#1 Confirm you have the G3100
Verizon’s “Fios Router” user manual is written for Model G3100 — the model is stated on the manual’s cover and the router’s label (S57). The G3100 sits next to the CR1000A in Verizon’s lineup, and their light tables are similar but not identical: on the G3100, hardware/system failure is a solid red, pairing failure is a slow red blink, and there is no separate update-error state listed — the CR1000A’s table bundles these differently (S57 vs S08). So step one is the label: if it reads CR1000A, use the CR1000A support page instead; if G3100, everything below applies.
#2 The official documentation, in one place
| What you need | The official source |
|---|---|
| Full hardware guide (LEDs, WPS, reset, ports, settings) | Fios Router User Manual, Model G3100 (PDF) (S57) |
| LED chart (KB) | Verizon Router LED Status Indicators (S09) — note this site’s G3100 page predates the manual’s recovery and flags the gap honestly |
| Speed tests | Verizon speed test (S45) and the Verizon speed test guide |
#3 Restart and reset: the documented holds — and the UI path
The G3100 manual documents three ways to restart or reset (S57):
- Soft reboot — settings kept: press and hold the rear reset button for at least 3 seconds. The manual’s own tip: use the tip of a ballpoint pen, held for three seconds.
- Factory reset — settings erased: hold for at least 10 seconds.
- From the router’s UI: Advanced Settings → 6.1j Save and Restore — save your configuration first, and the same page offers a Restore Factory Defaults option. This is the deliberate, menu-driven path; the button is the quick one.
The hierarchy matters: a soft reboot (3-second hold or UI reboot) is the everyday fix; the factory reset — by button or menu — erases your Wi-Fi name, password and every customized setting, and is a support-directed action. The restart versus factory reset guide covers why, and this manual is also the rare Verizon document that lets the site state exact holds with a single clear source.
#4 Reading the Router Status LED
The G3100 has a single Router Status LED on the front, doubled with a unified button that both starts WPS and gives “a quick view of the operational state” (S57). The manual’s table:
| Light | State | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| White | Solid | Normal operation — on, connected, functioning normally |
| White | Fast blink | Router is booting |
| Blue | Slow blink | Pairing mode (WPS initiated — flashes up to two minutes) |
| Blue | Solid | Pairing successful |
| Green | Solid | Wi-Fi has been turned off |
| Yellow | Solid | No internet connection |
| Red | Solid | Hardware/system failure detected |
| Red | Fast blink | Overheating |
| Red | Slow blink | Pairing failure — the manual says it flashes red slowly for two minutes after a WPS error |
| Off | — | Power off |
The two-minute windows are documented behaviors, not bugs: WPS pairing mode blinks blue slowly for up to two minutes while it waits for your device, and after a pairing error the LED blinks red slowly for two minutes before it clears (S57). A solid yellow — “no internet connection” — is the moment for the outage check, not a button hold.
#5 WPS: the documented timings
The G3100’s WPS flow is unusually well documented (S57): press and hold the unified front button for more than two seconds; the LED flashes blue slowly for up to two minutes while it waits; when a device starts connecting it flashes blue rapidly for a few seconds, turns solid blue, then solid white as the connection completes. An error during pairing produces the two-minute slow red flash described above. That end-to-end sequence means most “WPS is stuck” questions resolve by waiting out the documented window rather than re-pressing the button.
#6 Ports, power and placement
The manual documents the rear panel (S57): seven ports — F-type coax, four Ethernet LAN ports, one Ethernet WAN port, USB, the DC power jack and the reset button. One hardware note from the same manual that most owners never see: an external surge-protective device (SPD) is intended to be used with the G3100/E3200 — worth checking during any storm-season or rewiring work.
As with every router in this set, placement drives the wireless half of every speed result. The G3100’s own behavior under WiFi-off (solid green) and no-internet (solid yellow) states gives you quick visual triage before any test run.
#7 Speed tests, outages and getting help
Run the Verizon speed test at verizon.com/speedtest — a network-path measurement for signed-in customers, read per the Verizon speed test guide (S45). A solid yellow LED (“no internet connection,” S57) or a solid white with no internet are the triggers for the Guided Solutions Tool, Verizon’s named troubleshooting route (per the outage guide), before any restart.
For support contacts, lead with: Model G3100, the Router Status LED state, and whether a WPS or update window was in progress. The manual’s troubleshooting structure pairs lights with conditions in exactly that order (S57).
#8 Common G3100 questions
Q: My light is solid green but the internet works. Is that a fault? No — solid green is the manual’s “Wi-Fi has been turned off” state (S57). The router is up with Wi-Fi disabled; re-enable Wi-Fi in the settings if devices should connect.
Q: WPS has been blinking blue for a while. Is it stuck? The manual documents slow blue flashing for up to two minutes as normal pairing-mode behavior (S57). Fast blue flash, then solid blue, then solid white means success; slow red for two minutes means the pairing errored and will clear on its own.
Q: How do I reset without losing my settings? Three-second hold on the rear reset button — soft reboot, settings kept (S57). Ten seconds or more factory-resets; the UI’s 6.1j Save and Restore page is the safer place to manage resets because it saves your configuration first.
Q: My light is solid red. On the G3100 that is the manual’s hardware/system-failure state — solid, not blinking (S57). Power down once; if solid red returns, that is a support case. Fast-blinking red instead points at overheating: airflow and placement first.
#9 Related pages
- G3100 page — the model-confirmation route while the chart is being upgraded with the manual’s table.
- CR1000A support — the sibling router’s route, with its differing red states.
- Verizon speed test — the network-path test and how to read it.
- Check for an ISP outage — the Guided Solutions Tool and the other providers’ routes.