or, you can take the device straight to a nearby service center.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use two methods to reboot a router. The first method is to trigger a reboot using the user control panel, which you can access by going to the IP address of the router. The second method is to use the power button on the router to turn off the device. Alternatively, you can directly disconnect the power cable.
A blinking Wi-Fi light on an Xfinity router may be happening because of connectivity issues. You should try checking the cables and see whether there is ongoing maintenance from Xfinity’s side. You should also update the router to the latest firmware and reset the router to the factory settings if nothing else solves the issue.
Conclusion
Most of the time I come across an Xfinity modem or router blinking white, it has something to do with the power supply.
I have noticed that most people go for a random power supply adapter whenever there is something wrong with the provided one. However, this is a major mistake, and using a third-party adapter may cause problems for the router.
This is particularly the case for ISP-provided routers and Wi-Fi modems. Therefore, make sure that you are using genuine hardware and perform firmware updates as recommended through the companion app.
3 Comments
Pavan, you did an awesome job breaking down the steps to fix a blinking white light on an Xfinity modem. I ran into this problem last month, and wish I had your guide back then! Ended up figuring out it was a firmware issue on my end. Your step about updating the router firmware would’ve saved me hours. For anyone else reading, definitely don’t skip that step; it seems techy but it’s a game changer. Thanks for sharing these tips!
I’ve tried restarting my router several times, but the white light keeps blinking. I’m not sure if it’s a service outage or something else. How can I check for outages with Xfinity? Is there a specific website or should I call customer service directly?
Ah, the classic ‘turn it off and on again’ strategy. Revolutionary 😄