Internet help · BT
BT Hub flashing purple: what to check first
Follow the checks for your BT hub and connection type, including the Openreach box on Full Fibre and the difference between flashing and solid purple.
By Appliance Faults · Reviewed
Quick answer
A flashing purple BT Smart Hub 2 light means the hub is running but its broadband cable connection needs checking. Follow the cable to your telephone socket or Openreach fibre box. Solid purple is different: Smart Hub 2 can be using EE's mobile network through Hybrid Connect.
For BT Smart Hub 2 and the original BT Smart Hub/Ultrafast Smart Hub. These light meanings are not a guide to Smart Hub 3, WiFi discs or the separate Hybrid Connect device.
Match your connection and light
Check the model and whether the light is flashing before changing the setup.
| Model and light | Meaning and next check |
|---|---|
| Smart Hub 2 with Full FibreFlashing purple | The hub's broadband cable connection needs checking. Check the Ethernet link from the Openreach box to the hub's WAN port, then look at the Openreach lights. Official evidence: BT: what the lights on your hub mean; BT: Smart Hub 2 Full Fibre setup |
| Smart Hub 2 or original Smart Hub with phone-socket broadbandFlashing purple | The hub is running but is not connected to broadband/internet. Check the grey-ended broadband lead, any required filter, activation date and BT service status. Official evidence: BT: what the lights on your hub mean |
| Smart Hub 2 with Hybrid ConnectSolid purple | The hub is connected through the EE mobile network. Check why fixed broadband is unavailable or has not yet been set up. This is a different state from flashing purple. Official evidence: BT: what the lights on your hub mean |
Full Fibre: check the cable from the Openreach box
An Openreach modem, also called an ONT, is the separate box where fibre enters your home. Keep it in your Full Fibre setup. The connection to check here is the Ethernet cable between that box and the hub.
BT's Smart Hub 2 setup uses the Openreach box's PORT 1/LAN 1 connection and the hub's red WAN port. Where the hub has no red WAN port, BT specifies yellow port 4. Check both cable ends are fully seated; the plugs should click into place.
If you recently upgraded to Full Fibre, follow BT's setup instructions to ensure the hub is in Full Fibre mode. Advice about removing an old modem from a phone-socket installation does not apply to this fibre box.
- PON solid green: BT says the optical connection is working. Check the Ethernet link between the Openreach box and hub.
- PON flashing with LOS off: the box is undergoing connection verification. Allow it to complete.
- Ethernet port light off: check both ends of that cable. BT suggests trying another Ethernet cable if needed.
- Another light pattern: use BT's Openreach guide for your model. Note the labels and colours for support; do not assume every box has the same indicators.
Official evidence: BT: Smart Hub 2 Full Fibre setup; BT: Openreach modem lights
Phone-socket broadband: check the lead and filter
Check the grey-ended broadband cable at the hub and telephone socket arrangement. If your installation uses a microfilter, check that connection too. Use the Full Fibre section instead if your hub is connected by Ethernet to an Openreach fibre box.
Official evidence: BT: what the lights on your hub mean
Has the service been activated yet?
For a new connection, check your agreed activation date. BT says activation can take until midnight on that day. A service that has not started is not enough evidence of a faulty hub.
On the Smart Hub 2 Full Fibre setup, BT says the hub is ready after its light has stayed solid blue for two minutes. If the connection worked before and has now failed, move to the service check below rather than waiting for an activation that already happened.
Official evidence: BT: Smart Hub 2 Full Fibre setup
Keep a factory reset as a last resort
Restarting with the power button and pressing the factory-reset pinhole are different actions. BT recommends a factory reset only as a last resort: it removes personalised settings and passwords. Customers using a BT Digital Voice handset can also lose saved contacts.
Complete the connection and service checks first. If BT recommends a factory reset, back up Digital Voice contacts and use the instructions for your exact hub. Reset button timings differ between models.
Official evidence: BT: factory reset guidance
Still flashing purple? Check with BT
Use BT's official service checker to scan the connection and report an unresolved problem. A light pattern helps describe the issue, but cannot identify every underlying fault.
Check my BT serviceHave these details ready
- Hub model and whether the purple light is flashing or steady
- Phone-socket or Full Fibre connection, plus any Openreach light labels and colours
- When the issue started and whether this connection has worked before
Frequently asked questions
Why is my BT Hub solid purple but the internet still works?+
On Smart Hub 2 with Hybrid Connect, solid purple can mean the hub is using EE's mobile network because fixed broadband is unavailable or not yet set up. It is different from a flashing-purple connection warning.
Should I remove the Openreach box to fix flashing purple?+
Keep the Openreach fibre box in a Full Fibre setup. Check the Ethernet cable between it and the hub. Legacy instructions about removing a modem from a phone-socket installation must not be applied to a Full Fibre ONT.
Can a factory reset fix a disconnected broadband cable?+
Check the physical connection first. BT treats a factory reset as a last resort, and it removes personalised settings. Use BT's service checker if the hub still cannot connect after the cable and activation checks.
Official sources and scope
This is independent guidance based on BT's public support pages, not a live line test or a diagnosis of your equipment. Use the instructions for your exact hub and connection. BT handles account activation, line faults and support.
- BT: what the lights on your hub mean
Supports the flashing-purple, solid-purple and model distinctions.
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- BT: Smart Hub 2 Full Fibre setup
Supports the ONT-to-hub port connections, Full Fibre mode and activation guidance.
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- BT: Openreach modem lights
Supports the PON, LOS and Ethernet-port checks; indicator labels vary by modem.
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- BT: factory reset guidance
Explains last-resort use, lost settings and the Digital Voice contacts warning.
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- BT: check service status
Official route to scan the connection and report unresolved problems.
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Read our editorial policy and source methodology.