Could the Taco Bridge cause interference with other RF devices?

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Hello,

I have just installed Tado devices in my whole house, 15 thermostatic valves, total. For the first couple of days, everything seemed to work alright except for one of the valves that I couldn't register to the bridge.

I have found a way to position the bridge vertically instead of horizontally, and I then could register that valve that was before causing issues. But since then, it seems like it's causing my baby monitor to have a much shorter range than before.

It's a baby monitor with video, and I used to be able to carry the receiver everywhere in the house and have a perfect reception. For some reason now, I cannot go to another floor and across the hall is already stretching it.

According to the documentation, it uses frequencies between 2400 and 2483.5 MHz.

Now I know nothing about the physics of radio waves and frequencies, but do anyone knows if indeed the tado bridge could cause this to have happened, even though the frequency ranges are so far appart ?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help.

Cheers :)

Yann

Answers

  • GrilledCheese2
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    Tado devices don't use WiFi, but use a frequency band at 868MHz that is reserved for low power consumer devices. There shouldn't be any interference between 868MHz and 2.4GHz devices.

    The 2.4GHz band is divided into a number of channels, but the channels are often noisy due to your neighbours' devices using the same channels. It might even be your own WiFi router that is causing interference. Some routers will automatically select the 2.4GHz channel to use, but this setting can often be changed to a fixed channel. Changing the channel used by your router or baby monitor may improve the range.

  • YannGeek
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    Hello @GrilledCheese2 , thanks for your response.

    I do understand what you are saying, but the baby monitor is not using Wifi either, it's indeed 2.4GHz but it's not on the Wifi, the notice describes the device as using a 2.4GHz digital FHSS frequency.

    I am no expert, but the wifi is working fine and has never caused the baby monitor to loose range. Hence my question, the only thing that changed is that I moved the orientation of the bridge. I am very confused. Could my wifi access point (it's a mesh system with multiple access points throughout the house) all of the sudden cause issues with the baby monitor ? I'd be surprised.

    But I'm glad to know indeed there shouldn't be interferences with the different frequencies.

  • davidlyall
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    Even if your baby monitor isn't using WiFi, it is using frequencies in the same range as 2.4GHz WiFi. You say WiFi is working OK but it's entirely possible that your 2.4GHz WiFi is experiencing interference while the 5GHz WiFi is working fine.

    It may be that your router has switched channel on the 2.4GHz WiFi due to interference from a neighbour and this is now interfering with your baby monitor. Each WiFi channel is separated from the next by 5MHz so you may find that the current channel overlaps the baby monitor frequency

    You should be able to set the channel manually on your router. If you install an app like WiFi Analyzer, you can see what channels are in use and select one manually that isn't in use. This might take the WiFi frequency further away from

  • YannGeek
    YannGeek
    edited October 2022
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    Hello @davidlyall and thanks a lot for your response.

    It is indeed an interesting idea, I'll investigate there. Very good idea :)

    I guess that was also @GrilledCheese2 suggestion, I didn't understand it well, I apologise. Thanks to the both of you.

  • GrilledCheese2
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    Wi-Fi analyser apps are useful tools, but be aware that a Wi-Fi analyser app will only identify actual Wi-Fi transmissions. Non Wi-Fi transmissions, perhaps coming from your baby monitor, cannot be interpreted by the mobile phone so will be seen as noise.