Technical Support - Troubleshooting / Wi-Fi - Rachio Community

Technical Support

post by williamwhelpley on Jan 8, 2023

Controller was working, new wifi now stuck at blinking yellow and apps only show white screen…

controller shows offline in web app and nothing but white screens in droid app…

reset controller and now stuck on wifi …

post by omr on Jan 17, 2023

Might want to compare your new wifi (assuming you mean router) to your old and see if something’s changed that isn’t compatible with the Rachio… if your Rachio is a series 3, there aren’t clear (to me) compatibility limitations, but in my experience, routers have any number of settings that cause issues with settings of the devices, which are not often able to be changed on the device, i.e. Rachio.

Check your new (router?) security settings and try choosing WPA2 if it’s using WPA3. This option often is with the password settings… WPA2 vs WPA3 settings have been an issue for me with multiple wireless devices.

Router Requirements
- Rachio controllers support both dual-band and single-band routers; a steady 2.4 GHz connection on a secured (WPA/WPA2) network is required for Generation 2 and Generation 1 controllers (This is preferable to be separated from the 5 Hz ), but Rachio 3 can use either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz connection on a secured network.
Wi-Fi Channels
- The Rachio only supports channels 1-11. In Europe, 2 additional channels (12 and 13 are available). If your router moves to one of those channels the network will likely become invisible to the Rachio and drop offline or be unable to connect.
Wi-Fi 6
- We will be compatible with Wi-Fi 6, however, we will not be using any of its features at this time. We do not foresee any issues, as Wi-Fi 6 is designed to work with existing/legacy hardware, and is consistent with prior iterations of the 802.11 protocol, i.e. all 802.11ac routers/access points are able to function with 802.11bgn equipment.
  - WPA3 might be different but we do not have an update at this time. Again, we expect continued interoperability and the broadscale release will be able to accommodate existing/legacy devices.
  - Is my router supported?.
How do I update Wi-Fi on my controller? Wi-Fi Reset
- https://support.rachio.com/hc/en-us/articles/115010542788-How-do-I-update-Wi-Fi-on-my-controller-Wi-Fi-Reset
  - Advanced Wi-Fi Troubleshooting
    - Ports, MAC addresses, IP reservations, etc.
      - https://support.rachio.com/hc/en-us/articles/115010378647-Advanced-Wi-Fi-Troubleshooting

post by omr on Jan 17, 2023

This is from apple, but applies to all brands and operating systems or devices…

"… Set to WPA3 Personal for better security

Set to WPA2/WPA3 Transitional for compatibility with older devices

The security setting defines the type of authentication and encryption used by your router, and the level of privacy protection for data transmitted over its network. Whichever setting you choose, always set a strong password for joining the network.

WPA3 Personal is the newest, most secure protocol currently available for Wi-Fi devices. It works with all devices that support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and some older devices.
WPA2/WPA3 Transitional is a mixed mode that uses WPA3 Personal with devices that support that protocol, while allowing older devices to use WPA2 Personal (AES) instead.
WPA2 Personal (AES) is appropriate when you can’t use one of the more secure modes. In that case, also choose AES as the encryption or cipher type, if available."

post by omr on Jan 17, 2023

I’ve also had issues with the channel/s the router uses and the channel/s the device is designed to operate on… you can try adjusting the channel range your router uses to broadcast your network…

Wi-Fi Channels - The Rachio only supports channels 1-11.