Why does my Aqara hub and sensors keep needing setting up again?

The short answer

Re-pairing a hub often means re-pairing every sensor attached to it. Repeated re-pairing nearly always means the gadget is losing its place on the network, not that it is faulty.

What's happening underneath

Small hub that bridges Zigbee, Thread or Matter kit onto your Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Keep the hub and the phones that control it on the same network unless you are confident with cross-network discovery.

Source: Manufacturer documentation

Try these, in this order

• • Keep the same Wi-Fi name and password when changing routers — it saves re-pairing everything.
• • Pair the hub with your phone on 2.4 GHz, standing next to the router.
• • Turn off isolation settings so your phone can find the hub.
• • Check the signal where the gadget actually lives, not where you're standing.
• • Move the router off the floor and out of any cupboard before buying anything.
• • Put the gadget and your phone on the same Wi-Fi name.
• • Restart the gadget before the router — it is quicker and it fixes more.

Setting it up again properly

• • 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.

When it's worth spending money

Only if the hub sits in a spot with genuinely no signal — then move the hub, not your money.