Whenever someone buys a brand new Netgear router, it is very important to get acquainted with the various lights on it. Doing so helps in understanding the various issues that he/she might face while using the Netgear router. Users can see the power LED, USB LED, internet LED, Ethernet LED, and WPS LED on their Netgear routers. But, they often get confused about the WPS light on router.
Most Netgear users are unaware of what the WPS light on a router indicates and what to do if the WPS light is not turning off. If you have also performed Netgear router setup and want to know about the WPS LED on your router, then we’ve got you covered. Here, you will get to know everything about the WPS LED on your Netgear WiFi router. So, read on.
What is the Purpose of WPS Light on Router?
To know the purpose of the WPS light on router, you need to understand about the WPS first. WPS stands for WiFi Protected Setup. It is a wireless security standard that is mostly preferred for home networks. It helps in establishing a faster connection between the Netgear router and WiFi-enabled devices. WPS works on wireless networks that uses WPA or WPA2 encrypted passwords. It doesn’t work on wireless networks encrypted with WEP security as they can be easily hacked.
In a standard setup, you can’t connect your WiFi-enabled device to the wireless network until you don’t know its network name (SSID) and network key (password). But, the WPS method helps you connect WiFi devices without revealing the SSID and password of the Netgear router’s network. Thus, the WPS method simplifies the connection process. And, the WPS light on router indicates the different stages of connection between your WiFi-enabled devices and the router’s network.
Now, let’s have a look at the various methods using which you can connect your client devices to the WPS-enabled Netgear router.
How to Connect Client Devices to WPS-Enabled Router?
There are four methods using which you can connect your wireless client devices to the WPS-enabled router’s network:
- By pushing the WPS button on your Netgear WiFi router and the client devices within a limited time.
- By manually entering the pin code provided by the Netgear router’s wireless access point into each device.
- Another method of connecting your wireless client devices to the WPS-enabled Netgear router’s network is using a USB. For this, you have to use a pen drive and connect it to the access point and then to the client device.
- The fourth method of connecting the wireless client devices to the WPS-enabled Netgear router’s network is via NFC (Near Field Communication). To use this method, you have to place your Netgear router and client device close to each other.
Now, you may be wondering what the WPS light on router indicates. Because sometimes, the light is on, sometimes it is off, or at times blinking. Let’s make you understand about the light located next to the WPS button on the Netgear router.
Stages of WPS Light on Router
When you push the WPS button on your Netgear wireless router, the LED light located next to the button undergoes the following three stages:
- Off: If the WPS light on router is off, it means there is no device connected to your Netgear router’s network via the WPS method.
- Blinking: Blinking WPS light on the Netgear router indicates that it is trying to make a connection with a client device.
- Solid: If the WPS light on your router is glowing solid green, it signifies that a client device has successfully connected to your Netgear router’s network via the WPS method.
What if the WPS Light on Router Keeps Blinking?
At times, many users have complained that the WPS light on their Netgear router keeps blinking or off. Well, that is a matter of concern. In that case, we suggest to reboot the Netgear WiFi router. Rebooting the router will help in resolving technical glitches that might prevent users from establishing a successful WPS connection. After rebooting the router, try to connect the client devices to the WiFi network. The WPS light on the Netgear WiFi router will turn solid green.
Need More Guidance?
This was all about the WPS light on router. Just in case you are experiencing issues with the WPS light on your Netgear router and need more guidance, you can contact our expert technicians. They are available round the clock to help you.