Xfinity Router Blinking Orange: Meaning and How to Fix it

The lights on the router are a pretty good indicator of the current state of the device and the network itself. Usually, we see those lights blinking or being solid, but it is good to know what the color and behavior (solid light or a blinking one) represent.

One such case is the Xfinity router blinking orange light issue. If we take a quick look at the help section of Xfinity’s website, we will see that the orange light flashing on the xFi Gateway (3rd Generation) and the xFi Advanced Gateway is stated as “all other color combinations”. 

Xfinity

Source – Xfinity

Additionally, it says that the orange light blinking on your Xfinity router indicates that the device is connecting to the Xfinity systems.

What Makes the Xfinity Router Blinking Orange?

As Routerleds.com notes, one of the reasons for a blinking orange light on the Xfinity router is a firmware upgrade. If this is the case, don’t power off the router. Wait till the firmware upgrade completes.

Another reason for the orange blinking light can be a damaged or malfunctioning splitter.

Service outage because of bad weather or scheduled maintenance.

A defective router or modem can be the reason as well.

If you are using the xFi Advanced Gateway (XB8), you will see the orange blinking light when the ethernet cable modem doesn’t connect to the network. The most common reason for this is a poor signal.

As you can see, there are several different reasons that make the Xfinity router blink orange. Here is what you can do to fix it. If the fixes given in this article don’t solve your problem, you will have to contact support. However, let’s see what you can do to fix this problem first.

Let’s start!

How to Fix the Xfinity Modem Blinking Orange Problem

As stated in the manual, the orange light may indicate that the router is connecting to Xfinity systems. If this is the reason, you will have to wait for about 15 minutes, and when the process completes, the router lights should be back to normal. However, if the blinking continues after this period, try the following to resolve the issue.

Don’t Act Immediately

As we have mentioned that the blinking orange light (or blinking orange and green) may indicate a firmware upgrade running at the moment, so it is better to give the router some time for the firmware upgrade to complete. However, if you think the blinking lasts for too long, you can start applying the following fixes one by one.

Service Outage

Service outages can affect the signal strength, which can trigger the orange light to start blinking. Since we have to give our router some time before we start fixing the issue, this is something you can try without any concerns that it will cause damage to the router.

Use your smartphone and the Xfinity Modem App to check for service outages. Once the service outage ends, the blinking orange light should be fixed. All you can do in case of an outage is to wait or get in touch with your Internet Service Provider to get some additional info.

xFi Gateway Offline

Another way to see whether the outage is causing the problem is to visit DownDetector.com and see whether other users are reporting issues with Xfinity.

In case none of the suggested methods confirms that an outage is responsible for the orange blinking light, you can try the following quick-fix solution.

Reboot the Router

Rebooting or power cycling the router should always be your number one solution. The reason is that this simple process can fix all kinds of problems and glitches, and it’s not invasive at all. If it doesn’t fix the problem, you can skip to the next solution. 

Restart

But first, let’s see how to reboot the router.

You can reboot the Xfinity router using the Xfinity App, or you can do it manually.

Since the internet connection is probably off (because of the blinking orange light on your router), the Xfinity App won’t help much. Instead, you can do it manually. Just unplug the router from the power source and plug it back in after 10-15 seconds. Yes, it’s that simple.

If the Xfinity router blinking orange is still there go to the next solution.

Check the Splitter

A damaged or malfunctioning splitter is another reason for this problem. You can check this by connecting the internet cable directly to the router. Check whether the router blinking orange light is still present. If it’s not, replace the splitter.

Check the Cables

This generally doesn’t happen often, but when we are replacing our equipment, cleaning around it, or moving the router to a better place to improve the wireless signal, we may unintentionally disconnect a power cable or ethernet cable (if you are on wired connections), make the connection loose, or simply connect the cable to the wrong port. All of this can result in an Xfinity modem blinking orange. Try using brand-new cables and a different coax port. 

To fix this, you need to check all the cables and see whether they fit firmly into the appropriate ports. Always check both ends of the cable. Also, make sure that the cable is connected to the correct port.

Hard Reset the Router

In a way, resetting a router is similar to rebooting, but there’s a huge difference. While both processes give a fresh start to your gateway/router, the factory reset is much more invasive. It erases all custom settings (and puts back the factory settings), and you have to configure your Xfinity gateway/router afresh – name your Wi-Fi network, change your Wi-Fi password, etc. 

So, why are we doing if reverting factory settings is so invasive? There’s a tiny chance that some custom-made changes, like DNS server changes or changes in the DHCP settings, are causing the issue. Also, some glitches and software bugs can only be removed by resetting the gateway/router.

To reset your Xfinity modem, look for the reset button on the back. Most Xfinity routers have a reset switch, and it looks like the one in the picture below (XB6 gateway).

reset button on the back

Once you locate it, you have to use a paper clip or some other sharp object to press it. Hold it for 10-15 sec – you should see the light blinking. Release it, and wait for it to reboot.

If your gateway doesn’t have a dedicated reset switch (XB7 and XB8), you will have to press and hold the WPS button on the back for 30-60sec. We couldn’t find this information in the manual or on the Xfinity modem website but we’ve managed to find a video on YouTube explaining the reset process for XB7. According to the comments, this method works.

Resetting XB7 Advanced Gateway

Malfunctioning Xfinity Router

If you’ve been using the same router for many years, it is probably telling you that it’s time for a new one. On the other hand, if you started renting the router not so long ago, it is better to contact Xfinity tech support to check the problem, which leads us to the final step.

Get in Touch with Xfinity Tech Support

In case you haven’t managed to fix the Xfinity router’s blinking orange problem, the last step is to reach out to your internet service provider and contact Xfinity support. They can try to fix the problem remotely or send a tech guy to your address.

Xfinity

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Is It Safe to Stop the Xfinity Router Firmware Upgrade?

Answer: One of the reasons for the blinking orange light on your Xfinity router is a firmware upgrade happening at the moment. Since some of the fixes include restarting the router, it is important to know that stopping the firmware upgrade or interfering with it can damage the router

Because of that, it is best to wait till it completes. In most cases, it shouldn’t last longer than 15 minutes. It is better to give it some time before you start troubleshooting the problem.

Question: What Color Should the Light on My Xfinity Modem Be?

Answer: When everything is working properly, the LED light on your Xfinity router should be solid white (no blinking white light or solid red light). It means that the device is online and functioning.

Question: How to Reset Your Xfinity Router?

Answer: In some cases, we suggest this solution, but the problem is that you have to set up the Xfinity modem from scratch after that. If you decide to do this manually, you need to press and hold the reset button at the back of the router for half a minute. The router will reboot, and once it boots up again, you can set it up.

Final Thoughts

The Xfinity router blinking orange is not a normal router behavior and should be resolved as soon as possible. Try all the solutions given above before you contact Xfinity support.

Also, if it looks too difficult to try to fix the orange light problem on your own, you can get in touch with the support team immediately. There is nothing wrong with that. After all, the goal is to have a working and fully functional home network, and you’re already paying for it.

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