‎My entry sensor is not responding. | SimpliSafe Support Home
 

1 Message

Sunday, April 3rd, 2022 12:09 PM

My entry sensor is not responding.

I have changed the battery with 3 different new batteries. The blue light comes on and blinks when it closes. I moved the magnet and made sure it was close enough. It was working for a few months then quit. It tells me that my back door entry sensor is not responding. Please help. I think I may have a faulty sensor. Is there a way to reset the sensor?

2 Messages

1 year ago

If the blue light is coming on but the base station is still giving the “sensor not responding” error go into the menu on your controller and delete the unresponsive sensor. Then go to ADD and reinstall the sensor. Press the small button on the edge of the sensor to complete the process. It’s a good idea to change the battery if it’s a couple of years old or you can check the battery with a volt meter to verify it’s condition. I actually had a brand new battery still in the packaging that was discharged. Pays to check. 

1 Message

1 year ago

I have read this entire thread.  I just removed and re-added my sensors as well as replaced batteries.  I have one sensor that blinks blue when I am prompted to add a new entry sensor and I press the button on the sensor, but the system fails to see it.

I have tried adding the sensor in the same area as 5 other sensors in my living room.  They all worked fine.  This last one blinks blue, but ..... can not be seen by the system.  Is there a reset on just the sensor that can be done, or did I get a faulty sensor?

2 Messages

I had a sensor on my patio door last week that did the same thing. I took it off its base and brought it close to the base station and it still wouldn’t recognize it even though the light was blinking blue. Turns out the battery was 2.7 v and changing it with a fresh one did the trick. The only reset I’m aware of for the sensor is to remove and reinstall the same battery or a fresh one, basically a “cold boot”. Batteries in sensors on outside windows or doors may give an error when the weather turns cold, especially if it’s an older battery. Lion and lipo batteries are especially subject to cold temps and perform at a lower capacity. 

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@wmw74​ As Robibeaufor mentioned, there isn't a way to reset the Entry Sensor aside from removing it from the system and adding it back in. This sensor that will not get added to your system, was its battery recently changed as well? I'd recommend removing the battery and putting it back in to ensure its properly seated, and try bringing the sensor a little closer to the Base Station when adding it to your system.

But if neither of those troubleshooting steps help, there may be an issue with the sensor itself. If you reach out to our Support team, they'll be able to get to the bottom of this in real time.

1 Message

10 months ago

@emily_s Hi, in my house, I have 2 door sensors - each door is about 3 feet apart (in other words, side by side). Both doors are approximately 30 feet from the base station. Both doors have the same setup, so there is no difference in objects getting in the way. In one of the doors, starting about a month ago, I get multiple notifications each day about the door sensor not responding. Some days, the notifications happen repeatedly within a 10 minute span, and then stop. Other days, it's sprinked throughout the day once at a time. I've replaced the battery twice, using two different sets of fresh, non-expired batteries, and that has not fixed the issue. I have had both sensors for over 8 years, and this issue is only happening recently to one of the two sensors. I have already tried deleting the sensor and adding it back, and that only fixed the issue for about a week. No, I have not introduced anything new that would cause an interference to one door but not the other. May you please assist and provide possible reasons and a fix?

This comment was created from this reply

1 Message

10 months ago

Deleting the sensor and adding it back worked for me after a battery change didn’t resolve it. 

2 Messages

7 months ago

I came to this thread because I was having the same issue with a basement entry sensor. I opened and closed the window and immediately got a “sensor restored” notification. I guess it’s kind of like when you call IT and they say “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” 😂

Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

@psafeandpsound​ it helps to know that the sensors regularly check in with the Base Station, and only if those check-in signals fail does it result in a "Not Responding" error. It sounds like when you physically opened and closed the window, that signal was finally able to make it through.

But there may still be an issue with the wireless communication that we need to address to prevent the error from happening again in the future. Our guide on the Help Center can help!

2 Messages

7 months ago

Had the same issue but resolved it by removing the battery, then pressing the pair button to release any remaining power in the sensor, then reinstalling the battery.  Make sure you’re close to the base station when you reinstall the battery.

Community Admin

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5.7K Messages

@davelswartz​ yep, you're right. If you replace the battery as soon as you receive the notification, you only need to make sure that you're within range of the Base Station when it's reactivated, so it can check in.

But if you have to leave the sensor out of battery for an extended period of time, it will eventually de-synchronize, and you'll need to remove it from the system and re-add it like a new sensor.

2 Messages

7 months ago

Had the same issue and just resolved it by removing the battery then pressing the pair button to release any residual power in the sensor.  Then replaced with new battery within range of base station.

1 Message

5 months ago

I just remove it from the system.  Added it back an is working perfect

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@randyman007​ I'm glad to hear that! If you run into any other issues with your Entry Sensor, let us know and we will be happy to help troubleshoot the device.

(edited)

1 Message

4 months ago

Remove the device and then add it back in.  Worked for me.

1 Message

4 months ago

I keep getting the same message on my back door entry sensor.  I’ve had the system for several years with no issues and in the last 6 months or so I’ve started having issues with the back door sensor.  SimpliSafe sent a new sensor and it seemed fine for a while and now it’s starting doing the same thing as the last sensor.  It goes off line for a few minutes to hours. I have changed the batteries and still have the same issue.  I’m quickly losing faith in SimpliSafe!

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@ghenrym​ If you are noticing this error with a new sensor and after replacing its battery, there may be a range or interference issue between the Entry Sensor and Base Station that is making it hard for the devices to communicate. 

How far away is the Base Station from the Entry Sensor? Are there any thick walls or appliances between the two devices? 

I recommend checking out our Entry Sensor Not Responding guide in the Help Center to troubleshoot the placement of the device.

10 Messages

4 months ago

I have had SS for about 9 months now. The last 2 days I've been getting the same message as everyone else. I don't know why, I can't remember if it happened in the past. Nothing has changed for any  kind of phkind barrier.  If this is due to an interference this makes me very uneasy.  If some random interference is happen, how mare would it be for a crook to interfere with the signals? Are there any plans to improve the signal to help provide to help protect the SS alarm?

Thank you in advance.

Community Admin

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3.4K Messages

@SafteyFirst​ A Not Responding error message could mean 1 of 2 things:

  • The battery in the Entry Sensor is low
  • The Entry Sensor is too far away from the Base Station, or there is physical interference getting in between the two devices

If you check out the Entry Sensor Not Responding guide in the Help Center, it will take you through troubleshooting both of these potential causes.

Jamming is a concern for all wireless security systems. To combat this, the SimpliSafe system features intelligent jam detection to immediately notify you of a possible attack. We even update the system's firmware regularly to stay ahead of threats and protect the system. 

2 Messages

3 months ago

I've read through a bit of these comments, but not sure if anyone posted a solution to this. Has anyone found a solution to the cold/hot/weather-related entry sensor errors?

Every cold snap, heat wave or extreme weather change (we live in Northern AZ, so we get the snow and heat) causes one or more of my sensors to give me a "low battery" or "not responding" error. I've changed the batteries, power cycled all sensors, removed them and added them back to the system, and it works for a while but I end up having to remove and add a sensor back to the system every week or two. I've had the system for about 4-5 months and have called customer service, created a ticket and never heard back – they said they'd never heard of a weather-related issue from anyone else and couldn't help me.

I saw a couple comments in here related to weather, so I hope this is the right place for this question. I'd appreciate any suggestions!

Community Admin

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990 Messages

@livins44 The Entry Sensor has an operating temperature of 32-120° F. If any of the extreme temperatures you experience fall outside that range, and your Entry Sensors are somewhere like in a garage or on a drafty window, they would exhibit that behavior. In that case, we would recommend adjusting the placement of the Entry Sensor so it doesn't experience these temperatures.

 

But if this behavior happens while the sensors are experiencing temperatures well within that range, it could be that the sensors are unable to communicate with the Base Station.

 

If that is the case, we recommend looking at the placement of the Base Station. The Base Station should be placed in a central area of your home, and in an open space. If it is tucked away in a closet, cabinet, or on a metal shelf, that can impact how it communicates with other SimpliSafe devices. For more help, please see our Entry Sensor Not Responding article in the Help Center.

2 Messages

Thank you for the suggestion, but unfortunately none of these circumstances apply to me. I've talked with customer support a number of times and they've concluded it's not something they can help with. They suggested attaching cardboard to the back of the sensors as a last resort, but that hasn't helped much either. They have told me they hope it's something they can incorporate with future systems, but the system we have is just going to have this issue no matter what according to them. Bummer.

1 Message

2 months ago

Another vote for removing the sensor from your account and then re-adding it. That's the only thing that worked.

Over time I've definitely noticed things getting buggier unfortunately. Clearly bugs with Simplisafe since removing and adding back devices solves the problem. 

3 Messages

2 months ago

I am currently having the same issue but my message on the key pad is the door is open.  I almost had a heart attack when I saw that at 2 AM.  Walking around my house with my 9 MM.  Door was not open.  Haven't tried any fixes yet and I didn't have the alarm on either.  Going try deleting it from the system then adding it back.  

3 Messages

2 months ago

I got a similar message this morning but mine said the door is open when in fact it was not.  I opened the door then closed it and the message went away... for now!  

Community Admin

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990 Messages

@PMeyer Is your Entry Sensor placed on a metal surface? We do not recommend putting the Entry Sensor on metal, as that can demagnetize the device and cause the Base Station to incorrectly read it as open.

 

We recommend checking out the Why Is My Entry Sensor Shown As Open When My Door Is Closed article in the Help Center for further troubleshooting.

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