Having issues connecting your Z Grills Australia Wireless controller to your WIFI network? Checkout this guide to find potential solutions.
For basic connection instructions on how to connect your Z Grills controller to your WIFI network click here. Read on if you have having issues connecting, or maintaining a reliable connection.
Connect to 2.4GHz not 5GHz
- Connect your phone/ipad/tablet to the local 2.4GHz WIFI network. It must be the 2.4GHz network, not 5GHz. 5GHz is faster than 2.4GHz, but not good at penetrating walls which is why most outside connected devices use 2.4GHz.
- The 5GHz network will normally have “5G” at the end of the network name (aka SSID). For example:
• MY-WIFI (this is the one to select)
• MY-WIFI-5G - Some networks will have a single network that combines both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. This may be referred to as “band steering” or “combined network”. Newer routers will automatically assign the correct one to devices in which case the grill should be able to connect easily.
- If the grill cannot connect to the combined network you will need to log into the router and turn off the “combined” or “band steering” setting or move far enough away from the router than the phone automatically switches to 2.4GHz instead of 5GHz.
Use a guest 2.4GHz network
The best option for any outside connected device like your Z Grills controller, security cameras etc is to have a dedicated Guest Network set to 2.4GHz for them to connect to. Why? 2.4GHz signals can go through walls much better than 5GHz which is why 2.4GHz is the preferred (or only) network used by outside devices.
Most routers have a Guest Network option which can be set to just 2.4GHz and have a different password to you main WIFI network.
How to change router settings?
Check on the bottom or your router for an IP address (192.168.1.1) or web address and login details. Use this in your phone or computer web browser to access the settings on the router.
Search the router model online to find a pdf version of the manual if you don’t have one!
Other router settings to check
Turn OFF WPS, normally in the Wireless Settings page.
Try with another phone
If using an Android phone sometimes it can be worth trying another phone (different mode,) or even better, an iPhone or iPad to try the connection process. The Z Grills Android App is tested on many Android devices, but as there are literally hundreds of varieties all with slightly different software installed, issues can occur.
Choose the correct WIFI channel
Watch the videos below for good explanation on how WIFI channels work and why it can impact your connection reliability and speed if using the same channel as your neighbours.
Still having issues?
If you are still having connection issues, please contact us.