New User - shocking signal issues

Options
Pablo1
Pablo1
Just spent £600 on Tado to find many of the TRVs just won’t connect - house is hardly huge - it seems even a light breeze cuts the signal. Have moved the bridge around - to no avail - having spent all this money I now see loads of similar posts but no definitive solution (extender etc.)

Have Tado really not acknowledged an issue with what is supposed to be a WiFi based product?

Comments

  • rafm5
    rafm5 ✭✭✭
    Options

    @Pablo1 This is a major issue for some users, some have no connection issues at all, even with larger properties. WiFi is not an option as its greedy for power, hence not suitable. Possible solution is moving to a mesh network / thread which again may be implemented only to a new range of tado° products.

    PS: what do you mean by 'a light breeze'?

  • Pablo1
    Options
    Thanks - I mean the signal is there one minute then gone the next - sometimes I can get them to say Hi but they won’t actually adjust - I have a WiFi mesh in the house already but the Tado bridge has to got straight to the main router. It’s a ridiculously small thing on a short power cable - I have no issues with Philips Hue which has no problem controlling 48 lights all over the house!

    So far it feels like a complete waste of money unable do to precisely what it’s designed to do!
  • Pablo1
    Options
    When you say WiFi isn’t an option? How do they connect to the bridge if it’s not WiFi?
  • rafm5
    rafm5 ✭✭✭
    Options

    The tado° devices communicate via radio at 868 MHz using the IPv6 enabled “6LoWPAN” protocol. The advantage of using this protocol for the tado° wireless network, instead of Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz), is the extremely low power consumption.

  • NellyFurtado
    Options

    The Tado bridge provides the best reception when it is in a vertical position. I used a an old metal coat hanger to fashion a stand for it and it has largely fixed my connection issues.

    To give it a go, get a metal coat hanger and straighten it out into one large bit of wire. At one end make a circle shape about 20cm (8 inches) in diameter and then bend the rest of it at 90 degrees so you are left with a circle that sits flat on the ground and long vertical bit - attach your bridge to the vertical bit and then place it in the most central internet access point in your house.

  • Andreplusplus
    Options

    Yes, orientation of the bridge is important and vertical seems to be the best. Nice solution provided by @NellyFurtado .

    Mine is just hanging off the router


  • Danobo
    Options

    Same problem here - terrible signal, many tado SRTs complete out of range (whatever the position of the internet bridge). A number intermittently in range; some in range. Battery life correspondingly terrible (under 4-6 months), I assume as the SRTs are desperately trying to connect to the bridge.

    This has been drawn to tado's attention since at least 2017 by multiple users, yet no signs of a fix (many ways this could be implemented, but they seem to have no will ...).

    Looks like I'll have to jump ship. Does anyone else offer a similar product, but with acceptable/extendable range (e.g. using mesh or repeaters)?

  • johnnyp78
    Options
    I’m not an expert but I think aqara trvs are zigbee so should establish a mesh network, but there’s no boiler control (yet). At some point in the future Tado will probably release some thread/ matter compatible trvs but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
  • rafm5
    rafm5 ✭✭✭
    Options

    @johnnyp78 Hi, Aqara devices are indeed zigbee, but they don't support mesh networking. Some always-on devices can be used as range extenders (like wall sockets) but generally speaking no mesh.

  • johnnyp78
    Options
    I’m coming to the conclusion that in larger houses, especially older ones, it’s better to have a weather comp system and just set the comfort and setback temperatures and forget about it, at least until the next generation of matter/thread enabled devices arrives.
  • davidlyall
    Options

    What's really annoying about this is that the 6LoWPAN standard already supports mesh networking. Not sure why Tado chose not to implement. I assume it was a cost or power consumption issue but it really hurts their reputation

    Personally, I have no issue in my small (100m2), modern house but I can see that Tado would not really be an option in many older properties