Appliances and your Wi-Fi

Washing machines, fridges and ovens.

What this kit needs from a network

2.4 GHz client inside a metal box, often in a metal-lined kitchen.

Bands: 2.4 GHz only on most models. It will not see a Wi-Fi name that is 5 GHz only, and setup fails silently if your phone is on the 5 GHz half of a split network.
How it's found on the network: Cloud, with local setup discovery.
Background discovery traffic: Moderate during setup.
Guest networks: Setup fails.
Separate IoT network (VLAN): Ideal candidate for an IoT network.

• Some appliances make their own temporary Wi-Fi during setup — join it from your phone when asked, and ignore the 'no internet' warning.
• Stand next to your router while you set it up, then move the gadget to where it lives.
• Put your phone on the 2.4 GHz network name for the setup, or use one name for both bands so the phone can follow.
• If your router splits bands into two names, turn the 5 GHz one off for five minutes rather than fighting it.
• Turn mobile data off on your phone during setup — some apps quietly use it and never find the gadget.

• A mesh box in the hallway outside the kitchen usually works better than one in the kitchen itself.

Samsung smart washing machine & fridge 54/100
Behind a metal door in a kitchen full of metal — one of the hardest places in the house to hold a signal.
Most common complaint: Cycle-finished alerts stop arriving, or the appliance never gets past the Wi-Fi step.
LG ThinQ appliance 52/100
Same kitchen-metal problem, plus a setup process that trips up on modern router settings more often than most.
Most common complaint: Setup gets to the last step and fails, again and again.

Tell us what's happening in your own words — speak it, type it or send a photo.