Ongoing issues with Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen since 9/29/23

[LRNH]

I have a Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Protect and three Nest cameras all purchased in 2017 and all using the Nest app. I have no WWN products , but do have several Wyze bulbs, plugs and one camera that are managed through the Wyze app with no issues.  On 9/29/23 at approximately 2:00AM the thermostat went offline in the app. Since then, it has gone on and offline several times a day. I have followed the troubleshooting steps numerous times and have searched this forum and many others. Still no luck getting it to stay connected to the app. It’s connected to the internet (Xfinity xfi router wirelessly). I have reset the thermostat, removed from app and internet, restarted the router, logged out of app multiple times, etc., etc.  It is not a battery issue-thermostat is connected to C wire and the battery power is showing 3.9 consistently on therm. I have separate 2.4 and 5.0 ghz bands and have tried connecting it to both at various points. Still goes offline every few hours. Seems to come back online if it detects motion but may be coincidence. I’m at a loss. Should I return to factory settings and try that?  Nervous about doing that since HVAC connections include a two speed furnace, AC and dehumidifier. Help! P.S. therm is connected to internet and has a strong connection. Just shows offline in app. 

[Markjosephp]

Hello LRNH,

Give props to the steps you have taken! I understand that having the thermostat shown offline sporadically in the app is never ideal. Let's jump in and get you back online.

Can you check your thermostat's signal strength value in the network's Technical Info settings? Try reinstalling the Nest app and restarting your phone to make sure it refreshes its connectivity. Also, I did find a helpful article with some troubleshooting steps for when your Nest Thermostat is offline. Please let me know if that helps or if the issue still persists.

Regards,

Mark

[LRNH]

Thank you for responding. I followed your instructions. The signal strength is 79 today and when tested before I moved the router a week or two ago, was 74. Both appear to be well above the 50 that is apparently considered marginal. I deleted the app and shut down my phone and then reinstalled the app. All after resetting the thermostat.  Also had my husband delete and restart his phone. 

When we both did that, we both got warnings about EOL for works with nest (which shows as connected on the thermostat settings) and we’re also warned that the phone setting needed to be changed to allow always on for location services and that another device was set up to control home/away assist (He and I are the only users so not sure why it’s telling us that). App then prompted me to press “continue” to change the loc services setting. The setting screen that popped up did not give me an always on option. I selected on “while in use” and completed the login. After account was logged on I went into the iPhone location services and set Nest to “always on”. This was around 8:00 am Sunday. Thermostat stayed connected until some time between 3 and 6 am this morning and then went offline again. 

 Xfinity shows the thermostat as connected to the internet with a strong signal. Rebooting the network does not bring it back online, nor did deleting the app and rebooting phone this morning when the thermostat was showing as offline when I initiated the delete/shut down steps again. Thermostat only came online this morning after I went into settings on the thermostat and set up the network again.  Btw thermostat said it was connected to the app and network prior to my reset of the network. 

As an aside I also did a factory reset prior to getting your response and that also failed to resolve the problem. 

We go away for the winter, so continually resetting the thermostat is not a workable option. 

[Markjosephp]

Hi there,

Thanks for providing the details. I see you have exhausted all possible troubleshooting. Let's sort this out.

If you wouldn't mind filling out this form, we'll get you the right level of help to check for other options.

Keep me posted once you're done.

Regards,
Mark

[Markjosephp]

Hello again,

Thanks for completing the form; we have received it. Soon, a member of our senior support team will contact you via email. So please continue the conversation there for any updates. Also, feel free to start a post for any future help needed.

Best,
Mark

[LRNH]

Useless. We’ve left for season. No response from Google. New thermostat purchased in case the 7 year old one had issues. Continued issues with offline thermostat. 18 hours no connection now that we’re out of our house. Poor support to say the least. I feel for the former Nest employees who developed a great product and now have to witness the debacle. Never will I buy another Google product and will advise anyone I know to avoid as well.  

[Markjosephp]

Hi LRNH,

We truly apologize if this is taking longer than expected to get resolved. I want to thank you for your patience while we work this matter out. I will follow up on your case with our team, and I'll get back to you as soon as I receive an update.

Regards,

Mark

[Markjosephp]

Hello LRNH,

I know it has been a while, but I wanted to ensure that everything was covered here. 

Let me know if you need anything from me, but I am just seeing how the conversation is going via email with our senior support. So please continue the conversation there and feel free to create a new thread for any future questions or concerns—we're here to help!

Warm regards,
Mark

[LRNH]

Mark,

I’ve received no communication from Sr Support if that’s what you’re asking. The thermostat still won’t stay online, however through trial and error I’ve discovered that if I pause the network connection to the thermostat for a couple of hours via the Xfinity app and then unpause it, the thermostat will again show as online in the Nest app for a few hours and then the connection again is lost. My sense is that there’s something not compatible between the xfinity router and the Nest server connection. I followed the Google help to make sure my Xfinity configuration is consistent with that guidance, but apparently something fails when the thermostat tries to reconnect with the Nest server until I again use the “pause trick.”

I gotta believe there are many people with Nest thermostats and an xfinity xfi rented router, so not sure why there isn’t a fix available. Like I said in the beginning, everything worked fine until 9/29/23. The end of Works with Nest perhaps may be coincidental, however if prior to that Nest was compatible with their Xfinity Home product and now isn’t, there’s not much motivation for them to ensure the connection to Nest servers still works. 

So issue still not resolved. 

Regards,

[Markjosephp]

Hi LRNH,

Thank you for providing additional details on the ongoing issue with your Nest thermostat. I understand the frustration you must be experiencing, and I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

The workaround you've found with the "pause trick" is an interesting observation, and it does suggest a potential compatibility issue between the router and Nest server connection. While I can't provide an immediate solution, I notified our team again to send another email to you. Please keep an eye out for an email update, and it might be worth it if you could check your inbox and spam/junk folder for the email our team sent to you on January 11th.

Best,
Mark

[LRNH]

Thank you, Mark. I regularly check my Junk email folder and have not seen anything but true spam junk. I suppose it’s possible that Apple mail may directly delete vis a spam filter before it hits my email account, but since I’m receiving your messages, I would think it wouldn’t get theirs. Liz

[LRNH]

I used the link you sent me to resubmit my n case it failed last time. I outlined the issue to them again, including the workaround. I got a confirmation that it sent. Auto reply indicates that they will only reach out to me if they need more info so maybe that’s why I received no response. LRNH

[Markjosephp]

Hello Liz,

Thank you for your prompt response and for taking the necessary steps to resubmit your case. I appreciate your diligence in checking your junk email folder and providing additional context about the potential spam filter issue.

I forwarded the case to our higher tiers of support. In the meantime, how's your thermostat? Is it still going offline? If you encounter any developments or have additional questions, let me know. I'm here to assist and ensure a smooth resolution to the issue.

Best regards,
Mark

[LRNH]

Hi Mark, yes the thermostat still goes offline. Liz

[Markjosephp]

Hey Liz,

Yikes! To expedite the process. If you wouldn't mind filling out another form, let me know when you're done. I'll personally relay it over to the team to ensure you get the support you deserve. This will enable our support team to provide you with a more accurate and timely resolution.

Keep me posted.

Thanks,

Mark

[LRNH]

Hi Mark,

Resubmit #3– You’ve got to be kidding me 😀, but okay, let’s try it again. Just resubmitted again. Maybe the 3rd time is the charm….or you’ll have more success personally relaying it to the support team. LRNH.