solar edge monitoring portal connection problems

[Jevban]

Hello all

Can I ask some advice please. Since the solar edge was installed, my system has absolutely outperformed itself, and done far more in terms of generation that I ever thought possible. However, the wireless monitoring kit does not seem to get along with my Sky router. The wi fi worked for about 3 weeks, then stopped showing the S-OK on the led screen and a red fault light showed, sometimes with no error message, other times with various messages such as no DCHP and other times a series of numbers. I have worked with Sky,replaced some kit and all my other wireless equipment connects without incident, I have paid for broadband pro to get a static IP address, but the darn thing will still not connect to the portal unless I physically go to the loft, go into the communication section of the LED screen, press WPS on it and my router, before it connects. Has anyone come across such a problem before at all? Solar edge support in Israel (?!) say they have heard of this problem before, but the UK base, when I have spoken with them, say not. Does anyone have any ideas? I have followed all the troubleshooting directions save for taking off the inverter cover ,( which I can't do anyway, and wouldn't even if I could as I'd likely blow up).

I hope to hear from one of you experienced gents with some advice.

Thankyou

Jan

 

[shanky887614]

try turning off powersaving on the router first. i have problems with bt's kit all the time. the wifi etc disconnects but its usually not long enough for your computer/device to not be able to re connect

 

[Jevban]

Hi Shanky


Thanks..I didn't know there is a power saving setting on the router? It disconnects overnight then won't reconnect in the morning. All my other wireless devices do. Where do I find the power saving section in the router settings? Thank you.

 

[shanky887614]

Hi Shanky


Thanks..I didn't know there is a power saving setting on the router? It disconnects overnight then won't reconnect in the morning. All my other wireless devices do. Where do I find the power saving section in the router settings? Thank you.

sorry i cant help there, all routers are different.

there will an address and login+password (admin) on a sticker on the box or on in the paperwork you received eith it

 

[Jevban]

Hi. Shanky

I've had a look into all that with Sky support just now.
..they dont know either. I'll keep looking through the router settings till I find it, or not as likely will be the case!

Thanks anyway.

Jan

 

[BruceB]

The solar edge inverter just has a wired ethernet output I believe. So you must have another box (with the wps button on) that does the wireless connection between the inverter location and your sky router. It sounds like either:
- that box is forgetting its connection with the router (both should be left powered up)
- the router is only giving it a short dhcp lease and somehow losing the connection when the lease runs out. Reserve the internal ip address allocated to the inverter wifi device should sort that.

The static external ip address is not relevant. Solar Edge can work outward through a NAT firewall on a non-fixed ip address.

 

[Jevban]

Hi Bruce and thanks.

I don't see any other box aside from the inverter in the loft with the wireless antenna, and the Sky router in the living room.I have a wi fi booster upstairs with a very strong signal. I have previously tried to reserve the ip address for the inverter on the router and paid for a static pro broadband account and address with Sky...none of it works. I don't know if the inverter internal controls need to be accessed to set this as I can't seem to fix it via the LED screen. It's not remembered the ip address again this morning..it started off as an intermittent problem but is now daily or sometimes, it loses the ip address through the day. I will try reserving the ip address today once I get the inverter communication working again. Thanks for the answer.

Jan

 

[TedM]

If the inverter is getting its (internal to your house) IP address from the router via DHCP then you need to lock this in the router as otherwise the router may change the IP it gives to the inverter depending on what other devices (laptop, tablet, mobile phone) happen to be on in the house and within wifi range.

You should be able to access the router settings via your browser by opening a new tab and entering 198.168.0.1 on the address line. You should then be prompted for a username and password which default to admin and sky if they haven't been changed. (Some of this may be slightly different for you so check any Sky documents you were sent if this doesn't work.)

Exactly what settings you need to change in a Sky router I am afraid I don't know as I don't have one. But there should be some sort of 'reserved ip address' setting that prevents numbers being used by DHCP so that they become usable separately.

The graphic shows what this looks like on my Billion router. Here the range of 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.199 is available for any devices to get via DHCP so all other numbers are available for static allocation. To do this I can click the Add Entries button and then enter the MAC and IP addresses that I want to match and reserve as static.

There should be a status screen that will tell you the MAC address of your inverter when it is connected (it is hard-coded in to the network device and never changes).

 

[BruceB]

Jan, ok, I understand, you have the solar edge wifi module added inside the inverter so you need no extra box. Do you have the installation manual for the wifi module? It has a trouble shooting section.

 

[Jevban]

Hi Ted

I have done all that you describe in your post and reserved the ip address..to enable this the router has to reboot. Once it rebooted, I had the reserved ip address in the advanced settings secton, but the router also assigned the inverter yet another ip address, causing a conflict. No other wireless device is having any problems with connecting, ie phones, laptops, tablets etc.... I am getting a variety of error messages when I do tracert and ping tests then when I repeat, get a different error message again. Solar edge support,Sky support and me are all flummoxed

 

[Jevban]

Hi Bruce and thanks

I have used the installation manual troubleshooting steps and the wi fi troubleshooting steps, I think I have sorted it,then when the inverter goes into hibernation overnight, we are back to square one the following day. Thre are 2 led screens, one has the ip address, mac addess, strength of signal and router name, the other led screen is empty save for a mac address at the bottom of the screen. I am resetting this daily. I will go in the loft again now and try to follow the steps. When I switch the inverter switch to off to set the system, an error light flashes...its saying a variety of errors like no DHCP, Error no 2, a series of digits...driving me potty ! I'm unsure if there are more options for configuring the wi fi inside the inverter?

Thanks

an

 

[BruceB]

if you have the wifi manual you will see there are extra buttons inside the inverter, but they only are needed when the wps does not work. It is dangerous to go inside the inverter if you are not familiar with the required safety precautions.

 

[Jevban]

Hi Bruce

That's the only but I can't configure. I wouldn't dream of taking the front of the inverter off...crispy fried Jan is not a good look!

Since the last reply to you, I've been back in the loft, followed the reset instructions to the letter, ie switch off inverter, press led light till menu, select communication, check server on LAN, select wi fi and wi fi config, then wps and reconnected. Need to see if it kicks itself out now. If not today, then overnight once the inverter closes down. It worked like a dream for all of April except for one day it was not connected. I reset it with support guidance and it worked. Since then , it's glitched occasionally and now daily. Had the router checked, no issues. Replaced all the micro filters via Sky, still no change. Other than a possible problem with the communication board ( I'm making a big assumption here that the inverter or wi fi module has a communication board) , I don't know what else it could be. I saw an old thread back to 2012 when people spoke of problems with Sky routers and Solar Edge when Sky moved to new servers, but that was said to be resolved then. Flummoxed and stymied now.

Thanks for the replies.

Jan

 

[Jevban]

Hello just for information.. I continued to have problems with the wi fi connection despite support staff in Israel and the UK trying all manner of suggestions to sort the problem. Two days ago. I spoke with Tom, a support worker in Israel who told me he had heard of the same fault on a number of occasions. Once I got the S-OK on the LED screen, he was then able to communicate remotely with my inverter and upgraded the CPU software. Fingers crossed, it's worked. So if you have any customers with the same problem, Solar Edge support have a patch that appears to work.

Thank you.