• What Do The Lights On The NBN Box Mean?
  • What Does The Red Light Mean?
  • What Do The Blinking Lights Mean?

The flickering lights of the Internet modem you have are a thing of curiosity, but these are more than decorations or lights to tell you where the device is should you need to troubleshoot or turn it off.

These box lights on your NBN device have their indications. They tell you the status of the connection, or whether there is limited connectivity.

Have you been able to talk to customer support at one moment your connection was cut, perhaps due to inclement weather? They will usually tell you to take a look at these lights. By then on, you have known how to read these lights.

But what about your NBN box? Here’s an overview of what these lights mean.

Power Light

When the Blue light is on, it indicates that power runs in the device. This is normal and should not bother you. Head over to your smartphones, TV sets, consoles, or computers to continue on.

Connection Light

These are the colours of your connection light: 

  • No colour / turned off
  • Blue blinking
  • Solid blue 
  • Solid red blinking
  • Alternating red and blue

No light means that the device is turned off and when it is turned on, but the light is not showing any colour, check your cables to troubleshoot. In this case, what you need to look for with your cables is whether they are properly plugged into the right jacks. If nothing happens, connect with the provider’s customer support team.

The blue blinking light means that the device is loading to start. The setup is usually for 20 minutes. However, others are beginning to use their devices with the connection even before this ends. While it is alright, the safest way is to wait for the setup to finish. This is because the blue blinking light is an indication that there are no errors with the connection before it will turn into stable blue light. 

Furthermore, the blue light should indicate that the device is working. A solid blue light means that you now have an active and working internet connection. You can use all your devices to their full potential. This is the time to celebrate! 

If you see a solid red light and blinking, you must know there is something wrong with your NBN box. Immediately contact your phone or Internet service provider. They may tackle how to troubleshoot over the phone, or request a site visit.

More often than not, the issue is connected to the cables and not with the device. The customer support will guide you on how to check this, or they will directly go to your place for checking. In some cases, the red light blinking is an indication that there is no internet connection. This can be caused by scheduled maintenance in your area or a technical problem in the network.

When the light alternates from blue to red and circulates between, there seems to be a line fault. What you can do is disconnect all devices non-compatible with the NBN box from the phone wall sockets. If the flickering light alternates from blue to red and vice-versa continues, call the support team of your service provider. This is because the issue is with the connection and not your device.

These are the basics of what you need to know about the lights on your NBN box. While they may seem daunting at first, it will be a breeze once you get used to them. After all, these just tell you the status of your Internet connection! Just remember: stable blue light means you’re good to go. Any other light configuration, and it might be time to give customer support a call.

DSL Light

The DSL light may also have the following colours:

  • No colour
  • Solid blue
  • Blue blinking

The device is turned off or the DSL connection is not working if it shows no colour or flickering at all. The solid blue light indicates synchronization and is normal.

The blinking blue light indicates that the synchronisation is in process. After a while, it will turn to solid blue.

In case the light keeps blinking or there’s no colour, it means that the line is not receiving a DSL signal. This can be caused by filters that need to be removed or by loose telephone sockets.

After you have removed the filters and checked the telephone sockets, the DSL light should turn blue and stop blinking. If it doesn’t, then there may be a problem with the line or the equipment. In this case, you should contact your service provider.

Local Area Network (LAN) Light

The blue or amber solid or blinking light of the local area network may indicate normal data flow between the NBN connection box and the wireless Internet gateway. Should you notice no light flickering or solid light, check the cables or contact customer support. This may mean that there is an issue with your equipment.

Important reminders

There are boxes and devices that have a green colour, instead of the blue one. Each node, whether this is FTTP or FTTC, will have different light colours. However, the indicators and their meanings remain the same. It is important to speak with the sales representative to clarify the light colours of the device you are using. Rest assured that the process of checking the status is the same, regardless of the hues.

Another important reminder is that the lights of each connection type have different behaviour. With this, you should not expect that the five lights on your HFC will function as the three lights on your FTTC node. The number of indicator lights may also differ depending on the technology used in your area.

Lastly, take note that some service providers would require specific hardware for their connection type. For example, an FTTP connection would need an optical network terminal while an HFC technology would need a cable modem. Make sure to ask your provider about this so you can be prepared with the right equipment.

Now that you know more about the lights on your NBN box, it will be easier for you to monitor the status of your Internet connection. Should you have any concerns, do not hesitate to contact your service provider for assistance.

Conclusion

Learning more about nbnTM network box’s lights will arm you with the necessary troubleshooting steps you need so you can maximize usage while waiting for the repair team to visit your site.

Experiencing downtimes with your broadband Internet connection is normal, especially with the constantly changing weather patterns. Take heed of these guidelines, and get yourself more familiar with them.