BT is one of the most popular broadband providers in the UK. The service is reliable enough, but the hardware equipment is responsible for making the service accessible to the masses. The BT Smart Hub, formerly known as the Home Hub, is BT’s residential broadband gateway.

It acts as both the modem and a router. You can connect your home network to the broader Internet and deliver fast speeds to all your connected devices through one compact device. Whether you’re connecting devices through Wi-Fi or using a wired ethernet port, the BT Hub makes it possible. Best of all, you don’t have to be an IT expert to get things set up and running smoothly.

For the most part, the BT Hub is an efficient piece of hardware. But like all gadgets, issues can arise. All iterations of the BT Hub are screenless devices. To indicate potential problems, the BT Hub uses a series of lights, such as purple and blue. There are a few light colors on this modern/router combo device.

In this article, we will examine the meaning of the orange light. The orange LEDs could mean a few different things depending on the BT Hub model you have and the light’s appearance.

To make things easier, we’ll cover what the orange lights mean on both current and legacy BT Hub models.

What Orange Lights mean on the BT Home Hub 3

The Home Hub 3 is the oldest legacy router still used by BT. While none of the newer current broadband plans utilize this device, it still works well on older options. This device has four ethernet ports and a USB slot.

This hardware does use smart scan technology, but it lacks support for modern 5 GHz bands. It’s a simpler-looking router with a smooth profile, three LED status symbols, and a small universal status light.

Why is BT Home Hub 3 Flashing Orange?

If the status light is flashing orange, the device is attempting to connect to the Internet. It may be connecting via Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), a security standard that creates a secure wireless home network.

Solid Orange Lights on BT Home Hub 3

When the status light is solid orange, it could mean one of two things. It might indicate that the BT Home Hub 3 is on power-save mode. Alternatively, it could mean there’s a problem with your Internet connection.

The best course of action here is to do a manual reset by pressing the power button.

Solid Red-Colored Lights on BT Home Hub 3

The red light means that the device isn’t connected to broadband, and there’s an issue with your Internet connection. Once again, you can use the power button to do a manual reset.

If that doesn’t resolve the issue, you can use a small paperclip to press the factory reset button on the rear.

What Orange Lights mean on the BT Home Hub 4 and BT Home Hub 5

The Home Hub 4 and Home Hub 5 looks nearly identical. However, they have different technologies inside.

The BT Home Hub 4 has four antennae and is capable of dual-band Wi-Fi. There are also four ethernet ports and a USB slot. The BT Home Hub 5 is capable of dual AC Wi-Fi. It has five antennae and uses four Giga ethernet connections. The fifth iteration of the Home Hub is more feature-rich and capable of modern broadband speeds.

Because these two models share the same design, the orange lights have identical meanings. The light appears on a silver bar towards the bottom of the device’s front facade.

General Orange Power Light

If you see an orange light on the silver bar, it means that there’s an issue somewhere. Unfortunately, the light doesn’t tell you where the problem is. As a result, you’ll have to look into the following details.

Orange Broadband Light

An orange light may indicate that your service isn’t available yet. This error is common when the device connects to broadband, but your service account isn’t “turned on” just yet. The best thing to do here is to wait until midnight when you’re scheduled to switch to broadband service.

Red Broadband Light

The difference between orange and red lights is subtle. But the red light typically indicates an incorrect username or password. Take a look at your account credentials and try again. If that doesn’t work, you can use a paper clip to do a factory reset. Use the paperclip to press the recessed button on the back and hold it for a few seconds.

Once the Home Hub reboots, you can reset your password.

Red Flashing Broadband Light

When the red light begins flashing, there’s something wrong with the broadband line. Consider checking all cables and securing plugs.

Orange Wireless Light

An orange wireless light typically means you’ve inadvertently switched off wireless security. This light is a security measure to let you know that your browsing isn’t safe. To fix this problem, head into your Hub manager, navigate the “wireless” tab, and turn security on.

Orange Flashing Wireless Light

The flashing orange light in this instance represents WPS automatic connection mode. The BT Home Hub lets you connect devices without a key.

Red Power Light

Finally, there’s a red power light. When you see this, you’re not connected to broadband. There are a few potential fixes for this issue.

You can turn the hub on and off, press the reset button, or do a hard reset with the recessed button on the back.

What Orange Lights Mean on the BT Smart Hub

After the Home Hub 5, BT moved to the Smart Hub. This device comes with the provider’s Superfast Fibre plans. It’s a powerful modem and router, serving homes with multiple users without missing a beat.

The device has seven antennae, four gigabit ethernet ports, and dual-band Wi-Fi. It has an updated design but still uses LED lights for status indicators.

Why is BT Smart Hub Flashing Orange?

When you see flashing orange on the front of the Smart Hub, the device is connecting to broadband. Wait a few minutes, and the light should turn into a steady blue light when it’s ready for use.

Solid Orange Lights

If the light is solid orange, the Smart Hub is attempting to connect. It’s not connected to the Internet just yet, but it’s trying to get there.

Once again, the best thing to do is wait a few minutes. If the light doesn’t turn solid blue after two minutes, you can connect a device to the Smart Hub using Wi-Fi or ethernet cable. Once connected, open up a web browser and follow the on-screen prompts to establish a broadband connection.

What Orange Lights Mean on BT Smart Hub 2

The second iteration of the Smart Hub is the latest and most advanced hardware BT has to offer. It’s available for purchase directly from BT or as part of a BT Plus upgrade. What makes the Smart Hub 2 different?

It communicates with a smartphone app to monitor performance. It can also reboot automatically when problems arise, reduce signal interference, and more.

Why does BT Smart Hub 2 have Flashing Orange Lights?

Like the original Smart Hub, flashing orange lights indicates that the device is connecting to broadband. After three minutes, it should turn to solid blue.

Solid Orange Lights

The solid orange lights mean the same thing for the Smart Hub 2 as for the first Smart Hub. The Hub is working, but it’s having difficulty connecting to the Internet. Use Wi-Fi or ethernet to connect a device and follow the on-screen wizard.

Solid Red Light

A solid red light means that the Hub isn’t working, and there’s something seriously wrong.

You can try a few different methods to fix this issue. Use the power button to do a manual reset. If that doesn’t work, reset the hub to factory settings using a paper clip and the recessed button on the rear. If problems persist, contact BT directly for assistance.

There you have it! The lights on the various BT Hubs can be confusing. But once you learn how to decipher them, knowing the router and modem’s status is as simple as taking a glance.