Why Is My Friendship Lamp Pulsing Blue?

A pulsing blue light usually means your Friendship Lamp has connected to the router but cannot fully reach the internet or the Friendship Lamps service.

This can be caused by a temporary connection delay, a router restriction, a shared network, or a Filimin Bridge issue.

Using Eero or another mesh network?

On Eero and some other mesh Wi-Fi systems, the lamp may pulse blue for approximately two minutes before it finishes connecting.

Allow the lamp a few minutes to come online.

If it continues pulsing blue or never connects, follow the steps below.

1. Confirm that the internet is working

Use a phone or computer connected to the same Wi-Fi network to open a website.

If the internet is not working:

1. Unplug the router.
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Plug it back in.
4. Allow several minutes for the connection to return.

Once the internet is working again, restart the lamp.

2. Restart the lamp

1. Unplug the lamp.
2. Wait 10 seconds.
3. Plug it back in.
4. Allow a few minutes for it to reconnect.

Avoid touching the lamp while it starts up because the touch sensor calibrates when power is restored.

3. Move closer to the main router

Place the lamp near the main router during troubleshooting.

For mesh systems, move it near the primary router or main Eero unit rather than a satellite or extender.

A weak or unstable connection can prevent the lamp from finishing its connection.

4. Check the router for a blocked or paused device

Open your router app or router settings and look for a device named something similar to:

• ESP
• Espressif
• ESP_XXXXXX
• An unnamed smart or IoT device

Make sure the device is not:

• Paused
• Blocked
• Restricted by parental controls
• Limited by guest-network settings
• Isolated from other devices
• Prevented from reaching the internet

Allow the device, then restart the router and lamp.

5. Avoid guest networks

Guest networks often prevent smart devices from reaching the internet correctly or isolate them from other devices.

Connect the lamp to the main home Wi-Fi network whenever possible.

6. Check for VPNs and privacy services

Temporarily turn off any VPN, Private Relay, privacy filter, or security app on the phone or tablet used during setup.

Examples may include:

• Norton VPN
• DuckDuckGo App Tracking Protection
• Apple Private Relay
• Other network-filtering or privacy apps

You can turn them back on after setup is complete.

7. Check whether the network is shared or managed

Pulsing blue is common when a shared network allows the lamp to connect to Wi-Fi but blocks it from reaching the internet.

This can happen on:

• Dorm or campus networks
• Hotels
• Hospitals
• Assisted-living communities
• Apartment-building Wi-Fi
• Workplace networks
• Public Wi-Fi

If the network requires a browser sign-in or acceptance page, the lamp cannot complete that step by itself.

Contact the network administrator and ask whether the lamp can be whitelisted.

See How to Whitelist a Friendship Lamp on a Shared Network.

8. If you use a Filimin Bridge

Check that:

• The bridge is plugged into power
• The Ethernet cable is connected securely
• The router’s Ethernet port is active
• The lamp is close enough to the bridge

Restart the equipment in this order:

1. Unplug the bridge and lamp.
2. Restart the router.
3. Wait for the internet to return.
4. Plug the bridge back in.
5. Wait for the bridge to come online.
6. Plug the lamp back in.

See the Bridge Setup Guide if the bridge does not come online.

9. Try a personal hotspot

A hotspot test can help determine whether the problem is with the lamp or the router.

If the lamp connects to a hotspot but continues pulsing blue on the regular Wi-Fi network, the router or network is likely blocking the connection.

Make sure the hotspot:

• Has active internet service
• Uses 2.4 GHz
• Does not require a browser sign-in
• Allows connected devices to access the internet

10. Review the router troubleshooting checklist

For additional steps involving 2.4 GHz, band steering, Smart Connect, hidden networks, and router restrictions, follow:

Why Won’t My Friendship Lamp Connect to Wi-Fi? Router Troubleshooting Checklist

Still pulsing blue?

Contact our support team and include:

• Your Lamp ID or a photo of the label on the bottom of the lamp
• The router or hotspot brand
• Whether you use Eero, mesh Wi-Fi, or a Filimin Bridge
• Whether the lamp connected to a different network
• How long the lamp has been pulsing blue