Blink and EE: connection keeps dropping, and dropping, and dropping ...

[DJI]

Hi. I have 3 blink sync modules, and they *all* keep dropping out. Everything else if working fine. I'm at my wits end ...

My system: an EE hub used as a modem for a Synology router & wifi mesh. All sync modules connected to the Synology wifi for years with no problems. Mid-September, they all went off line, and didn't auto-reconnect (they always used to, if we had a power cut for instance). I tried all the solutions in these forums - reboot the EE hub, re-boot the Synology router, re-boot the Blink sync modules; do it all again in a different order. Then factory reset of the Blink sync modules (power-off, press & hold the reset button, re-power on until it flashes red); remove and reinstall the sync modules from the app. In all cases, even when they re-connected, they always dropped out again after a day or two. Blink arranged remote log access to the modules and say its a Wifi/ internet connectivity issue.

Then I activated the EE hub's wifi, and factory-reset - remove and reinstall, etc - but connected to the EE hub wifi, rather than the Synology. And again, they connected but dropped off-line a couple of days later. So the issue isn't specific to the Synology system. I assume we have an EE connectivity issue, but related to the overall system internet service, rather than specifically the EE hub's Wifi. I'm assuming it relates to a change EE made in mid-September.

As mentioned before, I'm at my wits end ... Any help from anyone would be welcome.

Thanks!

[Mustrum]

@DuckEE25   Ah ok, not ideal when trying to track down problems.

But when you return, an trawl through the router logs to see if it is the line going down would be my first stop.

Which Blink devices do you have? Are they  WiFi or ethernet connected?

[DJI]

Hi Mustrum, DuckEE25. I'm sorry you're having problems. I'm pleased mine are resolved - perhaps the info below will help.

Blink eventually accepted that with their Sept '24 firmware upgrade, internet glitches could take the sync modules off-line, and that while the 1400s would re-connect on re-boot (most of the time, anyway), the 1200s and 1300s wouldn't. Eventual resolution was they replaced my 1200 and 1300s with 1400s. Blink's software seems to have improved, too, with just 1 'incident' since their replacement of the bad software (a power-off, power-on cycle resolved that one): I'm now seeing software versions 16.0.22 and 16.0.23 (on 1400s).

It's worth noting that I still have an old 1200/1300 (can't recall which, and it's remote), now on 4.5.25, which never showed problems, but it's not on EE.

My conclusions -1)  Blink broke their software so it wouldn't recover from an internet 'brown-out', but took a long time to admit it.They seem to have since fixed it, at least for the 1400s (I'm no longer using the 1200 and 1300s with EE). 2) EE (FTTH domestic broadband) appear to be providing a 'flakier' service than that at my other location, which uses 3 mobile and which has been solid the whole time.  That said, EE's 'flakier' service doesn't seem to have any impact on other systems or our personal use of the intenet.

[Mustrum]

Thanks for coming back and the update @DJI .

[DuckEE25]

@DJI @Mustrum 

Thank you both for posting your info. 

@DJI 

Your update makes sense and armed with your knowledge I feel I can pursue Blink support further to get our old sync units replaced. I did have the gut feeling that their software had a part to play in this as for a long time prior to Sept 2023 we had no issues to speak of. I will update my progress which won't be for a while unfortunately. Thanks again 🙂