Regularly unavailable Wifi devices

I run a Unifi network based on a dream machine with six AP’s, nothing sexy just a straightforward setup. I have all my wifi on one network, not considered swopping the 40 or so and hassle associated to an IOT only setup. I also have VERY poor internet access (using 4G connection) and regularly suffer from “high latency” issues. However as these devices (many ESPHOME) are not going out to the internet I would have thought this cannot be the issue. Not sure where to start to see what can be the issue.

That sounds much more like a network issue than an HA issue.

ESPHome devices almost always use the 2.4GHz band. Six APs (plus the UDM?) is a lot for a normal house: I manage with three behind a UCG-Ultra in a largish house with garage. My church setup covers a large building with many rooms and thick walls with eight APs.

How have you laid out the APs and set the channels & power? If you’re using Auto, that’s probably the issue. For the 2.4GHz band (in the UK), you should only use channels 1, 6 and 11 at 20MHz width, and allocate them to the APs to maximise the distance between the same channels.

Set the AP power to Low to start with, only upping it if you have issues. The idea is many APs whispering rather than all shouting over each other.

At each AP, measure the levels of the adjacent APs — you’re looking for a level of around -75dBm for a nice handover between APs as you move around.

Can you share a screenshot of your Unifi network app screen showing the ESP devices and their signal levels as seen by the APs? Like this:

…and the Radios page:

What “high latency” and “regularly unavailable” issues are we talking about?

Many thanks for response. Heres the screenshots as requested:


And the Radios…

I have all set to optimise and auto so I guess as you explain that will be a problem, though they are on the suggest channel/power.
When I refer to “unavailable” this is from the logbook of each device, but it seems most wifi devices on the log go unavailable at the same time, I hadnt really noticed it before as they come back and so am none the wiser generally. However looking at uptime they dont seem to have lost connection.
With High Latency, I am referring to my broadband connection (4G) which I think is as you’d expect in a remote location.
Thanks for help.

Your four lowest signal devices are also the four with the shortest uptime.

I’d definitely start by turning the 2.4GHz radio power to Low. Auto is the same as maximum. They are on the suggested channels, which is good provided there aren’t two close to each other on the same channel.

The Ubiquiti community forum has some good tips on this, although it might help to have a floorplan available with the positions of the APs marked on them.

I don’t use this, I use Openwrt on my routers. But I had problem with frequent disconnections. By accident I discovered that one of my routers was causing interference with all the other routers. And it was 2.4 Ghz band. Switching 2.4 Ghz master radio off on that router solved the problem. No more devices disconnection, nothing. Everything is working stable and more than fine.

Ok but switching the 2.4 off will surely create more problems. I can understand switching the 5ghz off.

Ill set to low and try to create a floorplan. The APs are not ceiling mounted but wall mounted, perhaps thats not a great idea. Ill report back. Appreciate help.

You probably have wifi interference. It is very hard to find out. The only way is by trial and errors. At leas that was in my case.

It’s not hard to find out with Ubiquiti gear: the system can run interference scans from each AP.

5GHz and 2.4GHz bands don’t interfere with each other.

Have you seen any problems if both bands have the same ssid?

Not with Unifi: I always do this. Two SSIDs at home, three at church, all the same across both bands. Using since 2017 with no issues.

ESP devices can’t even see the 5GHz band.

I am experiencing the same problem with a few of my wifi devices. Haven’t had any problem at all before, but after 2024.10 I have had shelly devices and esphome devices showing as “unavailable” after starting HA. If I “reload” them from the integrations screen, they appear instantly. Has there been done anything about the loading of these devices when starting HA? From before, I remember especially the shelly integration taking some time to start - now it is instant, but with the problems mentioned.

Edit: Seems to happen every time I restart HA. A few devices (not the same each time) are unavailable, and don’t become available unless I click reload on them.

The devices are spread around different access points in a large house, and they all have good signal.

Pretty much same. I’m not sure if its a new problem but im thinking its certainly a few months in my instance. If I look when they go unavailable its exactly the same time regardless what AP they are connected to and its not only ESP, its other devices as well.