BT Hub Flashing Purple Light (Causes & Easy Fixes)

Is your BT Hub flashing purple? A flashing purple light on your BT Hub means that your device is trying to connect to the internet.

Before troubleshooting your BT Hub, you need to know the different causes of a flashing purple light.

Some of the main reasons for your BT Hub to show a flashing purple light are a faulty line, disconnected cable, or service outages by BT.

To solve this problem, you can reboot your device, ensure that all the cables are connected correctly, or implement a factory reset of your device.

In some cases, you need to give your device time as it is in the activation process. Likewise, if there is a network outage, you’ll need to wait for BT to solve the issue.

Continue reading to learn more about the causes and fixes for a flashing purple light on a BT Hub.

The Meaning of a Flashing Purple Light on Your BT Hub

If your BT Hub is showing a flashing purple light, it means that it is operational, but it cannot access the internet.

This applies to any BT hub that you are using including, BT Smart Hub 2, Ultrafast Smart Hub, and BT Smart Hub.

Sometimes the BT Smart Hub 2 is showing a purple light but is not flashing. This indicates that your device is linked to the backup mobile network of EE but the connection to the primary fixed-line broadband is down.

Causes for BT Hub Flashing Purple

Understanding the root cause of a blinking purple light on your BT Hub will enable you to find the best troubleshooting technique to solve it. The following are the primary causes for your BT Hub to show a flashing purple light:

1. Wrong placement of the device

The placement of your device is one of the most overlooked reasons for a flashing purple light. Remember that for your device to function properly, there should be enough network signals reaching it.

Therefore, putting your device near electrical interferences or in closed cabinets may cause connectivity issues.

2. Faulty Devices or Cables

Another cause of a flashing purple light on a BT Hub is faulty equipment or cables.

Your device will act up if the wirings are loosely connected to the power supply or damaged. Additionally, issues with your Hub device may range from physical damage when dropped accidentally to outdated firmware.

3. Microfilter Problems

A microfilter is a tool that is used to separate your landline from the broadband to reduce the chances of experiencing a noisy phone line.

If the microfilter is damaged, your Hub will have issues connecting to the network leading to a flashing purple light.

4. Service Outage

A service outage is another common cause of a flashing purple light. This happens on BT’s end, as damaged equipment or power interruptions can sometimes lead to temporary issues with their network.

When this happens, your whole neighborhood may experience disruptions in internet connectivity.

Since this problem is with BT, all you need to do is check their website for any updates about their faults and wait for them to solve it.

Other BT Hub Colors

To enhance your understanding of the range of light colors on a BT Hub, we briefly explain them below.

Generally, blue or green lights mean there is nothing to worry about, while orange and red lights indicate issues requiring attention.

1. Green Light

A green light on your BT Hub means that your device is booting up. The green light will stay for a couple of seconds and afterward, it will change to blue. But if the green light does not change to blue, then your BT Hub may have stopped responding.

2. Blue Light

A blue light on your device means that it is working in peak condition, and you can connect to the internet without any issues.

However, in other models, a blue color may indicate that your device is in energy-saving mode.

3. Orange Light

A flashing orange light on your BT Hub means that there is nothing wrong with your Hub device, but it isn’t connected to the internet. The flashing orange color should change to blue after a few minutes.

If there is a prolonged steady orange light, it shows that your BT Hub is in good condition but is not able to successfully connect to the internet.

4. Red Light

A red light on your BT Hub means that your device is malfunctioning because of external or internal damage. A possible service outage may also cause the issue.

5. No Light

If there are no lights on your hub, it means that your device is switched off or the light indicator settings on the Hub are turned off.

Solutions for a Flashing Purple Light on Your BT Hub

Below are some easy and quick fixes for a BT Hub that is showing a flashing purple light:

1. Reboot your Device

Sometimes your BT Hub needs a reboot to solve any issue with internet connectivity. This is the most effective and simple trick that you can do.

All you need to do is to turn off your BT Hub by pressing the power button or disconnect it from the power source and give it a few minutes.

Then plug the BT Hub back in and wait for it to turn on. Give it a few minutes to see whether the flashing purple light has gone. If it is still there, you should try the solutions provided below.

2. Check the cables and wall socket

A flashing purple light means that there is no connection to your broadband at all, therefore, you should check if all cables are connected correctly. Ensure that there are no loose connections and that all cables are plugged in securely.

BT Smart Hubs have a grey socket located at the rear of the device labeled ‘Broadband’. Ensure that the black wire with grey connectors is firmly inserted into this socket.

Remove and reinsert the cable to ensure that it is properly positioned. You should hear a click if the cable is connected properly.

Additionally, you should check that the black cable is connected properly to the wall socket. If you have pets and children running around, chances are high that the cable can be disconnected from the wall socket.

3. Wait for broadband services to be activated

If you have recently connected to BT services for the first time, you may notice there is a flashing purple light. In this case, you need to wait for your device to activate which may take a few hours.

Once the BT Hub is activated, the flashing purple light should stop.

4. Disconnect the modem

If you have recently upgraded an older device to a BT Smart Hub, you will not need to use the modem that came with the older device.

Therefore, you should connect the Smart Hub directly to either the phone socket or the new Openreach modem that was installed by an engineer. This should remove the flashing purple light.

5. Check for service outage

If there are network outages by BT in your area, your BT Hub may have a flashing purple light. There is nothing you can do on your end but wait for BT to solve any issues that they may have and restore the network.

6. Test the BT socket

The cause of the flashing purple light may be caused by issues with the BT wall socket or phone extension cord.

To test the BT wall socket, try connecting the Hub directly to the wall socket if possible and see if there is any change to the light indicator.

To determine whether the issue is with your phone socket or an extension cable, it is necessary to plug your router directly into the master phone socket rather than an extension and see if the flashing purple light disappears.

If you only have one socket available, you need to use a filter.

7. Factory Reset

If you have exhausted all the troubleshooting techniques mentioned above and the problem persists, it might be necessary to reset your BT Hub.

It is important to note that resetting your BT Hub is not the same as simply restarting your device.

Resetting the Hub involves restoring it to its default factory settings, which will overwrite any changes you may have made previously.

There are various methods for implementing a factory reset, these are presented below:

A. Pinhole Technique

To perform this technique, you will need a paper clip to access the pinhole button which is located at the back of your device. After gathering all the necessary materials, you can proceed with the following steps:

• Locate the Factory Reset pinhole on your device.
• Use a paperclip to press the button for a minimum of 20 seconds.
• Wait for several minutes until the central power light turns blue.

B. Physical Button Technique

Another reset method for your Hub involves pressing its physical reset button, which can also be found at the back of the device.

Locate the Factory Reset button on your device and hold it down for a minimum of five seconds and ensure that your Hub remains turned on.

Wait for an additional five minutes after releasing the button, or until the central power light turns blue.

To reconnect your Hub, use the default network name and password indicated on the back of your device.

C. 30-30-30 Technique

An alternative factory reset method is the 30-30-30 technique, which involves the following steps:

• Press and hold the physical reset button for thirty seconds.
• Disconnect all plugs from your device and wait for an additional thirty seconds.
• Reconnect your router to the power source and hold down the physical reset button for another thirty seconds.

After attempting any of the possible reset methods on your BT Hub, it will be necessary to restore any previously made changes.

For example, modifying your network name and password can help to deter cyber threats and malicious attacks.

8. Contact BT for Support

If you are still experiencing issues, the best course of action is to get in touch with BT customer support. Their team can assist you in diagnosing the problem and guide you toward a resolution.

You can call or email them, and they will send a professional to help solve the problem.

However, if they cannot solve the problem, they will recommend you replace the BT Hub.

FAQs

What Color Should My BT Hub Be? 

When your BT Hub is functioning properly, the light status should be solid blue. This means that the device is connected to the broadband and broadcasting a local network.

If your BT Hub is displaying a solid blue color but there is no internet, try restarting the device and hopefully, the internet connection will be restored.

What Is the Difference Between Restarting And Resetting The BT Hub? 

The main difference between restarting and resetting your BT Hub is the effect on the router settings. Restarting the device simply turns it off and then on again, maintaining all previous configurations.

A factory reset differs in that it removes all data and memory from the router and restores the device to its factory default settings.

This means your WiFi username and password will be deleted, and you will have to reconfigure the settings.

If you encounter internet issues, first try restarting the device and then run a factory reset if the issue is not resolved.

Can I Use My Own Router With BT Broadband? 

BT does not put any restrictions on the router model that can connect to BT broadband. Therefore, you can shop around for third-party routers to connect to your BT broadband.

When looking for a third-party router, ensure that the WiFi speed is in line with your internet plan and that the coverage is in line with requirements within your home.

Final Words

Hopefully, this article has given you all the information that you need to know about a BT Hub flashing purple light and the easy fixes that you can apply to solve it.

Knowing the different reasons why your BT Hub is flashing purple will enable you to find the best troubleshooting solution.

In some cases, you may need to wait for your device to be fully activated so that the purple light can disappear.

However, there are times when you need to contact BT customer care to help fix the problem.