It seems to us that there is never a convenient time to begin experiencing issues with your internet connection. After all, it just seems that the majority of us rely on it heavily to accomplish even the most basic of tasks. However, what can we do when AT&T broadband light starts flashing red?
For example, many of us need a solid connection to conduct our business online. We shop online, we do our banking online, and an ever-increasing number of us work from home.
Even if the internet is just an added source of entertainment for us, we are willing to be that you find it annoyingly inconvenient when it goes down.
Among the issues that can occur, slowdowns on your connection and outages that seem to happen or no reason at all are absolutely infuriating.
Generally, when these issues begin to crop up, most of us know to check out the router or the modem for issues instantly.
Well, what happens if you have gone to perform these checks only to be greeted by a flashing red light on your AT&T modem? What does it mean?
You may be thinking that a flashing red light is essentially a harbinger of doom. After all, flashing red lights generally isn’t good news, right?
Well, in this case, the prognosis is relatively positive – for most of you. Really, it just means that your internet is struggling to connect.
In fact, of all the problems you can have on the AT&T network, this is a long way from being the most serious.
But what exactly causes it, and how do you make it stop? Well, it is a good thing you asked. The answers are coming up.
Who Are AT&T?
AT&T is an American conglomerate company that offers plans and devices all over the United States. Overall, they have a reasonably good reputation as a reliable company.
But, that doesn’t quite mean that they don’t have their issues at times. Regardless, in terms of value for money, they score pretty well against their competitors and have managed to corner a large section of the market based on that. They also have some pretty sweet deals for new customers.
What Causes the Flashing Red Light on AT&T?
Normally, when we are diagnosing issues with issues such as these, we find it useful to explain what could be causing the issue in the first place.
That way, when problems begin to crop up again, you will understand what’s happening and be better equipped to deal with it.
As with most issues with a broadband connection, there are several factors that can be causing the problem.
In most cases, this flashing red light will appear when your region is experiencing adverse weather conditions such as thunderstorms.
Naturally, simply having a look at the weather will determine whether that is the cause or not.
If it is, there isn’t much you can do about it except wait it out.
However, if the weather is pretty normal looking, there is a good chance that your connections are too loose to maintain a stable and useful connection to the net.
AT&T Broadband Light Flashing Red
In this article, the whole point of the game is to help you diagnose these issues at home by yourself.
Calling in professionals can be costly at times. Other times, they won’t show up for days on end.
So, sometimes, the only logical course of action is to become self-sufficient when it comes to basic tech issues.
The first step towards doing this is knowing what to check on before you consider the situation as serious.
Before we begin, it is important to tell you not to worry if you aren’t that ‘techy; by nature.
None of these fixes or checks will require you to take anything apart or risk damaging your gear in any way. Okay, so let’s begin!
1. Upgrade Your Router’s Firmware:
The first thing you should check is whether your router’s firmware is up to date. Out-of-date firmware can really hamper the way your device performs.
- To check this, all you need to do is to input your router’s IP address into your web browser.
- Then, you will have to enter your sign-in information.
- Then, locate your Firmware or find the Update section.
- Next up, you will need to download the most up-to-date version of the firmware on your router’s manufacturer website.
- Then, finish up by completing your actions and confirming them.
2. Move Your Router:
On occasion, the positioning of your router may be the root cause of the problem.
If it is placed somewhere where it is likely to experience interference with other electronic or Bluetooth devices, the signal can end up stuck in the form of traffic.
When this happens, your router will recognize that the signal is too weak and warn you by means of the flashing red light.
So, for this fix, try moving the router to somewhere where it will receive less interference. Normally, placing it somewhere up high is a good idea.Â
Once you have tried these two tips and haven’t noticed any change, it is time to get into some more in-depth solutions.
3. Restart Your Gateway:
For this fix, all you will need to do is restart your main broadband AT&T gateway.
Of all of the fixes, this one is by far the most likely to work straight away. Here’s how you go about it:
- First, unplug the power connection cord from the back of your gateway.
- Then, wait for around 15 to 20 seconds.
- Next up, plug it back in.
- Now all you have to do is wait for your AT&T broadband light to turn green. Generally, this could take anywhere between 3 and 5 minutes to happen.Â
- To finish up, have a quick check to make sure that everything is working as it should be.
For roughly 4 out of 5 of you, this will have fixed the issue. However, if you are not one of the lucky ones, don’t worry about it too much. We still have more tips and tricks to try out.
4. Reset Your AT&T Modem:
IT professionals often joke that they would be out of a job if people just tried resetting their devices before calling for help. It really does work that often!
As with any device, the longer it is left running, the more bugs can begin to crop up and hamper its performance.
So, to reset your AT&T modem, here is what you need to do:
- First, press and hold down the reset button on your modem for between 20 and 30 seconds.
- As soon as the lights turn solid white or green, release your hold on the reset button. After this, your service should be refreshed and working as it should be.
- Then, log in to your modem settings and reset it from there as well – to be thorough.
And that’s it. Though it is a pretty basic and rudimentary fix, it does often turn out to be the one that fixes the problem.
But, if this hasn’t fixed the issue for you yet, don’t worry. We still have one last fix before you need to call in the professionals.
5. Fix Any Loose Connections:
Really, at this point, the likelihood is that there is something seriously wrong with your modem.
However, it always helps to try every last available course of action to make sure. After all, having to call in the pros for something you could have remedied yourself is a pain.
So, before you give your modem up for dead, make sure that all of the connections are nice and tightly inserted.Â
Conclusion: AT&T Broadband Light Flashing Red
Unfortunately, these are the only fixes we could find that we could verify for authenticity.
Naturally, there are other courses of action that we could include that would involve being a little more invasive to the device.
However, we can’t advise that you undertake any such actions unless you are 100% sure that you know what you are doing. Really, it is better left to the specialists at that point.