Smart Thermostat disconnects

IainMcK

Hi
We have been running with Tado for a year now and generally very pleased but one smart Thermostat keeps disconnecting (i.e. marked as Disconnected in the app). I changed the batteries, removed and re added it to the Tado network and it worked a while but then happened again. Next I swapped the failing thermostat with another and reconfigured the rooms accordingly. A few days of working correctly and then I have a disconnect in the original location in the house. That means it's not the physical thermostat but the location that's failing. What's more curious is that there are two radiators in that room and therefore two smart thermostats, and it's always the same radiator that disconnects.

I have to suspect the network itself but as it's downstream of the Tado Internet Bridge I am stuck as to how to investigate further.

Is there a way to debug or diagnose the connections the Tado Internet Bridge makes and manages? I don't see any view of the Tado network on the app at all

Keen for any input,

Cheers

Iain

hugbilly

This is a reflection of the rather low power RF system tado° uses. I have a similar experience with one TRV (by no means the furthest from the bridge) regularly disconnecting. Probably all that can be done is to try moving the latter although it is worth noting that some here have experimented with tinfoil reflectors for the bridge and external aerials for the TRVs . . .

Emcee

Hello @IainMcK

Sorry to read you've had to deal with this. It's certainly not ideal.

As Hugbilly mentionned, tado° V3+ (and previous generations) use radio frequency to enable communication between devices. This frequency is limited to the extent that it can be affected by objects, thick walls, and distance. The easies way to optimize the IB's reach is to place it 'better' for lack of a better term.

Here are some best practices you may find useful:

In our experience, moving and placing the Internet Bridge in an upright position can improve the connection of your whole tado° system. When doing this, please keep in mind the following:

1. Make sure that there are no large metal objects (like refrigerators, TVs, or large fuse boxes) between your tado° devices and the Internet Bridge. Also, ensure that your Internet Bridge is not placed too close to a wall, in the corner of a room, or enclosed between a wall and furniture.
2. Make sure that there are no other devices that use radio frequency (like cordless phones, radios, baby monitors, smart home devices etc.) between your tado° devices and the Internet Bridge. Devices that use the same frequency (like some wireless alarm or doorbell systems) can cause significant interference and a poor connection. If you have such devices and cannot move them out of range of your tadoº system, let us know and we can adjust the communication channel that tadoº uses.
3. Make sure that the Internet Bridge is not positioned behind your router. If possible, use a longer Ethernet cable to move the Internet Bridge further away from the router.
4. Make sure that there is a distance of at least 3 meters between the Internet Bridge and your other tado° devices.
5. Make sure that your Internet Bridge is placed in a way that makes it equally far from all your tado° devices. If the current position of your router does not allow for this, try using a powerline adapter to connect the Internet Bridge to the internet.

If none of the above work, you may want to consider switching to tado° X, which was specifically designed for larger homes and which therefore uses a different type of technology (Thread and Matter) to significantly extend the bridge's range.