Installing, Setting Up & Linking Wi-Fi Devices in House Check

This article is an overview of Wi-Fi-specific information which may be useful when setting up devices using House Check.

Wi-Fi Basics

Wi-Fi is a wireless communication protocol that uses radio waves to allow Wi-Fi devices to directly communicate with the Devicebook Hub. 

Wi-Fi signal strength is attenuated (weakened) by barriers such as walls, cabinets, and objects between a device and the Devicebook Hub. Denser materials such as metal, brick, and concrete will attenuate signals more than lighter materials.

Learn more about Wi-Fi device positioning and network planning here: Network Planning for Wi-Fi Devices

Wi-Fi Device Setup

Devicebook can often automatically discover newly-installed Wi-Fi devices around a smart home, so long as the device has not yet been provisioned to communicate with a Wi-Fi network. When installing Wi-Fi devices, you should not set up the device to connect to any Wi-Fi network yet.

When you tap the "Set Up" button in House Check for any Wi-Fi device, in many cases Devicebook will automatically start searching for matching devices in the range of the Devicebook Hub, and automatically set them up to connect to the Hub's secure private Wi-Fi network.

Wi-Fi Setup Issues

I am trying to set up a Wi-Fi Device, but it is not appearing as a candidate.

1. Reset the device to factory defaults, and then try to set it up again. 

2. Verify that the model of the device is the same one used in the design. If the model does not match, it will not appear as a candidate.

3. Verify that the device is in range of the Hub's Wi-Fi network. Dense walls and metal objects can significantly weaken the signal strength of the Hub's Wi-Fi network. You may need to re-position the device or the Hub to resolve the situation.

My devices keep going offline/online (Important)

If devices are installed in areas with "Poor/Unreliable" or worse signal strength, then such devices can cause intermittent connectivity issues in daily use. These devices can slow down the network and even other Wi-Fi devices on the network with good signal strength can experience connectivity issues because of noise interference from the poor signal devices.

It is strongly recommended to position the Devicebook Hub correctly and only install devices in locations with at least "Ok" signal strength.