Why do my smart devices keep going offline?

Smart home devices fail in ways ordinary computers do not, because they use a different part of the wifi and have far weaker radios.

Step by step

1. Check whether the device needs 2.4GHz.Most smart plugs, bulbs, sensors and older cameras are 2.4GHz only. They cannot see a 5GHz network at all, which is why setup sometimes fails on a phone that is on 5GHz.
2. Understand why band steering causes problems.Many routers present both bands under one name and decide which to use. Smart devices handle that badly and drop off when the router tries to move them.
3. Split the bands into separate names.In the router settings, give 2.4GHz and 5GHz different network names. Put smart devices on the 2.4GHz one. This single change resolves a large share of repeated dropouts.
4. Check the signal where the device actually is.Smart devices have far weaker aerials than phones. A location where your phone shows full bars can be marginal for a smart plug behind a sofa or in a metal-cased appliance.
5. Look at how many devices are connected.Older routers have practical limits, often around 30 devices. A house with plugs, bulbs, sensors and speakers reaches that faster than people expect.
6. Change the 2.4GHz channel.Only channels 1, 6 and 11 do not overlap. If neighbours are on the same channel, moving to one of the other two often produces an immediate improvement.
7. Move the router away from interference.Microwaves, cordless phones, baby monitors and some Bluetooth devices all crowd the 2.4GHz band. So do large metal objects and mirrors, which reflect the signal.
8. Assign fixed IP addresses.In the router's DHCP reservation settings. Devices that get a new address after every reboot frequently lose their app connection, and a reservation stops that entirely.
9. Give devices clear names.In the router's device list. Diagnosing which of eight identically-named devices keeps dropping is otherwise guesswork.
10. Update the device firmware.Smart home firmware is frequently poor at launch and improves considerably. Most apps have an update option buried in device settings.
11. Restart the router properly.Off for thirty seconds, not a quick power cycle. Then let the smart devices reconnect, which can take several minutes.
12. Consider a mesh system for a large house.Extenders that create a second network name make devices worse, because they will not roam. A proper mesh with one name handles it correctly.
13. Check for a scheduled router reboot.Some routers restart nightly, and some devices do not reconnect reliably afterwards. If dropouts happen at the same time daily, that is the cause.
14. Consider a hub-based system for many devices.Zigbee and Z-Wave devices use a mesh of their own rather than wifi, which is far more reliable at scale. Worth considering if you have many devices rather than a few.
15. Replace anything that is chronically unreliable.Some cheap smart devices simply have poor radios and firmware. If one device drops constantly while others on the same network do not, the device is the problem.

Tips

• Split the wifi bands into separate names and put smart devices on 2.4GHz. It is the single most effective fix.
• Reserve a fixed IP for each smart device. Address changes are a common cause of app disconnections.
• Channels 1, 6 and 11 are the only non-overlapping ones on 2.4GHz.

Common mistakes

• Adding a wifi extender with its own network name — Smart devices do not roam between networks. They cling to the weaker signal they first joined, so an extender frequently makes reliability worse rather than better.
• Assuming good phone signal means good device signal — Phones have far better aerials. A location that is fine for a phone can be marginal for a smart plug, especially inside an appliance or behind furniture.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask