Reader Network Communication Issues - Interference & Obstruction
The Readers wirelessly communicate with VAC01 in order to send Usage and Status Records, and to receive Commands and Updates.
They do so via Zigbee Wireless Communication Technology .
Some key characteristics of Zigbee being;
- it operates in the 2.4GHz Frequency band
- it provides transmission distances of 10–100 meters (33–328 ft) Line-of-sight
- its devices can transmit data over long distances by passing data through a mesh network of intermediate devices to reach more distant ones
~ i.e. other Readers
~ i.e. other Readers
If you're seeing Reader issues, such as those described in the Articles;
Or if you are finding Readers Logs and Statuses to be regularly missing and/or not arriving in Logical Order
And you have determined that it is not the hardware that is at fault,
then it is likely that Wireless Interference or Line-of-sight Obstruction may be the cause.
Wireless Interference
Wireless Network connectivity issues can be caused by wireless interference occurring on the same 2.4GHz Frequency band used by the Readers with Zigbee.
Typically this comes from strong Wifi Signals being broadcast in the local area.
This ZigBee and Wi-Fi Coexistence article goes over the concept.
First of all If possible, try to do the following;
- try to keep local Wifi signals broadcasting on just the 5GHz Frequency band, rather than on the 2.4GHz band
- avoid having VAC01 or Readers in close proximity to WiFi emitters
- if you must have WiFi on 2.4GH band, try to keep it broadcasting on just a single Channel
Otherwise, as described in the ZigBee and Wi-Fi Coexistence article
we can try to adjust the Wireless Network to avoid possible WiFi interference, where if we have an idea of what the strongest WiFi channels are,
Laundroworks can change the Wireless Network (Zigbee) channel accordingly to not overlap
In order to determine what the strongest local WiFi signals are, we can recommend two Apps that you could use
With either App, do a "WiFi Scan" then notify Laundroworks of the results, such as by sending screenshots from the Apps.
Line-of-sight Obstruction
The Readers need a Line-of-sight to VAC01 in order to communicate wirelessly with it.
Either a direct Line-of-sight within a transmission distance to 10–100 meters (33–328 ft),
Either a direct Line-of-sight within a transmission distance to 10–100 meters (33–328 ft),
or a Line-of-sight to an Intermediate device, which has a Line-of-sight path to VAC01.
An example of an obstruction in the Line-of-sight would be thick Concrete walls.
Specialized Intermediate Readers may be provided by Laundroworks to act as signal boosters to aid in propagating signals between Readers, and ultimately VAC01,
so long as Lines-of-sight may be established.
Where they cannot be established, it is recommended that a Location be split up into multiple sub-locations, each with its own dedicated VAC01,
capable of providing a Line-of-sight path to the Readers they are to communicate with.
Related Articles
Point of Sale (POS) Reader Installation
The POS reader is a desktop reader that can be controlled by Point-of-Sale software such as LaundroMAX, TMS/CleanTie, Clean Cloud, or the Point Of Sale Tool within our Portal. If you're trying to connect one of these packages to the Laundroworks ...Wireless Network Controller (WNC) Issues
The WNC (Wireless Network Controller) is the small standalone wireless board installed in each VAC, that is responsible for the wireless communication with all the card readers in the location. If there is an issue with the WNC on VAC01 specifically ...Reader and Value Add Center (VAC) Error Messages
This article contains tables with common error codes/messages that you may experience; a brief description of the issues; and/or a link to the relevant article(s) that discuss possible solutions for each. Value Add Center Messages (as seen in the VAC ...Portal says "Timeout - check reader/machine"
Issue: One or more of the readers are reporting Timeout - check reader/machine on the web Portal. Note: If ALL readers Timedout first check to make sure that VAC01 is online and does NOT have a WNC error. If VAC01 is offline, or has a WNC error, this ...Card Dispenser Issues - SyncoTek
This article covers troubleshooting the SyncoTek brand of card dispensers. They are black in color and is shown in the picture below: If your card dispenser is silver in colour, you most likely have an Asahi-Seiko card dispenser (shown below): For ...