Having trouble getting ratgdo setup

[K-bert]

I am following the instructions on how to install the firmware on the ratgdo and have been at it for about an hour now. It took several tries and a couple of laptop resets but I finally managed to get the driver working. I thought that my troubles were over at that point.

I am able to install the firmware and get the firmware installed screen. I then am asked to enter the wifi name and password. I do so an it not is on the "Configure Wi-Fi, trying to connect" screen. There is a spinning circle. After about twenty minutes I backed out of the page and reconnected to the ratgdo. Here I had the option to look at "Terminal and Logs". I clicked on that an it kept printing out wifi attempt number over an over with an increasing number.

I checked the router client list and there is nothing new on there. So I tried installing the firmware again, clicking the "erase" option again. I have tried this three times now and I am still stuck at the "connecting to wi-fi" stage.

Any ideas on what I should try next?

Thanks,

K

[K-bert]

Probably should mention its a 2.53i board.

K

[PatPend]

Just a hunch, is it trying to connect to a 5G SSID? Pretty sure it only works on 2.4.

[K-bert]

I have both 2.4G and 5G in my house. However, they are both listed under the same SSID. I can use the app on my phone to turn off either the 5G or the 2.4G radios. Perhaps I will try turning off the 5G radios tonight when I make another attempt.

Thanks,

K

[Goose66]

How many Wi-fi bars on your phone at the same location you are installing your ratgdo?

[K-bert]

All of them, but it is 5G on my phone. I have a mesh router network with one router on the second floor and one in the basement.

K

[Goose66]

Does the firmware installation dialog ever proceed to the page where it shows you available SSIDs?

if not, it sounds like one of two problems:

1. The WiFi signal strength at the ratgdo installation position is insufficient, or

2. the WiFi radio on your ratgdo is broken.

Edited May 22 by Goose66

[K-bert]

No. I get to the point where it installs the firmware and then says success. It then asks for my network id and password. Then it just sits there with the little blue circle spinning with "trying to connect to network". That is as far as I get.

K

 

[Goose66]

You can test #1 by moving the ratgdo closer to your WiFi AP for firmware installation.

[K-bert]

I will try that tonight.

Thanks.

K

[K-bert]

It has been a frustrating evening with no progress. I find I have to reinstall the drivers and reboot for my computer to even recognize the device. And now every time I try to reinstall the firmware I am greeted withe a "failed to initialize the device message". I am going to walk away from it for now. I may try a different computer tomorrow.

 

K

[Goose66]

Make sure you are using a data cable. Many usb-a to micro-usb cables are for charging only and have the data lines cut. Once you find one that works, stick with it.
The ratgdo doesn’t have to be attached to the GDO to flash the firmware, so just sitting at your laptop at a desk is the best way to troubleshoot. Once it’s flashed and wifi is configured, it should keep the same IP address after you move it to the GDO.

[K-bert]

I am using the cable that came with the ratgdo. It worked at programming last night. I did try again and I was able to get it to flash the firmware again. I then entered the SSID and password and left it. That was half an hour again and it still says "Configure Wi-Fi Trying to connect"

I can't find it listed on the router either. I think I might leave it here and check it in the morning. I found a reddit post about it taking a long time to connect the first time. If this doesn't work I will try turning off all the 5G on my routers to see if I can get it to connect tomorrow night.

K

[Goose66]

Before entering an SSID, try let it ruminate for a minute to see if it will detect your WiFi and show it for selection. This should eliminate the 5Ghz/2.4Ghz issue as well.

[K-bert]

I missed your last suggestion last night. I didn't know it would do that. I will try that tonight. I let it sit after entering the SSID and password and went to bed. From 7:40pm to 5:00am it just sat there claiming on screen that it was trying to connect.

Thanks.

K

[K-bert]

Quick question: after installing the firmware it will give me three options, the second is connect to wi-fi. Should I click that? It takes me to the screen to input the SSID. Should I let it sit there or should I wait before clicking that link?

 

K

 

[K-bert]

Happy to report that there has been some progress made. While sitting in the room with the router I fired up the laptop and plugged in the ratgdo to my laptop (same one as previous attempts). This time if connected right away without having to reload the drivers. Next I flashed the firmware. After clicking NEXT on the "installation complete!" notification I let it sit for a bit. I then went into my router's app on my phone and turned off the 5G radios. I let it sit for a bit. I then clicked "CONNECT TO WI-FI". It came up with the next screen asking for the SSID and network password. Again I let it sit. After nothing happening I entered my SSID and password.

At this point it looked much the same as it did yesterday. I clicked back on my browser with the intention of trying again. I connected to the device again and was offered the option of opening the terminal and logs screen. I gave that a go and the screen was actively showing me the attempts to connect to wi-fi. After less than a minute I saw the "WIFI CONNECTED" message!

I followed the instructions on the ratgdo-pg3 page and used http://<ratgdo-local IP> to perform the setup. Once I clicked save and reboot it gave me a "Success: rebooting the microcontroller using your credentials." message. The connection then timed out and I was unable to log into it again using http://<ratgdo-local IP>. However,when the device is powered on I now see it listed as a connected device on my router. I re-enabled my 5G radios on my router.

Unfortunately that is as far as I was able to get as my ISY finder now cannot find my EISY on my local network. So I haven't been able to see if the node server can see the ratgdo. And I am also out of playtime with it tonight.

Thanks again for your help, I will update when I have news.

Thanks!

K

[PatPend]

Any updates?

[K-bert]

I am afraid not yet. I have plugged the ratgdo in again in the house and can see it come online with the router app, but that is as far as I made it. I don't get much free time on the weekends as that is family time. Hopefully next week I will get it in the garage and give it a go.

 

K

[K-bert]

Well, last week the ratgdonwoukd appear on my network when plugged in and would move to the "offline" list on my router when unplugged. I found a larger than needed plastic electronics case to mount it in and wired it into my garage door this evening. After plugging the door in I powered the ratgdo up and the blue light came on. That is all it did. It dod not appear to show up on my network like last week.

My garage is detached but my wifi is strong enough to reach it. MyQ works. I have good signal at least three houses over. Still, my first thought was that maybe I was too far from the router. So I unplugged the radgdo connector and brought it back to the house. 

It still did not appear on the network. I think I may have to try reflashing the firmware again.

 

K

[Goose66]

You may want to ask for a replacement.

[K-bert]

If I could prove that it was the device and not me screwing something up along the way I would.

However, I did not reflash the device, but left it plugged in and it did appear on the network again. So I reconnected it to the opener and went and did something else for a while. When I came back it was listed as a device in my router again.

So I continued through the instructions to get it set up. PG3 discovered the device and it is listed as "online" in the admin console now. However all statuses are simply listed as "Unknown" and I have no control of tje door from here. Yes, I have opened and closed the door a couple times.

I'm walking away from it again for a bit.

K

[K-bert]

I should also point out that I cannot log into the ratgdo itself. Whenever i put in the the IP address into a browser on my home network the connection times out.

K

[K-bert]

I hope this will be my final update. I have no explanation. When I last left this I had the ratgdo connected to the garage door opener. I also had it connected in PG3, but I was unable to control the door or even log into the ratgdo using its IP address.

I didn't want to get the ladder back out to climb up and get the ratgdo so I left it connected and plugged in.

This morning after I was done at the gym I checked the mobile app to make sure my family had got up in time for todays planned activities. Because I haven't organized the garage door into a folder yet as it wasn't working it was right at the top of the list. I clicked it and I could see the garage door status!

I tried turning the door opener light And according to what I saw on the app it was working, but I couldn't verify.

Not long after that my family left the house. I saw the notification from MyQ so I checked the UD app. Sure enough it told me the door was open. Then it told me it was obstructed as my wife drove her car out. It then told me it was closing and finally closed.

When I returned home I was able to use the UD app to open and close the door. I checked and I could indeed turn theblight on and off.

Thank you to everyone who gave advice. It seems to be working now!

...still don't know why. Nor do I care. Just so long as it works.

K

 

[Goose66]

Glad it's working, but there aren't many reasons why your ratgdo would be so sporadically responsive short of 1) it's connection to your wi-fi network is flaky or 2) the network radio on the device is flaky. So you may want to put in the due diligence so you can return it within a reasonable period for another unit if it turns out to be the radio.