The Sonoff device offline and network not available

ByAdan Flannigan 2019-08-15 8991

How to diagnose and troubleshoot Sonoff device offline or Sonoff network unavailable ? What to do when eWeLink does not work ? How to use Sonoff without internet anyway? Find out how to diagnose and use Sonoff LAN.

The limits of the IoT

One of the main limitations is the device loss the connection with the cloud.

In these cases, we may not able to turn on and off our domestic appliances at home. It is essential:

● be able to diagnose the cause of the problem

● be able to control devices in alternative modes with direct connection (possibly degraded)

eWeLink does not work: symptoms

The main problem with the Itead WiFi switches is that the eWeLink app doesn't work and so you won't be able to control your Sonoff devices.

There are two typical errors that we may encounter when the eWeLink app does not work:

● Sonoff network not available

● Sonoff device offline

The unavailable Network Sonoff error occurs with eWeLink and does not work as follows:

The offline device Sonoff error occurs with eWeLink not working this way:

The main causes of errors are unavailable network Sonoff and offline device Sonoff are precisely to be found in network connectivity issues involving at least one of the elements of the control chain.

As a temporary solution to still turn on and off your devices, Sonoff LAN mode is supported where the eWeLink app connects directly to devices using only the local network.

Network Sonoff not available: causes and fault diagnosis

The causes of the unavailable Network Sonoff error are to be found in:

● problem with your smartphone's internet connectivity

● problems on eWeLink servers

In this case, you must determine whether the connection problem is due to unavailable Internet or to problems on the eWeLink servers.

Just try to use any other online service such as Google or Whatsapp on your smartphone: if the test is positive, you have to wait patiently for the problems on the eWeLink servers to be solved. Unfortunately, there is no publicly accessible dashboard indicating known problems on the eWeLink servers.

As a temporary solution to still turn on and off your devices, Sonoff LAN mode is supported where the eWeLink app connects directly and automatically to devices using only the local network.

Sonoff device offline: causes and diagnosis of error

In the case of Sonoff device offline instead the possible causes are as follows:

● WiFi connectivity problem between your Sonoff device and your home WiFi router

● problem of internet connectivity of the router in your home

● problems on eWeLink servers

The first step in diagnosing and troubleshooting is to check whether the LED on the device is flashing to indicate an anomaly:

Led flash	wifi	internet	Cloud device association
Blinks once every 2s	×
Blinks twice every 2s	√	×
Blinks once every 1s	√	√	×

Let us now see how to proceed in each case.

Sonoff device offline: connectivity with WiFi router

Let's consider the possible causes of connectivity problems between your Sonoff device and your home WiFi router:

Issue	Resolution
WiFi band	Check that the WiFi is 2.4 GHz (5 GHz is not supported by Sonoff devices)
Incorrect WiFi name or password	Delete the device from eWeLink and add it again
Weak WiFi signal	Approach device and router or provide a WiFi repeater to improve coverage
Problem router WiFi	Check that the WiFi connection is working properly, for example by connecting your PC or smartphone
WiFi router: connection limit	Disconnect some device, replace the router or have a WiFi repeater

Offline device Sonoff: Internet unavailable or eWeLink server problems

In this case, you must determine whether the connection problem is due to unavailable Internet or to problems on the eWeLink servers.

Simply try to use any other online service such as Google or Whatsapp on your PC or smartphone, connected via your home WiFi: if the test is positive, it is a matter of waiting patiently for the problems on the eWeLink servers to be solved.

Unfortunately, there is no publicly accessible dashboard indicating known problems on the eWeLink servers.

As a temporary solution to still turn on and off your devices, Sonoff LAN mode is supported where the eWeLink app connects directly to devices using only the local network.

Sonoff device offline: device pairing

In the third and last case, the device is able to correctly reach the servers in the cloud eWeLink but is not associated with any profile.

Try turning it off and on again: if the problem persists, remove it from the eWeLink app and repeat the pairing process as described in my eWeLink guide.

Sonoff network not available and Sonoff offline device: Sonoff LAN

As seen above, either in the case of Sonoff error without internet or Sonoff device offline with internet not available or problems on eWeLink servers, you can use the Sonoff LAN connection mode.

If your smartphone with the eWeLink app is connected to the same WiFi router to which your Sonoff device is connected, the connection will be directly between the smartphone and the device.

Sonoff LAN mode is confirmed by a different icon: