Topic: WeatherlinkIP keeps disconnecting from network

[ihadablackdog]

I have a Vantage Vue and also a WeatherlinkIP datalogger, connected directly to my router with cat5.

I have had it successfully set up for roughly a year, and it was very stable.

A few months ago I moved it, and also changed my router at the same time (from an Apple Airport Extreme to a BT Homehub 5, which is an ISP supplied router).

It intermittently stops working on the network.  I have WU set to pull data from it (via davisnet?) and I get an email from WU when it stops working.

If I go to the device, the green light on the Ethernet end of the logger is off.  If I unplug the cat5 cable and plug it in, it will start working again.  Sometimes it is fine for several weeks, then it will do the same thing.  Recently I left it, and it came back on, but has now stopped again.

I've set the logger to a fixed IP address, and excluded that from the DHCP range on the router.  I've also used a different port on the router, and a different cable.

Considering the only thing that's really changed is the router, I naturally suspect the router (it is a cheap ISP one), but wonder if there is any known issue that might cause this?

[Mattk]

Yes it's a good bet it's a router or ISP issue.

[hankster]

I've had that same problem with two different routers. I changed over to a USB logger and the problem went away.

[alanb]

You could try putting an Ethernet hub between the router and the WeatherlinkIP.

[ihadablackdog]

Just an update:
Changed the router back to my Apple one and it did the same.  I then tried to reset it to DHCP from fixed IP but it wouldn't work.  Found a firmware update, applied that and it let me set it back to DHCP.  Still didn't fix the loss of connection problem!  So now I think it is the logger or the Vue console.

Today I put my network back exactly how it used to be - everything running via a switch at the end of a power line link back to my router, but also plugged into a UPS.  I read somewhere that it doesn't like it if the power isn't stable - it was connected this way for over a year with no problems, so here's hoping.

Doesn't a USB logger need to connect to a computer?  I really don't want to go that route, as it means having a computer/laptop on all the time.  I appreciate I could probably get more data from the software, but I am happy with just the Davis iPhone app and WU.

[CW2274]

Doesn't a USB logger need to connect to a computer? 

Yes.

[dalecoy]

Today I put my network back exactly how it used to be - everything running via a switch at the end of a power line link back to my router, but also plugged into a UPS.  I read somewhere that it doesn't like it if the power isn't stable -

When did the powerline link enter the system?  Was that set up when you "moved it"?

So, your two routers, the two powerline adapters, the switch, and the console are all plugged into a UPS?  And the house wiring connecting the two powerline adapters is on the same AC phase?

You originally said:

I have a Vantage Vue and also a WeatherlinkIP datalogger, connected directly to my router with cat5.

I have had it successfully set up for roughly a year, and it was very stable.

What happened to the "connected directly to my router with cat5"?

[ihadablackdog]

Sorry, to clarify - (my router is down stairs and my other equipment is upstairs).

For over a year the configuration was : Apple router downstairs giving wireless etc, and plugged into that was a powerline adapter taking a wired connection (I know its not as good as an actual cat5 cable) upstairs, plugged into a switch with my imac, nas, printer and weatherlink. The imac, switch, nas and console powered via a ups. The powerline is because I don't want to run a cat5 through the house.

I was having some performance issues, so I figured I'd try and eliminate the powerline adapters by moving things downstairs to plug directly into the router (my Nas died so that was ignored). My theory being that plugged directly into the router would eliminate connection problems.

Thats when the weatherlink started to be unreliable. No pattern to it.

So I changed the Apple router for the isp supplied one (that i'd never used) because the Apple one is really old, so I wondered if that was faulty, but the problem still happened.

It was then that I was confused.

The router(s) aren't on the ups, just the console/switch/imac (and dead nas).

So it wasn't originally connected directly with cat5....and it was stable, it was (ironically) only after I connected it directly that it started to be unreliable. This is where I was until I read somewhere that the weatherlinkIP is fussy about power fluctuations (may or may not be true) but as i'd previously had it powered via a ups it seems worth a try.

My concern is that the console or weatherlinkip is faulty, so putting things back will help to confirm that...if it is faulty I would expect it to still be unreliable.

The whole reason for moving it in the first place was slow connection to the imac, so that may return, but its worth it for this test.

[dalecoy]

Accurate details are important, of course.

If the green light on the WeatherLinkIP logger is going dark, then that is the problem indication.  Does that logger have the latest version firmware? 

But that usually indicates that there was a (perhaps just momentary) case of the logger not being able to transmit data to WeatherLink.com

[ihadablackdog]

When it happens, the light goes off completely. It didn't have the latest firmware - I only thought about that when it refused to go back to dhcp from static (i'd check the dhcp box, save the config and it would go back to static). So I updated the firmware, which fixed that but not the disconnecting problem. It didnt originally have a static address, that was something I also changed not long after putting the isp router in.

When it first started happening, if I unplugged the cat5 cable, then plugged it back in, it would work again. Lately though that doesn't  work, it takes a while to start working again, and sometimes it starts as I am moving the dongle, so I wonder if there is some sort of faulty connection?

However, I put it all back to original config yesterday and at the moment its still working, but i'm not holding my breath, last time I thought it was fixed it lasted a couple of days.

[dalecoy]

... and sometimes it starts as I am moving the dongle, so I wonder if there is some sort of faulty connection?

...and you just mentioned that. 

It's been discussed before in this forum, and there's probably a fix.

[ihadablackdog]

... and sometimes it starts as I am moving the dongle, so I wonder if there is some sort of faulty connection?

...and you just mentioned that. 

It's been discussed before in this forum, and there's probably a fix.

I'm not keeping things secret, sometimes I don't remember such details at the time.  (I work in IT, so appreciate how useful the little detail can be).

I am asking for help, and appreciate any suggestions.  I wouldn't have thought of searching for that problem, so if it is a topic covered elsewhere, can you help me find that thread.

[dalecoy]

http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=19195.msg185423#msg185423

Note also that there is a proper power procedure for removing/inserting the logger.

[ihadablackdog]

Thank you for that, I'll try the foam.

I know to remove the power lead and batteries etc when removing / installing the logger and it beeps so many times when powering back up.