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Troubleshooting Guide ​

This guide helps you resolve common issues with your UltimateSensor.

General Troubleshooting Steps ​

Before diving into specific issues, try these steps:

  1. Check Power Connection

    • Ensure USB-C cable is securely connected
    • Try a different power adapter (minimum 1A)
    • If using PoE, verify the switch/injector is working

  2. Restart the Device

    • Unplug power, wait 10 seconds, reconnect
    • Or use the "Restart UltimateSensor" button in Home Assistant

  3. Check Home Assistant

    • Restart Home Assistant: Settings → System → Restart
    • Update Home Assistant to the latest version

  4. Verify Network Connection

    • Check if device appears in your router's DHCP list
    • Ensure device is on same network/VLAN as Home Assistant

WiFi Connectivity Issues ​

Can't Find the WiFi Hotspot ​

The ultimatesensor hotspot should appear after powering on:

  • Wait 1-2 minutes — it takes time to initialize
  • Hotspot only appears if WiFi isn't already configured
  • Try different devices — some phones/laptops see it better than others
  • Factory reset if previously configured (see below)

Connected to Hotspot but No Captive Portal ​

If the configuration page doesn't open automatically:

  1. Open a browser manually
  2. Navigate to http://192.168.4.1/
  3. Try disabling mobile data on your phone
  4. Try a different browser

WiFi Won't Connect ​

  • 2.4 GHz only — 5 GHz networks are not supported
  • Check password — WiFi passwords are case-sensitive
  • Signal strength — move closer to router during setup
  • Special characters — some special characters in SSID/password may cause issues

Frequent Disconnections ​

  • Check signal strength at the sensor location
  • Reduce interference from other 2.4 GHz devices
  • Consider Ethernet for more stable connectivity
  • Check router settings — some routers disconnect idle devices

Fallback Hotspot Mode ​

If the UltimateSensor can't connect to WiFi, it automatically creates a fallback hotspot after 1 minute:

  • SSID: ultimatesensor
  • Password: ultimatesensor

Connect to reconfigure WiFi settings.

Ethernet/PoE Issues ​

Ethernet Not Working ​

  1. Check firmware — Ethernet requires Ethernet firmware (see Firmware Guide)
  2. LED check — Yellow/green LED on Ethernet port indicates active connection
  3. Cable check — Try a different Ethernet cable
  4. DHCP — Ensure DHCP is enabled on your network
  5. No VLANs — Initially test without VLAN segmentation

PoE Not Powering Device ​

  • Verify PoE standard — IEEE 802.3af compatible required
  • Check PoE budget — Switch may have limited power budget
  • Try USB-C power with Ethernet cable (non-PoE) to test

Switching Firmware Issues ​

When switching between WiFi and Ethernet firmware:

  • WiFi → Ethernet: Connect Ethernet cable BEFORE switching
  • Ethernet → WiFi: Requires USB-C flashing (see Firmware Guide)
  • Device disappears: Check DHCP client list for new IP address

Sensor Data Issues ​

Sensors Not Updating ​

  • Startup time: Sensors need 10+ minutes to stabilize
  • CO₂ specifically: May take 24-48 hours for accurate readings
  • Check entities: Some may be disabled by default in Home Assistant

Inaccurate CO₂ Readings ​

  • Initial calibration: Wait at least 24 hours
  • Placement: Avoid heat sources and direct sunlight
  • Manual calibration: Place outdoors, use "CO2 manual calibration" button
  • See Calibration Guide for details

Temperature Reading High ​

The SCD41 sits inside the enclosure where components generate heat:

  • Expected offset: 2-5°C higher than ambient
  • Solution: Apply negative offset in ESPHome configuration
  • See Calibration Guide for instructions

mmWave False Positives ​

The radar may detect movement through walls or from moving objects:

  • Reduce Max Distance setting
  • Configure zones to exclude problematic areas
  • Check for moving objects (fans, curtains, pets)
  • Adjust zone boundaries to exclude areas behind walls

mmWave Not Detecting ​

  • Check positioning — front of device must face the monitored area
  • Verify entity states — check Target X Distance values
  • Off delay — default 15 seconds before reporting "no occupancy"
  • Distance limit — check Max Distance setting

PIR Not Triggering ​

  • Check entity — PIR Sensor binary sensor in Home Assistant
  • Line of sight — PIR requires direct view of movement
  • Temperature difference — PIR detects heat, may miss cold-handed people

PM Sensor No Data (Complete Only) ​

  • Startup time: SPS30 needs time to initialize
  • Check firmware: Must be using "Complete" firmware variant
  • Update interval: PM data updates every 120 seconds

Display Issues ​

OLED Display Blank ​

  • Startup time: Display initializes after sensors
  • Reboot: Try power cycling the device
  • Brightness: Display is set to 40% contrast

Display Shows Wrong Values ​

  • Sensor startup: Values stabilize after 10+ minutes
  • Display lag: Shows last known values if sensor fails

LED Indicator Issues ​

Red Status LED Flashing Slowly ​

Device is not connected to WiFi or Home Assistant:

  • Check WiFi configuration
  • Verify Home Assistant can reach the device
  • Check if device is in fallback hotspot mode

Red Status LED Flashing Rapidly ​

Startup error detected:

  • Try power cycling
  • Re-flash firmware if persistent
  • Check for hardware issues

Back LED Not Controllable ​

  • Check entity: Back Light light entity in Home Assistant
  • Entity disabled: May be disabled by default, enable it first

Home Assistant Integration Issues ​

Device Not Auto-Discovered ​

  1. Go to Settings → Devices & Services
  2. Click Add Integration
  3. Select ESPHome
  4. Enter the device's IP address (find in router DHCP list)

Entities Missing ​

  • Some entities are disabled by default (Zone 2-4, etc.)
  • Go to device in Home Assistant, click entity, enable it

Device Offline in Home Assistant ​

  • Check network connectivity
  • Verify IP address hasn't changed
  • Firewall rules may be blocking communication
  • mDNS issues: Try using IP address instead of hostname

Advanced Troubleshooting ​

Accessing Web Interface ​

The UltimateSensor has a built-in web interface:

  1. Find device IP in your router's DHCP list
  2. Open browser and navigate to http://<device-ip>/
  3. View sensor values, logs, and device info

Viewing Logs ​

In ESPHome:

  1. Open ESPHome Dashboard
  2. Click on your UltimateSensor device
  3. Click "Logs" to see real-time output

Factory Reset ​

To completely reset the device:

  1. Download firmware from GitHub
  2. Connect via USB-C
  3. Flash using ESPHome Web Flasher

This erases WiFi credentials and resets all settings.

Firmware Update ​

For OTA updates:

  1. Adopt device in ESPHome Dashboard
  2. Make any needed changes to YAML
  3. Click "Install" → "Wirelessly"

For USB updates:

Network Communication & Privacy ​

100% Local Operation ​

The UltimateSensor works entirely locally:

  • ✅ All sensor data stays on your network
  • ✅ Home Assistant communication is local
  • ✅ Automations run locally

External Communication ​

The only external communication is:

  • Firmware version check to GitHub/ESPHome (optional)

Disabling Update Checks ​

To disable external version checks:

  1. Adopt the device in ESPHome
  2. Remove or comment out the dashboard_import section
  3. Deploy the configuration

Still Having Issues? ​

If none of the above solutions work:

  1. Join Discord: smarthomeshop.io/discord — fastest support
  2. Contact us: smarthomeshop.io/contact
  3. Check GitHub: github.com/smarthomeshop/ultimatesensor

When asking for help, please include:

  • Hardware version (Basic/Complete)
  • Firmware version
  • Connection type (WiFi/Ethernet)
  • Description of the issue
  • Any error messages from logs