Verizon Fios Router Yellow Light: Meaning & What To Do

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Verizon has been at the forefront of communication technology for over 20 years, offering data, video, and voice solutions and services.

Known especially for its wireless network services, Verizon is a popular name in households and corporate spaces the world over. “Verizon Fios” is the company’s bundled residential telephone, internet access, and television service that finds its place in many homes across the US today.

Despite a relatively solid track record in terms of speeds and overall quality of connectivity, the Verizon Fios router may nonetheless encounter issues that lead to disruptions in internet connectivity.

A common issue that many users encounter is a solid yellow light instead of the usual white light.

Indicating a loss of connectivity, the solid yellow light can be dealt with in a couple of different ways. In this article, we discuss the implications of the Verizon Fios router yellow light and various ways of troubleshooting the issue. Read on to find out more.

What Do Verizon Router Blinking Lights Mean?

The Fios router comes with a unified button on its front panel for easy access to the pairing mode and the WiFi Protected Setup (WPS). This unified button, through different colors of LED light, indicates the current status of your internet connectivity at a glance.

There are five possible colors that you may see on your Fios router, each representative of a different status of connectivity.

White Light

  • A fast-blinking white light indicates that your router is booting
  • A solid white light means that the router is on, has established an internet connection, and is working as intended.

Blue Light

  • A slowly blinking blue light on your Verizon Fios router indicates that it has entered pairing mode
  • Once pairing is successful, the blue light turns solid.

Green Light

  • A solid green light means that WiFi has been switched off.

Red Light

  • A solid red light is indicative of a system or hardware failure, while a slowly blinking red light signifies that pairing was unsuccessful.
  • If the red light is blinking fast, it means that the router is overheating.

Yellow Light

  • A solid yellow light on the Fios router indicates that there is no internet connection. Finally, if the light is off, it means that your router is powered off.

Verizon Fios Router Yellow Light: How to Fix

So, your Verizon Fios router LED status indicator is yellow—what now?

It’s critical to bear in mind that the loss of connectivity may be the result of the router not functioning optimally or an issue on your ISP’s end. Sadly, it is very common for users to spend hours troubleshooting a faulty internet connection, only to find that their entire neighborhood or town is suffering an outage. No amount of help guides, Youtube videos, or troubleshooting forums will save you if Verizon is experiencing an outage!

While it’s always a judicious idea to try troubleshooting your router on your own before you contact your provider, if that does not fix the issue then the trouble is most likely not on your end.

Nonetheless, here are a few things you can try if you run into a yellow light on your Fios router.

Reboot the Router

Turning it off and then on again may be a cliche answer at this point, but, more often than not, it is the best one!

If your Verizon Fios router has lost internet connectivity, the first thing you should try is restarting or rebooting it.

To restart your router, follow these steps:

  1. Turn the router off and unplug it from the power source
  2. If your router uses a backup battery, disconnect that as well
  3. Wait for approximately 2 minutes
  4. Plug the router back in, switch it on, and reconnect the backup battery if any
  5. Wait for your router to complete the booting process

If power cycling your router works, you will see a fast-blinking white light followed by a solid white light indicating that your router is now connected to the internet.

If it does not work, continue with the troubleshooting process.

*It is important to note that routers are notoriously slow to start up and connect. Just because you aren’t back online within a minute or two following a reset, don’t give up hope! Oftentimes, your best bet is to wait for a full 5 (or even 10) minutes.

Restart the ONT and Ensure It is Connected to the Router

The ONT or Optical Network Terminal, if faulty, can lead to a dropped internet connection.

The first step is to locate your ONT; it may have been installed on the inside or outside of your home.

Turn off your router, disconnect the ONT from its power supply, remove the battery from the ONT if any, and wait for a minimum of 2 minutes (while waiting you can bust out 30 pushups and try not to think about rising food costs).

Then, insert the battery back in, reconnect the ONT to its power source, wait for all the green LED indicators on the ONT to flash on, and finally turn your router back on.

Once your Verizon Fios router is booted back up, your internet connection should be functioning normally.

Ensure the Ethernet Cable is Working

Damaged or loose cables are often at the root of a disrupted internet connection. The same may be the case with your Fios router.

Check to ensure that your Ethernet cable is connected properly on both ends. Listen for a click sound when plugging the Ethernet cable into the port to ensure that it is not loose.

Similarly, ensure that there is no visible damage to any of the cables or that none of them are bent out of shape. Rodents and insects can often cause damage to exposed cables or prolonged use may cause cables to come apart.

Ensure all cables are firmly connected to the right ports and that the connectors are undamaged.

A cable tester can be picked up on the cheap and used to easily diagnose your cables. Ideally, you should just replace the cable and try connecting again, rather than spending money on a tester.

Check if the Router is Overheating

If all your cables and connectors are intact and plugged into the correct ports, the issue may just be that your Verizon Fios router has overheated.

Even though present-day routers come with the necessary precautions to prevent overheating, it may still happen every now and then. An overheated router may cause your internet connection to slow down if not stop working altogether.

An overheated Fios router may be a result of blocked or clogged vents leading to inadequate heat regulation. Make sure that the vents on your router are not being blocked off by furniture or draperies, and are not clogged up with dust.

Pet hair, dirt, and poor router placement (i.e. sitting on the floor, hidden in a drawer, etc.) can result in clogged vents and poor airflow.

If this is the cause behind your Verizon Fios router yellow light, then clearing up the vents and allowing proper heat dissipation can solve the issue. If the router is hot to the touch, be sure to let it return to room temperature before attempting to connect again.

If the problem recurs regularly, relocate your router to an area that receives a lot of fresh air and ensure that it is not placed close to solid walls.

Unplug and Replug the Ethernet Cable

Another process similar to restarting your Fios router is unplugging and replugging the Ethernet cable. Doing so can often restore your connectivity and get your internet back up and running in no time.

To do this, unplug the Ethernet cable, turn off and unplug the router, turn the router back on, and once the booting process is complete, plug in the Ethernet cable. If a simple restart did not help, this process just might.

If you see corrosion on the contacts of your cable, you can try cleaning it out with a cloth and a few drops of isopropyl alcohol. This might fix the issue.

Run a Factory Reset

Running a factory reset on your Verizon Fios router should be a last resort. Resetting it will lead your router to go back to its original factory settings.

If you have made any changes to your router’s settings to optimize it for your use, you will have to manually change them once again.

Resetting your router does, however, have certain benefits — the most important being that it clears your cache data. A factory reset is also beneficial from a security perspective.

To reset your Fios router, locate the pinhole reset button on its back. While the router is powered on, press down the reset button with a small pointed object, like a paperclip, and hold it down for 15 seconds. Your router will then take a few minutes to reset fully and reboot.

Once your router is back to its factory settings, reconfigure it to your preferences and set a new username and password. Running a factory reset on your Verizon Fios router should restore your internet connectivity.

Contact Verizon Support

If none of these troubleshooting methods work and the yellow light on your Fios router is still on, your router may be faulty or the problem may not be on your end.

The issue could also be a service outage or ongoing maintenance. Either way, the best way forward at this stage would be to contact support and schedule an appointment with a technician.

Support can also inform you about local outages and give you an estimated time of repair.

Maintenance of Your Verizon Fios Router: Preventing the Yellow Light

Prevention is always better than cure. While we’ve discussed in detail the methods for troubleshooting a solid yellow light on your Verizon Fios router, maintaining your router can go a long way in preventing any issues that may lead to disruptions in connectivity.

To ensure that your router is always in its best condition, follow these routine maintenance tips:

  1. Regular Cleaning: Dust and dirt can clog the router vents, which can result in overheating. Keep your router clean and dust-free. Use a soft cloth or a can of compressed air to clean the vents without damaging any components.
  2. Proper Placement: Keep the router in an open, airy space where it’s not obstructed by furniture or other household items. Make sure it’s not placed near heat sources like sunlight or heaters.
  3. Router Updates: Regular firmware updates can enhance the router’s performance and security. Always keep your router updated to the latest firmware provided by Verizon.
  4. Regular Reboots: Just like your computer or smartphone, your router can also benefit from regular reboots. This helps to clear out the memory and allows the device to install updates and self-heal any minor issues.
  5. Cable Inspection: Regularly inspect the Ethernet and power cables for any signs of wear and tear. Replace any faulty cables as soon as possible.

Key Thoughts

Going without an internet connection, even for a few hours, can be a major inconvenience to those who depend on it for work and other purposes.

As such, we have discussed some basic ways to troubleshoot the cause behind the yellow light on your Verizon Fios router.

More often than not, one of these methods will certainly get your internet back up and running in no time. Based on this, in case none of the above methods work, scheduling an appointment with a technician is your best bet.

FAQs

I have run a factory reset on my Verizon Fios router. Will I need to re-enter all my previous settings?

Yes, once you’ve performed a factory reset, your router will return to its original factory settings. You will need to reconfigure the settings according to your preferences.

I’ve tried all the troubleshooting methods but the yellow light is still on. What should I do now?

If all troubleshooting steps fail, the issue might not be with your router but with the Verizon network itself. It would be best to contact Verizon Support in this case.

Does overheating cause permanent damage to the router?

Overheating can damage your router’s hardware over time. It’s important to ensure proper ventilation for your router to avoid such damage.