What does each pilot light mean and whether it is on or off

The router, that device that serves as a gateway to the Internet in your home. Whether with fiber or formerly with ADSL, the router is what connect your home with the Internet signal that you hire, and the one that allows you to have a connection by connecting to it or with the WiFi network it generates.

And the router has a series of lights that indicate its status and that of its functions and components. Therefore, we are going to tell you in a summarized way What does each of the lights mean? and the fact that some are on and others are off. Not all routers will have all the lights, and some may have their own, but we are going to explain the main and most used ones.

Main lights of your router

We are going to give you a list of the main lights that all routers have, and what each pilot light means. We are going to do it in a summary way so that it is understandable for everyone, and also easy to understand.

• power: The on/off button, which is the single indicator that tells you when the router has power and is connected. It has the connected symbol with the open circle with the stripe at the top. This indicator light only shows that the router is on, it does not say anything about whether it is working correctly or not.
• ADSL or Fiber: It is the button that tells you the status of your home connection. It may have letters such as ADSL, Fiber, PON and LOS, or simply icons with an antenna or symbolizing the signal status. What it tells you is whether the fiber you have contracted is reaching the router. Come on, it shows you the status of the router link with the internet provider. The lights should be solid, and if they are flashing it is possible that the router is trying to connect after having a problem. If they flash permanently or do not turn on, then you have to call technical service.
• Internet: Another indicator that must always be on, which will indicate that the router has managed to establish a connection with the line. It is similar to the previous indicator.
• Phone: This indicator will be on if you have contracted a telephone line with your operator and it works correctly, and you can make calls. If you do not have a contracted telephone line, it will be turned off.
• LAN: The LAN light indicates if you have a device connected to the router via an Ethernet cable. Remember that the Internet will always go faster on devices connected via Ethernet compared to WiFi.
• Wi-Fi: The WiFi indicator, which can also appear as WLAN, lets you know if your WiFi is working and if you have devices connected to this network. When a device is connected, the light will flash constantly. This way, if you are going to turn off the router you will know if it affects any device. Some current models may have indicators that warn if the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz network is working.
• USB: If you have a USB on routerthen you may also have an indicator light that tells you if a device is connected to it.
• WPS: He WPS button The router serves to have the router’s WiFi in standby mode to allow a device to connect directly without knowing the password. How to use it may have safety hazardsyou will be informed when it is active so that you take it into account.
• Update: If this light is on, it will be because you have a firmware update for the router, and you have to enter its configuration to install it. It will only turn on on very specific occasions.

In Xataka Basics | Internet does not work at home: five alternatives to connect without using your router