I recently upgraded my networking from 3 TPLink Deco Mesh units to a full ubiquiti stack (UDM-Pro, 16-port Standard PoE Switch, and 3x U6 Pros). After the upgrade, I’ve been unable to get the Rachio 3 to connect to any Ubiquiti WiFi access point (but it still connects to the Deco just fine). Hopefully someone here can help?
To help troubleshoot this, I connected one of my old Deco APs to the Ubiquiti Switch/Router over ethernet. I have the Deco AP running on my IoT VLAN. This Deco AP is broadcasting the old SSID that the rachio already knows, and the rachio connects fine with that. The TPLink Deco software is showing the rachio connected to 2.4 GHz with a -72 dBm signal strength. This tells me a few things… (1) the rachio can successfully connect to this SSID, (2) -72 dBm is sufficient signal strength for the Rachio and (3) my VLAN settings aren’t causing the problem.
So then turn off the Deco Unit and I clone the same SSID/Password into my ubiquiti WiFi settings. With this, the deco won’t connect and it just flashes blue in quadrant 2. Testing with my cell phone connected to this SSID and placed right next to the Rachio, I am seeing around -60 dBM (better signal strength than the Deco).
I’ve tried changing settings to make it as similar to the deco as possible.
Updating this list as I try new things:
WiFi Bands: I tried only 2.4, only 5, and also dual-band (note that the DECO is configured for dual band)
I tried turning “Enhanced IoT Connectivity” on and off, but it wont work either way
I tried disabling client device isolation, that did not fix it.
I tried the 20 MHz channel width (for 2.4) and 40 MHz (for 5 GHz) and that didnt fix it.
I tried the 40 MHz channel width (for 2.4) and 80 MHz (for 5GHz) and that didn’t fix it.
I tried band steering in OFF, and Prefer 5GHz. Neither worked.
I tried power cycling the client device (rachio).
I tried resetting wifi on the client and reteaching the SSID. It appears to learn the SSID but then says no wifi signal.
I tried using a different SSID.
I tried multicast enhancement ON and OFF.
Tagged VLAN Management is set to “Allow All” on all my switch ports
Ultimately, it connects flawlessly to the DECO which is on my IoT VLAN. But I can’t get it to connect any any ubiquiti WiFi network (which is also on the same IoT VLAN)
I have a G1 and a G3 connected to an almost identical network minus the VLAN. I have a Dream Machine SE, 24 port PoE and 3 Unifi U6 Pros. Like you, I mirrored my old SSID from my previous network, but Rachio didn’t know the difference once I fired up the Unifi gear and connected without issue.
I’m skeptical that it is an issue with Rachio, and curious if there is something in the VLAN settings that is causing an issue. What that would be, I’m not sure…for the sake of troubleshooting, can you forgo the IoT VLAN for a bit?
I can try that, but to be clear they are both using the same IoT VLAN.
All data from the old DECO AP gets the IoT VLAN tag by the switch.
All the data from the IoT SSID from the U6 Pro gets the IoT VLAN tag.
The only difference is where the tagging occurs… With the working configuration, the Deco is leaving it untagged, and then switch is tagging it. With the non-working configuration, the U6 Pro is tagging the messages.
I don’t really think it’s a VLAN issue. If it was some firewall issue or similar, then I would expect it to have the same issue on both. Because the messages are receiving the IoT VLAN tag before being routed.
I was offering that as a troubleshoot because other than some configuration difference I’m sure exist between yours and mine, the VLAN is the glaring difference. I don’t know enough about how how the two systems might handle VLANs differently to say that you can copy over a configuration and have it drop in and work…my home Unifi setup is pretty much out of the box basic, and Rachio connected just like it did on my old mesh system.
Yeah, I appreciate the suggestion. I’m happy to try it, just saying that I don’t think it’s a VLAN issue. I’m not really sure what the default VLAN settings are, because I’ve changed all the VLANs.
@Krabkakes - I’m thinking it is a setting in the Ubiquiti WiFi network. Are you running any Early Access software or firmware? I’m using U6-LRs with no issue. I did have an issue with another IoT device (thermostats) where I had to set the minimum data rate control to Manual and set the speeds to the lowest level. The only things I have checked are BSS Transition and 802.11 DTIM, with PMF optional and WPA2/WPA3.
No early access software/firmware. All software and firmware is up to date.
UniFi OS 4.0.21
Network 8.6.9
U6 Pro Software Version 6.6.77
UDM Pro Software Version 4.0.21
USW-24-POE Software Version 7.1.26
I’ve tried connecting it to my “trusted” WiFi Network (which uses my Trusted VLAN), that doesn’t work. That network is dual band with BSS Transition enabled. This trusted network is using WPA2/3. This network has PMF optional.
My IoT network has BSS Transition disabled, and it won’t connect there either. This network uses WPA2. This network has PMF disabled.
The only thing from your list that I haven’t tried is setting minimum data rate control. I just turned that on with it set to the minimum (1 Mbps for 2.4GHz). We’ll see if that works.
For anyone troubleshooting a similar issue in the future, try disabling minimum RSSI on all your APs temporarily. If that allows the device to connect, then check what the RSSI is to the Rachio and then reconfigure your minimum RSSI values.
For those not familiar, minimum RSSI is the minimum signal strength before the AP declines the connection request (or kicks it off, if it’s already connected). Configuring this is important for seamless roaming from AP-to-AP. If this is poorly configured then you end up staying on one AP for far too long before kicking to the other AP.
I had my minimum RSSI set to -74 dBm. Anything below -74 dBm would be kicked off the AP.
My cell phone read around -60 dBm when set on-top of the Rachio so I assumed the signal was plenty strong. However it occurred to me that the Rachio antennas are far less powerful than my iPhone.
I disabled minimum RSSI and it immediately connected. Now I can see the Rachio’s RSSI, and it’s around -81 dBm - so my minimum RSSI setting was definitely causing this issue.
Strange. I didn’t touch ANY settings on my Unifi gear when I set it up. I literally just created the SSID (same as my old network), popped in the WAN settings, and all my devices, including Rachio connected without any intervention. I’ve since made tweaks to the network, and still no issues.
Now that I typed that out…I’m remembering a small issue that I had at one time with my Hayward Omnilogic and one of my two Ring floodlight cameras. I was having poor connection with both, and found that they kept connecting to an AP on the other side of the house, and hopping over the one within 30’ of each of the devices. I do recall adjusting RSSI to be the fix I found online. Difference being, both devices would connect fine, they would just have spotty connection and would go offline.
