What Do the Lights on Your TP-Link Router Indicate?
All available router models come with LED lights to indicate certain functioning. And, they are a crucial component of any router. After all, it would have been quite difficult to identify your router issues without them. Your router’s lights respond according to the situation and functions. Depending on the activity of the lights, they could have various meanings.
Moreover, a certain colour or activity of lights do not have the same meaning in all router models. Here, we will see the TP-Link router lights meaning. Also, we can help you with solutions to the specific issues that they might indicate.
Which Lights does Your TP-Link Router have & What do they Mean?
The number of lights on your TP-Link router might differ depending on the model you are using. But, here are the main ones you must observe to identify any problems:
Power Light
The power LED indicates whether your router is connected to power. It should show green when you switch on your router and use it. Does it remain off after you have connected the device to power? Then, you must make sure you have connected it properly to the socket. Also, check whether you have inserted the power cable properly at both ends. If that does not work, you must simply connect the router to another power source.
WAN Light
The WAN light is supposed to flash green when connecting a powered device to the WAN port. And, it should become stable once there is traffic in either direction of the connection. So, if it keeps flashing, that means you have failed to transfer data between the devices. And, this might happen when you have not connected the cable properly. What if the WAN light remains off? If you have connected a cable to the WAN port, you must try using a different one. Also, make sure whether the router is connected to power properly. The WAN light should flash when you fix the connection to the port. Try using a different WAN port if you cannot fix the issue.
LAN Port Lights
The LAN lights would stay off until connecting a powered device to the ports. Once you do that, the LAN lights should show a stable green light. And, they should start flashing once you start transferring data. So, unlike in the case of WAN lights, flashing LAN lights indicate traffic through the connection.
Do they stay stable when you try to transfer data? Then, you can try restarting the router or simply reconnecting to its LAN port. You should face no issues transferring data to and from the LAN port after that. If the problem persists, there might be an issue with the ports. So, you must try using a different one for the time.
WPS Light
Does your TP-Link router come with a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) option? If yes, the WPS light remains off until you use this setup. Once you opt for a WPS setup, this light will be flashing. And, it should go stable within 2 minutes after that. What if it takes longer than that? Then, you might want to wait further until the setup is in progress.
If the light refuses to stop flashing, the WPS setup process might have faced an error. In such cases, you can usually get an effective solution by restarting the procedure. You can do that by restarting your router and using the WPS button again.
USB Light
Does the USB light stay off when connecting a USB device to the router? Then, that means your router does not recognise the device. So, you must try connecting a different USB device to the router. The light for the port should turn green once your router recognises the device. Until then, it should keep flashing while the identification process continues.
Phone Lights
The phone lights should remain green if your SIP account is registered successfully on your TP-Link router. Otherwise, you would find that they are off. Do you find the phone LEDs flashing? In the case of the 2Hz, it indicates that the receiver is idle and there are voice messages. And, if you find the light for 4Hz flashing, it means that at least one of the FXS ports is ringing.
WLAN Lights
The latest TP-Link routers have two WLAN lights for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. They should show a stable green colour when the Wi-Fi radio is enabled. If the Wi-Fi radio is disabled, the WLAN lights will be off. Have you connected a device to your TP-Link router over a WLAN connection? Then, these lights should flash to indicate traffic in either of the directions.
Do the WLAN lights remain stable when you try to use the connection? If yes, you must refresh the connection or use an ethernet cable. Then, check the LAN lights to make sure the connection is working.
Internet Light
The internet light can show you green or red depending on the internet connection. If it shows a stable green light, that indicates that your router is connected to the internet. And, it should start flashing whenever there is internet activity. But, what if you see a red internet light? If you are wondering, that indicates an issue with the internet connection.
You must power cycle the router by unplugging it in such cases. Then, check whether the issue persists after you turn it back on. If it does, then you can try changing the IP address from your TP-Link router’s web interface.
What if Your TP-Link Router Cannot Access the Internet?
As mentioned above, you would see a red internet light when your router does not have internet access. You must try the previously-mentioned steps for a quick solution in such situations. If they fail, make sure the WAN cable connection is firm at both ends. Also, try updating the latest firmware through the router’s web interface.
