Network connectivity problem since updating to new firmware 1.0.8 Sprinkler Controller

I am looking for more help then the Wyze customer phone and chat support team has been able to provide me with as I feel some of them are reading a canned script, So I thought I would try this. I just wanting a good working product that I can rely on. This problem looks to be related to a firmware update change.

Here is the setup that I have. I have 2 setups of these, and each setup has 2 Wyze Sprinkler Controller and 1 Litsped Wifi plug at each location. These were deployed in October 2021. There has been no network disconnect problems since these deployed. I have been using the app almost everyday as I was still getting everything setup on a new Irrigation and lawn install. I didn’t even know that there was a Wyze app display icon to show that the Wyze Sprinkler Controller was offline. I never saw this till I went to the new firmware. After going to the new firmware Version of 1.0.8 on all 4 units is when all the units started going offline at random times and durations. Even after resetting the modem and access points these Wyse Sprinkler Controllers will not reconnect to the network till they are power cycled. I spent about 8 hours this weekend trying to find the underlying cause of this issues. What I have found is that once the Wyze Sprinkler Controller goes offline with a network issue that it will not even try to reconnect to the network until power cycled. This appears to have changed with the latest firmware upgrade as the Wifi plugs that are also deployed at the 2 locations have never gone offline.

During my troubleshooting the out side temp was 100F and the controllers are located outside in the enclosure. They were at a temp of 106F. The spec on Wyze website says these are rated from -4F to 122F. I added a network access points at both locations (within 10 feet) of where the Wyze Sprinkler Controllers and Wifi plugs are located to eliminate that from being a problem. This did not help. The Wyze Sprinkler Controllers stilled went offline after about 5 hours or more of uptime and would not reconnect till power cycled. The Wifi plugs still didn’t go offline.

While I was testing this issues I had a continuous Dos Command Ping running on all 4 Wyze Sprinkler Controllers, Both Wifi Plugs, and both access points. All pings were under 10ms for the wired access points. The ping times were anywhere from 12ms to 120ms for all of the wireless devices. Even with this higher period and some intermittent signal losses all devices stayed connected to the network until there were about 8 seconds of continues network signal loss (or what I think is an internal count was reached in the Wyze Sprinkler Controller and for accumulated network losses) then the Wyze Sprinkler controllers would drop offline and be all blue running lights on the Wyze Sprinkler Controller display. This would indicate that they are offline and not connected to a network. The Wifi plugs have never been offline during this. This is where the suspected problem with the new firmware comes in. It looks like they are going into a lock out mode due to spiritic losses of network and then never try to reconnect to an active network. Even after having a continues network signal to the Wyze Sprinkler Controller and a active ping for 18 minutes they will not reconnect to the network till power cycled.

I have been able to confirm this on all 4 Wyze Sprinkler Controllers that I have thought out the last 4 days. During this time, the Wifi plugs have yet to go offline and have been rock solid. This would indicate they have a valid Wifi signal and/or do not go into a lockout status based on an interrupted network signal tally count.

To me these Wyze Sprinkler are a mission crucial device and should always try to reconnect to a network when it is available after a network signal loss.

If you would like to see the test data that I gathered during my testing I will be more then glad to send it to you along with the Wyze logs numbers that were sent in. I was using Dos Ping, Microsoft Power Shell Ping, Advance IP Scanner, and Wire Shark to confirm what the devices were doing and that they were on the network during my testing.

Up to this point I have been happy with the Wyze Sprinkler controllers. I have called support on this was told to take a phone out to the controller and verify I had network signal. That was the only help they offered even after trying to explain that this was not just on one unit at one location. I ordered 2 spare Wyze controllers this weekend that I hope will be the older firmware so I can add a 3rd unit at each location just to see what the older firmware units will be doing. I assume that they will be stable as they have always been unto the firmware upgrade I did.

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Glad you did lots of troubleshooting before coming here.

Most Wyze devices have an issue where they lock up when going offline, and never come back unless power cycled.

They are testing firmware that fixes this for the v2 cam and the pan v2. If it works, they will patch other devices. (Not sure why they started on the v2, ig cuz it’s a smaller testing group?)

I don’t know why your issues just started after the firmware update, they must be messing with stuff. Please take a log via the devices settings, Wyze support, submit a log. Post the numbers for each log here.

Here is the update. I bought , received, and deployed 2 Wyze sprinkler controler running old firmware in the same 2 locations as the others. After 24 hours the new units running the older firmware are still happy and connected to the network. The other 4 running the new firmware are offline. That confirms my thought that it was firmware related. The log files were sent at the same time however I only received email confirmation on 3 of the 6. The numbers are 631780, 631783, and 631785. The others should be right around these numbers. It looks as their system will only email back conf on 3. This is the second time I submitted more then 3 and only get 3 emails back.

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Here are the log numbers from both the new and old firmware units were put back online as a group and in the same location so they are feed from the same access point in the same enclosure setup. This shows one of each. Log ID # 631800 and 631804. One unit is offline (new firmware 1.0.8) and one is still happy and connected (old firmware 1.0.1). Here are the log files that I have received an email confirmation back on. 622612, 622617, 623647, 623650, 624311, 624610, 64613, 630396, 630372, 630374, 631780, 631783, 631785, 631800, 631804. I submitted more just didn’t receive an email showing the numbers. The ticket number that seems to have the most info on it is 2177726.

At this point I wish that there was a way to get directly in contact with someone who does firmware. Wyze phone and chat support calls them support specialist. I am told that I can’t talk directly with them or any supervisors.

I am told that this is in their hands (support Specialist) to look over by the phone support person. It makes me wonder how they know that. I am also curious what all information falls through the cracks as this is handed off from a phone call or chat session to the support specialists. I know I would like feed back from the support specialist(s) that they are looking into it or can confirm that they do/dont see the same problem. I know that would talk a lot of resources if they were many issues that comes up at once.

Does Wyze offer any insight (every user would have access to) to the support issues they have when rolling out new firmware and the like? For this firmware upgrade version (1.0.8) there was no mention of network connection changes only info was to fix a bug that caused Quick run to stop running shortly after starting. I wished that all changes would be relayed to the end users about firmware upgrades.

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Thanks for all the logs!

@WyzeJasonJ can look at them and forward them to the correct team. Thanks

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Thanks,
I look forward to hearing the conclusion on this.

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Could you join the beta by going to the 2.32 Wyze app > Account tab > About > Beta Program > Enroll and select Sprinkler?

Then you should see 1.0.10 firmware available for update. This might help with the connectivity. Let me know if it helps.

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What all changes were made to this beta firmware?

Connectivity and stability improvements.

I want to add an update to this as I hate it when folks do not provide an update or solution when the problem is corrected, or a workaround is found. I installed the Beta firmware 1.0.10, it looks to have fixed the network lockout/connection problem. The (4) controllers have not dropped offline in the last 4 days since the firmware upgrade was installed. I wish that Wyze and a few other companies would list all the changes that made to the new firmware release. I come from an industrial automation industry and some of the company I deal with spell out the changes in firmware to what has been a 7 page long documents for small items. However, that is another story. With that much info and detail it gives the end user the knowledge to know if they truly want to make the update or not. Wyze seems to be a bit guarded to what changes are made. All and all I am happy with these unit as long as they stay online and active they seem to work as I would expect.
To be honest I am blown away with these based on the cost of the item. The operation far exceeded my initial goals for them. I just hope that the longevity of these units are way out there.

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Thank you for coming back to post an update and I am glad so far it is working for you.

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I have two systems, side by side, that have been working without issue. The past two days the one stops its connection to Wifi. I’ve plugged and unplugged it once and it recovered. The next day…won’t respond to the power off-on option. Wifi is great and strong as the router is very near by. Any ideas? If I do a reset will I have to re enter all my times and data? thanks

Are you having any power or internet outages? Sometimes if the network goes down, the device can have trouble reconnecting until power cycled. What’s your internet speed (up and down)?

No issues with internet whatsoever.
80 mbs down and 20 mbs up on the router they are connected to. Only one of the two is having issues.
Power has been cycled many times with only the first time being successful. Since then. Nada.
Randy

reset the device and reprogrammed all the zones…seems to be working again.

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