Yellow Light on Google Nest WiFi: Meaning, Reasons, and Fixes!

Is your Google Nest WiFi showing a yellow light? Here's what it means, depending on the state (phase) active on your device:

Reasons Behind Google Nest WiFi's Yellow Light & Ways To Fix It

• The device got interrupted while setup
• The physical reset button might be pressed accidentally
• There's a serious network error

Now that you're aware of its potential causes, it's time to fix the same. In the subsequent sections, I shall discuss 8 easy solutions to get rid of it.

Shall we begin?

1. Re-setup Google Nest WiFi

If your Google Nest WiFi is rapidly flashing yellow, it’s an indication its setup hasn’t been done properly. So you must set it up again.

• Disconnect all devices from the power and log in from the Google Home app.
• The LED light should go off quickly, meaning there’s no power left.
• Now reconnect the modem to the power plug and switch it on. It would take around a few minutes for it to boot up and become fully operational.
• Next, it’s your turn to power up your Nest WiFi. Launch the Google Home app, wait for it to detect signals, and re-login to set up the network again.
• Test the mesh system by reconnecting your devices and making sure it works well. That should turn the light back to white.

2. Check for Loose Connections

Sometimes a flashing or solid yellow light is the result of loose or damaged connections between the router and modem or the modem with the power plug.

• Check the connections including the internet and power for damage and replace them if you find any.
• Ensure each connection is perfect and in its place.
• Also, there’s a small clip on the ethernet connectors, check if that’s intact or not. They help the cable to stay in place, and if they’re found damaged, get good quality Cat 8 cables.
  • Suggested comparisons: Cat 6 vs 7 cables | Cat 7 vs 8 cables

3. Power Cycle Internet Equipment

If everything seems to be in place with your connections, your Nest WiFi might be suffering from random glitches, resulting in connectivity issues like a solid yellow light. These issues arise possibly because networking devices store data for a minimal time to provide instructions.

• Remove all devices (including modem) from the power plug
• After keeping them unplugged for around half a minute, put them back on, and let the device boot up properly
• If it works, the light might have turned white, and the speed test should produce the desired results.
• Now if this also doesn’t work, move to other solutions.

4. Check for Internet Outages

Other than those mentioned above, the Nest WiFi pulses yellow because the internet has gone down while setting up or operating, or there might be some service maintenance issues.

• Check if any of your smart devices can connect to the internet. If they do, run a speed test to ensure it’s right, or try rebooting the device.
• Set up a wired connection with the devices to check the signal strength. If everything seems fine, then move on to the next section.
• And if you suspect any issue, you may want to call your service provider, as they should talk you through the steps to get online. Or if there’s a power outage, they will send representatives to get it fixed right away.

5. Check for Router Overheating

Overheating is also found to be the reason behind issues like a yellow light, and ignoring it can potentially wreck the entire thing. These issues can arise due to the blockage of heat-dissipating vents or the high workload being put on the Nest WiFi.

• If the router heats up due to excessive workload, keep it cool off by restarting it. For that, press the power button after unplugging the power cord. Keep it that way till it gets cool.
  
• Try to keep your router in a well-ventilated or open space, rather than in a closed cabinet or crowded shelf. While using it, ensure nothing is lying on top of it.
• Clean the heat-dissipating vents properly using a soft brush compressed air duster.
• Once you are done with the cleaning, try using the router to see if it's not overheating.

6. Update the Router Firmware

If you ignore firmware updates over time, running outdated firmware can cause problems in your Google WiFi. Therefore, it’s important to update the firmware whenever is available.

Failure to update the firmware results in frequent disconnections, and yellow lights, among others. Going forward, be sure to update the firmware to its latest version as soon as possible.

• Open the Google WiFi app and search for the advanced option, click it, and go on to select the administration option.
• Then, select the “update router” option.
• If any new update is available, download it.
• If not, proceed to the next step.

7. Reset Google Nest WiFi

If none of the above-mentioned methods works and the yellow light persists, the ultimate solution left for you is to reset the router.

Note: Resetting a device means all your stored data and information is gone forever. This information can be your network name, password, settings, optimizations, MAC filters, etc.

Steps to reset:

• Open the Google WiFi app
• Tap the settings tab and move on to select Network and General
• Then, find and click WiFI point, where you get the option “Factory reset”
• It will ask you to confirm, so click ok.

8. Contact Google Support

If the issue still pertains, it’s time to leave it to the experts. You can reach out to the Google representatives by sending them an email highlighting your issues at [email protected]. Ensure to send some clear images and any supporting documents attached to the email.

Frequently Asked Questions