Aria Wifi ERR solution for new routers which support 802.11ac

[SunsetRunner]

So I spent a little while trying to get my Aria re-connected after making some changes to my router.

I have one of the new models with two radios (2.4Ghz and 5). It uses 802.11 b/g/n on the 2.4Ghz band and ac on the 5Ghz band, and offers to "intelligently" use the correct band for the device connecting. I set it up on a newish laptop running Windows 10. Apparently there's something that Aria doesn't like about this whole setup, but I finally got it working and this is how:

1. Turn on the guest network in your router and make sure it's set to use the b/g/n mode. (or no more than 54Mbps, or compatibility mode, or whatever they call it in your router.)
2. Give your guest network a name that only includes letters or numbers. (There's no real reason for this; it seems Fitbit just decided that would be easier for them.)
3. Make sure there are no hackers in the near vicinity.
4. Turn off any security for your guest network.
5. Make sure your guest network is visible (is broadcasting its SSID)
   1. If you don't own your router or have some means of accessing the settings, try calling whoever does and asking them to please change the settings for you, ideally while you're home, during working hours. We're using the guest network because 802.11b is a slower protocol and you'll want to keep using the faster ones on your secure home network. 802.11b was only superceded by faster protocols in 2003, so it's understandable that Fitbit needs a little time to catch up.
6. Put your Aria in setup mode by taking out one battery for 10 seconds.
7. Bring your scale, router, and laptop to within 10 feet of one another.
8. Go to http://www.fitbit.com/setup/aria (I used MS Edge, because enterprise software teams tend to develop for Microsoft first and it doesn't allow plugins. If you don't have Edge, try IE8) (I know we're not dealing with enterprise software here, but it feels the same, so work with me here.)
9. Clear your cookies and restart your browser. Throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder and spin around three times counterclockwise.
10. Follow the prompts, giving your Aria a name that reflects your feelings towards Fitbit. Be honest.
11. Take a break and send an email to Fitbit support asking why they couldn't just use WPS like printers and music streaming boxes and everything else that needs to connect to wifi without having a keyboard.
12. Connect to the network starting with "ARIA", hoping that there's only one. You might have to wait a bit for the network to show up.
13. Hope that no wise guy has called his router "ARIA501b" or something to trick you to connecting to it.
14. Let it scan for networks and select your guest network. Status messages will be displayed on the scale.
15. When the webpage shows your guest network, select it.
16. When prompted, go to your wifi settings and connect to your guest wifi.
17. Go back to the page and click continue.
18. Hopefully you'll get a success page, but we're not done yet. Go have a cup of tea.
19. Put your scale on a hard surface somewhere
20. Stand on it.
21. Step off when it tells you to step off.
22. Watch the display to see if it gives you a checkmark after displaying your weight, BF, and initials, then doing the little "sending" animation.
    1. If you get a little x above a wifi symbol, it didn't work. Contact support or go to step 8 and try, try again.
23. Go to your fitbit dashboard or open the app and see if it logged your weight.
24. Go back into your router settings and change your guest wifi to WPA2 and give it a simple password with only letters and numbers (again, this appears to be just because Fitbit decided that would be easier for them.)
25. Repeat step 8 through 20, including the cup of tea, but this time, when you select your guest network, the scale (or whatever device is broadcasting a name starting with ARIA) will ask for your wifi password. Give it your guest network password. (This is why step 2 is very important. If it turns out to be a honeypot device, at least you have only given it your guest wifi password, which you totally aren't using anywhere else, right?)
26. Enjoy your new time and effort saving scale!

[ECM68]

Tried it on the same SSID the scale was first setup with and worked for
close to 2 years. I’ve tried it with laptop, iphone and iPad. Tried setting
protocol to b,g,n. The app crashes every time. Tried setting up the 2.4GHz
Guest to serve only the Aria all SSIDs and passwords with only alphanumeric
no special characters no spaces. Tried setting up with and without the
setup app. My scale stopped syncing when I upgraded my modem/router all
that’s left is to go back to the old hardware that topped out at 50GB/s.
I’m paying for 200/20 so that’s not my preferred solution but I’m getting
to the classic definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over
expecting a different result. Id love to hear from more owners of Gen1
scales with V39 firmware. Especially those who have succeeded in connecting
without the WiFi Err message. Thanks

[AMGoodridge]

I have the same scales - tried all the same things as you....I got it to work by doing two other things (not sure which made it work and don’t really care as it now works) - try removing the scales entirely from your Fitbit account (requires you to remove all users of the scales as there isn’t a ‘remove’ option like there is for a Fitbit for example) , and also your pc needs to be using the new SSID you created.

[texascatmom]

Hi!

Thank you - I will try this after I get home
And will Let you know.

[ECM68]

Thanks I’ll try it.

[JuanJoFitbit]

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for trying the workaround that was shared above. I appreciate the time you spent on this. I'd like you to let me know if you see something unusual.

See you all around! 

[johnmonticello]

This solution worked when Aria would not connect to wifi after getting a new modem with 802.11ac wifi.

I was helping a friend get his Aria to connect to his wifi after getting a new modem installed by his Internet provider. I searched the Fitbit community here and read a LOT of posts. 

I added a TP-Link Wireless N300 2T2R Access Point, 2.4Ghz 300Mbps, 802.11b/g/n to his new router. I did NO configuration of the access point or his new router. The access point creates a new wireless network which allows the Aria to connect to the new net work that was created. It was $23.99 on Amazon Prime. It came with an ethernet cable which connected it to the router. I followed a simple setup of the access point - nothing technical. The new network that it creates is automatically named TP-Link_AP_XXXX  where XXXX is the identifier of the particular access point.  You just pick this as the network for Aria to connect to in the Fitbit Aria setup steps.

I used a laptop for the Aria Setup. And I signed in to his Fitbit account and setup a new name for the Aria which I chose in the Aria setup steps.

I did have to go thru the Setup procedure 3 or 4 times to achieve success and got connected and the check mark on the Aria display. 

When I went thru the Aria Setup the display showed  V39 which, I believe is the Version number of the Firmware within the Aria. I assume it gets updated automatically. 

This way you still have the faster 802.11ac for other devices so there is not dumbing down of the main wireless network.

Another TIP: We had to replace the batteries after the successful setup. We did NOT want to have to  go thru the Aria Setup again which you would have to if you left the batteries out for 10 seconds.

So we had the new batteries ready and then quickly (in 2 to 3 seconds) remove and replace each battery one at a time. It worked and installed fresh batteries without a new Setup. 

I hope this helps someone connect to a new modem.

[xXMarilynXx]

Ok, just bumping on this thread a little bit, just in case others would find it useful. In my case I used my mobile hotspot running on 802.11n 2.4GHz to pair.

Managed to setup the scale with my handphone's WIFI at 802.11n 2.4GHz. All I did was to repeat the steps 3-4 times, took me about an hour of trial and error. Basically as long as the Fitbit's page is able to scan the "list of WiFis" in your vicinity and you're able to see your connection on the list, you can connect to it. Took me 2 tries the minute I reached that page. And about 10 odds try to get the scale to be on "Setup Active" mode.

Used to have the problem you had a year ago, eventually fixed it by changing my home wifi's Internet protocol from 802.11n to 802.11b. But I've moved house since then and the only WiFi I can get is via my mobile hotspot, and it worked!

Edit: Tested out with the same mobile hotspot/tethering at 802.11n 5GHz, does not work. It only works for 2.4GHz, so please remember to reconfigure your mobile hotspot AP band to 2.4GHz if you're planning to use your mobile as the scale's WIFI. As long as you can see your WIFI name on the scanning for networks page (after connecting to "AriaXXXX" wifi, you'll be able to pair with the scale).

P.S: The list of WIFI connection I'm talking about looks like the one in minute 2.53 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QA2076Lt_k. I do not own the video, credits to Mike, the video uploader. I'm just sharing the link to give you guys a better picture of the whole setup process. Hope it helps.

[iVol]

Thank you @AaronPlant!  That worked great!  I spent several hours banging my head against the wall changing all kinds of router settings and just deleting the scale users was the solution.

[Gavacho]

Xavier68, Outfrigginstandin! That did it! You just earned 10 Good Karma points... 

However, on my newer model Asus 3200AC router, I went to the "Wireless-General" setting, and switched the wireless mode from "Auto" to "Legacy."  Which amounts to exactly what you did. I also unclicked "b/g proctection" for good measure. 

My Aria has been sitting for two years unconnected to my account because of this. It worked with my old dinosaur Cox router/modem.  Hopefully Fitbit has fixed this problem on the new Arias coming out. One of which I plan on buy for my wife.

Thanks bro!

[hanshock]

This did not work for me.

[Dizzy_violin]

This is ridiculously complicated for non-technical people. I’m upset that Fitbit doesn’t have a user friendly way to fix this problem. Until then I have a piece of junk. Not happy. 

[Bubbles5466]

It would be great to know what my "guest network" is.  I cannot reconnect using any of what you have written.  I had to change my network last week due to a stupid Comcast issue and now the scale will not work.  Got a new Versa 2 because the Fitbit that I had is completely shot.  So, I'm feeling pretty torqued right about now.  I joined Noom and was thrilled to see these work together and now none of them are.  So, great steps but those of us that don't know where or what the guest network is on their modem/router or whatever, it's not helpful.  I have a fair grip on everything because you have to in this day and age but I set the scale up with no problem when it came and it isn't doing it now.

[Loaiiiiiii]

Good Article that help my website
thanks 😍

[techgirl13]

So feel free to save yourself some time if you live in 2020 unlike Fitbit.

Aria's wifi will not work unless your wifi runs on 2.4 b - which is now largely obsolete. So don't waste 4 hours with the stupid battery out/will it enter setup on the 10th time, or trying to reconfigure your internet.

Think this is typed ANYWHERE on their site? Nope... But if your new wireless network doesn't have B your scale is a big annoying paperweight.

[screed68]

Aaron, after many attempts at connecting to my new Eero mesh network and receiving "No Sync" or Wifi Err messages on the scale, I found your post. 

I removed the Aria scale users on the website, went through the normal scale setup process, and the scale connected and synced with my account perfectly!  THANK YOU!!!  And like you said, all of my weight history and recent, previously unsynched weighings showed up after this process.

If I could make this the "best answer", I definitely would!

[Ldzldz]

I agree 1000%

[anonymous1989]

Under ideal conditions, 2.4 Hertz offers up to 600 Mbps, depending on the type of router, and 5 Hertz is capable of up to 1300 Mbps. You can read the article about AT&T router login at RouterCTRL in detail. It describes in detail the cases of combining technologies. A 2.4GHz network covers a larger radius, but it also has more interference and congestion, which can lead to disconnected connections and very slow speeds. Although 5 GHz provides good speed and less interference, it has a limited range. To reach a compromise, you need to combine the work of both groups. For this reason, many manufacturers have started producing dual-band routers and network cards.

[DonWu]

@MatthewFitbit thanks for the great set of steps. Big Sur MacOs will not allow the system fiddling.

I resorted to using a very old MacBook. It worked.

1. MacOs app Fitbit Wifi Setup "Version 1.0 (1.0.4.144)" 

    tl;dr the mac app is no longer available!

2. High Sierra 10.13.6 (17G14042)

3. Scale reported firmware "v39"

4. System Preferences, Networks, click unlock and leave it that way.

5. Agree with prompts "wants to make changes" with admin username/password.

Fitbit Wifi Setup app was, I think, an afterthought, in case you are "uncomfortable configuring your wifi network". It does steps similar to the Web setup. You can leave Network Preferences open and watch Wifi switch to SSID "ARIA<numerals>". The MacOs Fitbit Wifi Setup app prompted to "Join (MyMainSSID) Yes/No?" I tried No, and the loose guest SSID. Fail. Tried Yes, and it successfully joined "MyMainSSID". Weighed. Synced. I undid the router hack. Weighed. Synced.

Connection to the Aria 1 succeeded, joining a 2020 wifi gateway with factory "special characters" password.

I had another Mac open, on which I had tried your "zero security guest mode" method. That temporary security hole may have affected the outcome, though it only changed MyMainSSID_Guest. Imo, it's highly appropriate to be  "uncomfortable" letting FitBit fiddle your wifi network.

It took hours to try the Fitbit-recommended way, then the guest hack way, and then the Fitbit Wifi Setup app way. Batteries on the scale and the old Mac died a few times. The Aria 1 scale springs will measure the force of a car crusher soon. 

I will just buy a new scale for < $100 that will connect with popular phone apps. 

[schultzern]

I had the same problem with my Fitbit Aria which I have had for ages after switching to a new WiFi system at home supporting 802.11ac. What fixed it for mye was to enable:

Legacy SupportEnable legacy device support (i.e. 11b)

Might be that some of the modern 802.11ac or 802.11ax (WiFi 6) has settings like this in the admin UI. For my case it was a Ubiquiti Unifi system and the setting was found under WiFi->[WiFi name]->Advanced->Legacy Support

[JakeHus]

This worked