Fix-It Friday 3/4/22

It’s not uncommon for the new one to be posted late afternoon or evening. This thread last month was posted at 3:14pm (I think Mountain time), and there was one posted in the evening. I’m sure we’ll get the new one posted sometime today.

Although wyze’s responses to this issue make it sound like a simple hard reset will fix this problem, that is far from the truth. That doesn’t correct the system or allow it to be used for the vast majority of users. Sometimes it does work temporarily but it takes hours or days after a reset for that to happen and even if it begins to work again it’s temporary. It still at some point always goes back to a rebooting cycle where its unresponsive. If you do get it working you cannot add any sensors cause if you do, it goes back into a reboot cycle every time.

Trying to figure out what caused this problem is really besides the point at this time. This problem has raised attention to a major design flaw. Why does the sense hub not support downgrading the firmware on such a critical device/system? That seems like a serious design flaw and oversight. Anything that can receive firmware updates should also have a means to downgrade firmware when there are major issues such as this one. If we could downgrade the firmware to a working version and use our systems again then wyze can take all the time they need to find a cause and solution.

Wyze has a history of releasing bad firmware that is not ready to go out. Wyze then expects people to just wait for the next firmware release for fixes instead of allowing and/or supporting downgrading and it is absurd to me that they think that’s acceptable when downgrading is such an easy solution 90% of the time.

Log # 525187

The app does report connectivity although the hub just keeps rebooting.

Using the keypad doesn’t work for changing modes. Using the app appears to work (reports it’s armed after a while) but doesn’t actually trigger any alarms when sensors are tripped.

Iv tried resetting the hub a bunch of times and it never helps. It will reboot, connect and appear good for a min or so and then start making a weird crackling sound and reboot. And it just keeps repeating this. Sometimes leaving it alone for a long time would make it magically come back. But it would go back out again when adding sensors or just over time. I also found that leaving unplugged overnight on battery made it come back and work but again that was temporary and it went back to reboot cycle.

As far as pairing sensors most of the time I don’t even make it that far cause of the rebooting. But the small amount of time I have gotten it working I would try to add sensor and one of two things would happen. Either the hub would not announce ready to pair likely meaning the hub wasn’t in pairing mode and that’s why it never found sensor. The other option is it does say eeady to pair and it pairs successfully but then the hub immediately starts acting up and reboots. Then if I do get the hub to work again that sensor that supposedly connected won’t work and will show offline.

New post is up! Glad you all were looking for it. :slightly_smiling_face:

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That helped a little bit. Signed out, soft reset on hub and then I was able to toggle between armed/disarmed flawlessly like before. My lights eventually went solid white. Waited overnight, tried pairing a v2 motion sensor and the hub said “ready to connect” and started flashing, but never connected. After cancelling, the hub continues to flash.
Submitted another log 526432. Pairing error was ~ 852am EST 4/2/2022.

Again for like the 5th time I will ask why we cannot downgrade the sense hub to the last stable firmware? Is it really that difficult of a question to answer? Or do you just not wanna look bad? Feels to me wyze is choosing not to answer it cause the answer will make wyze look awful and make it obv to users that we could have had a solution to this months ago. Instead of forcing us to do the leg work with broken devices to get wyze data when they should be doing their own testing.

Forget about fixing the firmware issues. GIVE US THE ABILTY TO DOWNGRADE FIRMWARE ALREADY!!! It’s not that difficult and you guys could have provided that as a solution a long time ago without the need for data. This is unacceptable on all levels that not only does wyze refuse to let us downgrade but they aren’t even decent enough to give us a reason why we can’t downgrade.

Why we must sit around and wait with broken devices for months at a time while wyze takes it’s sweet time to find a solution. Just to then issue a new firmware that will also likely be bad and have new problems.

I bought a device set it up and used it daily to protect my home and my family the two most valuable things in my life. Then it was broken by the company that made it and then wyze believes its appropriate to have us just sit around and wait months at a time until they get “the data they need” and issue a new update/fix. Opposed to just allowing us to downgrade firmware and continue to use our devices. Iv never experience anything like this with any other company or product.

I am one of the victims of Wyze Sense Hub 4.32.8.213. Despite several reports citing specific issues with that firmware, it sounds like Wyze is still having issues nailing down the issue and is asking for additional details, so I tried to really outline the specifics, with accompanying log submissions.

BLUF, ever since updating to this firmware, I have struggled to get new leak sensors to work with the hub. The sensors either refused to pair or … pair, but do not appear to function correctly. While putting this timeline together, I APPEAR to have gotten them to work through a specific sequence of events I’ll detail here.

As background, I have a Hub but do not have an active HMS subscription. I also do not have a keypad, just V1 contact sensors, V2 climate sensors, and V2 leak sensors.

Starting off, the Wyze Hub appears to be in a stable state. All 3 lights are solid. My objective is to pair (2) new leak sensors.

These events all took place today, on 4/2/2022, in the Eastern Time Zone (EST).

9:37am - Attempt to enter pairing mode from the app. The app shows ready to pair but the hub never announces pairing mode and the three lights remain solid. I attempt to pair both leak sensors by holding the reset button, neither pairs. I submit hub log #526455.

9:40am - I conduct a reset on the hub by disconnecting the AC power and holding down the reset button. The hub resets and then enters the strange “crackling state” which has been elsewhere described in this forum. This state appears to repeat the following pattern.

A. All 3 lights flash for approximately 20 seconds.
B. All 3 lights are solid and the hub is quiet for approximately 1 minute.
C. All 3 lights are solid but the hub’s speaker emits a “crackling” sound for 1 minute.
D. Return to A

9:50am - I attempt to enter pairing mode again via the app. I believe I attempted this during State C above. At this point, the hub announces it is in pairing mode. I try to pair both leak sensors and neither pair. I cancel pairing mode and submit hub log #526462.

9:54a - The hub remains in the same state as above, cycling from A-D. At this point, I wait for State B and again enter pairing mode. At this point, I am able to get one leak sensor to pair and submit hub log 526469 and leak sensor log 526465. I successfully repeat this process with the second leak sensor.

Shortly thereafter, I attempt to test both leak sensors and these tests are unsuccessful. At this point, the hub is still in the same state … cycling from A-D. Specifically, I dip the sensors in water; the red light on the sensor blinks signaling it has detected water, but the app never updates that a leak has occurred and I receive no notification that a leak was detected.

11:30am - At some point between ~10:00am and 11:30am, the hub has returned to a stable state, where it’s no longer cycling between A-D and all 3 lights are solid. I again test the leak sensors and both work; the app appropriately reports leak detected and I get notifications. Even though I didn’t need to pair any additional sensors at this point, I tried to enter pairing mode and the hub DID announce it was in pairing mode.

THIS IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM THAT WYZE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE (and they now have plenty of data/logs to look at), but if you’re having similar issues it appears this workaround may help:

  • Reset your hub
  • When pairing new devices, wait for the hub to enter state B above OR (maybe) just wait for the hub to return to a stable state.
  • Do not try to test your new devices until the hub has returned to a stable state.

I believe the information I’ve provided above is more detailed and useful than the questions posed by Wyze, but I’ll answer the exact questions below so it’s clear that I’m responding to the original queries.

  • Confirm that the app reports network connection. YES
  • Are you able to arm/disarm using the keypad? Can you do it using the app? I DON’T HAVE A KEYPAD, AS STATED IN MY PREVIOUS REPLY.
  • Try holding the Reset button on the hub to reboot it YES, TRIED THAT. ANSWERED ABOVE, IN MORE DETAIL
  • If you’re having issues with your sensors, what is the message you see when they fail to pair? Is it failing 100% of the time or are you able to succeed sometimes? ANSWERED ABOVE, IN MORE DETAIL
  • Please submit a Wyze Sense Hub log after trying to pair your sensor with the date, time, and time zone that it failed in. Afterward, please post the log number here! SEVERAL LOGS SUBMITTED, AS DESCRIBED IN MORE DETAIL
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This is an awesome report with even better details than requested. :+1: Well done Matt!

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After reporting the information requested and working with Customer Support, Wyze is sending me a replacement hub for free under the warranty.

I’m guessing once received it will be on the prior firmware and will work again. Will try to remember to report back once received in 5-13 business days.

Also guessing that I’ll have to reconnect my 35 or so sensors :frowning:

One of my Hubs lost it’s way, and I had to reset it… and yes, I had to add my six sensors back, one at a time… a pain but 35 sensors… sounds like an exciting time :slight_smile:
SJ

I’m trying at all cost to avoid something like that. I do not wanna re-set up all the sensors I have along with all their respective rules. I have well over 60 sensors. 17 of them are just for the windows lol. Then each sensors has multiple rules for lights or whatever it may be.

This is why we should be able to just downgrade the firmware through the app. No need to completely replace a device that’s hardware is perfectly fine just to be on a lower firmware version. It’s silly.

Yea lots of windows. I’m debating if going through the exercise if I can connect just the basement to the new hub and hope the old hub gets a new fix and put upstairs ones on that hub. But also haven’t looked if two hubs is even possible/allowed.

You can have multiple hubs, just not with HMS. Your second hub can be used for automations and alerts but it can’t be used to trigger the alarm, at least not yet.

I am using 2 hubs.
As stated above. One for just automation, the other for home monitoring.

Thanks for the info. So, for example you can put all the windows on non-HMS hub and can still get the notifications, but cannot trigger the alarm?

And then door sensors + motion sensors that you want the option of being able to trigger the alarm, you leave on the yes-HMS hub?

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@motoxmat4 and @mattbrav, we agree that there’s something going on here that’s weird and we want to look deeper into it. Could you please send in a support ticket to support.wyze.com explaining the issue and name-dropping me as someone that approved a return/replace after working with the PM? We want to get your hubs back to check on why this is happening and send you better performing replacements. When you get your support ticket number, please write it in this thread so we can scoop it up and use the special process for this one instead of the standard support response.

If anyone else is also experiencing repeated Wyze Sense Hub reboots, please let me know and follow the instructions above!

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Created a montage ticket from my other posts

Ticket Number: 1949042

I am no longer getting audible notifications from the Wyze Sense hub when the sensors are “Opened” after applying version: 4.32.8. 213 with the volume set to any setting low, medium, or high.
LOG ID 477529
LOG ID 480432

Wyze sense Hub FW 4.32.8.213

Per the Wyze Requested Information:

Confirm that the app reports network connection
Confirmed

Are you able to arm/disarm using the keypad? Can you do it using the app?
Keypad - No - Wyze App - Yes

Try holding the Reset button on the hub to reboot it
When I reboot the Wyze Sense hub it goes into a reboot loop for a couple of hours. Finally comes back online after a couple of hours and then my rules stop working (more on devices below as related to iOS and Android)

If you’re having issues with your sensors, what is the message you see when they fail to pair? Is it failing 100% of the time or are you able to succeed sometimes?
I am now able to add devices to the Wyze Sense hub.

Log ID for Android Samsung Note10+ - 515832
Log ID for Android Pixel 6 - 515833
Log ID for iOS iPhone 12 Max Pro - 515835

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@UserCustomerGwen while I appreciate that finally something is being done about this problem I’m still highly disappointed that wyze is still primarily focused on fixing the firmware problem, opposed to working on supporting firmware downgrading. I could really care less about finding the root cause of the firmware problems or fixing the firmware release to be a good version. That’s something that can be done at any later time.

What I’m most concerned with is the fact that nothing is being done to prevent this from happening again in the future. This same exact problem (bad firmware) could happen again in the future and nothing is being done to make sure that doesn’t leave the entire system in an unusable state. The sense hub still has no means to downgrade firmware when there is major issues like this. That is a major design flaw in the sense hub, that needs to be focused on, and resolved. Why should I go through all this trouble pay all this money for the hardware just to have wyze release another bad firmware update in the future and then the HMS users are in the same predicament that we have been in for a month now. There is nothing being done to prevent this from happening again and I have a big problem with that. It means that users will always be vulnerable when updating until there is a means to downgrade as well.

Even if I send you my hub and you figure out and correct the firmware problem, all the HMS users will still be vulnerable in the future to a similar issue, if another bad firmware is released again then all the users will be stuck with broken devices again and have no options or anything they can do to get their system working again other then wait for wyze to release another firmware version.

This is an unacceptable way to manage devices and firmware updates. Until I see wyze actively working to provide a solution to this problem (the ability to downgrade firmware) Then I’m really not interested in sending my hub back and spending another 8 hours setting up a new hub with my 60+ sensors and all 30+ rules that I have to go with the sensors. There is no incentive for me to go through so much hassle and work when wyze has blatantly ignored my consistent questions about firmware downgrading, and still has made no comments or plans to provide a solution to problems like this in the future. Even if I send back my hub and go through all that trouble setting it all up again, wyze still has not made any effort to implement a procedure to avoid major firmware problems from leaving devices in a non functioning state for long periods of time. Wyze still has not made any effort (at least hasn’t said they have) to have a procedure (firmware downgrading) to get users back up and running in a timely manner when there is firmware problems that stop devices from working. These problems are on a critical device that is supposed to protect my family and my home so having such a big vulnerability that can make the system unusable, with no means to get it working again, is unacceptable. So I’m struggling to see the incentive to send my hub back when this same exact problem is just as likely to happen with the next firmware update and users still would not have a means to get their system back up and running again (by downgrading firmware).

I’d love to help and get this all sorted out but there has to be some give and take here. Wyze needs to hold up their end of the deal better. Wyze doesn’t get to just fix the firmware and then leave us all just as vulnerable to the same problem in the future as we were before this was exploited. Wyze needs to start working on and add support for firmware downgrading on the sense hub before I will be doing anything more with this system. I won’t be buying more sensors or recommending the system or doing anything else until that is done and the hub supports firmware downgrading.

As of right now I am actually looking at ring and simplisafe as a better option to protect my home, and if I switch I likely won’t look back. See because until the sense hub supports firmware downgrading all the users, our homes, and our families are vulnerable to the same exact problems happening again in the future. Wyze won’t even acknowledge this problem and how serious it is, and wyze is not even working on any solution to correct this vulnerability for future updates. I can’t support a security system that has such a major vulnerability and design flaw that could leave my home and family unprotected for extended periods of time at a moments notice. Once wyze starts working on the ability to downgrade firmware I will then be comfortable using this system again to protect my home and family and I will also be glad to help in any way I can with the firmware problems. But until the ability to downgrade firmware is supported this system basically doesn’t even exist as far as I’m concerned. With such a major vulnerability it’s not even an option to protect my home and family.

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And this is why the Hub and Sensors are ‘toys’ for me to turn on lights, plugs, etc, based on motion and entry. I personally would never go with an alarm system that relies upon hubs that seem to not be so reliable. I only have six sensors on one hub, two on another, and deleting those eight sensors when things go south with the sensor hubs is a pain, I can’t imagine 60+ sensors having to be setup again. (I think the rules re-associate ?.. but if you have routines in Alexa… you have to revisit those routines and point them to the sensors again)

SJ

@nixhome2020 I agree. I already had sensors back from the V1 sense system. At that time it was just self monitored and for automation. Then I was able to get a hub when the new system came out and I got rid of those awful bridges and increased the sensor range 10 fold. I still just used the system self monitored and for automations at that point. Then I was able to snag one of the HMS kits from Home Depot for cheap. So I said what the hell I already have all the sensors setup and it came with a free 6 months so I figured why not try it out. So I decided to give wyze a chance and see how there system was.

As of right now with this latest issue exploiting the problems in this system it is Deff not a system I would seriously rely on for security or to protect my family. But then again that’s why I was trying it out.

It’s too bad that wyze has handled this problem so poorly because other then this it actually has been a fairly good system. When you take into consideration the price it’s really a pretty well rounded system for the price. It has some room for improvement for sure and 1-2 things that I think would make it up to par with other systems. But the hardware and the way it functions is pretty damn good. It’s just to bad wyze poor support for it has allowed such a big and drawn out problem to occur and persist.

Dear Wyze Team,

It’s very frustrating and disappointing that the problems caused by the firmware update are still not fixed and there’s no way to downgrade the firmware. In my situation, I’m a new customer, with the HSM subscription and even can’t use it, because I have sensors that I can’t connect. I tried everything, I’ve submitted the logs, still, I have hub and sensors, completely not usable. It’s very disappointing and I’m going to cancel the subscription.

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