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Wiz Smartbulb installation failing due to Broadcast (UDP) settings
Hi all, Hopefully here my question can be answered. As a not to experienced user iḿ trying to setup a pair (actually 12) Wiz Smart bulbs in my living. I have been looking around and found ...
If this is the correct User Manual for the ZYXEL T50
https://www.manua.ls/zyxel/vmg8825-t50k/manual?p=150
Then it appears that the ZYXEL is the perfect tool to enable WIZ smart bulbs to work.
Page 150 of this user guide shows a check mark, "Keep 2.4G and 5G network name the same" and a Drop Down menu for 2.4G (and one assumes 5G which appears when the Drop Down arrow is selected).
So, these steps would set up the WIZ bulbs:
- Locate the smart phone with the WIZ app, a light socket, and those 12 WIZ smart bulbs near the ZYX#L T50.
- Connect to and log into the ZYXEL T10 and navigate to the Wireless Settings screen as shown on page 150.
A wired computer/laptop would be the easiest if convenient. WiFi connection would be a problem since the WiFi feature has been disabled. Page 54 mentions a WiFi "button" that can be used to turn WiFi on and off, but it is not obvious (to me) exactly which models this applies to. - Uncheck the box, "Keep 2.4G and 5G network name the same"
- Power off the Orbi router and Orbi satellites.
- On the ZYXEL,
Set the 2.4G WiFi to "on"
Enter the exact WiFi name of the Orbi system
The "Hide SSID" box should not be checked
Select the WPA2 security mode
Uncheck the box about generating a random password
Enter the exact WiFi password for the Orbi system
Select "Apply"
Now select the 5G network on the Drop Down menu.
Set the WiFi control to "off"
Just to be double certain (triple certain?), name the 5G network something totally goofy, check the box to hide the 5G SSID, and give the 5G network some bogus password. - Now all is set.
Connect the smart phone with the WIZ app to the WiFi. As the ZYXEL T50 is the only WiFi broadcasting and it is only using 2.4G, the smart phone must connect to the ZYXEL.
Get out a WIZ bulb. Screw it in. Go through the "add" process
When successful, unscrew it and screw in another one, etc. etc until all 12 have been added to the app. - After all 12 bulbs have been added to the app and unplugged
Disconnect the smart phone from WiFi
Turn off the WiFi on the ZYXEL (if it is a button. If not, turn it off before disconnecting the smart phone)
Power up the Orbi system
Connect the smart phone to the Orbi WiFi (however it wants to. 2.4G 5G... whatever)
Go around to wherever those 12 bulbs are supposed to be placed and screw them in.
As each bulbs is powered up, it should seek out and join the Orbi WiFi, then appear in the WIZ app.
WHEW!!!!
Amazon delivered my WIZ A19 connected light. Before writing what promised to be a scathing review, I went through the steps:
- Installed the WIZ Connected app on my Android phone.
- Phone is connected to Orbi RBR50 at 5G.
- Opened the app. Agreed to ...whatever.
- First disappointment. The WIZ app works only with a Google or Facebook account.
Annoying as all get out.
I chose one of my GMail accounts.
(Note to self: create a new GMail account to be used only for experiments like this.) - Followed the setup instructions.
Created House. (MyHouse)
Selected Room (Office)
Selected Add Device. - Got to the part about WiFi.
Entered Orbi primary WiFi SSID
Entered Orbi primary WiFi password
Selected "Start" - The WIZ app found the A19 bulb and asked me to name it ("office light")
- Now room: Office has one device: office light. (renamed it "Wiz Light" more fun!)
- App turns light on/off, changes colors, schedules, etc. etc.
Conclusion: Setup works just fine when my phone is connected to WiFi at 5G. Entering an SSID/password that can access a 2.4G WiFi (the same as the Orbi 5G WiFi) works just fine. I do not have a 350 system to try this on, but I see no reason it would not work. My guess is that customers get Hung Up on that warning about "MUST HAVE 2.4G" and just give up. I do have a 750 system. If I run out of entertainment ideas tomorrow, I'll reset the bulb and connect it to the 750.
The WIZ bulb is going into my box of "Lights that work with Orbi."
Update: Deleted the bulb from "Office" and connected my Android phone to an RBR750 (at 5G).
Went through the pairing process and the bulb is connected to the RBR750 (at 2.4G, which is all it can do).
Thus, the WIZ bulb can be paired to an AX Orbi router when the smartphone is connected to the Orbi at 5G.
This leads to Disappointment Number 2. Getting the damn bulb to reset and go into pairing mode drove me to drink! (litterally). Followed the directions over (and over and over...) for an eternity. At maybe the 10th attempt, suddenly the bulb began to pulse blue, the WIZ Connect app found the bulb. Gave it a name. Told it what color to be. etc. etc.
Thus there could be two explanations for problems setting up the WIZ light bulb:
- Maybe the Apple app does not work correctly? (do not have iPhone or iPad to experiment), or
- Perhaps the bulb got into that stupid (stupid stupid) situation where it simply would not go into pairing mode and the user got fed up and quit. (This is why I do not have a hammer in the office. Also, it would be hell to get bits of glass and plastic out of the carpet.)
The WIZ bulb provided me $14.13 worth of entertainment and now goes "in the box" with all the other IoT things that work.
CrimpOn wrote:
The WIZ bulb provided me $14.13 worth of entertainment and now goes "in the box" with all the other IoT things that work.
Can't wait for the people with the "I have a new WiFi" posts (as we see in the Extender section of the community very often) and struggling on re-adding the wireless to the Internet. What "of course" must be a Netgear problem then.
Even the magic Smart Home ZigBee lights and toyz - I prefer by far over WiFi connected devices (think about the limitations of the concurrrent number of active clients) - can be reset and brought to the status of re-sync simply by a quick power-off and power-on about ten times. Easy to do in an appartment, even in a multi storey or appartment building.... Ok, those big fuses need some more force, but the fun is on the bad guys.
Guys,
First off all, this was a hussle, so I think main consensus here i have to agree on: is this a smart light that i would recommend, no clearly not, is this design well tought of, no clearly not...
However; with some help from all of you in this forum, some persuation, and by returning 2 bulbs and replacing them with new ones.................... I succeeded in getting the lights to work, all 13..
My thanks go out to all of you providing me with clear help and findings from previous experience.
If you run in to these bulbs for a bargain and want to install, think twice, if you then still do. The feedback in here helped me to get them working.
Again, many thanks to you!
Glad you got it working. Please mark your thread as solved so others will know. Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/000062080/How-do-I-back-up-the-configuration-settings-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-System
Enjoy. 📡
