Red Sea ReefATO Network Not Found

[losaeyang]

Hi all,
Just need a little help with connecting the ReefATO to Reefbeat. The app sees the device but I'm on the last step where it searches for my network. My network is not showing up. Tried my phone and tablet and even restarted the router. Everything else connects fine even the reef 90 LEDs. I've scoured the web and reached out to Red Sea and really starting to get annoyed with their app. The ATO appears to not work unless I have it synced in the app. Thanks all.

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[tdyrkacz]

Did you find a solution? I just got the reefato and it can see my wifi but can't connect to it.

 

[reefkeeping]

Do you happen to have an Android phone or tablet, by chance?

If so, can you install an app like WifiMan from Ubiquiti and then place your phone in the exact location of the ReefATO and scan for available 2.4ghz wireless networks, and post a screenshot of the available networks and their signal strength?

If the wireless signal is marginal near the aquarium (depending on where the ReefATO is physically placed) this may be why your lights work but the ReefATO doesn't. I know in my case, my ReefATO controller is inside my sump area, which means that it is encased in thick plywood on all sides (which will attenuate the signal by a few decibels (db), not to mention the 2 foot column of water directly above it which would be impenetrable to wireless.

Your phone has a vastly better wireless chipset than the ReefATO does, so if your phone is seeing your network anywhere around -67dbm or worse (the lower the number the weaker the signal), the ReefATO is probably not getting a useable signal. Try, even temporarily, moving the ReefATO controller near your router and setting it up, as a way to test that.

Another thing you can try is to log into your router and set up a dedicated 2.4ghz-only network. Most consumer grade routers, especially those provided by your ISP, are going to default to broadcasting a single SSID (wireless network) on both 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands. The Red Sea products (and most IoT devices in general) only support 2.4ghz. "In theory" it shouldn't matter that a single SSID is broadcast on both 2.4ghz and 5ghz simultaneously, but not every device manufacturer properly implements all wireless protocols per the standards, and so having a 2.4ghz-only network that you can connect IoT devices to can help rule out certain issues.