You’ve got your Orbi router sitting there, glowing purple and nothing works. No internet, no WiFi, nothing; it’s the dreaded Orbi purple light. If you are going through this then we do understand the level of frustration. One moment it is absolutely fine and next thing you know the light turns purple and you’re offline. Don’t panic though, purple light isn’t permanent issue. It’s just Orbi’s way of saying that ‘I don’t have the access of internet’. Here in this guide, we will walk you through troubleshooting tips you can perform at home.
What Each Orbi Light Colors Means?
Before jumping into the fix, you need to understand what the lights even mean. Orbi has this whole color system. If you don’t know it, you’re just guessing.
- White light means it’s starting up. If you see Orbi blinking white, it’s booting or trying to sync.
- Blue light means good sign, router is connected fine.
- Amber/Orange light means weak connection, sometimes between router and satellite.
- Purple light router is not connected to the internet. That’s our issue here.
So yes purple basically means no internet is passing through. It could be the modem, cables, or Orbi itself.
Troubleshooting the Orbi Purple Light Problem
1. First Step Is Quick Fixes
First you need to perform the basic steps because half the time it’s something small.
- Make sure the Ethernet cable from your modem is actually plugged into the right port on the Orbi router. You’d be surprised how often it’s loose.
- Restart the modem by powering it off then wait 30 seconds and after 30 seconds you can power it back on. Do the same reboot steps with the Orbi router too.
- Check if your ISP is down. Purple light can sometimes just mean the service is out in your area.
It may feel strange to you but it works out, most of the time. Simply, try these before diving deep.
2. Reboot the Orbi Router
If the obvious didn’t do it, reboot the Orbi. Not just turning WiFi off and on from your phone, but actually unplugging the router. Pull the power cable out, wait for some time and then plug it back in. Watch the light. It’ll usually go blinking white first while it boots, then blue. If it goes straight back to purple then keep digging.
3. Check the Modem Connection
Sometimes the modem is the real culprit. Here’s what you can do:
- Disconnect the Ethernet cable from both the modem and the Orbi.
- Plug it back in firmly. Both ends.
- If you have an extra Ethernet cable then tries that. Bad cables can trick you into hours of troubleshooting.
After that, reboot both modem and router again.
4. Firmware Update Could Be the Fix
There are many cases in which Orbi purple light showed up after a firmware update failed or got stuck. You can check for firmware updates through the Orbi app or by logging in through a browser using orbilogin.com or 192.168.1.1.
If you can get in, run the update. If you can’t because the internet’s down, you might need to do a manual firmware update from a PC. It’s a bit more work but worth trying if nothing else helps.
5. Reset the Orbi Router
This might be the step you don’t want to hear but if nothing else works, a factory reset usually clears purple light issues.
- Find the reset button on the back of the router.
- Hold it down with a pin for 10 seconds.
- Release when the router’s LED starts flashing.
This wipes everything, so you’ll have to set it up again from scratch. Complex, but if corrupted settings are the cause, this solves it.
6. Satellites and the Purple Light
One thing that doesn’t confuses router purple light with satellites is showing different colors. Satellites have their own signals. If your main Orbi router has purple, satellites won’t connect properly either. Fix the main unit first.
And if you see your satellite stuck on Orbi blinking white for ages that usually means it’s trying to sync but the router itself isn’t talking to the internet. Again, router first, satellite second.
7. A Few Random Fixes You Can Try
Here are some random fixes which you try from your end before seeking experts help.
- Switching DNS servers manually in the Orbi settings ‘Google DNS 8.8.8.8’. Sometimes ISP DNS causes dropouts.
- Plugging the modem and Orbi into a surge protector and power cycling everything at once.
- Leaving the Orbi unplugged for more than 5 minutes then start the modem first, waiting for it to fully boot and then Orbi router. Sequence matters sometimes.
If you’ve done all this, cables, reboot, reset, firmware and purple light still won’t go away, it’s probably not you. Call your ISP first. It could be the modem isn’t provisioning, or they’ve locked something on their end. If ISP says everything looks fine, then seek expert help. Sometimes it is a hardware failure.
Wrapping Up
In short, Orbi purple light isn’t an end for your WiFi. It just means your router lost internet connection. Most of the time, it is either because of loose cable, a modem hiccup, or the router needing a reboot. Worst case, you reset it and set everything back up. You must keep an eye on Orbi light colors they tell you more than you think. White blinking means booting, blue means good, amber means weak, and purple means internet issue. Learn the meaning of these colors and you won’t be left guessing. It may irritate you at first glance but it is fixable. Next time, if your Orbi has purple light then you need to worry. Just start basic troubleshooting and you will be back online.
