Disable WiFi on Gen 3 Wall Charger?

[STS-134]

I doubt the car deletes the FW file after loading it to the WC, so you're probably going to keep having it happen regardless of whether the car has internet access or not as it will just keep trying to update the WC with the already downloaded file.

We'll see. Now that I have more information about what is and isn't causing this to happen, I'll open a ticket with Tesla.

 

[STS-134]

I doubt the car deletes the FW file after loading it to the WC, so you're probably going to keep having it happen regardless of whether the car has internet access or not as it will just keep trying to update the WC with the already downloaded file.

I'm just trying to confirm it. Actually, I suspect that the vehicle may not even download the WC firmware file at all. I suspect that the WC firmware file might be embedded in the vehicle's software release. If you look at the page for the WC offline firmware updates, you'll see that the latest FW is 21.36.6, while my vehicle keeps loading 21.36.5 onto it. As long as I don't update the vehicle's firmware, my guess is that the vehicle won't update the WC's firmware beyond 21.36.5.

 

[STS-134]

I can confirm that, despite my vehicle NOT being connected to my WiFi network, my WC's firmware got updated anyway, and has started beaconing with the SSID "TeslaWallConnector_xxxxxx" where "xxxxxx" is the last 6 hex digits of my device's MAC address. Firmware version was once again updated to 21.36.5, so I suspect that the vehicle uploads a more recent FW onto it, and I suspect that the "new" WC firmware is embedded in the vehicle's firmware. I don't think the vehicle even needs an internet connection to do this. It simply checks the WC's FW version against the version that's embedded in its own FW, and if that version is less recent, it updates it.

FYI: I opened a ticket with Tesla. Tesla closed the ticket because the vehicle didn't actually need service (no surprise there) but gave me an email address and told me to share my concerns with the WC team, which I did. I encourage anyone else who is annoyed about this issue to open a ticket and do the same. The more people that complain, the quicker this can get fixed.

 

[Colemada]

Is it possible to disable the WiFi on the Gen 3 Wall Charger? We have our home hardwired for ethernet and have no desire for a WiFi signal in the garage which is adjacent to our bedroom. Thanks for any insights!

I don't rightly know that particular answer, but if you have a router, you should be able to go into the router settings and find the mac address/SSID (name of the charger) of your Wall Charger and just block it. At least that will stop it from connecting to your wifi, and if it's in your garage, then it should keep it safe from someone manually doing the things required to get it to connect to a malicious signal as well. I'm having my Gen 3 installed tomorrow and based on what I've read, I'll be blocking it's MAC address as well. I just want the thing to charge my car.

 

[STS-134]

I don't rightly know that particular answer, but if you have a router, you should be able to go into the router settings and find the mac address/SSID (name of the charger) of your Wall Charger and just block it. At least that will stop it from connecting to your wifi, and if it's in your garage, then it should keep it safe from someone manually doing the things required to get it to connect to a malicious signal as well. I'm having my Gen 3 installed tomorrow and based on what I've read, I'll be blocking it's MAC address as well. I just want the thing to charge my car.

You've gotta read the entire thread. This won't work. The car will update the firmware on the WC, and then the WC will start beaconing on WiFi. There is currently no way to avoid this. If you ever connect the WC to your car, then the car will update it. The WC does not need a WiFi connection to update, since the car does it for you. Nor does the car require a WiFi connection to update the WC's firmware either; it seems like the car's firmware has a WC firmware "embedded" in it and pushes that one to the WC, if the WC is running one that is older.

 

[henryrita]

That is possible, and that is the only place it could possibly be getting it from. And it did it again; I just checked this afternoon and it was again on firmware 21.36.5 and was refusing to stop broadcasting an SSID that begins with "TeslaWallConnector_" (and I rolled it back to 1.4.4 just last week). So I again rolled it back to 1.4.4 (it's no longer broadcasting the SSID) and this time I also removed my WiFi network from the car's list of WiFi networks. So the car now has no WiFi. If it's going to download the FW file, it's now going to have to do it over LTE.

Tesla needs to fix this issue ASAP. I don't need the WC advertising its presence to everyone in range.

Do you still have the file?
I have the same issue too, have had enough *sugar* of TWC
It would be helpful if you can provide the 1.4.4 firmware.

 

[kayak1]

Do you still have the file?
I have the same issue too, have had enough *sugar* of TWC
It would be helpful if you can provide the 1.4.4 firmware.

Mine is now also broadcasting which is a new "feature"
I am running firmware_version":"21.36.6+g195ba83f335ac2"

 

[STS-134]

Do you still have the file?
I have the same issue too, have had enough *sugar* of TWC
It would be helpful if you can provide the 1.4.4 firmware.

What firmware is your vehicle running? Even if you put 1.4.4 on it, if you're running 2021.44 or later, the vehicle will update the WC firmware and you'll be back to the same issue again.

 

[TheNexus99]

I'm just trying to confirm it. Actually, I suspect that the vehicle may not even download the WC firmware file at all. I suspect that the WC firmware file might be embedded in the vehicle's software release. If you look at the page for the WC offline firmware updates, you'll see that the latest FW is 21.36.6, while my vehicle keeps loading 21.36.5 onto it. As long as I don't update the vehicle's firmware, my guess is that the vehicle won't update the WC's firmware beyond 21.36.5.

I see the same as everyone else. I also opened a ticket in the app just to see if I can get any attention on it.

 

[STS-134]

Hmm...I wonder if there is an option to put this thing into legacy mode: Tesla Wall Connector Charging Non-Tesla Vehicles?

In theory, if I can cut communication with the car, I can prevent any firmware updates from being pushed to the WC. And with no updates, I can keep it on version 1.4.4 indefinitely.

What other communication is done with the EVSE other than firmware updates?

 

[STS-134]

Hmm...I wonder if there is an option to put this thing into legacy mode: Tesla Wall Connector Charging Non-Tesla Vehicles?

In theory, if I can cut communication with the car, I can prevent any firmware updates from being pushed to the WC. And with no updates, I can keep it on version 1.4.4 indefinitely.

Bummer. I rolled back to 1.4.4 (again) and took a look at the options.

There is no "legacy mode" and I've always had "all vehicles" selected here. So apparently there is no way to prevent vehicle to EVSE communication and I'm sure the car is again going to reload 21.36.5 on it and it will start WiFi beaconing again.

 

[STS-134]

So apparently there is no way to prevent vehicle to EVSE communication and I'm sure the car is again going to reload 21.36.5 on it and it will start WiFi beaconing again.

By the way, for the past ~6 months, the car has not reloaded any new firmware on my WC. Not sure what changed, but I've been on 1.4.4 for the past ~6 months.

 

[MikeYan]

Since the charger is connected to home WIFI, why can't it be accessed remotely like WIFI enabled thermostat?

 

[STS-134]

Since the charger is connected to home WIFI, why can't it be accessed remotely like WIFI enabled thermostat?

It's not connected to anything. WiFi is disabled and has no access credentials.