Your Honeywell thermostat has lost its Wi-Fi connection, and you wonder where you have to start troubleshooting the issue and whether you can do it all by yourself.
You can troubleshoot a Honeywell thermostat that has lost its Wi-Fi connection yourself. The troubleshooting will, however, also involve “non-thermostat” actions such as checking your router, determining the strength and stability of the internet signal, and updating the app on your phone. In most instances, you will be able to fix the problems yourself.
In this article, I’ll discuss the most common reasons why your Honeywell thermostat doesn’t connect to the Wi-Fi network and provide you with possible solutions.
How do you know your Honeywell thermostat is not connected to your Wi-Fi network?
When you discover that your Honeywell thermostat is not connected to your Wi-Fi network, it could have been without Wi-Fi for a while already. The reason is that even when your Wi-Fi network is down, your Honeywell thermostat will continue to operate your heating and cooling systems. In many instances, you only discover the problem when you want to send a command from your phone to the thermostat.
If you are not frequently “communicating” with your thermostat, it can take a few days before you discover the Wi-Fi connecting problem. For this reason, it is recommended that you use your phone to communicate with your thermostat at least once or twice a day.
Troubleshooting aspects not directly connected with your Honeywell thermostat or HVAC system
When your Honeywell thermostat is not connecting to your Wi-Fi network, it is not necessarily a fault in your thermostat causing it. The connectivity problem might be caused by a fault in your home’s Wi-Fi network. It might also be due to unstable internet strength or you might have installed the wrong app.
Thus, before you start to troubleshoot your Honeywell thermostat as such, check the following 7 aspects:
1. Your router might not be working
If your home’s router is not working, the Honeywell thermostat will not be able to connect to Wi-Fi. Ensure that the router is switched on and then test your router by checking whether other devices in your home which are using Wi-Fi are working correctly. The easiest is to look at whether your mobile phone or tablet connects to your router. If other devices also can’t connect to your Wi-Fi, you have to troubleshoot the router. Resetting your router might solve the problem.
If your other devices don’t have any problems connecting to the router, you’ll have to troubleshoot your Honeywell thermostat.
2. Your Wi-Fi network signal might be too weak or internet speed too slow
Look in your Honeywell’s User Manual to see what signal strength and internet speed are recommended for your thermostat model. If your internet signal is too weak or the internet speed is too slow, your Honeywell thermostat may not be able to connect to your internet network.
If the internet speed is too slow or unstable, you might consider using another internet service provider or upgrading your current service to one with a faster internet speed.
A weak signal issue can in many instances be solved by moving your router nearer to your thermostat’s location.
3. Your router’s band might not be set correctly
Although many modern Wi-Fi routers use the 5 GHz Wi-Fi network band most Honeywell thermostats do not support 5 GHz. Usually, they only work with the 2.4 GHz band. Fortunately, most routers can be switched between the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands. Thus, switch your router to the 2.4 GHz band and your Honeywell thermostat will most probably connect to your Wi-Fi network
Just remember, your Honeywell thermostat and your phone must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
4. The app on your phone might not be the right one
All Honeywell thermostats don’t use the same app. There are two different apps and you have to ensure that you’ve downloaded the right app for your Honeywell thermostat model.
Look in your User Manual or online whether your model needs the “Honeywell Home App” or the “Total Connect Comfort App.” In principle, you’ll need the “Total Connect Comfort App” if you are using the Prestige, VisionPRO, Wi-Fi FocusPRO, and Wi-Fi programmable thermostats. The “Honeywell Home App” usually only works with Honeywell T-Series and Round Smart Thermostat models.
If you’ve downloaded the wrong app, delete it and download and activate the right app needed for your Honeywell thermostat model.
5. The app might be outdated and need the newest update
Your Honeywell thermostat can encounter Wi-Fi connection issues if the app is outdated. If your thermostat has not experienced Wi-Fi connection problems but now suddenly cannot connect, an app update could solve the problem. Ensure that you have the right app on your phone and download the most recent updates. Check for updates on Google Play Store (if you use an Android phone) or Apple App Store (for iPhones).
Tip: Turn your app’s setting to “auto-update” and your app will always have the most recent updates downloaded.
6. You might have too much traffic on your home’s Wi-Fi
All routers have a limit on how many devices can use them simultaneously and still receive a strong enough signal. If your Honeywell thermostat is not connecting to your Wi-Fi network, disconnect some devices and try to connect again. This could solve the problem.
7. Your router might use advanced security settings
Your router may use advanced security settings such as sophisticated firewalls or it may be connected to a network device such as a switch or gateway that may have its own security.
Remove these obstacles, and your Honeywell thermostat will most probably connect to your Wi-Fi network.
Troubleshooting thermostat and HVAC issues
If you’ve checked all the possible problems which are not directly related to your Honeywell thermostat and it is still not connecting with your Wi-Fi network, you have to troubleshoot further.
1. Your Honeywell thermostat cannot obtain an IP address
If your thermostat cannot obtain an IP address, it will not connect to your Wi-Fi network. If you get an error message that reads “No IP address,” the following procedure might fix the problem:
- Put off your thermostat by unplugging it and keeping it off for about one minute.
- Put the thermostat on again.
- Now restart your internet router.
- Go through the complete Wi-Fi setup process to connect again. There are excellent online videos explaining the Wi-Fi setup process.
After the setup is completed, your Honeywell thermostat should have been able to obtain an IP address.
2. Your Wi-Fi network’s name cannot be found in the scan for networks
Sometimes, it may happen that you cannot find your home’s network name (SSID) on your Honeywell thermostat. To address this problem, you’ll have to start with your router.
Make sure your router is on and that your Wi-Fi SSID is not hidden. Usually, routers broadcast the network name by default. But you could have hidden it earlier for more security. If you’ve hidden it, it will not be visible in the in-range networks list of your thermostat. You now have to tap your thermostat’s “Other” button and enter your network name, as well as the security protocols it uses, manually.
Tip: In most instances, it is easier to disable the hidden option on your router than to enter the security protocols into your thermostat.
3. Final troubleshooting step – reset your Honeywell thermostat to factory settings
Usually, a factory reset of a Honeywell thermostat can fix many thermostat issues, including a Wi-Fi connection problem. But I always recommend a factory reset only as a last resort when nothing else could have rectified the problem because a factory reset erases all previous custom settings. Thus, after a factory reset you’ll have to reset everything as you’ve done when you installed the thermostat originally.
To reset your Honeywell Wi-Fi Thermostat to factory settings tap on the “Menu” button and then use the arrow buttons below the screen to scroll to the “Reset” option. Tap the “select” button directly under the LCD screen and select “Factory.” When the thermostat asks for your confirmation, select “Yes.” Your Honeywell thermostat will take about 30 seconds to reset.
If this resetting procedure doesn’t reset your thermostat, check your User Manual for specific instructions regarding your Honeywell model – there are some models where you have to follow other procedures to reset your thermostat to factory settings.
Although resetting your Honeywell thermostat to factory settings should fix the Wi-Fi connection issue, you have to call your HVAC technician if the thermostat is still not connecting to your Wi-Fi network
Conclusion
There are many factors to take into consideration when troubleshooting your Honeywell thermostat which is not connecting to your home’s Wi-Fi network, but most of the troubleshooting has more to do with the router and the provided internet service than with the thermostat as such.
However, when all the troubleshooting couldn’t solve the problem and your HVAC technician couldn’t find any faults, you’ll most probably have to replace your thermostat with a new Honeywell thermostat.
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