23 Messages
Sensors keep going offline
I have four entry sensors on four windows in the same area. The sensors are about 2 - 3 feet apart. the base station is about 25 feet away with nothing in between. One of the sensors keeps going off line. I have tried three different sensors in that spot and the same thing happens. I don't understand how three can have no problem and one continues to be a problem when they are all in the same area and the same distance from the base station.
davey_d
Community Admin
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4.6K Messages
7 months ago
Hi @rongalla,
It's great that you've tried three different sensors in the same spot, because that confirms that it's not a hardware issue. There just really is something in that particular position that makes it a dead spot.
Have you already tried moving the sensor to a different position on that same window?
The other thought is that you might just want to cover all four windows with a Glassbreak and Motion Sensor, and use those Entry Sensors somewhere else.
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rongalla
23 Messages
7 months ago
Yes If I move the sensor half way up the window it solves the problem. But why don't the other three windows have the same problem? It makes no sense. There is virtually nothing between the four windows and the base station.
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davey_d
Community Admin
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4.6K Messages
7 months ago
The trickiest part about troubleshooting the wireless connection is that we aren't able to see the signals themselves. But at least you were able to figure out a way to get the sensor working.
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rongalla
23 Messages
6 months ago
It certainly looks as if this issue can not be resolved. I have sensors going offline randomly. Different day different sensor. Open and close the door or window and the sensor goes back online and will stay that way for days weeks or months without another issue. Then suddenly its back. All I ever get from support is that its interference which is no help.
I have an ORBI mesh wifi network does that qualify as interference?
Is Simplsafe ever going to have some kind of signal extender or multiple base station capability?
Something need to be done as I am loosing my confidence in this system.
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davey_d
Community Admin
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4.6K Messages
6 months ago
@rongalla Imagine wireless devices like a room at a party. You can make out who is talking by listening for the specific sound of their voice. WiFi sounds totally different from the SimpliSafe equipment's radio, so when the Base Station is listening for sensor signals, it can normally tell them apart. That is, unless those sensors are right up against one of your WiFi access points. Those tend to be fairly powerful - so it would be like having someone shouting right next to you, making it difficult to hear conversations.
But the more likely cause of interference would be any device that operates in a similar frequency to the SimpliSafe components - so similar that the Base Station can get confused. The sensors use a very low frequency, so we're looking for simpler, lower-powered devices that you may not normally think are a problem. The common examples I typically give are remote controlled garage door openers, ham radio setups, and wireless weather stations. But there are also some smart switches and smart bulbs that operate in the same frequency range as well.
And as you can gather from my analogy, a range extender wouldn't necessarily be helpful in this case. Whatever the cause of the interference is, it may still be a problem no matter how close are far the components are.
We also don't want to forget about physical interference. You said that there isn't much between the Base Station and those sensors that are having trouble. But where is the Base Station itself? If it's sitting on a metal shelf, inside a closet, or on one of those wire shelving units, that could potentially block signals, at least some of the time. Moving the Base Station to a different spot, even just to test, might help in figuring this out.
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jamiegrossfeld
6 Messages
5 months ago
Same issue here since update. At 4:21 am for the past two days one sensor keeps going offline. All batteries were installed at the same time when the sensors were purchased. 4:21 am...seems odd that it would go offline two early mornings in a row at the same time.
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JoeSEANASH
2 Messages
4 months ago
Did you ever get a resolution to this problem. I am having the exact same issue.
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eamail2001
73 Messages
4 months ago
This started happening to me right after the last update. It never happened before.
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JoeSEANASH
2 Messages
4 months ago
I think mine started after update as well. System worked ok for about a year. Now every day at least one sensor has an issue of not responding or showing open when it is closed. Have changed batteries, put in new sensors, called tech support. No resolution. Had old SimpliSafe version 1 and never had an issue in a townhouse with 5 floors. New system base station is on same floor, 10 - 20 feet from the sensors with no obstruction and I get errors. Moving base station does not help. Very frustrating.
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cstocksd
1 Message
23 days ago
Incredible! Test b4 you deploy Simplisafe!!! My system is doing the same thing. drops and may or may not re-activate sensors on it's own. different sensors each day. new batteries, no help.
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sharonc0911
3 Messages
15 days ago
My reply got deleted when after typing it it made me sign in and refreshed the screen. Will try again with more brevity. Happens to me. Have a motion sensor now offline. Had the security system almost 6 months. Replaces or had it happen 4-5 times now. Same thing. Reset, delete and reset back up. Mailed me new sensor and reset up again. I Cant get to motion sensor to do those steps. So trying to do the same troubleshooting steps showing that it’s not an issue and it’s just a faulty unit or batteries or interference is frustrating. My house is 1200 sf and nothing is new. Works for awhile. This motion sensor went offline while empty today. Startled thinking it was sensing motion. But no. Just offline. So instead of sleeping and being secured, motion is offline and in an area I can’t get to. I’ve heard enough times that the offline happens, and sometimes supposedly it goes back online by itself. I don’t have time to call and I can’t access the motion sensor to do the same things they had me do the other times. The other times it was the garage door sensor (although that one was just showing open) and then a window and a slider and a bedroom window and now a motion sensor. It works for a few weeks to a few months before it happens again. Oh well. Every security seems to be made now wireless. I Used to have multiple brinks hard wired systems in multiple houses. That system worked flawlessly. Miss that one. Brinks doesn’t seem to do that anymore nor does it seem anyone else. So good luck to those having this issue.
(edited)
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