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EE router lights: what each colour means

Check which EE hub you have first — EE uses three different colour schemes. On the Smart Hub 6 Plus, 7 Plus, 7 Pro, the 2021 Smart Hub and the Smart Router, solid aqua means you are online and all is well. On the EE Smart Hub (2023) the healthy colour is solid blue instead. Trouble is orange or yellow (the hub is on but has no internet) and red (a fault). Green is normal start-up for the first few minutes, and white or purple means your fixed broadband has stopped working and the hub is running on the mobile network instead.

Last updated: · Written by The NetSorted team

EE Smart Hub (2023)

Identify your hub before you read the colours. The sticker on the back of this one just says “EE Smart Hub” with no year — the “(2023)” comes from EE’s own model chooser page, which uses it to tell this hub apart from the older 2021 model. It is the only EE hub whose healthy colour is blue (every other model uses aqua), the only one that uses purple, and the only one with a flashing purple “check your cables” state. If your hub glows aqua when it is working, you are looking at the wrong model.

Source: EE — What the lights on your Smart Hub mean — checked 2026-08-02.

  • Light: solid blue

    All good

    Your hub is connected to broadband. On this model solid blue is the normal, healthy light — nothing to fix.

    What to do

    1. Connect a device to the hub. Use the network name and password printed on the back of the hub. If your phone or tablet has a camera you can scan the QR code on the back instead. If your device supports WPS, press the WPS button on the side of the hub and follow the instructions on the device.
    2. If the device was working before. Move closer to the hub in case you are out of range. Switch the device off and on again. If that does not help, turn the hub off for two minutes, turn it back on and check the lights again five minutes later. Also check the network name has not changed — if it has, tell the device to forget the network and connect again.
    3. Still cannot get online? Check your broadband. If nothing connects, check whether there is a problem with your service.

  • Light: flashing orange

    Normal

    Your hub is trying to connect to broadband. This is normal for the first few minutes after switching on, and the light turns blue once it is ready. If it keeps flashing, EE says your broadband cables may not be pushed in securely.

    What to do

    1. Give it at least three minutes. Leave the hub alone for three minutes or more. The light turns blue when it is ready.
    2. Part-fibre or copper broadband: check your cables. Check one end of the broadband cable is pushed firmly into the socket marked Broadband on the back of the hub, and the other end into the broadband filter that came in the box. Check the filter is plugged into your phone socket. If you have an Openreach socket with a filter built in (the double master socket in EE’s picture), do not use the filter supplied with the hub. Unplug any other phones from the line for now, or make sure each one is plugged in through a broadband filter.
    3. Full Fibre: check your cables. Check the cable with red ends is pushed firmly into the socket marked WAN or 4 on the back of the hub, and the other end into Port 1 or LAN1 on your Openreach modem. (EE’s page calls this cable black here and white further down the same page — go by the red ends.)
    4. Still flashing orange? Check your broadband. If the cables are fine, check the status of your broadband service before doing anything else.

  • Light: solid orange

    Needs a look

    Your hub is powered up and working, but it has no internet connection.

    What to do

    1. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, then switch it back on.
    2. Check your activation date. If you are new to EE or have just moved home, check that the activation date for your broadband line has already passed.
    3. Check for service problems. Check whether there is a known issue affecting your service.

    This light means the hub can’t reach EE’s network. If those steps don’t fix it, the next thing worth knowing is whether it is them or you.

    Check whether EE has an outage

  • Light: flashing purple

    Needs a look

    The hub itself is working, but it is not set up for Full Fibre broadband — the cable between the hub and your Openreach modem needs checking. EE also mentions that while the light is flashing purple you can set up a Connectivity Backup to get online over the mobile network, which helps if you have just moved in or there is a hitch with a new service.

    What to do

    1. Check the hub end of the cable. Check the white cable with red ends is pushed firmly into the socket marked WAN or 4 on the back of the hub.
    2. Check the modem end of the cable. Check the other end of that cable is plugged into Port 1 or LAN1 on your Openreach modem.
    3. Try the next port on the modem. If the Openreach modem has more than one Port or LAN socket, move the cable to the next socket along and check the lights again.

  • Light: solid green

    Normal

    Your hub is starting up. Give it at least three minutes to finish and turn solid blue. If it stays green for longer than that, it is stuck.

    What to do

    1. Wait at least three minutes. Leave it to finish starting up — it should turn solid blue.
    2. If it stays green, restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    3. If it is still green, press Reset. Use a pin, a straightened paperclip or something similar to press the hub’s Reset button.

  • Light: off

    Normal

    No light at all. Either the hub has no power, or the light has been switched off on purpose.

    What to do

    1. Check the hub is plugged in and switched on. Check the power cable is pushed into the socket on the back of the hub, that it is plugged into a wall socket and that the socket is switched on. Then press the hub’s Power button to see if the lights come on.
    2. Check the light has not been turned off in the EE app. The hub light can be switched off. You manage your hub’s settings in the EE app.

  • Light: solid purple

    Needs a look

    Your fixed broadband has stopped working and the hub is keeping you online over the mobile network using a Connectivity Backup device — EE calls this resilience mode. You have internet, but your fixed line does not.

    You are online, but over a mobile backup rather than your broadband line, so from the sofa nothing looks broken. The line itself is still down, and nothing starts until you report it.

    Report it to EE — your line is still down

  • Light: solid red

    Fault

    A fault. EE says only that there is a problem somewhere, without narrowing it down. Work through the checks below; the last one EE gives is a factory reset.

    What to do

    1. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    2. Check the power supply. Make sure you are using the correct power supply and that it is plugged in securely. If you have recently been sent a new hub, use the power supply that came with the new one.
    3. Rule out overheating. Stand the hub upright and make sure the vents are not blocked.
    4. Reset the hub. If the light still will not turn blue, reset the hub. With the hub switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the hub to start up, then check the lights.

  • WPS light: flashing blue

    Normal

    This is the separate WPS light on the side of the hub, not the main status light. It flashes blue after you press the WPS button, while the hub waits for you to start WPS on the device you are pairing.

    What to do

    1. Start WPS on your device. Press or select the WPS option or button on the computer or device you are connecting.

  • WPS light: flashing red

    Needs a look

    This is the separate WPS light on the side of the hub, not the main status light. Flashing red means the WPS pairing did not work.

    What to do

    1. Wait a couple of minutes, then try again. Give it a couple of minutes and start the connection again.

EE Smart Hub (2021)

Identify your hub before you read the colours. The sticker on the back just says “EE Smart Hub” — the “(2021)” comes from EE’s own model chooser page, which uses it to tell this hub apart from the newer 2023 model. This one uses the aqua-and-yellow scheme: aqua is healthy, yellow means no internet, flashing yellow means it is connecting and flashing aqua means the broadband cable is not connected. It has no white or purple mobile-backup state, and its light is switched on and off in the hub manager at 192.168.1.254 rather than in the EE app.

Source: EE — What the lights on your EE Smart Hub (2021) mean — checked 2026-08-02.

  • Light: solid aqua

    All good

    Your hub is connected to broadband. Solid aqua is the normal, healthy light on this model.

    What to do

    1. Connect a device to the hub. Use the network name and password printed on the back of the hub. If your device supports WPS, press the WPS button on the side of the hub and follow the instructions on the device.
    2. If the device was working before. Move closer to the hub in case you are out of range. Switch the device off and on again. If that does not help, turn the hub off for two minutes, turn it back on and check the lights again five minutes later. Also check the network name has not changed — if it has, tell the device to forget the network and connect again.
    3. Still cannot get online? Check your broadband. If nothing connects, check whether there is a problem with your service.

  • Light: flashing yellow

    Normal

    Your hub is connecting to broadband. This is normal for the first few minutes after switching on, and the light turns aqua once it is ready.

    What to do

    1. Give it at least three minutes. Leave the hub alone for three minutes or more. The light turns aqua when it is ready.
    2. If it keeps flashing, follow the flashing aqua steps. If the light keeps flashing yellow, or starts flashing aqua, use the flashing aqua fix below.

  • Light: flashing aqua

    Needs a look

    Your hub has not been able to connect to broadband. EE points at the broadband cable and filter as the likely cause.

    What to do

    1. Check the hub end of the broadband cable. Check one end of the broadband cable is pushed firmly into the socket marked Broadband on the back of the hub.
    2. Check the cable is in the broadband filter. Check the other end of the cable is plugged into the broadband filter that came in the box.
    3. Check the filter is in your phone socket. Check the filter is plugged into your phone socket. If you have an Openreach socket with a filter built in (the double master socket in EE’s picture), do not use the filter supplied with the hub. Unplug any other phones from the line for now, or make sure each one is plugged in through a broadband filter.
    4. Still flashing aqua or yellow? Check your broadband. If the cables are fine, check the status of your broadband service.

  • Light: solid yellow

    Needs a look

    Your hub is powered up and working, but it has no internet connection.

    What to do

    1. First-time setup or after a factory reset: finish setting the hub up. If this is the first time you have set the hub up, or you have just reset it to factory settings, connect a device to it by Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi, open a new browser window on that device and follow the on-screen wizard.
    2. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, then switch it back on.
    3. Check your activation date. If you are new to EE or have just moved home, check that the activation date for your broadband line has already passed.
    4. Check for service problems. Check whether there is a known issue affecting your service.

    This light means the hub can’t reach EE’s network. If those steps don’t fix it, the next thing worth knowing is whether it is them or you.

    Check whether EE has an outage

  • Light: solid green

    Normal

    Your hub is starting up. Give it at least three minutes to finish and turn solid aqua. If it stays green for longer than that, it is stuck.

    What to do

    1. Wait at least three minutes. Leave it to finish starting up — it should turn solid aqua.
    2. If it stays green, restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    3. If it is still green, reset the hub. With the hub switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the hub to start up, then check the lights.

  • Light: off

    Normal

    No light at all. Either the hub has no power, or the light has been switched off on purpose.

    What to do

    1. Check the hub is plugged in and switched on. Check the power cable is pushed into the socket on the back of the hub, that it is plugged into a wall socket and that the socket is switched on. Then press the hub’s Power button to see if the lights come on.
    2. Check the light has not been turned off in the hub manager. The hub light can be switched off in the hub manager. Open a web browser on a device connected to the hub, go to 192.168.1.254 and select Hub light control. To change anything you need the Admin password, printed on the settings card on the back of the hub.

  • Light: solid red

    Fault

    A fault. EE says only that there is a problem somewhere, without narrowing it down. Work through the checks below; the last one EE gives is a factory reset.

    What to do

    1. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    2. Check the power supply. Make sure you are using the correct power supply and that it is plugged in securely. If you have recently been sent a new hub, use the power supply that came with the new one.
    3. Rule out overheating. Stand the hub upright and make sure the vents are not blocked.
    4. Reset the hub. If the light still will not turn aqua, reset the hub. With the hub switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the hub to start up, then check the lights.

  • WPS light: flashing blue

    Normal

    This is EE’s WPS indicator, not the ordinary broadband status. It flashes blue after you press the WPS button on the side of the hub, while the hub waits for you to start WPS on the device you are pairing.

    What to do

    1. Start WPS on your device. Press or select the WPS option or button on the computer or device you are connecting.

  • WPS light: flashing red

    Needs a look

    This is EE’s WPS indicator. Flashing red means the WPS pairing did not work.

    What to do

    1. Wait a couple of minutes, then try again. Give it a couple of minutes and start the connection again.

  • WPS light: off

    All good

    No WPS light means the WPS pairing worked — the device is connected. This is not the same as the main status light being off, which means no power.

EE Smart Hub 6 Plus

Identify your hub before you read the colours — EE uses different colour schemes across hub generations. This one is aqua and orange: aqua is healthy, orange means no internet or connecting, white means the hub has fallen back to the mobile network, and red is steady rather than flashing. If your hub goes blue when it is working, or shows purple, you have the EE Smart Hub (2023) instead.

Source: EE — What the lights on your Smart Hub 6 Plus mean — checked 2026-08-02.

  • Light: solid aqua

    All good

    Your hub is connected to broadband. Solid aqua is the normal, healthy light on this model.

    What to do

    1. Connect a device to the hub. Use the network name and password printed on the back of the hub. If your phone or tablet has a camera you can scan the QR code on the back instead. If your device supports WPS, press the WPS button on the side of the hub and follow the instructions on the device.
    2. If the device was working before. Move closer to the hub in case you are out of range. Switch the device off and on again. If that does not help, turn the hub off for two minutes, turn it back on and check the lights again five minutes later. Also check the network name has not changed — if it has, tell the device to forget the network and connect again.
    3. Still cannot get online? Check your broadband. If nothing connects, check whether there is a problem with your service.

  • Light: flashing orange

    Normal

    Your hub is connecting to broadband. This is normal for the first few minutes after switching on, and the light turns aqua once it is ready. If it keeps flashing, EE says your broadband cables may not be pushed in securely.

    What to do

    1. Give it at least three minutes. Leave the hub alone for three minutes or more. The light turns aqua when it is ready.
    2. Part-fibre or copper broadband: check your cables. Check one end of the broadband cable is pushed firmly into the socket marked Broadband on the back of the hub, and the other end into the broadband filter that came in the box. Check the filter is plugged into your phone socket. If you have an Openreach socket with a filter built in (the double master socket in EE’s picture), do not use the filter supplied with the hub. Unplug any other phones from the line for now, or make sure each one is plugged in through a broadband filter.
    3. Full Fibre: check your cables. Check the white cable with red ends is pushed firmly into the socket marked WAN or 4 on the back of the hub, and the other end into Port 1 or LAN1 on your Openreach modem.
    4. Still flashing orange? Check your broadband. If the cables are fine, check the status of your broadband service.

  • Light: solid orange

    Needs a look

    Your hub is powered up and working, but it has no internet connection. EE also mentions that if your service has not been activated yet — for example you have just moved house, or something has gone wrong with the service — you could set up a Connectivity Backup to get online over the mobile network meanwhile.

    What to do

    1. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, then switch it back on.
    2. Check your activation date. If you are new to EE or have just moved home, check that the activation date for your broadband line has already passed.
    3. Check for service problems. Check whether there is a known issue affecting your service.

    This light means the hub can’t reach EE’s network. If those steps don’t fix it, the next thing worth knowing is whether it is them or you.

    Check whether EE has an outage

  • Light: solid green

    Normal

    Your hub is starting up. Give it at least three minutes to finish and turn solid aqua. If it stays green for longer than that, it is stuck.

    What to do

    1. Wait at least three minutes. Leave it to finish starting up — it should turn solid aqua.
    2. If it stays green, restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    3. If it is still green, reset the hub. With the hub switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the hub to start up, then check the lights.

  • Light: off

    Normal

    No light at all. Either the hub has no power, or the light has been switched off on purpose.

    What to do

    1. Check the hub is plugged in and switched on. Check the power cable is pushed into the socket on the back of the hub, that it is plugged into a wall socket and that the socket is switched on. Then press the hub’s Power button to see if the lights come on.
    2. Check the light has not been turned off in the EE app. The hub light can be switched off. You manage your hub’s settings in the EE app.

  • Light: solid white

    Needs a look

    Your fixed broadband has stopped working and the hub is keeping you online over the mobile network using a backup device — EE calls this resilience mode. EE’s page uses two names for that device, Smart Hybrid Connect and Connectivity Backup; they are the same thing. You have internet, but your fixed line does not.

    You are online, but over a mobile backup rather than your broadband line, so from the sofa nothing looks broken. The line itself is still down, and nothing starts until you report it.

    Report it to EE — your line is still down

  • Light: solid red

    Fault

    A fault. EE says only that there is a problem somewhere, without narrowing it down. Work through the checks below; the last one EE gives is a factory reset.

    What to do

    1. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    2. Check the power supply. Make sure you are using the correct power supply and that it is plugged in securely. If you have recently been sent a new hub, use the power supply that came with the new one.
    3. Rule out overheating. Stand the hub upright and make sure the vents are not blocked.
    4. Reset the hub. If the light still will not turn aqua, reset the hub. With the hub switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the hub to start up, then check the lights.

  • Light: flashing blue

    Normal

    You have pressed the WPS button on the side of the hub. On this model the main hub light itself flashes blue while it waits for you to start WPS on the device you are pairing.

    What to do

    1. Start WPS on your device. Press or select the WPS option or button on the computer or device you are connecting.

EE Smart Hub 7 Plus

Identify your hub before you read the colours — EE uses different colour schemes across hub generations. This one is aqua and orange: aqua is healthy, orange means no internet or connecting, white means the hub has fallen back to the mobile network. Red flashes on this model rather than glowing steadily. It is also the only EE hub where the Wi-Fi name and password are on the side and the WPS button is on the back — the other models are the other way round.

Source: EE — What the lights on your Smart Hub 7 Plus mean — checked 2026-08-02.

  • Light: solid aqua

    All good

    Your hub is connected to broadband. Solid aqua is the normal, healthy light on this model.

    What to do

    1. Connect a device to the hub. Use the network name and password — on this model they are printed on the side of the hub. If your phone or tablet has a camera you can scan the QR code on the back instead. If your device supports WPS, press the WPS button on the back of the hub and follow the instructions on the device.
    2. If the device was working before. Move closer to the hub in case you are out of range. Switch the device off and on again. If that does not help, turn the hub off for two minutes, turn it back on and check the lights again five minutes later. Also check the network name has not changed — if it has, tell the device to forget the network and connect again.
    3. Still cannot get online? Check your broadband. If nothing connects, check whether there is a problem with your service.

  • Light: flashing orange

    Normal

    Your hub is connecting to broadband. This is normal for the first few minutes after switching on, and the light turns aqua once it is ready. If it keeps flashing, EE says your broadband cables may not be pushed in securely.

    What to do

    1. Give it at least three minutes. Leave the hub alone for three minutes or more. The light turns aqua when it is ready.
    2. Check the hub end of the cable. Check the white cable with red ends is pushed firmly into the socket marked WAN or 4 on the back of the hub.
    3. Check the modem end of the cable. Check the other end of that cable is plugged into Port 1 or LAN1 on your Openreach modem.
    4. Still flashing orange? Check your broadband. If the cables are fine, check the status of your broadband service.

  • Light: solid orange

    Needs a look

    Your hub is powered up and working, but it has no internet connection. EE also mentions that if your service has not been activated yet — for example you have just moved house, or something has gone wrong with the service — you could set up a Connectivity Backup to get online over the mobile network meanwhile.

    What to do

    1. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, then switch it back on.
    2. Check your activation date. If you are new to EE or have just moved home, check that the activation date for your broadband line has already passed.
    3. Check for service problems. Check whether there is a known issue affecting your service.

    This light means the hub can’t reach EE’s network. If those steps don’t fix it, the next thing worth knowing is whether it is them or you.

    Check whether EE has an outage

  • Light: solid green

    Normal

    Your hub is starting up. Give it at least three minutes to finish and turn solid aqua. If it stays green for longer than that, it is stuck.

    What to do

    1. Wait at least three minutes. Leave it to finish starting up — it should turn solid aqua.
    2. If it stays green, restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    3. If it is still green, reset the hub. With the hub switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the hub to start up, then check the lights.

  • Light: off

    Normal

    No light at all. Either the hub has no power, or the light has been switched off on purpose.

    What to do

    1. Check the hub is plugged in and switched on. Check the power cable is pushed into the socket on the back of the hub, that it is plugged into a wall socket and that the socket is switched on. Then press the hub’s Power button to see if the lights come on.
    2. Check the light has not been turned off in the EE app. The hub light can be switched off. You manage your hub’s settings in the EE app.

  • Light: solid white

    Needs a look

    Your fixed broadband has stopped working and the hub is keeping you online over the mobile network using a Connectivity Backup device — EE calls this resilience mode. You have internet, but your fixed line does not.

    You are online, but over a mobile backup rather than your broadband line, so from the sofa nothing looks broken. The line itself is still down, and nothing starts until you report it.

    Report it to EE — your line is still down

  • Light: flashing red

    Needs a look

    EE’s summary table calls this low power mode, while the detailed section on the same page says only that there is a problem somewhere. The fixes centre on the power supply and on letting the hub cool down.

    What to do

    1. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    2. Check the power supply. Make sure you are using the correct power supply and that it is plugged in securely. If you have recently been sent a new hub, use the power supply that came with the new one.
    3. Rule out overheating. Stand the hub upright and make sure the vents are not blocked.
    4. Reset the hub. If the light still will not turn aqua, reset the hub. With the hub switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the hub to start up, then check the lights.

  • Light: flashing blue

    Normal

    You have pressed the WPS button, which on this model is on the back of the hub. The main hub light itself flashes blue while it waits for you to start WPS on the device you are pairing.

    What to do

    1. Start WPS on your device. Press or select the WPS option or button on the computer or device you are connecting.

EE Smart Hub 7 Pro

Identify your hub before you read the colours — EE uses different colour schemes across hub generations. This one is aqua and orange: aqua is healthy, orange means no internet or connecting, white means the hub has fallen back to the mobile network, and red flashes rather than glowing steadily. Note that EE’s separate device-guides site describes this hub’s ready light as blue; the Help Centre page used here says aqua, and that is EE’s maintained troubleshooting page.

Source: EE — What the lights on your Smart Hub 7 Pro mean — checked 2026-08-02.

  • Light: solid aqua

    All good

    Your hub is connected to broadband. Solid aqua is the normal, healthy light on this model.

    What to do

    1. Connect a device to the hub. Use the network name and password printed on the back of the hub. If your phone or tablet has a camera you can scan the QR code on the back instead. If your device supports WPS, press the WPS button on the side of the hub and follow the instructions on the device.
    2. If the device was working before. Move closer to the hub in case you are out of range. Switch the device off and on again. If that does not help, turn the hub off for two minutes, turn it back on and check the lights again five minutes later. Also check the network name has not changed — if it has, tell the device to forget the network and connect again.
    3. Still cannot get online? Check your broadband. If nothing connects, check whether there is a problem with your service.

  • Light: flashing orange

    Normal

    Your hub is connecting to broadband. This is normal for the first few minutes after switching on, and the light turns aqua once it is ready. If it keeps flashing, EE says your broadband cables may not be pushed in securely.

    What to do

    1. Give it at least three minutes. Leave the hub alone for three minutes or more. The light turns aqua when it is ready.
    2. Check the hub end of the cable. Check the white cable with red ends is pushed firmly into the socket marked WAN or 4 on the back of the hub.
    3. Check the modem end of the cable. Check the other end of that cable is plugged into Port 1 or LAN1 on your Openreach modem.
    4. Still flashing orange? Check your broadband. If the cables are fine, check the status of your broadband service.

  • Light: solid orange

    Needs a look

    Your hub is powered up and working, but it has no internet connection. EE also mentions that if your service has not been activated yet — for example you have just moved house, or something has gone wrong with the service — you could set up a Smart Hybrid Connect to get online over the mobile network meanwhile.

    What to do

    1. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, then switch it back on.
    2. Check your activation date. If you are new to EE or have just moved home, check that the activation date for your broadband line has already passed.
    3. Check for service problems. Check whether there is a known issue affecting your service.

    This light means the hub can’t reach EE’s network. If those steps don’t fix it, the next thing worth knowing is whether it is them or you.

    Check whether EE has an outage

  • Light: solid green

    Normal

    Your hub is starting up. Give it at least three minutes to finish and turn solid aqua. If it stays green for longer than that, it is stuck.

    What to do

    1. Wait at least three minutes. Leave it to finish starting up — it should turn solid aqua.
    2. If it stays green, restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    3. If it is still green, reset the hub. With the hub switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the hub to start up, then check the lights.

  • Light: off

    Normal

    No light at all. Either the hub has no power, or the light has been switched off on purpose.

    What to do

    1. Check the hub is plugged in and switched on. Check the power cable is pushed into the socket on the back of the hub, that it is plugged into a wall socket and that the socket is switched on. Then press the hub’s Power button to see if the lights come on.
    2. Check the light has not been turned off in the EE app. The hub light can be switched off. You manage your hub’s settings in the EE app.

  • Light: solid white

    Needs a look

    Your fixed broadband has stopped working and the hub is keeping you online over the mobile network using a Smart Hybrid Connect device — EE calls this resilience mode. You have internet, but your fixed line does not.

    You are online, but over a mobile backup rather than your broadband line, so from the sofa nothing looks broken. The line itself is still down, and nothing starts until you report it.

    Report it to EE — your line is still down

  • Light: flashing red

    Needs a look

    EE’s summary table calls this low power mode, while the detailed section on the same page says only that there is a problem somewhere. The fixes centre on the power supply and on letting the hub cool down.

    What to do

    1. Restart the hub. Switch the hub off with the Power button, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    2. Check the power supply. Make sure you are using the correct power supply and that it is plugged in securely. If you have recently been sent a new hub, use the power supply that came with the new one.
    3. Rule out overheating. Stand the hub upright and make sure the vents are not blocked.
    4. Reset the hub. If the light still will not turn aqua, reset the hub. With the hub switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the hub to start up, then check the lights.

  • Light: flashing blue

    Normal

    You have pressed the WPS button on the side of the hub. On this model the main hub light itself flashes blue while it waits for you to start WPS on the device you are pairing.

    What to do

    1. Start WPS on your device. Press or select the WPS option or button on the computer or device you are connecting.

EE Smart Router

Identify your device before you read the colours — EE uses different colour schemes across its hubs and routers. The Smart Router uses the same aqua-and-yellow scheme as the EE Smart Hub (2021): aqua is healthy, yellow means no internet, flashing yellow means it is connecting and flashing aqua means the broadband cable is not connected. It has no white or purple mobile-backup state, and its light is switched on and off in the router manager at 192.168.1.254 rather than in the EE app.

Source: EE — What the lights on your Smart Router mean — checked 2026-08-02.

  • Light: solid aqua

    All good

    Your router is connected to broadband and online. Solid aqua is the normal, healthy light on this model.

    What to do

    1. Connect a device to the router. Use the network name and password printed on the back of the router. If your device supports WPS, press the WPS button on the side of the router and follow the instructions on the device.
    2. If the device was working before. Move closer to the router in case you are out of range. Switch the device off and on again. If that does not help, turn the router off for two minutes, turn it back on and check the lights again five minutes later. Also check the network name has not changed — if it has, tell the device to forget the network and connect again.
    3. Still cannot get online? Check your broadband. If nothing connects, check whether there is a problem with your service.

  • Light: flashing yellow

    Normal

    Your router is connecting to broadband. This is normal for the first few minutes after switching on, and the light turns aqua once it is ready.

    What to do

    1. Give it at least three minutes. Leave the router alone for three minutes or more. The light turns aqua when it is ready.
    2. If it keeps flashing, follow the flashing aqua steps. If the light keeps flashing yellow, or starts flashing aqua, use the flashing aqua fix below.

  • Light: flashing aqua

    Needs a look

    Your router has not been able to connect to broadband. EE points at the broadband cabling as the likely cause.

    What to do

    1. Part-fibre or copper broadband: check your cables. Check one end of the broadband cable is pushed firmly into the socket marked Broadband on the back of the router, and the other end into the broadband filter that came in the box. Check the filter is plugged into your phone socket. If you have an Openreach socket with a filter built in (the double master socket in EE’s picture), do not use the filter supplied with the router. Unplug any other phones from the line for now, or make sure each one is plugged in through a broadband filter.
    2. Full Fibre: check your cables. Check the white cable with red ends is pushed firmly into the socket marked WAN or 4 on the back of the router, and the other end into Port 1 or LAN1 on your Openreach modem.
    3. Still flashing aqua or yellow? Check your broadband. If the cables are fine, check the status of your broadband service.

  • Light: solid yellow

    Needs a look

    Your router is powered up and working, but it has no internet connection.

    What to do

    1. First-time setup or after a factory reset: finish setting the router up. If this is the first time you have set the router up, or you have just reset it to factory settings, connect a device to it by Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi, open a new browser window on that device and follow the on-screen wizard.
    2. Restart the router. Switch the router off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, then switch it back on.
    3. Check your activation date. If you are new to EE or have just moved home, check that the activation date for your broadband line has already passed.
    4. Check for service problems. Check whether there is a known issue affecting your service.

    This light means the hub can’t reach EE’s network. If those steps don’t fix it, the next thing worth knowing is whether it is them or you.

    Check whether EE has an outage

  • Light: flashing green

    Normal

    Your router is starting up. EE’s summary table calls this a flashing green light while the section below it says only “a green light” — either way, green means start-up. Give it at least three minutes to turn solid aqua; if it stays green for longer, it is stuck.

    What to do

    1. Wait at least three minutes. Leave it to finish starting up — it should turn solid aqua.
    2. If it stays green, restart the router. Switch the router off with the Power button on the back, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    3. If it is still green, reset the router. With the router switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the router to start up, then check the lights.

  • Light: off

    Normal

    No light at all. Either the router has no power, or the light has been switched off on purpose.

    What to do

    1. Check the router is plugged in and switched on. Check the power cable is pushed into the socket on the back of the router, that it is plugged into a wall socket and that the socket is switched on. Then press the router’s Power button to see if the lights come on.
    2. Check the light has not been turned off in the router manager. The light can be switched off in the router manager. Open a web browser on a device connected to the router, go to 192.168.1.254 and select light control. To change anything you need the Admin password, printed on the settings card on the back of the router.

  • Light: solid red

    Fault

    A fault. EE says only that there is a problem somewhere, without narrowing it down. Work through the checks below; the last one EE gives is a factory reset.

    What to do

    1. Restart the router. Switch the router off with the Power button, wait two minutes, switch it back on, then give it three minutes to restart and connect before checking the lights again.
    2. Check the power supply. Make sure you are using the correct power supply and that it is plugged in securely. If you have recently been sent a new router, use the power supply that came with the new one.
    3. Rule out overheating. Stand the router upright and make sure the vents are not blocked.
    4. Reset the router. If the light still will not turn aqua, reset the router. With the router switched on, use a pin or straightened paperclip to hold the Reset button for about 20 seconds, until the light turns green again. Let go, wait for the router to start up, then check the lights.

  • WPS light: flashing blue

    Normal

    This is EE’s WPS indicator, not the ordinary broadband status. It flashes blue after you press the WPS button on the side of the router, while the router waits for you to start WPS on the device you are pairing.

    What to do

    1. Start WPS on your device. Press or select the WPS option or button on the computer or device you are connecting.

  • WPS light: flashing red

    Needs a look

    This is EE’s WPS indicator. Flashing red means the WPS pairing did not work.

    What to do

    1. Wait a couple of minutes, then try again. Give it a couple of minutes and start the connection again.

  • WPS light: off

    All good

    No WPS light means the WPS pairing worked — the device is connected. This is not the same as the main status light being off, which means no power.

Still not fixed? What you’re owed

If the light points at a fault on EE’s side, report it today. Under Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme a total loss of service that still isn’t fixed 2 full working days after you report it earns £10.34 for every calendar day it stays broken — and the clock starts when you report it, not when it broke.

Frequently asked questions

What do the lights on a EE router mean?

This page lists every light state EE documents for 6 hub models — 54 states in total — with what each one means and the fix EE gives, where they give one. Identify your model first: colour schemes differ between generations, so the same colour can mean different things on two hubs from the same provider.

How do I know which hub model I have?

It is usually printed on a label on the underside or back of the hub, next to the serial number and Wi-Fi details. If you cannot find it, match the shape and the number of lights against the models below — they are listed with the official page for each, so you can check against EE's own pictures.

My hub light says there is a fault — what do I do?

Work through the steps for your light state below, then restart the hub once, properly: power it off for a full minute and give it up to ten minutes to resync. If it is still wrong after that, check whether EE has an outage before reporting a fault, and report it today either way — the compensation clock starts when you report, not when it broke.

Do I get compensation if my router shows a fault?

Not for the light itself, but for the loss of service behind it. EE is signed up to Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme, so a total loss of service that still isn't fixed 2 full working days after you report it earns £10.34 for each calendar day it stays broken. Report the fault promptly and keep the reference.

Sources

Other providers’ hub lights