MAK WiFi 5G issue

[MarkinJHawkland]

Hi all,

Anyone have any experiences using a MAK on a 5G network? My new MAK 1 hooks up and works fine on the 2.4G on my router but won't see the 5G. I would rather use the 5G because I feel it would be more stable. A couple of times I've been kicked off the 2.4G I assume due to interference.

I've spoken with MAK support and they sent out another unit to try but it won't hook up either. My router is an Asus AC1900. And their router that they tested the second unit on is also an Asus but a different model.

Any ideas or help appreciated,
Mark N

[smoker pete]

Until today I had not been able to connect my phone using 5G on my router. My router is a Netgear Nighthawk AC1900. I bought a cheap Android $40 tablet to use with my MAK Grills Mobile and it worked fine until recently when I started having intermittent issues connecting. With my Android moto droid using 5G I never could connect. I also had issues with my desktop PC which is directly connected with an ethernet cable to the router.

Then 2 days ago my tablet worked like a champ again at 2.4G and today my phone worked at 5G. I know this is not much of a scientific test but the fact that it worked at 2.4G and 5G tells me it's not my hardware, tablet and/or phone.

MAK reported recently that their website had issues and I wonder if this also affected their MAK Grills Mobile interface with the server? There was a time when no matter what, I couldn't connect to my MAK 2 Star. With cooler weather approaching I'm happy to see that I can connect, monitor, and control my MAK remotely using my home WiFi. As I cook quite often I will keep you informed concerning my 5G connection.

[MarkinJHawkland]

Thanks Pete,

I've never had an issue hooking up 2.4G. And I know that my 5G works because I have lots of stuff using it like 2 phones, a Roku, etc.

The couple of times the MAK lost the 2.4 connection was a bit annoying. But at that time I didn't realize I could set it up so I got a text and/or email when that happens. Now that I have that set up I'm not as concerned. But I'd still like to get it to work on the 5G.

Also tech support told me they hooked the second controller up to a 5G Asus so I know it can be done.

Thanks again,
Mark N

[teesquare]

"Distance" to your router is an important consideration. Distance inside your house is not the same as outside your house. Structural walls, exterior cladding/finishes are less transparent to the Wi-Fi signal.

Any chance you can relocate the router - to see if getting closer to it has any affect?

[muebe]

AC (5G) is faster than Draft N but the distance it connects is much shorter. You can get a repeater for AC but my experience with them is they are not great. Try moving your router closer to your MAK and see if that helps. The MAK probably won't benefit from the increased speed.

Also you can change your router to run both modes so that your all your devices can connect. You might need to change that in your router settings.

There are some good apps for android that allow you to walk around your house to check signal strength of router signals in realtime. Great for trouble shooting signal loss.

[smoker pete]

Here's an observation about my setup ...

My MAK Grill Mobile WiFi module is connected to my router at 2.4G
My Android tablet is connected to the router at 2.4G
My Android phone is connected to the router at 5G
My PC is connected directly to the router with an ethernet cable

As you pointed out Mike the 5G range is much shorter. My router is about 50 ft from my MAK with 1 interior wall and 1 exterior wall. Until recently there were times when I could not connect to the WiFi module even though I could ping the module and it was alive. All my devices (tablet, phone, PC) are usually within 20-30 ft of my router.



Not sure if this information is meaningful to anyone but I thought I would share my environment. I will be smoking/cooking a pork loin roast this afternoon and I'm hoping that I can connect OK since it's raining outside - yes it does occasionally rain in California ... I'll report on my status later today.

So this is my understanding of how the WiFi module (MAK Grills Mobile) works ... Please correct me if I'm wrong.

The WiFi module connects to the server through my router at 2.4G
I log into the server using an APP on one of my devices and connect to my MAK Grills Mobile account
This allows me to communicate from my phone/tablet/PC APP to my MAK Pellet Boss via the server and WiFi module

Am I correct in presuming that the Pellet Boss communicates via the WiFi module through the MAK Grills Mobile server to my APP? If so - then if I can ping my WiFi module, I would think that connection issues might have something to do with the MAK Grill Mobile server? I'm convinced that there is no issue with my WiFi module and/or APPs on my devices.

Maybe someone with more knowledge than me will chime in and set me straight 

[Pappymn]

Google has some new mesh routers coming out in November that will end dead spots as we know it. The mesh technology is pretty cool and long overdue.

[muebe]

Google has some new mesh routers coming out in November that will end dead spots as we know it. The mesh technology is pretty cool and long overdue.

Google is building an entire network that is going to be replacing all internet connections as we know it. 99% US coverage and 10 times faster than anything now.

[teesquare]

And...lest we forget...when all else fails..CALL MAK!!!!

Seriously - call and speak to Matt. He will help you solve this dilemma.

[smoker pete]

Just put a pork loin on my MAK a few minutes ago and it connected lickity-split with my Android moto droid at 5G. What ever plagued me before appears to have gone by the wayside ... Knock on wood ... Grill temp was a little low cause I just took some pictures of my pork loin and I had the lid open ...

[MarkinJHawkland]

And...lest we forget...when all else fails..CALL MAK!!!!

Seriously - call and speak to Matt. He will help you solve this dilemma.

Thanks. I spoke to Matt several times and he tried very hard to help me but to no avail.

2.4G works fine so I'll just use that and if I have problems with it dropping out I'll try changing frequencies.

Thanks everyone for all the help and info,
Mark N