WLAN Synchronisation Failure

Since a month I have Fenix 5+.
For me WLAN synchronisation ist an important factor. I had never WLAN trouble with former Garmin watches. Except for some time with 935.
With new Fenix 5p I was never able to synchronise!
I am able to set it up in Express / Connect / on the watch itself. I will get the green checkmark.
Spotify will download my music by WLAN but the watch itself not. There is always failure code 0500. New thing is it will search network "for ever". Cought in a loop.

I changed WLAN SSID/name and played with channels. No success!
Can anybody help me. It is a little stupid. The setup is successful, green checkmark, Spotify will do it but not the upload of my trainings. What is going wrong there?

THX

0 rob-tech over 6 years ago

That's odd as I have no problems with wifi sync, try to make sure you only have alphanumeric values in your password and SSID, and make sure that your SSID is not hidden and set to broadcast. Perhaps you can try to see if it syncs without any Wifi security, otherwise you might want to factory reset, and if that fails try a different router/network altogether.

0 chatlow over 6 years ago

Sorry but with regards to the above reply - please don't change your wifi password permanently to have only alphanumeric characters. There are so many brute force programs that could catch that using an easy word list, should someone try to.

On this issue, I also have intermittent problems with my F5+ failing during transfer (it finds and connects to the AP fine though). Usually happens once I have finished an activity. You also have to wait for it to fail otherwise it continues to try in the background making the watch incredibly slow.

Have you tried turning off auto-upload and testing connection again?

0 seilogramp over 6 years ago

chatlow I agree, but maybe temporarily set the SSID passphrase to alphanumeric as a test to see if this will allow the fenix to communicate over a wlan connection.

0 chatlow over 6 years ago

Sure - as a test, yes. Just had the same issue again after a swim. Failed after a minute of transferring data (connected fine). Reboot and immediate wifi sync failed (password error, so possibly too early after booting), 20 seconds later, tried again and transferred successfully.

0 rob-tech over 6 years ago

Sorry but with regards to the above reply - please don't change your wifi password permanently to have only alphanumeric characters. There are so many brute force programs that could catch that using an easy word list, should someone try to.

On this issue, I also have intermittent problems with my F5+ failing during transfer (it finds and connects to the AP fine though). Usually happens once I have finished an activity. You also have to wait for it to fail otherwise it continues to try in the background making the watch incredibly slow.

Have you tried turning off auto-upload and testing connection again?

Ok, firstly I am not specifying to use a simple word combo whose fragments are present in a dictionary, I am talking about a randomized alphanumeric string generated using an algorithm that ensures high entropy. I use such as password that is 32 characters long and I guarantee that no one will brute force my key any time soon.

My recommendation is meant to aid is debugging by simplifying the network configuration without degrading security at all.

0 Vildmark74 over 6 years ago

I tested with very simple password and SSID name. But there is no success.
I am confused because the WLAN Connection test is always successful.

I tried many Forerunners, the 620, 630, 735XT and 935 with success! These watches do not have trouble uploading activities.

For now I tested three(!) different fenix 5 plus. None of them made the synchronisation. Always 0500 Network failure.
Very annoying!

0 R_Tellis over 6 years ago

I just got a F5+ Sapphire and have the same problem with my home WiFi that works perfectly fine with my 645.

0 OEAGLEO over 6 years ago

I think I read somewhere where the Garmin watches wouldn't work on a 5G network, mine connects to the "standard" network in my home, mall, gym, etc, but won't connect to my 5G network.

0 Vildmark74 over 6 years ago

While spending Christmas at a different WLAN area ;-) I noticed it is working there.
Here is also 2,4 GHz an 5 GHz but in separated SSIDs. I only can select the 2,4 GHz band while setting it up and it is working! Halleluja ????.
At home there is a combined dual band frequence range. This seems to be causing my trouble. But only for fenix 5 plus not for the several other Forerunner watches.
Have to solve this at home because I do not want to visit mother-in-law every time I want to synchronise ????.

Merry Christmas to all of you sportsmen!

0 chatlow over 6 years ago

Ok, firstly I am not specifying to use a simple word combo whose fragments are present in a dictionary, I am talking about a randomized alphanumeric string generated using an algorithm that ensures high entropy. I use such as password that is 32 characters long and I guarantee that no one will brute force my key any time soon.

My recommendation is meant to aid is debugging by simplifying the network configuration without degrading security at all.

OK good, I am glad you replied with that extra detail, as it could have been misconstrued. Personally, I have an 8-16 character pw and my F5+ is connecting fine everytime, just failing on certain transfers.

As for the OP's findings, I have my VM setup with the access points appending 2.4 and 5 to each frequency that is broadcast, so I can choose which one to connect to. In Garmin connect wifi settings, I go for 2.4. Not sure if the F5+ is limited to 2.4 only, but I have a few IOT devices like webcams that are also like this.

Merry Christmas folks!