You might be wondering about the meanings that Starlink router lights are meant to convey.
Maybe you’re searching for the sake of general information, or you may have issues you’re trying to troubleshoot.
Whatever the reason you need Starlink router light info for, we have you covered.
We’ll begin with the basics: what those lights really mean, and progress to the things you can do if you’re experiencing issues.
Let’s cut to the chase:
Starlink Router Lights: Starlink Gen 1 Router
- Solid white light: You have a stable connection and should have internet access
- Flashing white light: Your router is searching for a satellite to connect to. If it can’t find one within 20 minutes, this light will change color to red.
- Red: Your router is not connected to Starlink.
- Blue: The router is rebooting or is busy with a factory reset
- No lights: your router is off, isn’t connected to a power supply, or is broken
Starlink Router Lights: Starlink Gen 2 Router
There are no lights on the front of the Starlink Gen 2 router. Instead, there’s a light on the bottom of the router.
It is a power supply light only – so if it’s on, there’s power to your router, and if it isn’t, there’s no power to your router.
Unfortunately, this means that the only thing your router will tell you is whether it’s on or off – not much help if you’re trying to troubleshoot.
Starlink Router Lights: Starlink Gen 3 Router
The Starlink Gen 3 router is a veritable Christmas tree compared to the Gen 2 router and the light’s right back where you’d expect it to be: on the front of the unit.
- Solid white light: Your router is connected to Starlink. You should have internet. After an hour, the light will go off, but you’ll still be connected.
- Blinking white light: The router is trying to connect. If it does, the light will go to solid white. If it can’t connect within a 20-minute timeframe, it will switch to red.
- Violet light: Your router is in “bypass mode.” It will switch off completely in an hour. If you want to get out of bypass mode, you’ll have to do a factory reset (more on bypass mode and factory resets later).
- Red light: No internet connection
- No lights: Your router is off.
How To Know More About Your Starlink Router’s Status and Settings
Great! So now you know what those Starlink router lights mean and what your router is or isn’t doing when they’re on. But how can you stay in control of your router?
For that, you need the Starlink App. You can download it on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Alternatively, you can “talk” to your router via your PC, which basically gives you a version of the same thing.
Go to http://192.168.100.1 or dishy.starlink.com using your regular web browser.
Red Starlink Router Light? Check the App For a Quick Diagnostic
There are two very simple explanations for not being connected to Starlink that you’ll want to check out.
Using the app or its browser-based version, you can see a graphic that shows you whether the dish has no connection to a satellite or whether it’s connected to a satellite, but not connecting to your router.
Router Not Connected to a Satellite
If your dish isn’t connecting to a satellite, that could be a result of factors that are outside your control.
But it could also mean that there’s an obstruction getting in the way of your connection. The Starlink app can tell you if this is the case.
Navigate to “obstructions” to see what your satellite’s field of “vision” is like. You’ll see a graphic with blue areas indicating the areas that your dish can “see” well, and red areas showing where obstructions are.
The graphic shows compass directions, so you can see whether your dish is obstructed from any particular direction and try figuring out what’s blocking it. Repositioning it might help to improve its field of reception.
You won’t have to play around with your dish. Using the app, you can do a sweep of the area using your phone, looking for the best reception.
“Disconnected” Message on App: How to Connect
You think that there might be a problem between your dish and your router. First up, you’ll want to be sure that your router is on and the power light is illuminated.
1. No Lights on Starlink Router
If you’re seeing no lights on your router at all, check your cables, and if they all seem to be firmly plugged in, move your router to another power outlet.
If neither of these things works, your cables, or the router itself, are likely to be faulty – unless, of course, you’re in the middle of a power outage.
2. Router Light Shows Power is On, But The App Says You’re Disconnected (Red Light)
You know your satellite dish is OK, there’s a light showing power to your router, but you’re still disconnected.
It may be time for a factory reset but since this fix applies elsewhere too, we’ll give you the how-to in a separate section of this article. Skim down for the headline!
No luck no matter what you do? Click the thumbs-down icon on your app to open a request for support.
3. Starlink Router Red Light: Offline Booting Message
You have a red light on your router and the app says you’re “offline – booting.” This means that your dish is still starting up – but if it stays stuck there for more than 20 minutes, you’ll need to power cycle your dish.
To power cycle your dish, switch it off and unplug it for a couple of minutes. Then, plug it in and power it up. Give it 20 to 30 minutes to start up.
If you’re still stuck on booting, it’s time to open a support ticket.
4. Starlink Router Light Flashing White or Solid Red: Offline Searching Message
It’s pretty obvious that this message means that your Starlink system is trying to find a satellite. However, you can get stuck there for one of several reasons.
As for your router lights, they’ll blink white at first when searching and switch to red if they don’t find a signal within 20 minutes.
If you have Starlink Residential, the service only works at the address where you registered. So, if you recently moved, you may need to update your account details.
The dish may be getting an update. Interrupting updates to electronic equipment can cause issues, so give it a little time.
Still stuck? Try the power cycle option explained in the previous section and if that doesn’t work, submit a ticket using the app. A factory reset might help – read on for the method.
Bypass Mode Issues: Starlink Router Gen 3 Violet Light
If you’re using a Gen 2 router (sorry no lights) or a Gen 3 router (violet router light), bypass mode allows you to override it and use another router instead. Gen 1 routers don’t have a bypass mode.
If you accidentally activated bypass mode or did so without having all the hardware at the ready, you’ll need to do a factory reset. This will get your Starlink router working again.
How To Do A Factory Reset For Any Starlink Router
A factory reset means that your router is returned to the state it was when you first got it. You will have to reconfigure it once you’ve completed the process.
It’s a great way to start with a clean slate and overcome any little glitches in the system that may be hindering its operation. Here’s how to get the job done.
Factory Reset Your Router The Easy Way: Starlink App
Simply log in to your starlink app, choose the “settings” option, and select “factory reset.” Once there, you simply activate the factory reset option, and you’re good to go.
Manual Factory Reset: Starlink Gen 1 Router
Press and hold the button on the bottom of your router until the indicator light turns blue. Release it, and your router will restart, reverting to factory settings.
Manual Factory Reset: Starlink Gen 2 Router
Apart from its lack of indicator lights, the Gen 2 router is a bit of pain to do a factory reset on. You will literally have to power cycle it (unplug, wait, plug in again) six times one after the other.
Manual Factory Reset Mesh-Gen 2 Router
Do the six-time power cycle to your mesh – sorry, no shortcuts here. When setting it up again, remember to use the Starlink network that goes to your router. Use the app to pair again.
Manual Factory Reset Starlink Gen 3 Router
If you have a Gen 3 router, the factory reset process is standard – the same thing you’d do with any other router.
In case you haven’t done this before, it means looking for the recessed button behind your router, pressing it with a sharpish object, and holding it in until the indicator light in front of your router starts blinking white.
Once the router has finished restarting, you can configure your setup.
Starlink Router Lights Sorted? We’ll Keep You Updated
Starlink support often takes time to get back to people, and the company prefers you to open tickets using the app. It’s not that they don’t want to talk to you, but it allows them to collect tech info that can help them to solve your problem.
If you know what the router lights mean, and have some basic fixes at your disposal, you might be able to skip contacting Starlink customer service. We hope we’ve enabled you to do just that.
But what about the next generation of Starlink routers? It isn’t out yet! We’ll keep you updated when it appears.
