Grid Connect Change Wifi Password
Shane Rouse
I have Grid Arlec Grid Connect smart lights installed. I am looking at changing my router and adding stronger password for Wifi. What is the easiest way to setup new password without going through and reconnecting each light one by one through the setup process?
Thanks, currently running 3x Deco mesh with 1 being the router. From what I have been reading they don't offer option for another SSID and have been advised to use the guest network for IoT. What are your thoughts on this or another work around?
Is anyone having any issues with any Grid Connect devices lately? I have a Deta 6914HA Series 2 fan/light controller. I've been having issues where the it disconnects and won't re-connect. Upon trying to do the pairing again, there is nothing for the app to detect. I have an original 6914HA and it's working flawless, but I guess that's due to the ESP chip it has. The series 2 has a tuya chip, and it's pathetic.
I had this problem with a DETA Smart Rewirable Plug.
Device mode appears to affect App connections as switching modes is best achieved manually in the App setup.
The App does not always automatically advance into AP mode detection and appears to be used as a secondary choice.
The problem revolved around poor signal strength and low bandwidth of the chosen router.
Some routers have a limit to the number of 2.4GHz devices allowed and a weak (-70db) signal make connection difficult.
I solved the problem with a factory reset of the device and paired it with a different router, with a higher 2.4GHz bandwidth (later model).
I also re-organised the original router's 2.4GHz channel, allowing only IoT connections of greater than -65db.
The AP mode works if the signal strength is strong enough and allows other devices to route through it, and is good as a backup plan but not fool proof. The device with a strong signal and between router and farthest device would be a better choice for AP mode.
The reset can take awhile (button press 20 seconds from memory, mode change is shorter).
Your phone has to be on the 2.4GHz channels to pick it up, and program the required SSID of the router, into the device, but once device is connected to the router, any phone wifi channel (2.4 or 5GHz) will work via the router.
It is possible the unit is a dud and needs replacement.
One other problem I discovered, is the units do not like heat. If the units are close to a heat source e.g. rear of dishwasher or close to heated towel rail , they will cease to communicate until cooled to ambient.
To re do the pairing on this one you hold down a button for 5 seconds and the light begins to flash either fast or slow depending on the pairing method. Just press again for another 5 seconds to swap to the other method.
What I'd like to find is a way to power cycle the whole unit without having to go out to the meter box and flip the whole lighting circuit. Pain in the butt, but I seem to have mine working again from doing this. I'll see how it goes, but if it dies again, it's going back to Bunnings for a refund and I'm going to find another brand. Mercator have a Zigbee one that looks similar.
Previously I was using the wifi version but it was randomly dropping off the network and then reconnecting a few seconds later. I suspect it was due to some IoT devices not working well with the Asus AiMesh system I have, despite the node being in the same room only 3 metres away.
The Zigbee version is fine, but with a minor annoyance. The touch sensitivity could hardly be called "touch". It should be called a "push" switch. So I keep forgetting that a light touch won't work like it does for other touch switches. Also the fan controller always starts on High, and I usually want Low. For some reason, pressing the speed switch then goes to Medium, then High then Low for the next push. So 4 pushes are needed to turn it on and Low. These issues were not in the wifi version.
That is because this is the recommended way to turn on a fan. Even for fans with mechanical switches that allow you to switch to Low first it is recommended that you always start with High and then switch down to Medium and Low.
Some units have a reset button (small hole for tooth pick) and the others use the long press of the manual/mode button for a factory reset (memory erase / blank slate).
I have only had to factory reset 1 stubborn unit of 12 units (probably corrupt data input), re-pairing is usually easy and sufficient.
The App accepts other Tuya based devices (Amazon), besides the Arlec or DETA Grid Connect units.
In the past my fans have been wired to a wall/light switch, which allows for isolation of the unit in case of malfunction.
Most installations are refits of ceiling lighting with remote control of the light and fan.
The units have a temperature specification (the transmitter having the lowest spec), and as long as the temperature at the ceiling is below spec. they should be fine (high raked ceilings with slow combustion/gas space heaters would probably be the worst scenario).
Yeah, I like to start on low, so I set an automation up in Home Assistant (or the Tuya app. I think I've mixed and matched both) to lower the speed after a few seconds to low. That way it keeps the high speed to get it going and then drops down before a cyclone starts in the room.
This is odd, but oh well.
I am guessing it is a minor fault and another unit may work as expected. Not enough of a hassle to bother with a warranty claim. Maybe the low sensisitivity falls into the same category. The wifi version did not have these issues.
I've been thinking about your power cycling problem, and I would add another switch in series with the DETA controller, on the active line.
The switch would only be required for isolation of the controller and could reside in the wall space behind the controller until required.
Or you could add another wall plate with a triple/double/single gang switches/switch for manual over-ride/isolation of the controller. Possibly 1 switch for fan, 1 for light, 1 for fan/light isolation.
No it's not, but the wall where the switch is located is next to a corner of the wall and there is a wall stud in direct line of sight to the access point. But looking at the stats in unifi, it seems to have pretty decent signal.
I've been using the Grid Connect app for a short while for a garage door opener and now want to add 5 smart bulbs. The Arlec from Bunnings seem to work ok. Only thing is, I use Apple devices so wanted to know about Matter support.
What I found out from Grid Connect is that they will update their app to support Matter, but probably will need new devices.
-connect.com.au/matter/
Anyone using a PCTH01HA (Smart Plug with Temp and Humidity Sensor)? I have one and despite have Celsius units chosen in the profile section of the Grid Connect app the values displayed on the device page of app are shown in degrees F. I can't see any other reference to units to change, anyone know of a fix?
Hi all, have one of the smart sockets with the USB sockets which has lost it's connection to the wifi network,I've kept the socket on/off button pressed for 5 seconds to try and reconnect it but I can't get the light to flash quickly just slowly,if I use AP mode to try and connect it doesn't recognise the socket at all,Is their any way to reset the socket completely and start again from scratch ?thanks for looking and any replies
I've connected two of them to the network and both show celsius in the Android Grid Connect app.
The "Settings" menu controls the Farenheit or Celsius toggle.
Device & History screens show correct scale.
My Wi-Fi is good. The Tuya lights are on a dedicated 2.4gHz SSD and nothing else fails (I confess, I did have one Deta switch that had a similar issue some time back but it seemed to have come good by itself).
If the LEDs are simply plugged in to a plug base in the ceiling space, you could try replacing it again yourself? No need for a sparky if there's no hardwiring to do. It does seem a bit of a coincidence that the same one has gone bad twice, but maybe you just got unlucky twice!
Thanks, I just kept overlooking that settings object on the device front page as it looked like it was greyed out and years of seeing that in windows as non clickable had conditioned me not to bother trying it.
Recently installed the Bunnings Deta smart grid double PowerPoint (692HA). Connected using smart life but It does not hold the wifi setting, so everytime there would be a power outage or circuit breaker off then back on, the light would be blinking and I have to re pair the device for it to work. Any solution to fix this ?
I think the model number is 6922HA ?
All the Grid Connect gear I've purchased has non-volatile memory, and therefore remembers the SSID settings after a blackout, as it rejoins the network.
I suspect your unit may have a faulty memory chip, assuming pairing procedure completes, along with DHCP lease provisioning and MAC address included in whitelist (if used), by your router.
I would connect a 3 wire cord and plug to the power input (rear) of the unit and then plug the unit into another power point to test/setup before installing.
A factory reset probably wouldn't hurt either.
I also test units with the Arlec Grid Connect app, and all my units are Arlec, except for the garage door controllers.
The problems I usually have are with the router, being unable to connect all the devices in the required time frame, after power loss, and bandwidth limitations with regard to the number of devices the router can handle.
I have to split the number of devices between two routers, and only use one of them to create all required DHCP leases, along with MAC address permission, on the 2.4GHz band.