Cync (C by GE) devices offline in Google Home, but work fine in Cync app

[Gk1984]

I've been using C by GE or Cync for a few years,  mostly without issue. In the past couple of weeks, suddenly, Google Home keeps finding my Cync devices offline while the Cync app shows them all online and functioning fine. I have a mixture of smart switches, bulbs, and smart plugs, all seem to be experiencing the problem. 

I have searched for answers, tried the suggested troubleshooting (which I'll describe below), and reached out to Cync first for resolution. Between everything, it appears to perhaps be a problem with Google. 

Cync support had me turn off my bluetooth to ensure all devices are properly working on wifi - I did this and all devices work as expected over wifi. I noticed all of my devices were connecting to my smart plug as a bluetooth mesh. I unplugged it and this did resolve the problem, but only temporarily. I then factory reset the smart plug and re-added it to the Cync app and then Google Home. However, everything began using another device for a bluetooth mesh and the problem still exists with that device. 

This looks like a Cync issue related to their bluetooth/mesh connection. However, turning bluetooth off on my phone had zero impact on Home seeing devices (I wouldn't expect this to make a difference anyway) and Cync insists the problem is not in their products or configuration. 

I have asked Google Assistant (voice command) to resync my devices and it brought back some of my Cync devices, but some still remained offline. 

I'm seeking help here to see if there is more I can do while I still communicate with Cync to find a solution. 

[KalashSpooner]

Same issue for me - but about a week of them being offline in both Alexa and Google. 

I'm guessing it's an api issue, but haven't found anything definitive. 

[Dan_A]

Hi folks,

@Gk1984, @KalashSpooner, this is not the experience we want you to have; let us help you. A few questions: which Nest speakers are we working with? When did your issue begin? Were there any recent changes made? Are other devices also registering as offline?
 

It would help a lot if you could do a sequential reboot first: 

1. Unplug the power cord from your router, followed by your Nest speakers, then your smart lights.
2. Plug them back in after 3 minutes.
3. Restarting your phone might also help.
4. Make sure all devices are on the same Wi-Fi network.

Also, it would be a big help if you had information directly from C by GE support to see if there were any changes, even though they had given you some information about Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

For more information about using smart lights with Google Home, check out this guide: Use smart lights with Google Nest or Home devices.

Keep us posted.

Best,

Dan

[Gk1984]

Thanks for responding. I'll answer your questions below. In the meantime, I would like mention that so far, everything seems to have resolved itself. However, the past week the family and I have been on vacation. We only recently returned home and I haven't spent much time checking into it yet. I am having a new problem I'll mention at the end, but I think starting a new thread is more appropriate once I spend a little time trying to troubleshoot/investigate the issue. 

Which Nest speakers are we working with?

I have a Nest Hub (2nd gen), 2 Nest Audio Speakers (the larger speakers), 2 Nest Mini speakers, and a Lenovo Smart Clock. I should note I don't use the voice assistant much, but prefer tapping the buttons/toggles within the Android Google Home app, if that matters. I'm honestly not sure if the Voice Assistant was having issues communicating/detecting the Cync devices. I just saw they were offline in the Home app and unable to be controlled by those methods. 

When did your issue begin?

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when, but it was a few weeks ago. Right around when there was a new Home app update and I (and a few others) had been reverted to the old UI. I hadn't noticed my devices offline while using the old UI, but I did shortly after regaining the new UI. 

Were there any recent changes made?

None to my network or hardware. No ne smart devices and my network has remained the same without any changes to settings being made. 

Are other devices also registering as offline?

Yes, mostly TVs but the ones offline aren't used often and I haven't spent time investigating if they're having network issues or not yet. They've been offline just as long if not longer. The offline devices are:

• Backyard Roku TV (this is unplugged from power)
• Backyard Chromecast Ultra (also unplugged)
• Patio Chromecast w Google TV (also unplugged)
• Basement Chromecast w Google TV (Should have power, have not investigated)
• Mibox 3 (has power, haven't turned on in a while, haven't investigated)
• Living Room TV (this is used daily. It's a Hisense U6h Android TV. I had just started to investigate this yesterday. Turning the TV on while Home is open results in the TV becoming online. Turning the TV off after this shows Online still. However, as of this morning, it's showing Offline in Google Home, despite being connected to my network. It is currently connected to ethernet via USB ethernet adapter to offer faster LAN than the integrated 100Mbps ethernet port. 5 Ghz wifi in this location is too unstable for this TV currently. 
• 3 more devices that are physically unplugged.

The new problem is that I have a script/automation that turns off the RGB LED strip light behind my Living Room TV when the TV turns off. It has worked fine until recently. I noticed after returning from my vacation, this automation no longer works. It could be related to the TV showing as offline, though I haven't confirmed that yet. I haven't tried validating the script again or any other troubleshooting yet. 

Thanks. 

[Dan_A]

Hello Gk1984,

Sounds like a plan! Also, thank you for giving us the information we asked for. I'm glad that you're able to work this out. As we've got our resolution here, I'm going to mark this one as resolved and will be closing this thread after 24 hours. Please feel free to open a new thread if you have evaluated the other concerns and tried validating the script, or if you have other questions or concerns.

Cheers,

Dan