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is a slower protocol and you'll want to keep using the faster ones on your secure home network. 802.11b was only superceded by faster protocols in 2003, so it's understandable that Fitbit needs a little time to catch up.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!

[TarinFitbit]

Wow @SunsetRunner this is amazing ! Thank you very much for your participation on the Community and for sharing this instructions on how to fix the Aria WiFi ERR. I'm going to share this post with all my friends and also I'll share it every time someone is in need.

[Xavier68 · Accepted solution]

Sounds like a very elaborate solution. Glad it worked in your situation.

I have a quicker solution that worked (in my case anyway) after 15 or so attempts ending in a Wifi ERR. Maybe it works for others too. 

I tried to reconnect my Aria to a new router which was in mixed mode (802.11b, g and n). It did NOT work.

- I went into my router setup and set the 802.11n-modus to OFF. I had options "off" or "mixed mode" of "802.11n Greenfields". The default setting was mixed mode.

- I started the Aria Setup app (in my case in Mac OS X 10.10.5) and followed the steps and the Aria connected effortlessly in one go. 

- I weighed myself and it synced. 

- I went back into the router setup and set the 802.11n-modus back to mixed mode.

- I weighed myself again and it synced without a problem. 

CONCLUSION: Do the initial setup/pairing with 802.11n-modus disabled alltogether, no mixed mode either. And after it pairs, you can go back to mixed mode.

Hope this helps!

[TarinFitbit]

Thanks for the input and for taking the time to share this solution with the Community and for sure, I'm going to share your post with my friends. Thanks again @Xavier68 is great to see you around.  

[oranges]

I love this explanation - it made me smile although I have no idea what quite a lot of it means I fear.

I had to have a new router- the old one was shot - in fact the only thing it still did without complaining was synch aria info!

And guess what? That task is the only thing that hasn't shifted seamlessly to the upgrade.

I'm on my third day of trying. 

Not 24 hours a day you understand.

I'm trying different slots in the day - attempting to take it by surprise.

I'm trying in different places in the house including kneeling within a metre of the router like a supplicant.

I'm trying to keep my temper.

I am drinking lots of tea.

I may give up - I may try and talk to someone who works for fitbit 

...but then again I might just add the information into the system manually.

Ah - problem.....

[AaronPlant]

Tried this method but no success for me. Seems like there are a LOT of very unhappy Aria customers out here who are not getting the help they deserve. Leaving customers to try to 'work it out for themselves' is a very cheeky thing for a manufacturer selling a 'premium' priced product to behave. I'm disgusted. I won't be buying any more Fitbit products that's for sure...

[MCollins]

---

@AaronPlant wrote:
Tried this method but no success for me. Seems like there are a LOT of very unhappy Aria customers out here who are not getting the help they deserve. Leaving customers to try to 'work it out for themselves' is a very cheeky thing for a manufacturer selling a 'premium' priced product to behave. I'm disgusted. I won't be buying any more Fitbit products that's for sure...

---

I agree, Aaron: my Aria scale was really expensive and I'm kind of disgusted that Fitbit thinks what is perfectly acceptible is for me to waste a bunch of my time back-dooring my router, turning security protocols off for a while, all of which involves 26 steps to accomplish?!  I also did some research and it seems that in first-world countries "g" is not as commonly used anymore, either.  Fitbit comes across as not entirely honest about that excuse.  This should not be my problem to solve: Fitbit should fix this.  I'm frustrated and and can no longer recommend Fitbit products: I used to be a brand evangelist.      

[AaronPlant]

I spoke to Fitbit support today, and the solution for me was so simple it made me cry.

The answer to allow the Aria to reconnect to a new WiFi network is actually to delete the Aria users from your account which has the effect of 'un-pairing' your Aria which will then allow it to connect to a new WiFi network. Please note that this operation is NOT possible via the IOS or Android mobile apps which do not have this functionality, so it has to be done via a browser on the Fitbit web site by logging into your account.

Just login and enter settings. Select your Aria from your device list and then click the 'x' against each and all users of the scale. When the list is empty, your aria should be removed from your device list automatically.

At this point you can then run the normal setup procedure to add a new Aria, which will take you through the process of logging onto your Aria itself via WiFi, and connecting it to your house WiFi again.

This worked flawlessly for me with NO special WiFi settings. I only have an alphanumeric WiFi passcode on my router so you may need this but I don't think it matters.

I also didn't have to disable ANY security settings at all, it just works.

You will not lose any previously synchronised weight measurements.

Until I did this - my Aria was flatly refusing to connect at all despite trying all the suggested 'solutions' I could find on the community forum.

Please let me know if it helps you!

P.S. If it works - spread the word, so many people have been struggling with this it is amazing!

Moderator edit: merged reply

[SunsetRunner]

Hi guys,

I don't normally post on forums, but after a stressfull few days, I thought I had to.

Aria scales worked perfectly on my old BT Home Hub 5 router, then I changed to the new BT Smart Hub.

Scales connected ok, but would never sync or re-connect to the router.

After days and days trying to sort out, I had a brain wave.

I had split my old router bands in to 2, 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz instead of the factory set dual band.

I thought I would do the same to the new hub, and hey presto! it worked. Aria scales will only connect to 2.4Ghz band,

I hope this helps other frustrated users.

[Tajinaste]

Thank you so much for your solution, I was so desperate with my Aria, couldn't make it accept my new wifi code. I did as you said, deleated all users, and could easily configurate it. Have nice day!

[vpushkarna]

Cannot agree more!! I have spend half a day trying to find shortcuts to problems as suggested by some community members. I could have picked up a 20$ walmart weighing machine if sync to my phone was not that important. I paid 140$ more just to get that feature and the solution provided by fitbit rep is use it just like any other machine. I pay $80 for a high speed intenet. I called by internet provider and he said if you switch one of the badwidth as suggested by fitbit it will severely effect your connectvity speed. Literally, I feel cheated after I was so excited to use this equipment. 

[Ughsofrustrated]

See solution from AaronPlant dated‎ 08-22-2016

OMG... this fixed my problem on the first try!    After hours of frustration and failed attempts to reset / reconnect the WiFi following all the other suggested fixes and advice from FitBit...   You rock!   Thanks for restoring my ARIA to better than 'expensive door stop' status!

BTW - my ARIA just decided out of the blue to stop syncing a couple of weeks ago.   I made no changes to my router, my password, my home network - I changed nothing!... It just quit syncing.

[Trikke]

Dear all @ Fitbit.

After trying hours and hours in the last couple of days, I gave up hope.

Ther is only one good solution to the sync problem:

Return the product to fitbit, buy another scale, an give in the results manually in your(best of breed!) fitbit app.

[Ughsofrustrated]

This solution worked beautifully on the 1st try - after hours of frustration trying all the other suggestions (in the community & from FitBit).

What irritates me is this problem occurred for no reason - my router has not changed, my PC and phone equipment have not changed... nada, zip, nothing was touched or changed to cause the Aria to randomly freakout and stop linking to the WiFi.

Thanks again for such a simple & painless solution!

Note: see solution from AaronPlant - it works!

Moderator edit: merged reply

[PattyMac]

I love you.  I have spent the past 1 1/2 hours on trying to connect this **ahem**ed Aria to the new router.  I have printed your instructions for my husband to follow when he gets home.  We, too, have one of the newer routers.  Fitbit makes everything more complicated than it needs to be.  Grrr.

[AKiwiKid]

Thank you so much this worked a treat. Saved hours of head banging. I'll buy you a beer if you ever want to travel to New Zealand!

[Scottybm]

I have tried all kinds of settings and could not get it to work. I will attempt this one to see if it does work. I changed to a new updated router and this is when it quit. I put the old router back just to test and it was able to connect again.

The only way I was able to get it connected for the time was enable hot spot on my cell phone and use that. 

So now when I weigh myself I just turn on my hotspot to complete the sync for now until I try this next method.

I am using a WRT AC3200 router

[terancensmith]

It worked like a charm

[FATBADCAT]

I have had my ARIA for a year without issue and the whole family really likes it. 

I just upgraded my router from an old Dlink DIR-655 to a brand new Syslink WRT3200ACM top of the line router. All the 20+ WiFi devices in my smart home were able to be connected to the new router except one. Yes, the ARIA would not connect no matter what I tried. It is totally incompatable with the new Syslink router, and gave nothing but "Network Error" when trying to link, no matter what router settings I tried for the 2.4GHz WiFi network. Spent at least a day trying different settings.

The solution was to setup my old Dlink router as separate hidden WiFi network, on my new network, with one IP dedicated to the ARIA's MAC address. Desparate situations sometime prompt rediculus solutions.

Thanks Fitbit for making such an excellent product with the most outdated WiFi module available! Hopefully you can fix this in a SW update, but I doubt it is a SW problem.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has gotten the ARIA to work on a Syslink WRT 3200ACM,1900AC or 1200AC router. I called fitbit support, but they were of no help and the WRT routers we not even on their incompatable router list.

[Scottybm]

Have the same router with the same problem. Even replaced the scale with a new one thinking that was the problem.  After multiple attempts at trying different settings using different wifi bands and other stuff I just ended up connecting it to my phone hotspot when I use the scale. 

Fitbit should address this issue. This is not a 30.00 scale FITBIT. We paid a nice price for a product.