Crazy apex alerts on vacation, please help

[Reefer1978]

my light is orange

if i do this, am i starting over from scratch? like i have to redo all my programming and adding devices?

Yes it would be a full reset

 

[MnFish1]

my light is orange

if i do this, am i starting over from scratch? like i have to redo all my programming and adding devices?

No - I dont believe so - just start from the network part. Let me make sure.

 

[MnFish1]

Yes it would be a full reset

Do you have a Mac or a PC? I was under the impression that you can reset your network without resetting the whole programming...

 

[MnFish1]

PS - here is the link for the apex App on the website. It will search for controllers, etc - just dont click upgrade firmware but 'look for controllers'

https://www.neptunesystems.com/firmware/

 

[GregOyeah]

downloading now.

i have a mac. but i can get on a pc laptop if i need to.

if i did the complete reboot, wouldnt i then just be able to get a token to connect to fusion, then log into fusion and upload my old program from there?

 

[GregOyeah]

i did a search for controllers and nothing was found ugh

 

[MnFish1]

PS - here is the link for the apex App on the website. It will search for controllers, etc - just dont click upgrade firmware but 'look for controllers'

https://www.neptunesystems.com/firmware/

PS - it says to change a network, router, etc - press the reset button for 6 seconds until it turns blue then reenter your network information. I searched and searched- and cannot find documentation that this does an entire factory reset (i.e. lose your programming). From what I've read - doing a 'full factory reset' takes 60 seconds on the reset button. But - thats all I could find. Hope its been slightly helpful

 

[MnFish1]

PS - it says to change a network, router, etc - press the reset button for 6 seconds until it turns blue then reenter your network information. I searched and searched- and cannot find documentation that this does an entire factory reset (i.e. lose your programming). From what I've read - doing a 'full factory reset' takes 60 seconds on the reset button. But - thats all I could find. Hope its been slightly helpful

Are you using wifi or the cable?

 

[GregOyeah]

so we have success I guess.

I held the reset button for 6 seconds and initiated the network configuration reset instead of the general reboot. The apex logo turned blue and I had access to the initial Neptune start up wifi. This finally gave me access to apex local again, but it was the equipment start up screen.

i selected my network and entered my wifi password and after several minutes of thinking it told me the connection failed and to check my password. Neptune logo still blue. I entered my password again and triple checked it and tried to connect again. It thought for about it for almost 10 minutes and i didnt get a response, i ended task and restarted my computer. Neptune logo still blue. I open up apex local again. I enter my password again, double check it and it enter. About a minute after I hit enter, the logo turns orange and i hear the apex reboot, then i started getting notifications from fusion on my phone again. Right about this time my computer told me the login failed again and to check my password (???weird???) I then disconnect from neptunes wifi and reconnect to my home wifi, i go to log onto apex local and all my old stuff comes up like it was before.

what the heck man. Cant say this inspires a lot of confidence in the apex if i leave town again. Im gonna leave my support ticket open with neptune to see if theres a way this can be avoided in the future.

thank you so much for your help! its greatly appreciated

 

[MnFish1]

so we have success I guess.

I held the reset button for 6 seconds and initiated the network configuration reset instead of the general reboot. The apex logo turned blue and I had access to the initial Neptune start up wifi. This finally gave me access to apex local again, but it was the equipment start up screen.

i selected my network and entered my wifi password and after several minutes of thinking it told me the connection failed and to check my password. Neptune logo still blue. I entered my password again and triple checked it and tried to connect again. It thought for about it for almost 10 minutes and i didnt get a response, i ended task and restarted my computer. Neptune logo still blue. I open up apex local again. I enter my password again, double check it and it enter. About a minute after I hit enter, the logo turns orange and i hear the apex reboot, then i started getting notifications from fusion on my phone again. Right about this time my computer told me the login failed again and to check my password (???weird???) I then disconnect from neptunes wifi and reconnect to my home wifi, i go to log onto apex local and all my old stuff comes up like it was before.

what the heck man. Cant say this inspires a lot of confidence in the apex if i leave town again. Im gonna leave my support ticket open with neptune to see if theres a way this can be avoided in the future.

thank you so much for your help! its greatly appreciated

Great - glad it worked out. And glad we got the answer that restarting the network keeps the programming.

 

[Reefer1978]

I am also super glad it worked finally. If you have the space, just wire it through ethernet. Save yourself the trouble of having to worry about it connecting or not connecting next time.

 

[GregOyeah]

So for the sake of finishing the thread and potentially helping someone out down the line who comes across this thread, I’ll write out what Neptune tech support had to say to me.

They referred me to a YouTube video they published, illustrating this specific problem. Where internet service is restored and all your units are showing the normal orange light, yet there’s no connection to fusion.

Here is a link to the video they sent me, it should cut straight to the part where they address this issue, if not fast forward to 28:50. It’s the same process Mnfish1 was able to dig up to get me back online.

When pressed for why this happens and why apex can’t reconnect, they just said that the vast majority of the time, the apex does reconnect, but if there’s a time it doesn’t, this is what they do to fix it.

Judging by the amount of similar problems I was able to pull up online with this similar issue, I would think he’s downplaying how often this does happen, but who knows, maybe it’s been addressed in firmware updates.

 

[MnFish1]

BTW do you have a static IP address? (Neptune sometimes recommends it) - the problem is that if your power come on - and another device grabs that IP address before Apex - Apex will not connect. (This is why people have said it fixed the problem by changing back to DHCP). Since the firmware revisions - I have not had this problem. But - I think it would happen with an ethernet cable - or wifi.

 

[Reefer1978]

BTW do you have a static IP address? (Neptune sometimes recommends it) - the problem is that if your power come on - and another device grabs that IP address before Apex - Apex will not connect. (This is why people have said it fixed the problem by changing back to DHCP). Since the firmware revisions - I have not had this problem. But - I think it would happen with an ethernet cable - or wifi.

Static IP can happen with both. You can bind a MAC address to an IP. If setting that up, best way is to bind to an IP outside of DHCP range.

 

[shred5]

Static IP can happen with both. You can bind a MAC address to an IP. If setting that up, best way is to bind to an IP outside of DHCP range.

Agreed. Always set the router to a set dhcp range and take your statics outside of that range.

But putting it to static has never helped mine when the power goes out.
I know Sanjay had the same issue and static did not help him but I do not know if ever fixed the issue.

 

[Reefer1978]

Agreed. Always set the router to a set dhcp range and take your statics outside of that range.

But putting it to static has never helped mine when the power goes out.
I know Sanjay had the same issue and static did not help him but I do not know if ever fixed the issue.

If this is an ongoing issue, a small UPS may be beneficial just for the apex so it stays on. It's a hard pill to swallow and a $700 device shouldn't have these issues.

 

[shred5]

If this is an ongoing issue, a small UPS may be beneficial just for the apex so it stays on. It's a hard pill to swallow and a $700 device shouldn't have these issues.

Mine is the classic and I thought about a ups. I thought about putting one on the router and the bridge.
I was just going to hardwire it eventually but I use the Apex for so little on this tank.

My wireless bridge boots slower than the Apex.

Basically the Apex thinks the network is down and does not try again.

I think at this point I may just dump that Apex or maybe move to a different tank.

 

[MnFish1]

If this is an ongoing issue, a small UPS may be beneficial just for the apex so it stays on. It's a hard pill to swallow and a $700 device shouldn't have these issues.

Isnt the problem with a UPS backup the same as a generator (in this case) - in that even if the power goes off for less than a second - the APEX may shut off (unless you buy a more expensive 'on-line' model?

 

[MnFish1]

Mine is the classic and I thought about a ups. I thought about putting one on the router and the bridge.
I was just going to hardwire it eventually but I use the Apex for so little on this tank.

My wireless bridge boots slower than the Apex.

Basically the Apex thinks the network is down and does not try again.

I think at this point I may just dump that Apex or maybe move to a different tank.

This happens with my Apex 2016 as well.

 

[Entz]

Isnt the problem with a UPS backup the same as a generator (in this case) - in that even if the power goes off for less than a second - the APEX may shut off (unless you buy a more expensive 'on-line' model?

In my experience the device wont even know the power wen't out. I have never had a load sensitive enough to need an online UPS. Most UPS will transfer in < 10ms (good ones at <5) which isn't enough to discharge the capacitors in the power supplies. Technically speaking your line voltage is going to 0 every 8ms anyways and that is all smoothed out.

In comparison, Generators take a long time to turn on. 15-20s it not usual.