Connection reliability issues

Issues
1

I am having some reliability issues on my WLED strips.

Here is my setup:

  • I have ~20 different trees wrapped in LED strings, each string is a 12v string with a unique d1 mini esp clone connected to each one (with a step down power supply)
  • each is connected to the same wifi network with power saving turned off and double messages turned on for UDP sync
  • tree 1 has sync turned on, all others have it turned off
  • all trees are connected to mqtt
  • I have a hubitat automation hub with an mqtt driver
  • wifi shows each tree connected with “decent” signal (not great and not terrible)
  • I have a unifi system with a special wireless network just for my iot devices
  • all devices currently are running 0.10.2

So here is my problem, when I use mqtt to turn the trees on or off, they don’t all consistently turn on. I would say 1 time out of 10 all of them turn on. 8 times out of 10, 1 tree would stay off (or on). And 1 time out of 10 more than one tree would misbehave.

When controlling using the app it seems to work well enough. Prior to Turing on double udp packets, the sync was equally unreliable where preset or color changes would not be taken by some trees most of the time, but that’s fixed now.

It’s also worth noting that the tree that does not turn on is random and not consistent.

Can anyone provide some advice on how to test and fix?

2

What’s your WiFi setup like?

3

Separate wlan for iot devices (WLED, vacuum, switches, etc.) several unifi access points and the trees roam between two of them.

I can provide more info if it would help.

What details would help out?

4

Nope that’s what I was looking for. If your UniFi setup correctly should be worth it

5

I feel like it’s set up fine, but there might be some advanced settings that do or don’t affect the esp connection quality…

It’s set with legacy support on as well as airtime fairness I believe.

6

I use UniFi and have no issues unless I am too far away.

Also rssi quality can’t remember the exact setting name can cause this. I do know for me if I connect more than 5 d1 minis to one access point and run xlights I have issues. I can remove
One and lag issue go away. I have not trouble shot the issue. Right now I just didn’t run one prop this season. Plan to wire a few things next year.
Other issue I faced is a WiFi plug I bought connected fine but when I placed it in position it did not function. I reset it in tasmota and it acted the same. In the end I just reflashed it and all is well. So weird that the first flash didn’t work…but I experienced where a reset reflash fixed all the world problems.

7

Yeah. The strange part is the mqtt issue. Like I understand that it might not be connected 100% of the time, but why would an mqtt message be ignored? Wouldn’t that be the point of a message queue, to avoid that issue?

I would understand if the on/ off would popcorn or turn on later, but here it just never turns on or off.

8

WOnder if you need to setup some long tests to various things on your network. See if pings are drooping or not. If a long to mqtt server is ok then welll more to debug