I would like to see an Ethernet Port featured on future Rachio models. I really like what Rachio is able to do, however not having the ability to connect via Ethernet is the only reason I have decided to not purchase a Rachio. Is including an Ethernet port something that has ever been discussed?
1 Like
It has been discussed here in the community some are for it (including me) and some are against it. I am not sure if Rachio has discussed it.
Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it. Seems to me that if it had an Ethernet port, anyone who would like to use WiFi would just use the WiFi setting and the optional ethernet wouldn’t create any issues for those users. It’s the users who would like a wired connection that are limited to using the current Rachio controllers.
I’m not sure too many would be against it, I think it is just the cost of hardware configuration vs. use. In so many cases, a sprinkler clock is installed in a garage, or side of the house after the home is built, and an ethernet line is almost never run to these areas. I’m a huge proponent of hardwiring whatever I can, but with the location of mine and lack of access to run a Cat6 line, I’d never be able to use it.
2 Likes
Those are good points. I built my house and have a cat 6 line in my garage ready to use for my sprinkler system. I have been on the lookout for a controller I can hardwire that does everything the Rachio can do. If the Rachio had this option I would purchase one today
My Irrigation contractor just installed a Rachio controller, and I was disappointed to find it uses 2.4Ghz wifi. There’s a lot of interference in the 2.4 band at my house. Having Ethernet would have been ideal. Maybe build the controller with only a USB 2 port, and sell a WiFi and Ethernet dongle?
1 Like
The controller does support 5ghz band. To be honest, 2.4ghz is typically better for the controllers. The data transmission is extremely minimal, and they are usually installed away from the router with concrete walls, etc. sometimes in the way.
I was a Network Administrator for a school district and while I appreciate WiFi, fundamentally I don’t trust it for mission critical purposes. I have wired my house and in addition to ethernet connections for every TV and access point, I have also wired locations for cameras and IoT devices. In fact, years ago I installed an Irrigation Caddy controller, placed it under the house in the crawl space and ran an ethernet cable to it. A bundle of control wires running through a hole in the foundation runs to the valves controlling the sprinkler system. This worked great until the Irrigation Caddy died. Rachio looks like the best potential replacement, but I would prefer to find a replacement with an ethernet port since I don’t know if the WiFi signal would be reliable under the house. Please reconsider a model with ethernet.
An irrigation controller is on the mission critical level for you?! 
Even if there was a short term issue with wifi, the controller still works. Not sure what "under your house” looks like, but I have a wifi shut off valve in the crawl space of our cabin and it does fine…