Today I decided to write an article on a very popular problem, when the WLAN light on the router is off and there is no Wi-Fi network. That is, when the router stopped broadcasting the Wi-Fi network. Owners of routers from different manufacturers face this problem: TP-Link, ASUS, D-Link, ZyXel, Tenda, Netis, etc. It is not important what kind of router you have. If the Wi-Fi (WLAN) indicator on it ceases to light up, and the Wi-Fi network disappears, then now we will try to deal with this problem.
The WLAN indicator looks different on different routers (different manufacturers and models). But almost every router has it. It usually blinks when wireless data is being transmitted. The bulb itself can be labeled "Wi-Fi", "2.4GHz", or "5GHz". Or maybe just an icon
In any case, when the WLAN indicator on the router is off or flashing, this is no longer normal. As you already understood, WLAN is Wi-Fi. Wireless network.
Most often, the problem is as follows:
- Accidentally pressed a button to turn off Wi-Fi, which is found on many routers. After pressing it, the router stops distributing the Wi-Fi network, and the WLAN light of course does not light up. At the same time, the router continues to work, distributes the Internet via cable. But the device does not see the Wi-Fi network anymore, since it does not exist.
- Some kind of software glitch. In this case, rebooting, resetting, or flashing the router helps. Also, you need to check the Wi-Fi settings in the router control panel.
- Broken router. I have already seen cases when the router stopped distributing the Wi-Fi network due to a technical breakdown. If all else fails, the Wi-Fi indicator is still off, then you need to carry the router for repair (possibly under warranty), or buy a new one. If you have such a case, then see the article on choosing a router for your home.
Let's check this very button that turns off Wi-Fi on the router. We'll also check what's in the control panel. Since the problem is most often this.
The WLAN light is off, the router is not distributing Wi-Fi. What to do?
First of all, we take our router in hand and look for a button on it that is responsible for enabling / disabling the wireless Wi-Fi network. Usually, this button is labeled as "Wi-Fi", "Wireless On / Off", or simply with a wireless network icon
Some routers do not have this button.
If you find this button, then just click on it once. Wait a while and look at the WLAN indicator, it should light up. If this does not happen, then restart the router (by turning off the power for a couple of minutes), and try pressing the button again. You can press and hold for three seconds. It all depends on the router and settings. Anyway, this should help, and the router should be distributing Wi-Fi.
Checking the status of the Wi-Fi network in the settings
If you did not find the button, or after clicking on it the WLAN network did not appear, you can also check the status of the wireless network in the control panel of the router.
We connect to our router via cable, there are no options here, and go to the settings. If you do not know how to do this, then see the instructions for entering the settings of different routers. It may be that you will not be able to enter the control panel, in which case, look at this article. If you cannot log in, and the recommendations do not help, then most likely the router simply broke down.
If you are lucky and the control panel has opened, then look for the tab "Wireless network", "Wi-Fi", "Wireless", and open it. It all depends on the model of your router. Let's take a look at the most popular ones.
This is how Wi-Fi settings look on routers TP-Link:
Note that the checkbox next to "Enable Wireless Router Radio" must be checked.
On routers ASUS open the "Wireless network" section, the "Professional" tab. Opposite the item "Turn on the radio module" the switch should be near "Yes".
On ZyXEL Keenetic, in the "Wi-Fi network" section there should be a check mark next to the "Enable access point" item.
If you have some other router, then the page with the wireless network settings will not be difficult to find. If it doesn't work out, write the model in the comments, I will tell you.
Nothing helps, the router does not broadcast the Wi-Fi network, the indicator is off
If you have already tried everything that is possible, and the router has not started distributing Wi-Fi, and the WLAN light does not light up, then most likely the router is broken. That is, the problem is not in the settings, or in the software, but in the hardware.
What else can you do?
- Reset your router to factory settings. Find the "Reset" button on the router, press and hold it for 10 seconds. As a rule, the button is recessed into the case, so you need to press it with something sharp. If it doesn't work, type in the search on our website (at the very top) a request, for example, "reset settings to TP-Link". We have instructions for all popular manufacturers. Or write in the comments, I will tell you.
- If you were able to enter the router settings, then update the firmware. We also have a lot of instructions for different routers on our website. Search for instructions for your model through the site search.
To be honest, these tips are unlikely to help. But, before you carry the router for repair, or go to the store for a new one, you need to try resetting the settings and updating the firmware. Well, poke another "Wi-Fi" button (if you have one), there may still be a problem there, and the WLAN indicator will start to light up, and the router will distribute a wireless network.
