Advanced Wi-Fi Troubleshooting

Last Update:Feb 12 2022 8:17pm • Est. Read Time:Est. Read Time: 2 MIN

If your controller cannot get back online or has intermittent Wi-Fi connectivity, you may be experiencing issues with some firewall, VPN, and even security settings. Some advanced issues may require you to get into your network/router settings so the Rachio can work fine with it, sometimes requiring you to contact your Internet Service Provider for more instructions. When the following firewall and security settings are blocking the Rachio, it will result in the controller getting stuck on Lights 2 or 3. However, a simple 2.4 GHz guest network with default settings should usually allow for a steady connection in most cases.

Tip

Is your controller offline? Our new in-app help tool makes Wi-Fi troubleshooting a breeze! Tap the red "Offline" banner at the top of the Home screen for automatic troubleshooting help. Follow the prompts in the app to identify what's wrong and how to quickly fix it. Need additional help? Check out this article to get back online!


Step by Step Guide


Please proceed with CAUTION


Before proceeding, please ensure that you read & understand all steps in the article: Basic WiFi Troubleshooting


  1. The Rachio controller will need to make a connection through the following ports (Outbound Traffic):

    Device / Service
    Port
    Generation 1
    53, 31314, 443
    Generation 2
    53, 8883, 123, 443
    Rachio 3
    53, 8883, 123, 443
    Firmware updates
     80

    Make sure these are not blocked.

    Caution

    The above ports are only for outgoing traffic from the unit to the internet.
    Please  DO NOT use port forwarding on your router to forward traffic from the internet to the unit; doing so may cause a vulnerability in your home network security.

     
  2. Make sure that  MAC address filtering on your router is disabled.
    If you prefer to keep your MAC address filtering on, you will need to add the controller's MAC address to your router's access control list. Your MAC address can be found in your Rachio App, under  Device Settings and on the sticker on the front of the controller, just under the serial number (for the Gen 2 & Rachio 3)

  3. You may need to reserve an IP address for the Rachio controller and/or increase the lease time on your DHCP.
    Reserving an IP address for your controller will ensure that every time the controller requests an IP address from your router, it will receive the same address. Increasing the lease time will enable your controller to have an IP address for a longer period of time without having to request a new one.

Search for your specific router to find detailed instructions on how to accomplish the steps above:

Another great reference for troubleshooting network and router issues is portforward.com - within this website, you can reference the different options on the left menu, under "Guides."



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