Imagine being excited to start your workday but you find your Verizon Fios router blinking white instead of showing a steady light. An indication that something is amiss with your internet connection.
The Verizon Fios router is a great investment for any digitally-connected home. It is dependable, versatile, easy to set up, and can provide you with super-fast internet service. However, you may occasionally run into connection issues that may be challenging to troubleshoot if you’re unfamiliar with its configuration.
The Verizon Fios router blinking white is one such common issue. Let’s jump in and go over what this means, what causes it, and 5 ways to troubleshoot it.
A Brief Summary of Verizon’s LED Color-Coding on Their Routers
Did you know that your router is capable of displaying up to five distinct colors? These indicator lights give you an insight into what’s going on with your internet service.
Here is what these 5 colors mean:
- Red Light: It signals a potentially severe problem, which can range from hardware failure to router overheating.
- Yellow Light: This indicates no connection to the internet. If you want to know how to troubleshoot the yellow light on Verizon Fios routers, we suggest that you also read our article about it which presents 7 helpful solutions.
- Green Light: This indicates that the user has disconnected their Wi-Fi connection.
- Blue Light: It means that your router is actively pairing with Verizon’s servers while it’s blinking. Once you establish the connection, the light turns solid blue.
- White Light: When the LED is blinking rapidly, it is an indication that it’s booting up. If the white LED is steady, it means that your router and internet connection is functioning normally.
With this said, the flashing white light on your Verizon router may follow after a hard reset to show that it’s currently rebooting up and connecting to Verizon’s servers.
However, if it didn’t stop blinking and never moves through the pairing process OR turns into a solid white light, then you know that the router is in a continuous reboot cycle, as noted below.
What Does The Verizon Router Blinking White Mean?
Verizon Fiber Optic Service (FIOS) Routers blink white if they are encountering an error loop while trying to boot up. This means that the router isn’t completing its startup sequence and is repeatedly failing in its attempts to start up.
To confirm if this is indeed the cause of your woes, check if your Verizon Wi-Fi router is blinking white at regular intervals. If it is, it’s likely your Verizon FIOS router is going through an infinite reset cycle. This requires you to use the troubleshooting steps below.
What Can Cause the Fios Router Blinking White Error?
There are several likely culprits when determining why your router is failing to complete its boot process. These can range from problems with the device to issues with Verizon’s servers. Determining the cause first can save you a great deal of time and spare you from frustration.
- Outdated Software/Firmware. Missing software/firmware updates typically cause the router to not respond properly. It is also possible that this is simply an incorrect reading of the LED, or the router no longer knows how to connect to Verizon.
- Verizon Server Issues. Being unable to connect for a prolonged period could also indicate that the problem is not with your router but with Verizon’s servers instead. This is usually easy to determine by checking Verizon’s server status.
- Hardware Malfunctions. Hardware problems can range in severity and may be as simple as a defective LED, which is usually apparent as the said diode blinking dimly or erratically. If restarting the router appears to have no effect, consider the possibility that you may need to replace the unit.
Contacting Verizon customer service may be the conclusive step in fixing your router. However, there are a number of steps you can take beforehand to fix the router yourself.
5 Methods to Fix a Verizon Router Blinking White
Now, that we identified the root causes behind the Fios router blinking white, you can start using the solutions in this section to put an end to your blinking white light woes.
These solutions are straightforward yet highly likely to resolve whatever is causing your issue – no more endless flashing! To maximize your chances of fixing the issue before reaching out to Verizon customer support, attempt these fixes in sequential order.
1. Check if All Your Cable Connections Are Seated Correctly
If you’re experiencing a Verizon router blinking white, check to ensure that all cabling is properly and securely fastened. Verizon routers typically use a coaxial cable and ethernet connector, so if either of these is loose or dislodged, then you’ll likely see the Verizon Fios router blinking white.
- For the Ethernet cable, remove it from the back of the router and re-connect it. You will hear a definitive click after placing them correctly. Your Ethernet cable will have a little locking tab on it that looks like a little “arm” that secures it in place. If this has broken off, you may need to replace your cable as the absence of a locking mechanism may be causing it to come loose.
- If you clean a lot around your router, lifting it up and setting it back down in the process, the power cable may have come loose. Double-check this by removing it from the back of the router and plugging it back in.
- Thoroughly examine the cables for any signs of fraying or damage. Verizon router cables can fray at their ends, especially if you forcefully yank or tug them or have pets that habitually chew on cords (cats can be bad for this). You may need to replace these cables if you see any signs of unraveling, as this may be what’s causing your router’s continuous reboot cycle.
2. Run a Hard Reboot on Your Verizon Fios Router
Once you are 100% sure that all of your cables are seated properly and are not damaged, then the next step is to try a hard reboot.
A hard reboot will help clear out any software glitches that may have occurred during the Verizon Wi-Fi router’s initial boot process. This is an extremely simple process you can do by following these steps:
- Disconnect your Verizon FIOS router from the power source completely.
- Unplug the power cord from the back of your Verizon router.
- Unplug the power brick/block from your wall’s outlet.
- Once the light from the Verizon Wi-Fi router turns off, wait 1-2 minutes.
- After some time has passed, plug the power brick back into the wall.
- Then plug the power cord back into the back of the router.
- This will fully reset the Verizon FIOS router and should clear out any software-related issues.
It may take 5 minutes or more for your router to fully restart, considering that it doesn’t run into the Verizon Wi-Fi router blinking white light error again. If it does, move on to the next 3 steps below.
3. Check Verizon’s Server Status
It’s also possible that your Verizon router is blinking white, not because there is an issue with the router itself. Perhaps Verizon’s servers are experiencing some downtime and no customers are able to connect to the servers at the moment.
Fortunately for us, Verizon has a spot on its website that allows you to sign in with your account to check the status of the servers. It is common for internet service providers to experience service outages from time to time, especially after a calamity, or when they are performing upgrades or line maintenance.
If you sign into the website and see that service is out in your area, you will have to wait for the service to return. Once service has been restored, the flashing white light on your Verizon router should turn a solid white by itself. Until then, you have to keep checking the status of the servers or your router to find out if the service has been restored.
4. Reset to Factory Defaults – Extreme Option
Another solution is to reset your router to factory defaults. But we should warn you that in doing so you will erase all stored settings and login credentials. So, it’s VERY important that you write down ALL of your router’s configuration settings and your login credentials BEFORE doing a factory default reset.
Otherwise, you won’t be able to get your router back to working condition if you forgot any of them. If that happens, you need to contact Verizon customer support to get them to input the router’s settings for you.
The main reason to reset to factory defaults is to reverse issues that have occurred after setup, like faulty firmware upgrades or software glitches.
- On the back of your Verizon Fios router, find the tiny reset button. This button is usually hidden inside a tiny pinhole, so you may have to get a pin or needle to push the button down.
- Press and hold this button down for 20-30 seconds.
- Let go of holding it down, and allow the router to begin the reboot process.
- You will still see the flashing white light on your Verizon router, but once it has gone through the entire reboot process, it should stop.
- If the router connects to the internet, you can access your router’s dashboard using a browser and your IP address to input the configuration settings you want.
- If the router does not connect to the internet, you will need to contact a customer support representative from Verizon to walk you through setting up your router again.
If at this point, your Verizon Wi-Fi router is still blinking white and is clearly stuck in the reboot cycle, you really need to contact a customer support agent.
5. Contact Verizon Support for Further Help
If the 4 troubleshooting steps above did not fix the router’s blinking light error, then it’s time to contact Verizon support for further help.
It may be that Verizon needs to replace your router, or a technician needs to come to your home and take a look at the hardware and lines. You may be asked what troubleshooting steps you’ve already taken, and if it’s found that the router is faulty, a new one will be sent out to you for replacement.
Verizon Fios Router is Blinking White, Resolved!
As advanced and dependable as Verizon’s Fios router is, it still possesses its own handful of issues like most technological marvels. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to get it back in working order and restore your internet connection.
If by any chance you find your device connected to Wi-Fi but still can’t access the internet, we can also help you with this issue. We suggest that you click the link to our tutorial that specifically addresses this matter.
If you’ve already gone through all the above steps and still have questions, check out below what others have also asked.
FAQs on Verizon Fios Router Blinking White Light
Aside from the fixes laid out above, here are some frequently asked questions related to this topic that also beg for answers:
Rebooting the router is not typically necessary, however, rebooting once a month can help keep it running smoothly.
Specific settings may vary. However, you can access these settings by doing the following:
1. Connect to the internet through your router as normal.
2. Open your internet browser and type 192.168.1.1 in the address bar. Hit Enter.
3. Type in your username and password. These should have been set up initially with your router.
4. You should now be free to access the router settings.
If you have any more questions about your Verizon router blinking white, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to respond and help!
