How to fix orange light on modem

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In a time and age where technology is increasingly becoming an integral part of our daily lives, even the smallest issues concerning a fast, stable internet connection can negatively impact our personal and professional lives.

I’ve personally experienced such a problem, where my Cox WiFi Router would start blinking orange light, refusing to give me access to the internet.

As someone who heavily relies on online meetings and lectures for my work, I didn’t have the time to wait for Cox’s support team to identify and fix the issue.

So, I took out my phone and went hunting around the internet, trying to find ways to fix the problem, and it turned out that several other people have also encountered the same issue.

In this article, I have condensed everything there is to know about this issue, and I shall take you through the different ways to rectify the problem.

To fix the orange blinking light on your Cox router, first try rebooting the router, checking for loose cables, repositioning the router, upgrading software and hardware, and clearing its DNS cache. If nothing works, contact Cox’s technical support team.

What Does the Blinking Orange Light on the Cox Router Mean?

If your WiFi isn’t working, you will notice that your router’s LED light starts blinking orange instead of the usual green or yellowish color.

Each color represents a different state, condition, or issue of the device.

The blinking orange light means that the gateway is trying its best to connect to the network and give you internet access, whereas a solid orange color means that the router has failed to do so.

Here are some of the usual causes of this problem, understanding which will help you fix it at a quicker pace:

Loose or Worn-Out Cables and Wires

Your router’s ethernet or coaxial cable may not be connected properly or may be in the wrong port, which might be causing the issue with the network.

If you are sure that the cables are correctly positioned, the problem could still persist because of the internal composites of the wires undergoing wear and tear over the years of usage.

Damaged or Unresponsive Ports

Verify whether all the ports of the router have complete teeth.

If any of the ports lack a part or two, that may be causing the network issue.

You will need to get the damaged ports repaired or purchase a new router entirely.

IP Address or DNS Cache Glitch

A DNS Cache or IP address glitch is the most common cause for internet access blockage, as experienced by people.

The reason for this could be many, including the saved website data on your device.

Now that you may have figured out the reason for the issue with your router, here are the different ways by which you can try to solve the issue by yourself:

Reboot the Router

Sometimes, a simple restart is all it takes to fix a connection problem.

So before you proceed any further, try rebooting the entire Cox set, including the modem and the router.

The correct way to do this is by disconnecting the device or turning off power for at least 30 seconds before turning it back on.

Check for Service Outages

Sometimes it may not be your device’s fault at all. Service outages happen from time to time from the ISP’s end. So do lookout for that.

Here’s how to check for outages via the Cox website:

Login to your account, and hit on the My Account Overview Menu
From the dropdown menu that just opened, click on Manage My Equipment
If there is an outage, it will show up at the top of the screen

Alternatively, you could ring up Cox and ask them whether there is an outage, although most people would go for the former option because of Cox’s busy telephone lines.

Check for Loose/Damaged Cables

Try removing the router’s ethernet cable and reinserting it in the correct port, making sure you hear the “click” sound when you connect it back.

Apart from the ethernet cable, check the coaxial cable to see if each end is properly attached to the gateway and wall, respectively.

If the cables happen to be damaged or too worn out to function properly, you have no choice but to replace them.

Reposition the Router for Better Signal

The problem could be that the router and the device are too far apart or placed in a low signal area, leading to a fall in WiFi signal strength.

If this is the case, try bringing the device and router closer to each other.

Also, make sure that there are no obstacles between the router and the device that could possibly interfere with the signal.

If you generally face signal issues around the house, you can look out for the best mesh Wi-Fi routers for thick walls out there today.

Update Router Firmware

In order to consistently provide a stable internet connection, modems are routinely upgraded by the company to ensure they keep utilizing their maximum potential.

The reason for your connectivity issues could be that your modem is still using an older version of its firmware.

By updating the firmware via the provider’s website, you may not only fix the connectivity issue but also improve protection and upgrade the firewall.

Limit the Number of Devices Connected to the Router

The more the number of devices that simultaneously connect to your router, the more taxing it becomes on the router, and in turn, the slower it performs.

Make sure to close all useless background applications in your devices and disconnect any inactive device to improve connectivity strength.

Upgrade Your Router

It is worth your time checking whether you are using a far too old version of the router/modem Cox offers.

If your appliances are out of date, then the only solution is to purchase a new, modern one from Cox.

Clear DNS and Cache Data

The reason for your connectivity issue could be a DNS cache glitch, which is an issue that is experienced very commonly by people.

Try completely clearing your cache data, and see if it fixes the problem.

Reset the Modem

Here, we aren’t talking about a simple restart or reboot, but a complete modem reset, reverting it back to its factory settings.

In order to do this, press and hold the reset button on the gateway for over 8 seconds, or until all the LED lights go off or flash.

This solution works for problems like slow upload speeds and ethernet being slower than Wi-Fi as well.

Contact Support

If you’ve correctly followed every step detailed in this article and the problem still persists, then it’s time to get in touch with Cox’s technical support team.

Explain the issue to them, and they will either guide you through the solution or send a technician to help you with the problem.

Final Thoughts

Now you know why your Cox router blinks orange and what to do about it.

Do keep in mind that it may not always be an issue with the router but can also be a problem on the company’s side.

If there is a connection issue throughout the entire network, they will deploy a team of experts to rectify it.

Also, remember that when you reset your modem, it reverts back to its factory settings and clears all data, and you will need to set it up again.

To perform a rest only if you absolutely have to. And if you need to do it, do remember to note down your current settings before resetting.

Sometimes, simply giving it some time and allowing the company to fix things would be sufficient.

When the light on your router turns green, it means that the internet connection is back to normal.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I reset my Cox WiFi?

Press and hold the reset button on the gateway for at least 8 seconds, or till all the lights on the device turn off.

Once you restart the gateway, it will be back to its factory settings.

What does it mean when your WiFi box is blinking green?

If your WiFi box happens to be blinking green, it means the modem has detected a link with your internet service provider but hasn’t been able to establish the connection yet.

How do I reset my panoramic router password?

First, open a browser, and clear its cookies and cache. Then go to the admin portal to access the admin portal and sign in by entering the username as “admin” and password as “password”. The Change Password option shows up, where you can reset the password.