So, i’m having trouble updating the firmware for the accessory bulb that is paired with the bulb cam. I have been trying since yesterday, placing the bulb where i’m going to have it, then closer to the bulbcam, then inside closer to the router, and in other various places in my home. The bulb cam communicates to the accessory bulb, but no matter where I locate this bulb, no matter what wifi signal strength, the firmware won’t update. Anyone else having this issue? Is it time for a support ticket?
That’s a judgement call, but I generally think it’s a good idea for issues like this to submit a log from the app and then open a ticket that references the Log ID. With the ticket, you get a chance to provide a detailed description of the problem you’re experiencing and the troubleshooting steps you’ve taken, and that can then be linked to the Log ID and hopefully passed along to the engineers to consider.
I have, yeah, and my understanding is that certain types of sconces (like what I have outside the garage) can act kind of like a partial Faraday cage or otherwise interfere with the Bluetooth Low Energy connection between the Bulb Cam and Accessory Bulb. When I’ve experienced firmware update failures, I’ve just brought both devices into the house—which also puts the Bulb Cam itself closer to the Wi-Fi source—and put them in the same fixture (there’s one in the dining room with three sockets that’s convenient for me) and tried again, and that’s done the trick.
What kinds of sconces do you have the devices in, and how far apart are they? Distance can be another factor, which is another reason I’ve brought them indoors.
I understand that moving them may not always be convenient, and hopefully firmware updates won’t be a frequent occurrence if the devices are otherwise stable in their performance.
An alternative to moving them might be restarting the camera (Restart button in Settings) and/or power-cycling both devices (easy if they’re on the same circuit). I know that your screenshots are showing a good link (“Online”) between the Accessory Bulb and Bulb Cam, but occasionally I’ve seen an Accessory Bulb show “Offline” and power-cycle/restart often solves that for me. I’d probably try that first and then think about moving them inside for a few minutes if you can.
Thank you for responding!
I tried moving the bulb itself inside, but not both the cam and the bulbcam.
I’ll try the restart first, then power cycling. My fixtures are metal, so they might just be the issue, although the blubcam itself works just fine, and will update just fine.
If that doesn’t work, I will have to try both devices inside close to the router, when it stops raining here.
Thanks again, and I will try the other troubleshooting steps if that method doesn’t work.
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Yeah, that’s how I interpreted your original post. My understanding is that the firmware update takes a path similar to this:
Wyze Cloud ➜ Internet ➜ Home Wi-Fi ➜ Bulb Cam ➜ Bluetooth ➜ Accessory Bulb
If you brought the Accessory Bulb inside but that pulled it farther away from the Bulb Cam or otherwise didn’t improve the BLE signal between the two devices, then you could still have a problem with communication/update failures.
That could be, yeah. Occasionally I see the Accessory Bulb on the other side of the garage door flake, and its distance from the Bulb Cam is roughly the width of a double-wide (2-car) garage door, but both are in fixtures made of glass and metal. The Bulb Cam’s camera extends below the sconce, but the bulb portions of both devices are farther up and semi-enclosed. I have no idea where the antennas are in these things.
When I have an issue, I usually notice it by physically seeing the Accessory Bulb’s light on during the day. I believe this is the default state when it has power but isn’t connected to Bulb Cam, because when I then go to check the app I see that it’s “Offline”. Usually a power-cycle and/or camera Restart fixes it.
You’re welcome! I hope it helps.