Just got my Vera Lite and have it setup on my existing wired network. Light switches and thermostats working moved from prior owner’s ADT Pulse to my Vera Lite.
Now how do I tell Vera Lite to connect to my existing wireless network so that I can move it to another part of the house? I’ve seen references to Setup->Net & Wi-fi, but I do not see where I can have it scan for my network or where I can type in an SSID, much less a password, despite the documentation saying I can. I have Auto and Manual as choices. Neither show me WiFi choices or WiFi input fields.
From what I read before purchase, Vera Lite would be able to use an existing network. All documentation search brings me to the Net & Wi-fi screen, which sounds reasonable. But there is no WiFi section that I can see.
You have three options: one, leave it where it is, on the wired network. Two, exchange the Vera Lite for a Vera 3, which has WiFi. Three, buy a cheap wireless bridge, join the bridge to your network and connect Vera Lite to the bridge over Ethernet.
Thanks for the informative reply stating that the WiFi radio is absent. I was definitely mislead by MiCasaVerde, as their website states:
“VeraLite is designed for users that already have a Wi-Fi router and want to add home control.” on their product page http://shop.micasaverde.com/index.php/vera-1/veralite.html.
Why would I need an existing Wi-Fi capable router except for the VeraLite to connect to? I had inferred that it could act as a WiFi client, but not an access point. To make matters worse, their documentation keeps referring to Setup, Net & Wi-Fi option, along with the SSID and password options. They could have just as well stated Setup->Net & Wi-Fi & Bluetooth & WiMax, along with any other system that it cannot use.
I think they would be better stating:
“VeraLite is designed for users who want to add home control by connecting it via Ethernet cable to their existing router.” That’s a lot clearer. Please, MCV, use this instead. You’ll make higher sales.
That would have caused me to purchase the full Vera 3. As is, I am loathe to deal with returning, so will hobble away embittered by my first experience with MCV. I’ll see about connecting it elsewhere via another router, as I do like the Vera concept.
Aside from their sales site, it would be nice if the setup would not simply remove the Wi-Fi parameters (leaving the Wi-Fi in the menu!), but replace with text stating that it cannot connect to Wi-Fi. Not only could that have saved me wasting more time, but again I would have seen that clearly in the documentation prior to purchase.
Hopefully this thread will be easier for others to interpret to avoid the mistake I made. Funny how I go back and read other threads and see this difference more clearly now.
Here is the text from MCV’s shop, quoted for truth. I agree, it’s at best ambiguous, at worst wrong. “The only difference is that VeraLite is a more affordable model” is particularly dodgy.
[quote=“gcarrier, post:1, topic:171924”]Just got my Vera Lite and have it setup on my existing wired network. Light switches and thermostats working moved from prior owner’s ADT Pulse to my Vera Lite.
Now how do I tell Vera Lite to connect to my existing wireless network so that I can move it to another part of the house? I’ve seen references to Setup->Net & Wi-fi, but I do not see where I can have it scan for my network or where I can type in an SSID, much less a password, despite the documentation saying I can. I have Auto and Manual as choices. Neither show me WiFi choices or WiFi input fields.
From what I read before purchase, Vera Lite would be able to use an existing network. All documentation search brings me to the Net & Wi-fi screen, which sounds reasonable. But there is no WiFi section that I can see.
Thanks.[/quote]
Personally I try to only use WiFi for my mobile devices and hardwire everything else. Hardwire is much more reliable and you have less problems. I’s a PITA to install but once done you never look back.
Yeah, read on its own like that it’s a bit ambiguous (and a badly formatted ‘WiFi ----’ in the specs is perhaps not super-obvious either).
MCV seem to have recycled some text on various pages, and the statement about the WiFi-router works better in a context that compares Vera 3 to Vera Lite (Vera3 can act as a wireless router; if you already have one, the Vera Lite may work for you); but even then more or less ignores the wireless client option. The Vera brochure, page 6, may be the source of the text and in full context with a table to back up the words, leaves no doubt: http://www.micasaverde.com/files/Vera3_Brochure.pdf
If you want to dump your VeraLite and go for the full wireless Vera3, I have an application where the z-wave controller will always be hardwired to the router (all of which is rack-mounted together).
Offline e-mail is “drhitch at comcast dot net” if you want to sell it (Chicago IL USA)
@gcarrier
if you have an old laptop with wireless, you can just hook Veralite to it via Ethernet, and have the laptop act as a wireless bridge. This solution will also provide you with a quick interface to Vera even if wireless was down.
[quote=“capjay, post:8, topic:171924”]@gcarrier
if you have an old laptop with wireless, you can just hook Veralite to it via Ethernet, and have the laptop act as a wireless bridge. This solution will also provide you with a quick interface to Vera even if wireless was down.[/quote]
Thanks capjay, I saw the ppost earlier.
I 've tried a Linksys WES610N bridge with no success, I got the bridge to connect with the router, but can’t connect to Vera after I plug it into the bridge…
just run the wire and be done with it and you will thank yourself later. i have vera 2.
if running wire is not a option get a EOP adapter like the one from zyxel, one i got http://www.zyxel.com/us/en/products_services/pla_407.shtml?t=p
i got the kit (2 pack) on sale @buy.com for $40. there are more like these for cheap.
i got this particular one for the reason i can create a network over powerlines and don’t have punch holes to run Ethernet. there is a 500MBPS model also available.
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