BT Smart Hub and Ultrafast Smart Hub lights: what each colour means
9 light states of the BT Smart Hub and Ultrafast Smart Hub, from BT’s own page What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean?. It has one status light, plus a WPS button light. At start-up BT’s order is: green (about one and a half minutes), flashing orange (about 30 seconds), steady orange (about two minutes), then blue. The whole sync usually takes about four minutes.
Blue light
The hub is working fine.
What BT says to do
- If you can’t get online, the problem may be your computer, tablet or phone: turn it off and back on and try again.
Source: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? (BT), checked 2026-09-29.
Green light
The hub is starting up; this takes about one and a half minutes.
What BT says to do
- Wait a couple of minutes for it to start.
Source: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? (BT), checked 2026-09-29.
Flashing orange light
The hub is connecting to broadband; this takes about 30 seconds.
What BT says to do
- Give it a minute or two; the light turns steady blue when the hub is ready.
Source: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? (BT), checked 2026-09-29.
Steady orange light
The hub is working but isn’t connected to the internet; during start-up this stage takes about two minutes.
What BT says to do
- Connect a device to the hub by cable or Wi-Fi, open a web browser and follow the on-screen help wizard.
Source: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? (BT), checked 2026-09-29.
Flashing purple light
The hub is working but isn’t connected to the internet.
What BT says to do
- Check the broadband cable (black with grey ends) is plugged in correctly and you are using a filter if needed.
- New broadband can take until midnight on the day it is switched on to start working.
- On Fibre after upgrading to the Smart Hub you no longer need the Openreach modem: plug the Smart Hub straight into the master phone socket.
- Check for service problems in your area in the My BT app or on BT’s service status page.
Source: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? (BT), checked 2026-09-29.
Red light
There’s a problem somewhere.
What BT says to do
- Press the Power button to turn the hub off, then back on.
- If the light doesn’t turn blue, press the Factory Reset button with a paper clip.
- If that doesn’t fix it, call BT, next to the hub with a computer or device.
Source: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? (BT), checked 2026-09-29.
No light
The power is off or the lights have been turned off.
What BT says to do
- If you haven’t turned the lights off, check the power button is on, the power supply is plugged in correctly and the mains is on; if there is still no light, contact BT.
Source: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? (BT), checked 2026-09-29.
WPS light flashing blue
The hub is waiting for you to press the WPS button on your computer or device (you have two minutes).
What BT says to do
- Press WPS on the device you are connecting. No WPS light afterwards means it connected.
Source: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? (BT), checked 2026-09-29.
WPS light flashing red
The device didn’t connect by WPS.
What BT says to do
- Give it a couple of minutes and try again.
Source: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? (BT), checked 2026-09-29.
Other BT hubs
The same colour can mean something else on another BT hub, so check the name on your hub’s label.
Sources
BT’s own pages only, read on the date shown. Nothing here comes from third-party router-light sites.
- BT: What do the lights on my BT Hub or Complete Wi-Fi device mean? — BT Smart Hub 3, Smart Hub 2, Smart Hub and Ultrafast Smart Hub, Home Hub 4 and 5, Home Hub 3 (one page, a section per hub). www.bt.com Checked 2026-09-29.