Smart Device Connectivity Issue (Alexa/Philips Hue)
BACKGROUND: For context, I am building a smart home for my parents in their home, using Amazon Echo Spot and Dot devices placed around the home, to allow my elderly parents to not only turn on/off smart bulbs (Philips Hue), but allow creating routines in the Alexa app to turn on/off lights for them so they're not sitting aroiund in the dark (a common event prior to my initial purchase/setup). To manage the network I had a 10+ year old ASUS wireless router.
PROBLEM: While I was able to connect Alexa to most of the smart plug/bulb/devices, 2 exterior Philips Hue smart bulbs (front door/over garage) commonly "disconnected". I attempted to resolve the issue by removiong the devices within the Alexa app, only to discover Alexa could no longer locate either smart bulb. The smart bulbs could be turned on manually, but somehow Alexa simply couldn't find them anymore. In addition, a Philips Hue smart bulb which was meant to illuminate the exterior patio was never be located by Alexa. As a test, I swapped the patio bulb for another bulb (downstairs) I know worked, reconnected to the swapped bulb (i.e. patio => downstairs)... but Alexa couldn't locate the new patio bulb. The patio light could be turned on and off, no issue, manually.
I initially attempted to resolve this problem by purchasing a Philips Hue bridge, a device meant to connect/manage all my Philips Hue devices and touted as the solution to my problems on another forum. I connected the bridge to my ASUS wireless router, setup the bridge, then searched for new smart devices... only problem was it found ZERO smart devices. Even Alexa managed to find most of them. Very disappointing. So I looked elsewhere for a solution...
SOLUTION?: I recently purchased a TP-Link AXE5400 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Router (Archer AXE75), to replace the old ASUS router, working on the assumption that signal strength might be the issue, as the wireless router is located in the basement. Initial attempts encountered the exact same issues. I was able to connect to every smarft device using the AXE5400... except the three exterior smart bulbs. I went back to the forums, specifically the Amazon Alexa forum, and inquired hoping they would help as the devices were being connected to via Amazon Echo devices. Some of the steps I took to setup the AXE5400 were:
- 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels enabled under IoT Network
- Connected Amazon Echo devices to 2.4GHz wireless connection
- Powered down ASUS wireless router (to avoid confusion and force Alexa app to request new Wi-Fi)
Questions raised during the forum discussion which may be relevant, but went unanswered:
Amazon: If your TP-Link router has a "band steering" feature, try disabling it
Me: I searched online and discovered that yes, the TP-Link router DOES use band steering and it's managed under "Wi-Fi Settings", "Smart Connect" option (currently enabled). The description for this feature reads: "Smart Connect allows the router's 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands to use the same wireless settings. The router can balance network demand and assign devices to the optimum band.". However, this feature only exists for the WiFi channels, NOT the IoT Network channels. I assume I should be connecting my Amazon Echo to one of the IoT Network channels, in which case, I assume disabling the Smart Connect would have no impact.
Amazon: Look for settings like "AP Isolation" or "Client Isolation" and ensure they're disabled
Me: I located "AP Isolation" under Wireless > Additional Settings, but it was already disabled. WMM and Airtime Fairness, however, are enabled. No idea what they are, but they're in the same section. Under Security > Device Isolation, I found a section that reads: "Isolate devices (such as IoT devices) to protect your network from security threats.". This option is disabled.
Amazon: If possible, create a separate 2.4GHz network specifically for your smart home devices
Me: Not sure how to do that...
Amazon: Ensure your router is set to automatically assign IP addresses (DHCP)
Me: Under Network > DHCP Server, the DHCP Server setting is enabled. Under DHCP Client List, are all the wireless devices I connected to the TP-Link router, including one labelled "amazon" with its own unique assigned IP address.
Amazon: Have you checked if the TP-Link router has any specific settings for IoT or smart home devices that might need to be enabled?
Me: I accessed the web-based TP-Link router page and confirmed IoT Network which states "Create a dedicated wireless network to manage your loT devices together, such as smart lights and cameras.". Both 2.4GHz and 5GHz are enabled under IoT Network. I do not see any option for 6GHz under this section. As a note, both channels are using WPA2-PSK[AES] security. The exception being the 6GHz channel, which is using WPA3-Personal, in the Wireless Settings section (not IoT Network).
If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. While I don't expect experts for Alexa to be on the forum, I'm hopeful that there are users or staff which are familiar with this type of issue (i.e. unable to locate smart devices using Alexa as the go-between) that someone can offer some advice. Any help would be appreciated as so far the TP-Link AXE5400 has not performed any better than my old ASUS router... and if that's the case I may end up returning the TP-Link AXE5400.
