Powerwall App Connectivity

[mdplunkett]

Hi everyone.

I'm having trouble connecting to my Powerwalls through the Tesla app and wanted to see if others were experiencing the same issue.

The app connects fine to our Model 3s, but gives a "Connecting" message when trying to communicate to the Powerwalls. The problem is the same on my Android and my wife's iPhone.

I've deleted and reinstalled the app twice, but this has no apparent effect. The solar panels are working fine (I accessed the Powerwalls data through the gateway directly), but the lack of app connectivity is annoying.

Anyone experiencing a similar issue? Any ideas on how to solve the problem?

Thanks for any help/advice.

 

[boaterva]

No problem here.... If you can talk to the gateway locally, that gets rid of most of the usual issues. But my app is working fine. Assumed your app worked for the PW before, which makes this weird.
...

 

[mdplunkett]

Thanks, Lee, for the response. You are right in assuming the app worked great for about three days after we installed PWs and solar panels. Yesterday it simply stopped responding. I can access the PWs via the https://198.162.1.91 workaround that another site mentioned, but it's not the same interface/usability that the Tesla app offered.

I'll call Tesla tomorrow but wanted to see if this was a widespread issue or something specific to my setup.

 

[boaterva]

You should be able to access the gateway via whatever IP it is on your WiFi also, not only the gateway’s WiFi. (Assuming you’re using wifi.)

If that page shows connected to Tesla you definitely should be able to connect the app since that’s only connecting to their servers. Let us know what they tell you!

 

[gnumeric]

I’ve had this happen a couple times in the ~4 months I’ve had my powerwalls. It usually fixes itself within an hour or so. I’m pretty sure one time was due to firmware being updated.

 

[mdplunkett]

Thanks for the replies. Update from here:

1. I reset the system directly yesterday and that did the trick. The app was working perfectly.
2. This morning, however, the app lost connection with the PWs again.
3. The system is still operational, but this is a frustrating experience.
4. Neither closing app nor simply waiting seem to fix the issue.

 

[gnumeric]

I wonder if it’s possibly your home WiFi? When I was using Asus routers, I had horrible issues with all of my network devices. My Nest thermostat would constantly drop connection and never recover, my printer would print half of the pages in the job and just stop, my IoT light switches would become unresponsive, etc.

I finally switched over to Google mesh WiFi and it fixed EVERYTHING. It was like night and day.

 

[boaterva]

Good point, using Orbi here, works excellently.

 

[Szerby]

I just got a system installed an my PTO. I can connect to the backup gateway and it say it is connected to the internet. It is NOT connected to Tesla, and when I press the START SYSTEM button it says it can not find a PowerWall. Tesla tech support said the it did not look like the system had been commissioned on their end, and escalated it to tier 2 which they said is a 2-3 day response time (that was after waiting 2 hours for level 1 to call back).

Will the gateway connect to the powerwall before the system "sees" tesla connected? The green light just flashes on the PW and the PW on/off switch seems to do nothing - the LED just keeps flashing.

 

[power.saver]

A flashing green light on the PW means it is not communicating with the GW. It sounds like the communication wires that connects the PW to the GW was not installed properly. You should probably have your installer come back out and check the wiring.

 

[Szerby]

Thanks for the reply. I have opened the panel on the powerwall and the gateway - it seems wired correctly, but maybe a wire broke in the conduit? It looks like there are LEDS in the PowerWall side where it connects, but there is nothing flashing. Do you see LEDS flashing where the communications cable attaches?

 

[power.saver]

I don't have the wiring compartment cover off on my PW so can't see if there is an LED in there.

But if you do, check that the wiring on the IN connector (4-wires, usually Brown, White, Blue, Yellow) are in the same order as the connector in the GW.

 

[Szerby]

OK - got it running. I ran the wizard as an installer to discover, update and configure the Powerwall. It does not see my solar however. I am not sure, but Tesla said there was another gateway I was suppose to have. I'm thinking that is a ZigBee gateway for the Backup Gateway to "talk" to the SolarEdge inverter? I have the inverter connected via an ethernet cable to my home network. I thought that might be all it needed.

 

[power.saver]

Glad you got it working... surprised that the installers didn't run the wizard.

I have CTs to measure solar, and not the second gateway some have for SolarEdge inverters... so can't help you there.

But if you do have CTs for solar, I suppose those might not have been configured in the wizard either.

 

[jjrandorin]

I just got a system installed an my PTO. I can connect to the backup gateway and it say it is connected to the internet. It is NOT connected to Tesla, and when I press the START SYSTEM button it says it can not find a PowerWall. Tesla tech support said the it did not look like the system had been commissioned on their end, and escalated it to tier 2 which they said is a 2-3 day response time (that was after waiting 2 hours for level 1 to call back).

Will the gateway connect to the powerwall before the system "sees" tesla connected? The green light just flashes on the PW and the PW on/off switch seems to do nothing - the LED just keeps flashing.

It does not sound like your system is configured properly by the installers. was this tesla or a third party install? My guess is third party, but thats just a guess.

I would remind you that you are likely paying a LOT of money for the system to whoever installed it, and its their job to get it operational, not yours... I would make them come back out and set it up properly if it was me.

On the zigbee gateway thing (little box that goes with solar) I was told that is how they update the inverter firmware etc, but if you have yours hardwired you would think it would work. My inverters are "ABB" brand, from solar city in 2015. I still have the little gateway box, in addition to the powerwall gateway hardware they installed. My tesla installer said "the little box should still be connected but it really is for monitoring the inverters, it will not have anything to do with monitoring your solar now that you have the powerwall and PW gateway."