Jeffsnzliving

Setting up home internet in New Zealand can be quite straightforward when a fibre connection is already installed. Your internet provider sends you a router, and you connect it to the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) in your home.

The ONT is the box that connects your home to the fibre network. The model involved in both stories below was the Huawei EchoLife HG8240H, an indoor bridging-type ONT.

It sounds simple enough—but I have encountered two surprisingly frustrating problems where the ONT’s Power and PON lights were green, yet there was no internet connection.

Here is what happened and how each problem was resolved.

Case 1: An ONT Serial Number Mismatch After a Network Upgrade

A few months ago, Enable notified us that it would be upgrading the fibre network in our area. The notice said our internet connection would be unavailable for around one to two hours during the day.

However, when I came home from work that evening, the internet was still down.

I contacted my internet provider, but they said everything looked fine at their end. The Power and PON lights on the ONT were both green, so there was no obvious sign of a problem.

Despite that, we had no internet.

What Was the Problem?

It turned out that the ONT serial number recorded for our connection did not match the serial number on the ONT in our home.

The problem appeared after the network upgrade. Finding the cause took a considerable amount of time, and we spent two days without home internet while I used mobile data to look for answers.

Eventually, I asked my internet provider a very specific question:

“Could you check whether the ONT serial number in your system matches the one on the unit in my house?”

A few characters were incorrect. Once the recorded serial number was corrected, the internet connection worked again immediately.

What I Learned

If your internet stops working after network maintenance or an upgrade, even though the ONT lights look normal, ask your provider to verify the ONT serial number against the label on your unit.

In my case, that simple check finally solved a problem that had taken two days to track down.

Case 2: A Bent Pin Inside the ONT’s LAN Port

The second problem happened at a friend’s house after they moved in.

Their internet provider confirmed that the connection had been transferred and activated on moving day. The ONT’s Power and PON lights were green, and my friend connected the router to the ONT.

But once again—no internet.

The LAN Light Would Not Come On

The provider-assigned internet port at my friend’s house was LAN4. The active port can vary between connections, so it is worth confirming which one your provider has assigned.

Normally, when a powered-on router is connected to an enabled ONT Ethernet port with a working cable, you would expect the corresponding LAN indicator to light up.

At my friend’s house, however, the LAN4 light stayed off.

They tried connecting the cable to each port from LAN1 to LAN4, but none of the LAN lights came on.

My friend called the internet provider several times. Each time, they were told the ONT appeared to be working correctly. The serial number was also checked and confirmed to match.

Suspecting a faulty Ethernet cable, they tried a new one. When that did not help, they even received a replacement router.

The result was exactly the same: no LAN light and no internet.

The internet provider then directed my friend to Enable. A technician visited and inspected the ONT, but the problem remained unresolved.

What I Found

When I took a closer look inside the ONT’s LAN4 port, I noticed that one of the contact pins was bent.

See the photo below.

My guess is that the port may have been damaged when someone disconnected a cable before moving out, although I cannot confirm how it happened.

The bent pin appeared to be preventing a proper connection between the Ethernet plug and the port.

How the Connection Was Restored

I used tweezers to straighten the bent pin as carefully as I could. I then performed a factory reset by holding the ONT’s reset button for approximately 10 seconds.

After reconnecting the router, I found that each LAN port showed a link when I tested it. Once the router was connected to LAN4—the port assigned to the internet service—the internet worked normally.

Because I straightened the pin and reset the ONT before testing again, I cannot say for certain whether the pin repair alone would have restored the connection or whether the reset also played a part.

Either way, after nearly a week without internet, my friend was finally back online.

A note before trying this yourself: This describes what I did, rather than a recommended DIY repair procedure. If you notice damaged pins, contact your internet provider and ask for the ONT port to be inspected. Also, check with your provider before performing a factory reset, as it may affect the ONT’s configuration.

What to Check If Your ONT Lights Are Green but You Have No Internet

These two experiences taught me that green Power and PON lights do not necessarily mean the entire connection is working.

If you encounter similar symptoms, these checks may help you explain the problem to your provider:

• Verify the ONT serial number. Ask your provider to compare its records with the label on the unit in your home.
• Confirm the assigned LAN port. Do not assume every port provides an active internet service.
• Check the LAN indicator. Tell your provider whether it lights up when your router is connected and powered on.
• Try another Ethernet cable. A faulty cable is a straightforward possibility to rule out.
• Look for visible port damage. If a contact pin looks bent or damaged, ask your provider to arrange an inspection.

In both cases, the cause was easy to overlook. One involved a serial number mismatch, and the other involved a visibly damaged LAN port.

I am sharing these experiences in the hope that they help someone ask the right questions—and avoid spending days without internet as we did.