The red internet light on the router is on. Why Wi-Fi may not work on a laptop and how to fix it

Today I decided to write an article on a very popular problem when the WLAN light on the router does not light up and there is no Wi-Fi network. That is, when the router stopped broadcasting the Wi-Fi network. Owners of routers from different manufacturers face this problem: TP-Link, ASUS, D-Link, ZyXel, Tenda, Netis, etc. It doesn’t matter what router you have. If the Wi-Fi (WLAN) indicator on it has stopped lighting and the Wi-Fi network has disappeared, then now we will try to figure out this problem.

On different routers (different manufacturers and models) The WLAN indicator looks different. But it is on almost every router. As a rule, it blinks when data is being transferred via wireless network. The light bulb itself can be labeled "Wi-Fi", "2.4GHz", or "5GHz". Or maybe just an icon

In any case, when the WLAN indicator on the router is not lit or blinking, this is no longer normal. As you already understood, WLAN is Wi-Fi. Wireless network.

Most often, the problem is the following:

• Accidentally pressed the button to turn off Wi-Fi, which is found on many routers. After pressing it, the router stops distributing the Wi-Fi network, and the WLAN light, of course, does not light up. At the same time, the router continues to work and distributes the Internet via cable. But the devices no longer see the Wi-Fi network, since it doesn’t exist.
• Some kind of glitch in the software. In this case, rebooting, resetting settings, or updating the router firmware helps. You also need to check the Wi-Fi settings in the router control panel.
• Router failure. I have seen cases more than once when a router stopped distributing a Wi-Fi network due to a technical breakdown. If all else fails, the Wi-Fi indicator still doesn’t light up, then you need to take the router in for repair. (possibly under warranty), or buy a new one. If this is your case, then take a look.

Let's check this very button that turns off Wi-Fi on the router. Let's also check what's in the control panel. Because this is most often the problem.

The WLAN light does not light up, the router does not distribute Wi-Fi. What to do?

First of all, we take our router in our hands and look for a button on it that is responsible for turning it on/off wireless wifi networks. Typically, this button is labeled "Wi-Fi", "Wireless On/Off", or simply with a wireless network icon

Some routers do not have such a button.

If you find this button, just click on it once. Wait a little and look at the WLAN indicator, it should light up. If this does not happen, then reboot the router (turn off the power for a couple of minutes), and try pressing the button again. You can press and hold for three seconds. It all depends on the router and settings. In any case, this should help, and the router should distribute Wi-Fi.

Checking the status of the Wi-Fi network in the settings

If you don’t find the button, or if the WLAN network does not appear after clicking on it, you can also check the status of the wireless network in the router’s control panel.

We connect to our router via cable, there are no options here, and go to the settings. If you don’t know how to do this, then look. It may happen that you will not be able to access the control panel, in this case, see the article. If you can’t log in and the recommendations don’t help, then most likely the router is simply broken.

If you are lucky and the control panel opens, then look for the “Wireless Network”, “Wi-Fi”, “Wireless” tab and open it. It all depends on the model of your router. Let's look at the most popular ones.

This is what Wi-Fi settings look like on routers TP-Link :

Please note that the checkbox next to "Enable Wireless Router Radio" must be checked. (Enable wireless broadcasting).

On routers ASUS Open the "Wireless Network" section, "Professional" tab. Opposite the “Enable radio module” item, the switch should be next to “Yes”.

On ZyXEL Keenetic, in the “Wi-Fi network” section there should be a checkmark next to the “Enable access point” item.

If you have some other router, then the page with the wireless network settings will not be difficult to find. If it doesn’t work out, write the model in the comments, I’ll tell you.

Nothing helps, the router does not broadcast the Wi-Fi network, the indicator does not light up

If you have already tried everything possible, but the router still does not start distributing Wi-Fi, and the WLAN light still does not light up, then most likely the router is broken. That is, the problem is not in the settings or software, but in the hardware.

What else can be done?

1. Reset your router to factory settings. Find the “Reset” button on the router, press and hold it for 10 seconds. As a rule, the button is recessed into the case, so you need to press it with something sharp. If that doesn’t work, type a query in the search on our website (at the very top), for example, “reset settings on TP-Link.” We have instructions for all popular manufacturers. Or write in the comments, I’ll tell you.
2. If you were able to access the router settings, then update the firmware. We also have many instructions for different routers on our website. Look for instructions for your model through the site search.

To be honest, these tips are unlikely to help. But, before you take the router for repairs, or go to the store for a new one, you need to try resetting the settings and updating the firmware. Well, also press the "Wi-Fi" button (if you have it), maybe there is still a problem there, and the WLAN indicator will start to light up, and the router will distribute the wireless network.

Question from a user

Good afternoon.

Tell me what can be done - yellow appears on my laptop often exclamation mark that Wi-Fi without internet access.

After a while it disappears, but constantly waiting for the network gets boring. I'm thinking of buying a cable to connect the laptop to the router directly (but then there will be no mobility) ...

Alexandra.

Good afternoon everyone.

The described problem with accessing the Internet via Wi-Fi is not that uncommon (I think that most Wi-Fi users have encountered it more than once, and will continue to encounter it...). It occurs for many reasons, and I will analyze the most basic of them in this article (so to speak, I will give recommendations for restoring the network). So...

How to restore Internet access via Wi-Fi

The appearance of the error is shown in the screenshot below - a yellow exclamation mark lights up in the tray on the Wi-Fi icon; if you move the mouse pointer over it, you will see a characteristic message. Also, users often find out that something is wrong with the network when they try to open some web page - and instead see a message in the browser stating that the resource is unavailable (and this happens with all sites).

An example of an error: when you hover over the Wi-Fi icon, Windows reports that the connection is without Internet access...

Now about the decision...

Try rebooting your router and laptop

Oh... For many problems with your computer, it is recommended to restart it. And this time is no exception either (this error often occurs after the computer wakes up from sleep mode (hibernation). The fact is that after waking up from hibernation, Windows “thinks” that it is working with the old IP address, but the router has already given it a new one - and in As a result of this lack of agreement, connection problems are observed) ...

To reboot the router, you can use a special button on the device’s case, or simply disconnect its power supply from the network for a while.

I note that in case of many connection problems, such a forced reboot helps to quickly restore network functionality...

Important!

By the way, I highly recommend checking whether there is Internet on other devices using this Wi-Fi network - on a tablet, phone, etc. This will help you understand whether the problem is in the laptop (with Windows), or a problem with the router or provider.

Diagnose problems

Windows (at least 10) has very smart network diagnostics, which many people underestimate. Meanwhile, by running it, you can correct the lion's share of errors, and at least roughly know “where to dig”...

And so, click on the icon Wi-Fi connections right-click and select (see screenshot below).

Next, the wizard will start: it will automatically check all the parameters, correct errors, restart the adapter (if necessary), and at the end of its work it will give you a message: that everything is in order and I have fixed the network, or indicate some kind of problem.

For example, in my case, the diagnostic result is “The DNS server is not responding.” This error occurs most often when there are problems with your Internet provider, or there is a communication channel break. For example, if you cut the network cable at the entrance (or simply remove the Internet cable from your router), you will see the same error...

Remark!

The article will tell you what to do if DNS servers do not respond (Internet failure and sites do not open) -

Check what's wrong with yours network cable Everything is fine

This advice follows from the previous point. First, take a look at the router itself: if everything is in order with it, one way or another, the LEDs on it should be lit and blinking (try disconnecting the Internet cable from the router, and then connecting it again - the number of lit/blinking LEDs should change, provided that everything is in order with the network cable) .

In addition, check the Internet cable from your PC to the entrance area. It is not at all uncommon for the cable to be chewed by pets or local “ghouls” to cut the cable in the entrance.

Is there a problem with your Internet provider?

Many users are in no hurry to call the provider, meanwhile, at the other end they can very quickly tell you whether everything is in order (which means you can quickly figure out whether it’s worth continuing to look for problems at home).

By the way, problems on the provider’s side are not that uncommon. You can find out about major interruptions on the provider's forums (or official websites. By the way, in these cases it is difficult to reach him by phone - they usually hang up).

Also, the provider may change the settings, forgetting to notify you (or you ignored the notification).

Try registering DNS Google or Yandex. Check your settings network connection.

Often, when the Internet is not available due to a failure of the DNS servers (in this case, most often, applications such as Skype, torrents, etc. work, but the pages do not open in the browser).

In this case, try registering DNS servers from Google or Yandex. Their stability will be higher than the DNS of many providers in our country, which means access to the Internet will be more stable...

To register DNS, you need to open the properties of the wireless connection. I'll look at it in order...

First you need to open a list of all network connections on your PC. To do this you need:

• press Win+R;
• enter ncpa.cpl ;
• press Enter.

How to view network connections in Windows 7/8/10

By the way, you may have more than one connection (as in my case), but several (you need to select the wireless option, if the English name is "Wireless...") .

After that, open properties "IP version 4 (TCP/IPv4)" . See screenshot below.

Next, you need to move one slider to the “Obtain an IP address automatically” mode (check this network connection setting!); the other one, related to DNS, set to the “Use the following addresses of DNS servers” mode - and register DNS from Google 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (or from Yandex 77.88.8.8). See the screenshot below.

Save the settings and check the network functionality.

Check your router settings

Wi-Fi without an Internet connection often occurs due to a faulty router settings. Or, alternatively, your Internet service provider may have changed the settings required to access the network. For example, not long ago I was faced with the fact that my provider changed the login for accessing the Internet via the PPPoE protocol (the sad thing is that no one notified about this... Therefore, in the previous steps, I recommended asking the provider if everything is okay...) .

In general, setting up a router is a separate and large topic. Therefore, in this step I will provide a couple of links to my articles on this topic. I recommend checking it out.

How to connect and configure a new one Wi-Fi router do it yourself - instructions with pictures -

How to enter the router settings, and what to do if the settings do not open -

Test your network without antivirus or firewall

Well, the last thing I recommend is to temporarily disable your antivirus and firewall. This, of course, happens infrequently, but still, it happens that for security reasons and care for the user, they block the network (especially, the Norton IS antivirus used to sin with this when setting maximum level protection. Apparently, they restricted the user from everything where it was hypothetically possible to pick up an infected file).

Most modern antiviruses can be disabled via their tray icon. For example, with Avast antivirus- this is done simply: just select the item "Manage Avast Screens" - and then specify the time for which the antivirus will be disabled. Everything is simple and fast...

To disable the firewall built into Windows, first go to control Panel . Next you need to open the section " System and safety" , then “Windows Defender Firewall” (see screenshot below).

Then click on the menu on the left "Turn the firewall on or off...".

Set all sliders to mode and save the settings.

After checking and setting up the Wi-Fi connection, it is recommended to turn on both the antivirus and firewall (and adjust them accordingly if they were causing Wi-Fi instability. For example, you can reduce the security level they provide from maximum to medium) .

Additions on the topic are welcome (constructive criticism too).

More than once, in comments to various articles, I have answered questions related to the Internet connection indicator (WAN) on TP-Link routers. For many, it lights up orange, and therefore the Internet through the router does not work. I’ll say right away that this is not some kind of breakdown. The fact is that the router simply cannot connect to the Internet (to ISP). And informs you about this error with an orange WAN indicator (planet icon).

Previously, all TP-Link routers did not have this orange indicator. All were lit the same color, they just blinked when there was an error, or something else. This feature appeared recently, and now if there are problems with the connection and the Internet, the indicator lights up orange (or red). As I understand, such changes are on all router models: TP-link TL-WR841N, TL-WR740N, TL-WR941ND, TL-WR842ND, etc.

No matter what router you have, the problem itself looks something like this:

Orange (red) Internet indicator on TP-Link: problem solution

We have already found out that the problem is that the router cannot connect to the Internet. When setting up routers, this is probably the most popular problem, which I wrote about in the article.

As practice shows, there are two main reasons:

1. Problems with the Internet provider. There is something on the line, problems with the equipment, you haven’t paid for the Internet, etc. You need to make sure that the Internet is working. The easiest way is to connect the Internet directly to your computer and check. You can call your provider and find out if there are any problems on their side. If the Internet does not work, then it is clear that the router cannot connect, and the WAN indicator is orange.
2. Incorrect router configuration. This is the main reason. You simply set the parameters for connecting to the Internet provider incorrectly in the router settings, or did not set them at all. Also, the problem may also be related to the MAC address binding. If your provider makes such a connection.

Since the problem is mainly in the settings, let's look into this in more detail.

Important! After purchasing and installing a router, you need to configure it to connect to your Internet provider. Select the connection type in the settings and set the necessary parameters. Only after this the router will be able to connect to the Internet and the WAN indicator will turn green.

Only if the provider uses the Dynamic IP connection type and does not use MAC address binding, there is no need to configure the Internet on the router; it should work immediately after connecting the cable to the router. Provided that the router is at factory settings.

Let's go point by point:

1 First of all, you need to find out what type of connection your Internet provider uses. And if it is not Dynamic IP, then you should know additional details (password, username, server address). You also need to find out whether the provider uses MAC address binding (there are not many such providers, but they exist). All necessary information, as a rule, is indicated in the contract for connecting to the Internet. 2 If you have already tried setting up a router, then it’s better. Next, and on the “Network” – “WAN” tab, select the connection type and set the necessary parameters.

If you have a new control panel:

After correct settings, your router should connect to the Internet and the WAN indicator should light up green, instead of orange.

3 Forgot about binding by MAC address. If your provider still does it, then you need to clone the MAC address to the router from your computer (to which the Internet was connected), more details in the article. Or, register the MAC address of the router with your provider (it is indicated on the sticker on the device itself).

A lot of detailed instructions on setting up TP-Link routers different models you will find in the section.

WiFi is a unique technology wireless communication, which is incredibly popular all over the world. Nowadays there are very few people who prefer regular wired Internet. Connecting and setting up Wi-Fi is not difficult. But even in such a perfect system, sometimes errors occur due to which Wi-Fi stops working. The most common is a problem with connecting to the Wi-Fi router.

Some people are faced with a situation where the router is connected to the network and works, but does not distribute data: the computer cannot “see” the available network. Why does this happen? There may be several reasons for this:

lack of installed network drivers;

hardware type errors;

random shutdown of the connection to the computer - it is obvious why in this case the device does not work as it should;

Wi-Fi module malfunction;

Wi-Fi router malfunction.

There are other problems, but the ones listed above are the most common reasons, for which the device does not work. Therefore, we will focus on them.

Problem with drivers for network devices

Testing the WiFi module driver is carried out in the “Device Manager”. This section is located in the Start menu. You can also get to the section through the “My Computer” shortcut by right-clicking.

In the "Manager" you can see all the devices connected to the computer. We will be interested in network equipment. You need to switch to the branch with network drivers. If the branch is missing, this means that the drivers for the wifi adapter were not installed on the computer.

If there is a branch, the “!” sign may light up on one of the network devices. This means either the absence or malfunction of one of the drivers. Each of the problems is easily solved by simply reinstalling the software. Usually software located on the disk that came with your computer. The wifi adapter for device manager may be called Wireless Network Adapter. Also, everything you need can be downloaded from the Internet using a mobile connection (if another is not available at the moment).

How to check your wireless connection status

If everything is fine with the drivers, then the next step is to check the wireless connection. It can simply be turned off. On different operating systems testing is carried out in different ways. But it all comes down to one thing: you need to get into the “Network Control Center”.

Exists universal method. You need to press Win+R, after which a window with a line will appear. In the line you need to type the command control panel and press Enter. This will open the "Control Panel". Here we go to “Network and Internet”, then to “Network and Sharing Center”. In the “Center” we will be interested in the “Change adapter settings” section located on the left. Clicking there will allow you to see the status of all connections that are available on the computer.

“Wireless connectivity” is what will be important to us. If the label is not colored but gray, it means there is no signal. You can start the connection by double-clicking the left mouse button. After startup, the computer begins to search for all available connections.

If they do not appear, then you can try to perform system diagnostics. It is carried out through the “Network Center” and the “Change adapter settings” item. You need to right-click on the “Wireless Connection” shortcut. In the window that opens, click the “Diagnostics” field. The computer runs the test on its own. Based on the result of the check, the user receives advice on further actions.

What to do if a hardware error occurs

A hardware error would indicate a problem directly within the network card. In a word, if the computer does not see the adapter for connecting to Wi-Fi, it means that this Wi-Fi device is not functioning. There are two main reasons:

the device is broken;

There was a problem with the wifi drivers.

The second option has already been described by us. However, if Wi-Fi drivers are available, but the computer continues to not see the adapter, this means a breakdown. One of the most common causes of breakdown is device combustion.

The cause of combustion may be overheating if the computer for a long time works at the maximum level of its capabilities. If we are dealing with a laptop, then this happens even more often, since many users forget the device on a soft surface that blocks access to the hole through which air flows for cooling. This problem can be solved by simply replacing components with similar ones.

It is worth keeping in mind that a lack of experience in independently manipulating computers can lead to even more detrimental consequences. This is especially true for laptops that have more complex design. The best way out of the situation is to contact a service center, where they will accurately determine the reason why the device does not work.
Hardware connection errors also include a disconnected antenna. Most often, this problem occurs in laptops or desktop computers that have been cleaned or repaired in some way. The specialist performing the procedure could simply have forgotten to connect the device, or he connected it incorrectly. This makes it impossible for the adapter to function normally, as it does not work normally and cannot normally catch the signal distributed by the router, even if it is close to the source.

A rather rare case is the antenna terminals becoming clogged with dust. This breaks internal contact. The solution to the problem is cleaning.

Why does the Wi-Fi router not distribute the Internet?

The connection problems described above relate to malfunctions in the computers themselves. But often there are problems that are related to the way the router works (or, more precisely, rather does not work) and does not distribute the Internet.

There are two main problems:

inability to establish a wireless connection;

lack of access when connected.

The listed failures can be easily resolved independently, without resorting to the services of specialists.

How to solve wireless connection problem

Testing how the router works begins by checking the status of the indicators that are located on the external panel of the router. During normal operation, the LED near the antenna pattern will remain lit or flashing. If there is no light at all, this means that the wireless module is not running on the router. On certain models there is a separate button that can be accidentally turned off by one of the family members.

The lack of a button makes solving the problem a little more difficult. You need to go to the “Wireless Network” section located in the router’s web interface. In the English menu this section is called “Wireless”. There is a checkmark next to the “Enable” box (in English – “Enable”). A click of the mouse can solve the problem.

It is possible that when the device does not distribute the Internet, the malfunction is related to the radio channel used. Most router models have an automatic configuration feature. If it is missing, you can try installing channel 1 or 6. They are the ones that should be suitable for our country.

It happens that it becomes impossible to connect to a wireless network, because the network displays a message about the incorrect password. It's worth checking the security settings in the web interface. The encryption type set must be AES. The general security standard is WPA2-PSK.

How to solve the problem if there is no access when there is a connection

Quite often it happens that the connection begins to take place, but the process itself takes a long time. The status shows the message “Receiving IP”. After some time the connection is lost.

This means that network clients cannot obtain an address because the DHCP server is disabled. You can check this through the settings in local network. You will need the LAN section, where there should be a checkmark next to the DCHP parameter.

Access problems may arise due to incorrect operation of DNS servers. Incorrect assignment of them to network clients or complete absence destinations, as well as unstable operation of servers - these are the three main reasons.

The solution to the elimination problem is as follows. You need to use public DNS. They are provided by Yandex and Google. In the first case, you need to enter 77.88.8.8 in the settings, and for Google this value is 8.8.8.8. The data is entered on the computer in the Internet Protocol properties of any version of TCP/IP.

Conclusion

All of the above are troubles that you can get rid of yourself. In any other situations, it would be better to contact the provider’s technical support or professional technicians.

Hi all!
Readers often ask me for help and advice in setting up WiFi, and one of the popular questions is what does it mean if there is no Internet and the router is on fire orange light bulb? On routers TP-Link The orange indicator is additionally made in the form of an illuminated icon-symbol of an Internet connection, which means that the problem is with it.

Possible reasons for the orange indicator to light up

In earlier models, the LED could be green, but when a connection failure occurs, it does not light constantly, but blinks.

The solution to the problem discussed in this article will only apply to the case when the router lights up orange (or red, or flashes) after inserting a cable from the provider into the WAN connector - normally it should be constantly lit green, which indicates there is no connection with Internet. If, after connecting the cable, the router does not turn on any “lights” at all, then this is a completely different problem.

So, there may be several reasons for the lack of connection.

1. Problems on the provider side
2. Binding by MAC address
3. Incorrect router settings
4. Router failure

Let's take a closer look at each of them. We cannot influence the first one in any way - breakdowns in the provider’s equipment or line breaks occur regularly even with the most stable Internet service providers. Therefore, if you did nothing, and the orange light on the router came on by itself, the first thing I recommend is to call the support service and find out if there are any breakdowns or if they are carrying out technical work.

Orange indicator due to incorrect settings of the TP Link router

The second reason is that the configuration for connecting the TP Link router to the Internet has gone wrong. In general, when you turn it on for the first time, the orange indicator lights up until you enter all the settings for connecting to the Internet. If you didn’t know, after installing the router, the Internet will not work on its own (unless the type of connection to your provider is dynamic IP) - for it you need to enter the data that is specified in the service agreement. Once entered correctly, the color changes to green.

Orange signal on the router due to binding by MAC address

If this does not happen, but you are sure that you did everything correctly, then the obvious option is that the provider binds the MAC address of the computer to your account. That is, you bought a new router, and now, instead of the computer’s network card, another device that has a different physical (MAC) address “communicates” with the service provider’s equipment. More responsible providers inform users about this - for example, when I change the router, when I try to open any site, a message appears saying that I need to restart it for a new connection.

There are two options to solve the problem:

• Call support and tell them that your computer has changed
• Make the PC with built-in router tools.

The second option is preferable. I talk in detail about how to do this in separate articles for each manufacturer - select your company from the menu of our website and read.

The orange light is on due to a breakdown

If the orange indicator suddenly lights up - the Internet worked yesterday, but today it doesn’t, and the provider says that everything is OK, then you need to think about why this happened. The first thing that comes to mind is that due to a power surge, all the settings on the router were lost. In the future, to avoid this, connect it only through a voltage stabilizer.

In order to return everything to its original state, the easiest way is to use the “Reset” button on the router body. Then log back into the admin area using the login and password indicated on the label on the bottom of the router case and configure everything again.

These are the thoughts on fixing the problem of the orange indicator on the router - it seems like I didn’t miss anything, but if you have anything to add, write in the comments, we’ll figure it out together.