Wi-Fi: Connecting your ThermoWorks Device

2.4GHz vs 5GHz Wi-Fi

While the list of available Wi-Fi frequency bands continues to grow, the two most popular frequencies in use are 2.4GHz and 5GHz. They operate on common principles but are optimized for different conditions. For example, while not as fast as the higher-frequency options, the 2.4GHz band can reach farther, penetrating obstructions (walls, furniture, windows, smokers, etc.) more effectively. 5GHz, on the other hand, can’t reach as far or go through obstructions as well as 2.4GHz, but it transmits more data at faster speeds, making it ideal for streaming or playing video games.

Wi-Fi-connected thermometers transmit relatively small amounts of information; represented primarily as a temperature and timestamp. Because these thermometers don’t need to transmit vast amounts of data at high speeds, they don’t benefit much from what the 5 GHz band has to offer. Instead, they must stay connected while placed further away from the router (think backyard smoker). It’s for this reason that other “smart” or “connected” devices, like doorbells, thermostats, lights, etc., exclusively use the 2.4GHz band.

Connecting your ThermoWorks Device

There are three things you need for your ThermoWorks thermometer to connect to Wi-Fi:

1. An available 2.4GHz band on your network
2. A correct and verified network name
3. The correct and verified password for that network

Once you have all the right information, you’ll connect right away. Here are some tips for successfully entering the correct Wi-Fi name and password, if you run into any trouble:

• Just like your password, your Wi-Fi network name is also case-sensitive. Take another look at your network name to be sure you are using the correct capitalization AND punctuation.
• Avoid copy/paste. You run the risk of a space included at the beginning or end of your name or password when you copy and paste. To avoid that issue, manually type in your Wi-Fi network name and password.
• Verify your name and password. If you’ve tried to connect your thermometer to your network and it just isn’t connecting, try verifying the network name and password by connecting another device to that network using those same credentials. If your phone is already connected to the desired network, try “forgetting” the network and then reconnect to it, to ensure that you’re using the most current login credentials.

Other Considerations

Even with an available 2.4 GHz band and the correct network name and password, there are a few other network features (mostly security-related) that could be stopping you from successfully connecting the device. Some examples include:

• Band steering
• Port filtering
• Whitelist/Blacklist
• Captive portal
• Enterprise network architecture
• Firewall settings

Let’s say you’ve tried everything to get connected and are unsuccessful. You may need to contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) or router manufacturer to help adjust your router settings to allow your device to get connected. They’ll know how to help if you say, “I have an IoT device that needs to connect to a 2.4 GHz frequency and stay there.”

If you need any help, you can reach us by phone, email, or chat. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.

Check out some of our Wi-Fi thermometers