Sync not connecting to home wifi

[someday]

I've got a Unifi setup and had the same issue, even after I removed the domain from my configuration. I had to additionally turn off band steering on the Wifi network my truck connects to.

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[fishpick]

turn off band steering on the Wifi network my truck connects to.

Band steering (anyone's) sucks in general... So I'm not suprised... probally told the truck - hey - go to 5ghz for speed - and then the signal sucked... it hung... then flipped it back to 2.4 and since SYNC is about as robust as a flaccid banana at the network layer... that was that...

 

[jcaspar]

What is the typical behavior of the F-150 in connecting to WIFI. Mine connects easily to my Wifi network when running or in accessory mode but drops the connection when turned off. This is different than my Tesla which is always connected to Wifi. Is this normal? have not gotten any updates for several months.

 

[DBL R]

Anyone have a quick how to on connecting to home WiFi? I haven’t been connected but my truck still received an over the air update. Not sure if it’s entirely necessary?

 

[fishpick]

What is the typical behavior of the F-150 in connecting to WIFI. Mine connects easily to my Wifi network when running or in accessory mode but drops the connection when turned off. This is different than my Tesla which is always connected to Wifi. Is this normal? have not gotten any updates for several months.

Tesla's have giant batteries compared to even the Powerboost - so the way From manages their connection is - connect, check for updates, send telemetry data, etc, then disconnect... No need to burn battery when there's nothing left for the vehicle to do.

 

[fishpick]

Anyone have a quick how to on connecting to home WiFi? I haven’t been connected but my truck still received an over the air update. Not sure if it’s entirely necessary?

I think if you have data on the truck through the data plan - then you don't "need" wifi. So that could be how it pulled the OTA update.
To connect to WiFi - when you are near your home network - you will see the wifi logo (the fan) on the screen - and if it's not connected there will be an "!" in there. Tap the logo and the menu is pretty simple to follow.

 

[dougbillings]

I had the same thing - my home network is fairly advanced - separate VLANS's for family, guest, IoT crap, secured VPN's for data work, etc.

My new 2022 F150 will connect to the WiFi network, register it's MAC and receive an IP address... and then just sit there - and then tell me on the screen that SYNC can not connect... except - it has connected.

It does not matter if the WiFi network it connects to is tagged with a VLAN or not - it won't work.
It does not matter the make or model of the WiFi access point - I can use TP-Link, Synology, NetGear, etc... I tried about 5 different manufactures of AP's I had laying around - and different combinations of back ends (VLAN, no VLAN, 192.x networks, 10.x networks, tried the 3rd octet being a 0 or a 1) - does not matter. THis is 100% NOT an IP address format / mask issue like some people have assumed.

At the heart of my network is Firewalla Gold appliance that acts as the DHCP server (amongst a dozen other things). It clearly gives out an IP - the truck shows on the network - but it does nothing in terms of traffic and always reports SYNC fails. I thought maybe it was because the DHCP server is also doling out IPv6 addresses - but that's not it either.

So out of sheer frustration - I took an old NetGear wireless router - plugged the WAN side into the LAN - and then set the router to dole out IP's to connecting clients... Now by all rights this is evil as you are double/tripple NATing things... but I'll be dipped - the F150 logged right in, success, checked for updates, etc...

The guys over at the MachE forum have a long thread abut this - and the issue is 100% DHCP server configuration... in so far as the SYNC software Ford gives us asks for a DHCP option 119 response, but when it gets it - it just sits there... of course, I found this thread AFTER I had figured this out through the same hours of time they put in using tcpdump and otehr tools to see what and where things were breaking... and working on the separate network...

The solution is - in whatever is doing the DHCP on your network - be it your cable modem router / WiFi, your own WiFi router, or a more complex network setup (Omada, Ubiquity, Apple Airport devices, etc)... the KEY - the fix - the solution is this - you CAN NOT have a domain name for the LAN the SYNC vehicle is getting it's address from. If you have a "local search domain", "local domain", "search domain" (the name changes based on the DHCP software on your network gear) - the SYNC vehicle will ASK for a an IP, the server will give the IP with the local domain, and the SYNC device will sit there and stare at itself... and you get the nice "SYNC can not connect" error. REMOVE the local search domain (usually it's like "lan", "guest", "local") from the DHCP config on your router / DHCP server - and try to connect again from the vehicle and your SYNC device will connect and be super happy...

TLDR ; if you get the "SYNC can not connect" error when attempting to connect to your WiFi network, look at the DHCP setting on your WiFi router and REMOVE the local search domain and things will work.

(would be great is @Ford Motor Company would actually fix this across their entire vehicle lineup)

DUDE! I knew it had to be something like this. My setup is also fairly complex: Unifi Router handling DHCP with PiHole running as DNS.... multiple SSIDs & VLANs.

What worked for me is that I created a totally separate network that only has access to the internet (completely firewalled off from the rest of my network) and put a new SSID on it. The DHCP and wifi configs are as bland as I could make them.

Who made this network stack for Ford!?! sheesh! This is absolutely nuts! This isn't even new or advanced stuff. My mind is really blown. Thanks for doing the hard work. /tipshat

 

[Vulnox]

DUDE! I knew it had to be something like this. My setup is also fairly complex: Unifi Router handling DHCP with PiHole running as DNS.... multiple SSIDs & VLANs.

What worked for me is that I created a totally separate network that only has access to the internet (completely firewalled off from the rest of my network) and put a new SSID on it. The DHCP and wifi configs are as bland as I could make them.

Who made this network stack for Ford!?! sheesh! This is absolutely nuts! This isn't even new or advanced stuff. My mind is really blown. Thanks for doing the hard work. /tipshat

Glad I stumbled on this. I also have a Unifi stack and unique VLANs and also using PiHole for DNS. I even repurposed an old NanoHD since I replaced my indoor APs a few months ago with Unifi 6 Pros and put the NanoHD in the garage. We have a Focus Electric (Sync 3) and the 2021 F-150 PB. What's funny is the Focus has never had issues with our Wifi, I would connect it to the IoT SSID and it has always been happy, downloaded Sync updates and all.

The F-150 was so hit and miss. It connected to my phone hotspot fine, but would just fail out on the garage network. I ended up making it its own SSID with a simple name (all my other SSIDs have dashes in them, thought maybe it didn't like those). It connected after a few tries and seems better.

I bet if I turned off band steering it would be back to connecting perfectly. Appreciate all the responses!

 

[Serpentius]

The solution I found to work was going into the general tab > About Sync. Write down the MAC addresses that show under system updates. Take those addresses and go into your routers dhcp section and manually assign those mac addresses to IP addresses outside of your dhcp pool.

 

[mark R]

OTA updates for one.

192.168.x.x (most common) and 10.x.x.x are the common local networks handed out by most wifi routers. If you have other devices that connect successfully to the wifi network, then the network probably isn't the issue. Does your truck show you a list of available networks?

First time here. Bought a 2023 Lightning Lariat. It connected to my phone just fine but won't connect to wifi. It DOES see the network(s) (I have 2) and I am 100% about the PW. Something made me think that if it was using the cell service, it ignored wifi. One reason I think that: I got a message that it updated (which is set to automatic). So either it does not want me on wifi because it has my cell connection, or ... I just can't synch to the wifi.

 

[3121]

Just thought I would throw this out there because of how much time it wasted for me to figure it out. For some reason my sync wasn’t able to connect to my home wifi. It turned out that because my IP address’ are xxx.xxx.69.x it couldn’t connect. Once I created a new WiFi network with an address assignment of xxx.xxx.0.x it connected right up. That’s what I get for customizing shit.

I had some trouble with the DHCP server is was using. I had AdGuard home deployed and for some reason the Sync system would not connect and request and IP from the AdGuard built in DHCP. I disabled the AdGuard DHCP and went back to the router DHCP. Worked fine after that.

 

[mark R]

Thanks for the suggestions. It sounds like one of them is suggesting that I create a new network. I suppose I can figure that out. Maybe. But I have not created any in the past (I have not customized) so am not sure why my Lightning won't sync right now. The other suggestion seemed to be that my internet security was in the way? But I am able to link other devices to my internet. I guess I can check the security settings. I am still curious how my truck gets updates (which it does) without being on Wifi. That makes me think that the truck is relying on my cellular network. My phone IS connected to the truck.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I am still curious how my truck gets updates (which it does) without being on Wifi. That makes me think that the truck is relying on my cellular network. My phone IS connected to the truck.

Your truck is getting 95% ++ of updates from the built in telematics cell connection, not your personal phone and very seldom from the home wifi even when successfully connected.

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