Is a solid red router light worse than blinking orange?

On most brands, yes — but it depends on which LED is red. A solid red 'Internet' LED on Netgear is roughly the same as blinking orange on other brands (no internet, fixable by rebooting). A solid red 'Power' LED typically means a boot/firmware failure, which is more serious.

Can a solid red router light mean overheating?

On older Linksys and some consumer routers, yes — the router may show red if its thermal sensor trips. Ensure the router is in an open, ventilated space, not in a closed cabinet or sitting on carpet. Most modern routers don't have a dedicated overheat LED indicator.

My Netgear router power ring is solid red — does it need replacing?

Not necessarily. On Netgear Nighthawk models, the power ring being solid red after a power cut often indicates firmware corruption, not hardware failure. Download the latest firmware file from Netgear's support site, then use their firmware recovery tool (available on their support pages) from a wired PC to restore it.

Router Solid Red Light

Router solid red light explained — causes, brand differences across Netgear, TP-Link, Asus, and Xfinity, plus step-by-step fixes.

Solid

red

Visual description

A steady, non-blinking red LED on your router's front panel. This is distinct from a blinking red light (which indicates a different state on most models). The light is typically labeled 'Power', 'Internet', or 'WAN'. On Netgear Nighthawk routers this appears on the power ring around the Netgear logo. On Asus routers it appears as a solid red ring on the top.

What it means

A solid red router light is the most serious indicator your router has. Unlike orange (no internet) or blinking patterns (activity/states), solid red typically means the router has detected a hardware-level fault, a firmware corruption, or in some brands, a complete inability to connect after multiple failed attempts.

The severity varies dramatically by brand. On Netgear, solid red on the Internet LED means the same as orange on other brands — no internet, try rebooting. On Asus, solid red means a genuinely critical firmware or hardware error. Always check the brand variations section before panicking.

If your router shows solid red after a power outage, the most likely culprit is a corrupted firmware boot caused by the router losing power mid-update — this can often be recovered without hardware replacement.

Brand & model variations

The same light pattern can mean different things across manufacturers.

Brand / Model	What red solid means	Recommended action
Netgear Nighthawk, Orbi	Solid red Internet LED = no internet connection (same severity as orange on other brands). Solid red Power LED is more serious — firmware or hardware fault.	Red Internet LED: reboot modem and router. Red Power LED: attempt firmware recovery via TFTP.
TP-Link Archer, Deco	Solid red is not standard on most TP-Link models. If you see solid red, it usually means the device is in a boot failure state or the LED driver has mislabeled an amber LED.	Power cycle. If persistent, check TP-Link forums for your exact model.
Asus RT series, ZenWifi	Solid red = firmware-level critical error. This is serious. The router attempted a firmware update and it failed, or the flash memory is corrupted.	Use Asus Firmware Rescue Mode: hold reset while powering on, then use Asus Device Discovery utility to push firmware via Ethernet.
Xfinity / Comcast XB6, XB7, XB8	Solid red on Xfinity gateway = device has not been able to connect to Xfinity network after extended attempts. Often follows a prolonged orange blinking phase.	Use Xfinity app to restart gateway. If solid red persists, Xfinity will need to send a technician — the gateway may need reprovisioning.
Linksys EA series	Solid red Power LED = router is starting up. This is only normal for the first 60 seconds. After that, solid red = firmware or boot failure.	If it persists past 60 seconds, attempt a factory reset or firmware recovery.

Diagnose your issue

Answer a few questions to narrow down the cause.

Diagnose Your Issue

Where is the solid red light on your router?

Safe next steps

Ordered from least to most involved. Check each step as you go.

Identify which LED is solid red — Internet/WAN, Power, or a status ring — as the severity varies.
Reboot the modem (unplug 30s) then the router (unplug 30s), modem first.
After both restart, wait 3 minutes before deciding if the red persists.
Try a different Ethernet cable between modem and router.
Log in to the router admin panel (192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) to read the WAN status for specific error codes.
If firmware-related: boot into recovery mode (manufacturer-specific, typically hold reset while powering on) and re-flash the firmware.
Factory reset: hold reset pinhole for 10–15 seconds until LEDs flash, then reconfigure.
If none of the above work and the router won't boot normally, contact manufacturer support — the router may need replacement.

When to escalate

Stop troubleshooting and contact your ISP or manufacturer if:

Factory reset doesn't clear the solid red on the Power LED — hardware fault likely.
Firmware recovery mode doesn't bring the router back to normal boot.
The WAN port shows no link light with a known-good cable — port may be dead.
Solid red started after a lightning strike or power surge — internal damage is likely.