Orbi + August smart lock frquent disconnect/reconnect

CrimpOn
Guru - Experienced User
Oct 03, 2021
WiFi signals fluctuate in strength and quality. When I open a WiFi "analyzer" program that displays graphs of signal strength,I see channels vary all the time. Seems like WiFi devices should be designed to handle this.

Is this one specific model of August smart lock?

It sounds like there are more than one lock. Do they all exhibit the same behavior?
- physast
  Guide
  Oct 03, 2021
  We do live in a dense neighborhood with at least 10 other WiFi networks around us. I only have one version of the lock which is the August WiFi lock (does not need the august connect). I have not noticed this same behavior on other smart devices, but I might not have them setup to alert me of this.
  
  I know that my august smart locks are supposed to have about 3 - 6 months of battery life, but mine barely get to a month. I read that this could be because the locks are disconnecting and reconnecting so many times.
  
  Is there a beta firmware for my Orbi model that might address this? Is this a known issue?
  - CrimpOn
    Guru - Experienced User
    Oct 03, 2021
    physast wrote:
    
    Is there a beta firmware for my Orbi model that might address this? Is this a known issue?
    
    I searched the Orbi forum for "August" and found only one other post. It does not seem to be a frequent topic, which leads me to believe that it is not a known issue.
    
    I asked if all of the locks do the same thing because there is a chance that the WiFi signal is not strong enough at the antenna inside the lock body. Moving the Orbi unit that the lock connects to just a few feet may make a difference in the connection.
    
    (You laugh, but I had an embarassing issue with my home security system. One of the entry sensors would keep failing to respond, then responding, then failing, over and over, day after day. THEN I realized that I had moved the Simplisafe base unit 3 feet to deal with an issue and had not moved it back. Slid the base unit back to where it was before, and the entry sensor is fine. 3 feet!)
    
    August has a FAQ about WiFi which mentions the lock "bouncing" between Wifi access points, which may happen if the signal level is about the same. So...
    
    Another experiment would be to install a cheap WiFi extender that is close to the August lock and give it a different 2.4G SSID. For example, TP-Link N300 WiFi extender is $15 on Amazon.
    
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195Y0A42/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=0b3354df312a9657278e5348ef9ebde3&hsa_cr_id=5489738380501&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=a27897f0-29c5-4529-83c5-1510bffa81ee&pd_rd_w=giWYK&pd_rd_wg=Sb24N&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_mcd_asin_0_img
    
    It can be plugged into a wall outlet close to the August lock. Connect it to the Orbi WiFi and create a different WiFi SSID on the extender so that there is only a single WiFi access point in the house with this SSID. (nowhere to "bounce" to).
    
    I got one of these because someone posted that they did not work with Orbi, and sure enough, they do. (when someone posts that a device under $20 doesn't connect to Orbi, I often buy one to see what happens. I have paid more than $20 for a bottle of wine that is gone in an hour, so paying $20 for an hour's entertainment is fine with me.)
    
    Otherwise, "I got nothin"

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Orbi + August smart lock frquent disconnect/reconnect