Many Xfinity users may encounter a blinking blue light on their router at some point. It’s not clear what these lights mean, and if you’re like us then you tossed the manual ages ago. It doesn’t help that the actual user manual explaining the LED lights isn’t readily available on Xfinity’s site. So, what does this light mean and what do you do?
The blinking blue light on an Xfinity router usually means the device is in WPS mode, which means it is looking for Wireless devices to connect to. This lasts 2 minutes, and is triggered by hitting the button. If it keeps blinking blue, you have a technical issue to work through.
This isn’t too complicated of an issue, but if your internet is out and the light is blinking blue, then we have a little unplugging and plugging back in to do, and you may need to think about contacting Xfinity support. Let’s get started.
Understanding Xfinity Router Blinking Blue
We see a lot of issues with these routers, and if your light is blinking orange, green, or white, we have dedicated guides for that too. The blinking blue light, though, is a very interesting case.
The blinking blue light on an Xfinity router (or “xFi Gateway” as Xfinity has branded them) indicates that the device is in “WPS Pairing mode”. WPS stands for Wi-Fi Protected Setup, allowing other Wi-Fi-enabled devices to connect with the router without the need for usernames and passwords.
The manual for the xFi gateway mentions that the blinking blue light represents “WPS Mode (Times out after 2 Minutes).” This means that, if your Xfinity router’s light is blinking blue, it is trying to establish a connection using WPS, and this process should time out after two minutes if unsuccessful.
However, if the blinking blue light persists beyond the two-minute timeframe, this might indicate an issue with connectivity or signal strength between your router and the device it is attempting to connect with. You can start by power cycling–restarting–the device, before moving into the next section where we’ll talk about a hard reset.
How to Fix the Blinking Blue Light (Hard Reset)
When your Xfinity router is continuously flashing blue for more than two minutes, it’s time to take action. Before proceeding with a hard reset, we recommend waiting at least a few minutes to see if the device fixes itself.
If the blinking blue light does persist, perform a hard reset using the WPS button on your Xfinity router. Locate the WPS button (it is typically a small, circular button on the back or side of the device with a double-headed arrow pointing inward). Press and hold the WPS button for roughly 10 seconds, then release it. The router should restart and go through its pairing process again.
Once the hard reset is complete, check if the router reconnects to the internet automatically. If it doesn’t, power cycle your Xfinity router again.
To do this, unplug the power cord from the back of the device, wait about 30 seconds, and then plug it back in. Give the router a moment to reconnect, and if all goes well, the blinking blue light should disappear, indicating a successful connection.
Keep in mind that performing a hard reset will erase any customized Wi-Fi settings and restore the router to its factory defaults. If you had previously changed the network name or password, you’ll need to set it up again using the Xfinity app (iOS or Android).
Feeling Blue: Contacting Xfinity Support
If your Xfinity router’s light is still flashing blue, then you officially have yourself a sticky problem. You should go ahead and get in touch with Xfinity customer support to get some professional help, and in the meantime you can try powercycling the device and resetting it again.
Using the Xfinity app we linked above is one way to get help, and it’s also a way to check for outages and see if you simply have an outage in your area. Either way, getting in touch with Xfinity support is the next best step for you.
