This article was reviewed by Luigi Oppido
and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA
. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 1,462 times.
Is your Xfinity router blinking white? If this occurs while you're activating the router, everything is operational. However, if the blinking continues after activation, follow the steps in this guide to troubleshoot it. You can fix the issue by yourself, or you may need to call Xfinity for more help.
How to Fix an Xfinity Router That's Blinking White
A router that's blinking white after activation generally means it's establishing an internet connection. If the blinking persists, you need to call Xfinity to activate your router so they can assign an IP address to it.
Steps
Blinking White Meaning
-
Your router is establishing a connection to the internet. If, however, the blinking persists after a few minutes, you should follow the "Common Fixes & Troubleshooting" section to fix it yourself or call Xfinity for more help.
- Keep in mind that a white steady light or a white steady light with a purple tint means everything is working.
Common Fixes & Troubleshooting
-
1Check the cables. The cables should be tightly attached to the wall and your modem; loose coaxial cables can lose data, and a loose power cable can provide insufficient power.
- If there are any splitters between your modem, router, and the coaxial port on your wall, make sure all the cables entering and exiting the split are snugly secured.
- Also check that the pin inside the coaxial cables is straight. A bent pin indicates damage and prevents internet connection.
- Replace any damaged cables.
-
2Restart the modem, router, or gateway. A random glitch can cause the white light to blink, and restarting it can be an easy fix!
- To restart, unplug the modem/router/gateway's power from the wall for a few minutes, then plug it back in.
-
3Check for an Xfinity outage. An overall internet outage or maintenance outage can cause your router to blink white.
- Call the local ISP office to see if there's an outage; you can also check their website or your app for additional information.
-
4Update the firmware. Outdated software causes many issues, like a blinking white light. You can generally update the firmware by opening the app provided to you by Xfinity. Alternatively, go to their website, log in, go to System Settings in your router/modem/gateway's admin interface, and look there for a firmware update.
-
5Wait for the initialization process to finish. If you just set up the router, the blinking white light means it's setting up.
- During this process, avoid disconnecting your router or modem until the blinking stops, which means the initialization process is finished.
-
6Factory reset the device. Doing so removes all personalized settings, like if you changed the network name/password.
- To reset it to factory settings, look at the back of the modem and press the recessed "Reset" button for a few seconds.
-
7Check for signal issues. Sometimes the blinking white light indicates that your router or modem cannot connect with the Xfinity network.
- Check this yourself by logging into the router or modem online, or call support for more guided help.
-
8Call tech support. In some cases, you can't fix the blinking white light yourself and need help from Xfinity. They should also check the coaxial lines to make sure there isn't any damage, but they can also replace any lines outside that have been compromised (think chew marks from outside critters).
- You might not need a tech to come out and look at your lines if you just need an IP address associated with your router!
Light Meanings
-
Here's a chart of what the lights on your Xfinity devices mean:Understand the Lights on an Xfinity ModemNo lightsYour modem is offNo action neededWhite or white/purple light - SteadyThe modem is on after activationNo action neededWhite or white/purple light – BlinkingModem is on but not yet activatedRed light - SteadyNo internetFix: Your internet service is down (contact Xfinity)Blue light – BlinkingWPS mode is on (you pressed the WPS button)No action needed – just connect a new device to Wi-Fi if desired.Your modem is trying to connectFix: If 15 minutes pass and still no connection, power cycle your modem, then contact Xfinity if needed