I recently installed a new Wi-Fi router with a new network name and password. From what I understand, the Wyze app does not allow you to update the Wi-Fi network for existing devices.
Does this mean I need to remove and set up all my devices again to connect to the new network?
I have seven cameras mounted on the overhang of my house, so accessing each one will require a ladder. I also have a chime and a bulb camera that would need to be reconfigured.
Can anyone confirm if this is the only way to reconnect devices to a new Wi-Fi network?
No, you will have to go through the setup on each device. However, you will not need to remove the devices from your app. This will ensure your automations and info stays intact.
Note: There are a few Cameras that seems to allow you to change the WiFi information from the app now.
On your new WiFi router, you could try assigning the 2.4Ghz network the same SSID and password from your old router and see if all of your devices connect automatically.
What @StevenA suggests is going to be your easiest course of action, unless you have a need/reason to change the name and password. Obviously this makes it easier on all your devices, not just Wyze.
As @spamoni mentioned, they’ve added the ability to some models to do a change from the app, however you would need to initiate this before shutting down the old wifi network (or set up a temporary guest network on your new router with the old name and password while you do that). Actually I’m not 100% sure on this as I haven’t tried it, maybe it uses bluetooth, but I don’t see how it would since bluetooth is only active after you press the setup button. There should be some documentation on that feature somewhere. I just checked and my Panv3s (which are not bluetooth enabled) have the option so I can only assume you have to have the old network online.
For the cams that don’t support that, if you get the old network up temporarily, many cams will go into “ready to connect” when you delete them from the app, as long as the cam has internet connectivity when you do it. That way if you can get close enough for bluetooth to work, it can be easier to get set up without gaining access to the camera. But if it is a cam that scans a QR code, that won’t help much, which I believe is the case with the v3. But my OGs and v4 both work that way so not sure if you have other models where that might be useful. If you name the camera the exact same thing, it should re-learn all or most of the settings it had before.
But realistically, having a separate (guest) network for your IOT devices is a good idea anyway. That way if you have to change the info on your main network, you don’t have to mess with your IOT stuff.
My setup is:
Trusted network - nobody gets the password to this, not changed that often
Guest network - given to guests, changed fairly regularly, firewalled off from trusted network
IOT Network - nobody gets the password to this, not changed that often, completely isolated and firewalled off from main network.
No need to delete any cameras from the app. Simply press the setup button to go through the setup process, this will allow you to change the SSID and Password without losing settings in the app. If you delete devices from the app, then they will be removed from automations and settings requiring you to add them back again.
I do agree though, if there is no compelling reason to change the SSID and Password on the new router, I would put it back and then all devices should connect.
Yeah I should have been more clear, I meant if the cam required a ladder to access, in many cases you can get within bluetooth range and delete it from the app which simulates pushing the button. But obviously it has to be online on the old network for that. And that only works for Bluetooth enabled cams (which I think is the OG and newer).
Oddly enough in my experience, automations seems to be the one place I can never remove a cam from. Even a full factory reset and different name of the cam, and it stays in the automation. My assumption is it is based on MAC address of the cam. But I can’t recall if it was like that with all cams or just the OG I was toying with.
If I gave it a new name, all the settings were factory default. If I reused the name (even after deleting it from the app) the settings came back. But regardless it always re-added to automations, even with the new name.
I wish that would work in my case, but unfortunately, my new Linksys router will not allow duplicate characters in the password. The existing router works great but I’m tired of paying Spectrum a $10 fee every month. Wyze needs to allow network changes like my other devices.
I just reinstalled a total of 10 devices, and most required using a ladder to reach them. This was unnecessarily time-consuming and potentially dangerous. Other smart home devices only require updating the Wi-Fi settings in their apps to connect to a new router. Hopefully Wyze will address this issue in a future update.
Only if those smart home devices have bluetooth or some other means to connect. Once you sever the wifi of a wifi only device, you can’t communicate with it to tell it the new network info.
I haven’t run into any smart home devices that don’t require a button push or power cycle, if they didn’t, that would mean their bluetooth (or low frequency connection) is always active, which would be a security risk.
Wyze has implemented a network change feature in the app for many cams, you just need to do it before you shut off the old network (again, otherwise you can’t communicate with it). For the cams with bluetooth, it can be done without physically accessing the device or having the old wifi available.
Wyze, or any other manufacturer, can’t break the laws of physics.
Look in the router settings, a lot of time you can disable the “strict password” requirements. Not sure about Foxconn (Linksys/Belkin) though, haven’t used those in ages.
Yup it should work in theory as long as you’re using the “change network” feature that they’ve added in the app. It won’t work if you’re using the setup button process as your phone has to be on the same wifi for that as far as I know (and any phone I’ve seen can’t connect to wifi while also running hotspot).
If there is a phone that can connect to one wifi network, and share it via hotspot to a different wifi network, then that should also work to do the password change, but I don’t think those exist. Could be wrong though.
. Thank you.