The Challenge: Distance and Building Materials
To display your real-time energy usage, the Sense app relies on a direct connection between your home’s Wi-Fi network and your physical utility smart meter.
Multi Tenant Dwellings
If you live in a multi-family building like an apartment, condo, or townhouse, your utility meter is likely located in a shared space, such as a basement, a ground-floor utility room, or an exterior wall. The physical distance between your living space and the meter, combined with heavy building materials like concrete floors and firewalls, can prevent your Wi-Fi signal from reaching the meter.
If your Sense app is failing to connect to your Wi-Fi during setup, or your meter frequently drops offline, Wi-Fi range is the most likely culprit. Fortunately, there are several ways to bridge this gap.
Note: In rare cases (for example, if you live on the 10th floor and your meter is in a sub-basement), distance or structural barriers may simply be too great for consumer Wi-Fi to cover. However, the steps above will resolve the issue for many multi-unit layouts.
Your Wi-Fi Network Isn’t Listed
When setting up your meter, the Sense app will show you a list of Wi-Fi networks from which to choose. That’s the list of networks that are visible to your meter. If your network isn’t listed, it means the signal isn’t able to reach your meter. There are three possible causes: the signal isn’t strong enough, your network isn’t using the 2.4GHz band, or you have security settings that block the meter.
Your phone or tablet is not a good test tool. Seeing a strong signal on your phone or tablet does not mean the meter can see a strong signal. You can’t turn off 5GHz networks on your phone, so if you have a strong signal on a 5GHz network the meter can’t see it at all. And your phone might have a better antenna or Wi-Fi module that lets it pick up a signal your meter can’t.
How to Extend Your Wi-Fi to Reach Your Meter
If your network’s signal isn’t strong enough, you will need to push your Wi-Fi signal closer to the meter's location. Here are the best methods to achieve this:
1. Use a Wi-Fi Extender or Repeater (Most Common Fix)
A Wi-Fi extender plugs into a standard wall outlet and bounces your router's signal further.
- Placement is key: Do not place the extender right next to the meter (where the signal is already dead) or right next to your router. Place it halfway between your router and the meter room.
- Pro Tip: Try plugging the extender into an outlet on the floor closest to the meter, or near a window directly above where the exterior meters are located.
2. Reposition Your Mesh Wi-Fi Nodes
If you use a mesh Wi-Fi system (like Eero, Google Nest, or Orbi), you have a significant advantage.
- Try moving one of your satellite nodes to a room that shares a wall or floor with the building's meter location. This can often push a strong enough signal through the floorboards to reach the basement or ground level.
- You may also be able to add a mesh node that’s in a better position, closer to your meter.
Ensure You Are Broadcasting on 2.4 GHz
Sense-enabled smart meters connect exclusively via 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks.
- This is actually a major advantage for apartment living! 2.4 GHz signals travel much further and penetrate solid objects (like walls and floors) significantly better than 5 GHz signals.
- Ensure your router, mesh system, or Wi-Fi extender is actively broadcasting a 2.4 GHz band. If your router auto-switches bands, you may need to temporarily pause the 5 GHz band during your initial Sense setup. You may also be able to give your 2.4GHz network a different name so you can easily identify it.
Check Your Network Security Settings
These are less common problems, and need to be set up by the user. If this is the problem, you’ll probably recognize it and know how to manage it. Make sure you have no whitelisting, MAC filtering, or other setting that can block the meter from your network.
Next Steps & Setup
Because every building is constructed differently, finding the right setup might require a little trial and error.
- Identify roughly where your meter is located in the building.
- Plug in your Wi-Fi extender or move your mesh node as close to that physical location as possible.
- Open the Sense app and attempt the setup process again.
Still Need Help?
If you have extended your network and are still having trouble completing your setup, we are here to help. Please Submit a Support Ticket and our team can help you find a solution.