Rogers Ignite and Smart Device . !

[nexxstep]

If you have recently switched over or updated to the Ignite service, you will likely encounter difficulties reconnecting any pre-existing smart devices you have installed. Here are some tips and suggestions based on my personal experience over the past week during this painful transition.

CONNECTING DEVICES:
There are three options when trying to connect your devices to your new Ignite gateway:

1. VIA the Home App on your IOS or Android phone.
2. VIA the recommended device manufacturer App which you can subsequently link to your Home App. or
3. Using the Ignite Homeconnect App which you will require to manage your gateway.

If you choose option three above, check out this compatibility list of supported devices before proceeding:

https://www.rogers.com/support/home-security/works-with-devices

BAND STEARING:
As a former I.T. support analyst, any time technology automatically tries to make decisions for you, DISABLE IT! Which is exactly what you will need to do on your Ignite gateway and separate the 2.4 and 5 GHZ bands in order to reconnect many of your smart devices.

In theory once you have separated the two bands if you give the 2.4G band the same name and password as your previous gateway, your devices should reconnect and then there is reality. In some cases this will work but may require you to re-add the device but in most cases you will have to perform a factory reset and new installation in which you will lose any previous configuration settings.

Also, in theory, once you've connected all your devices, you can reenable band stearing on your gateway and all your devices should remain connected. However you may also lose the ability to change or modify the settings on your devices now that your on the 5G connection, but I haven't tested it. so before you try this option, be sure to have everything configured as you want it, for going back could prove challenging.

If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it!

MY EXPERIENCE:
As with many of you I have increasingly introduced smart devices into my home to automate many day to day activities and here was my experience during the Ignite switch over.

google Nest Audio speakers simply required being readded via the Home App and were able to connect to the 5G WIFI connection without issue.

Google Nest 2ND Gen door bell wired, required a factory reset at which point it was able to reconnect to the 2.4G WIFI connection via the Home App. Here is how to reset your device:

https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9252162?hl=en#zippy=%2Cnest-doorbell-nd-gen-wired

The Gosund mini smart plugs simply wouldn't connect even after a reset although they were working fine prior to the switch over to Ignite, so I retired them and switched over to the TP-LINK kasa devices which were able to connect and are working fine. These plugs are also on the compatibility list.

I initially connected the plugs via the Kasa App and then subsequently linked them into the Home App to provide voice assistant control.

Tip, when trying to connect a 2.4G smart device to your gateway, its likely best to do so when you are in close proximity to the device but at the outer range of the 5G signal forcing the 2.4G signal to be used. Also be sure to have your device connected to the 2.4G connection as well.

You can find them on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.ca/TP-Link-Reliable-Connection-Assistant-HS103P4/dp/B07RCNB2L3/ref=asc_df_B07RCNB...

Hopefully my experiences over this past week, won't be yours and the transition will go smoothly, and . will truly freeze over but I hope I've been able to offer you some tips.

[RogersMoin]

Hello, @nexxstep.

We appreciate you being our Community member. Thank you for sharing your experience and providing helpful tips for reconnecting smart devices to the Ignite service.

It's great to see such detailed insight and recommendations based on your experience to help others overcome potential challenges while migrating to the Ignite platform.

We look forward to seeing your continuous participation in the Community.

Cheers,
RogersMoin
 

[Gdkitty]

I find its really dependent on the end smart device.  Probably more than likely the older ones.

Most of the smart home devices, tend to only work on the 2.4 as was mentioned.

Though I wonder if they had made strives in the band steering, etc to help correct and make it easier for these.

My household I do not have it off.  Shows up as the one network.
I have 6 smart plugs, 3 smoke detectors, 5 smart light switches, Blink doorbell, govee lights, a few small other things like a smart scale, etc.
ONLY two of them tend to ever have issues, are my two original smart switches, both original WEMO.  They will connect, but sometimes take a few restarts of the device.  No other settings change.   Everything else seems to connect just fine.

So results may be mixed.
Definitely if having issues, follow the above suggestions!

[shaunmckinley]

Ive disable band steering and named my 5ghz network something completely fifferent. Still, i cant connect my brand new smart door lock to my network. Even when trying to connect it right beside the modem with fmy phone next to it (phone was running Smart Life app).
I took the same lock to my neighbors house and it connected right away. Clearly something is wrong with my rogers network. Im considering changing to the same ISP my neighbor has.
Is there anything you can think i might be missing?

[Biollw]

Put rogers gateway into bridge mode and install and use your own router and wifi. Then you have much better control over everything.

[Janice1000]

I too, are having trouble hooking up my devices since I signed onto rogers. I have gone through the hour long process on the phone setting up the 2.4 and 5 G. So now that I have the 2.4 that I can supposedly can connect to but it still doesn't work with my Sony speaker and its  not old technology. I have a Moen water pump alarm and it wont hook up to that either. I have an extender and the Moen water pump alarm  is in the basement and it still wont work. So even though Rogers says they have the best stable 5G internet in Canada that's just simply not true. When my contract is up I am switching to another provider

[KENNEYT]

As far as I can tell my rogers xfinity modem has disabled your ability to isolate the 2.4 ghz. The only way to split the 2.4 is what they call automatic and manual option but the option is turned off?????????

And yes none of my smart plugs will connect

[RogersMaude]

Good morning @KENNEYT,

Welcome to the Rogers Community and thank you for your post! 

Bandsteering is enabled by default on the Rogers Xfinity Gateway. This helps ensure your devices automatically connect to the WiFi network with the strongest signal.

If you have WiFi Pods, you won't see your 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi networks listed separately. Pods require that you only have one WiFi network name and password so that all your devices can seamlessly connect to the network that will provide the best WiFi signal at any given time.

If you want to check if bandsteering is turned on, you can use Rogers Xfinity app :

1. Sign in to the Rogers Xfinity app using your MyRogers username and password.
2. Select WiFi then, WiFi details.
3. Select Edit WiFi settings.
4. Confirm whether or not Split bands (not recommended) box is toggled on. 
   
   • If it is not, then Bandsteering is already turned on.
   • If it is toggled on:
     Update your WiFi Name and Wifi Password. 
     Select Apply Changes to Bandsteering.

Have you had a chance to look at @nexxstep's post above? It has a lot of helpful information.

Let us know if you have questions!

RogersMaude