Technicolor Modem/Router Lights: Explained with States

Technicolor modems and routers are used by various internet providers, particularly CenturyLink. They feature a series of LEDs on their front. They’re there to make things easier.

Once you grasp what lights on the Technicolor modems/routers mean, your job of figuring out in case of any connectivity issue becomes far easier. So, let’s get going!

The following sections clarify each of the symbols in detail with details like ideal state, and what needs to be looked into in case you catch it in a non-ideal state.

1. Power

• Meaning: The device is powered
• Ideal Light Color: Solid Green

Different states of Power light and their meanings:

• Solid Green: The device is connected to power and ready to operate.
• Off or No Light: It refers to a lack of power supply. If the device is connected to the power source, look for any loose connections or voltage fluctuations.
• Flashing Green/Orange: If denotes the system is validating its firmware. Ensure the device is connected to power and wait 10-15 for the process to complete.
• Solid Red: It could show a firmware or hardware-based issue. Try a manual reset by pressing the button for 30 seconds. If that doesn’t solve your issue, contact the manufacturer or ISP.

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2. DSL

• Meaning: The device is connected to a DSL network
• Ideal Light Color: Solid Green 

Different states of DSL light and their meanings:

• Solid Green: It shows that a DSL-based network is active and in use.
• Off or No Light: A non-DSL-based internet connection is active and in use.
• Flashing Green: The modem is looking for a DSL network. If the flashing speeds up, it attempts to connect to the DSL network.
• Solid Red: The modem failed to establish a connection. Contact your ISP for account activation and authentication process.

3. Internet

• Meaning: The device is connected to the network.
• Ideal Light Color: Solid Green

Different states of Internet light and their meanings:

• Solid Green: The device is connected to the network and things are in line.
• Flashing Green: The device is sending or receiving data.
• Off or No Light: The device is in bridge mode and part of the LAN network.
• Flashing Green/Red: The device is auto-configuring or initializing the network. If it doesn’t stop blinking, contact your service provider for any information related to maintenance or outages.
• Solid Red: The network authentication has failed. Verify the credentials and network settings before attempting to connect again.
• Solid Orange: It signifies the modem is not activated. Contact your ISP for an online or offline-based activation process. Keep the MAC address, and S/N number handy.

4. WAN/LAN

• Meaning: Active WAN/LAN port
• Ideal Light Color: Solid Green

Different states of WAN/LAN light and their meanings:

• Solid Green: This LED lights up if your connection is fiber-based. A solid green refers to the network connected to WAN or a local network.
• Flashing Green: The device is actively transmitting data.
• Off or No Light: The port is not connected to any network if the WAN/LED light is turned off.

Steps to fix WAN/LAN connection not working:

1. Check for any faulty/damaged wires connecting to ONT.
2. Ensure all the wires are finger-tight at both ends.
3. Once you have ruled out all these, contact your ISP for further help.

5. Ethernet (1 to 4)

• Meaning: Active LAN port 
• Ideal Light Color: Solid Green

Different states of Ethernet lights and their meanings:

• Solid Green: When you are using Ethernet cables to connect devices, the corresponding LEDs will turn solid.
• Flashing Green: Active data transmission between the client devices and modem will make the lights flash green.
• Off or No Light: The device is not connected to the ethernet port. Check for the Ethernet cable in use. Replace it with a new one. If that doesn’t work.

6. USB

• Meaning: Active USB port
• Ideal Light Color: Solid Green

Different states of USB light and their meanings:

• Solid Green: An external USB device is attached to the USB port in the modem.
• Flashing Green: There is an active data transfer in the USB device.
• Off or No Light: The USB light remains turned off if the port is not in use. It could also mean that either the External device is faulty or not compatible. When the USB port is disabled, you will see the LED turned off. You can enable the port by logging into the admin portal.
• Go to settings, turn the toggle button, or check the box to use the USB port.

 7. Wireless

• Meaning: Wi-Fi is active
• Ideal Light Color: Solid Green

Different states of Wireless light and their meanings:

• Solid Green: When the WiFi is active, the corresponding LED turns solid green.
• Flashing Green: If the client devices use the wireless network for data transfer, you’ll notice the Technicolor modem flashing green.
• Orange: If you’ve temporarily turned the WiFi off, the LED will turn orange.
• Off or No Light: If the LED indicators are turned off, it means the WiFi is not active. When the Wi-Fi is disabled, the lights are turned off. You can enable/disable the WiFi by logging into the admin portal.

Steps to enable/disable wireless:

• Go to the basic settings page, and click on the wireless section.
• Check/uncheck the box to activate/disable the wireless.
• If the Wi-Fi band is active, but the lights are off, contact customer support for further help on this matter. You might deal with a hardware-related issue.

8. WPS

• Meaning: WPS is active and enabled
• Ideal Light Color: Solid Green

Different states of WPS light and their meanings:

• Solid Green: The WPS is successful or the button is pressed. It stays on for a few minutes before automatically turning off.
• Flashing Orange: The authentication is underway.
• Flashing Red: The WPS authentication has failed.
• Off or No Light: Once the WPS authentication window is complete, the light turns off automatically. The WPS can be disabled for security reasons. In that case, the LED will remain turned off. Enable the WPS in the admin portal before starting the authentication.

Steps to enable WPS:

• Log in to the admin portal using the default credentials.
• Go to settings and navigate to the advanced tab
• In the Wireless tab, Check for WPS
• Check/Uncheck the box, if you want to enable/disable
• Apply and save settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding status indicator lights is imperative to determine the current state of the internet connection. This article makes the process easier by listing all symbols, states, and steps required for troubleshooting. If the issue remains unresolved, reach out to your ISP or OEM for assistance.