A device that will not join an eero 6 network usually has one of four problems: the wrong band, a password mismatch, a device limit or a stale entry. Many smart-home gadgets, printers and older devices only work on 2.4 GHz, and an eero network joins both bands under one name, so they sometimes try the 5 GHz band and fail.
The fix is to put the device close to an eero node, make sure the phone setting up the device is on the same Wi-Fi, and temporarily switch the eero app off 5 GHz band steering if you have that option, or use the app's feature that creates a separate 2.4 GHz network during setup. A password with special characters can also fail on old firmware. Forget the network on the device, restart the device and the eero, and rejoin.
Differential
Likely causes of “eero 6 will not connect one device”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A 2.4 GHz-only device on a dual-band network
What separates it Setup stalls or the device fails to join
How to confirm Put the device next to a node and use the app's 2.4 GHz setup option
- 2
A stale network entry on the device
What separates it The device knows the network and fails the handshake
How to confirm Forget the network on the device and rejoin
- 3
A password the device handles badly
What separates it Special characters are rejected
How to confirm Use a simpler password for the network, or type it carefully
- 4
Too many devices on a node
What separates it New devices fail on a crowded node
How to confirm Move the device near a less busy node
- 5
An eero software state
What separates it Several devices fail at once
How to confirm Restart the gateway, then the nodes, in that order
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The device and whether it supports 5 GHz
- Whether other devices join
- What the device says when it fails
- The eero app's device list for it
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedBring the device next to a node
ReversiblePlace the device within a few meters of an eero and keep the phone that does setup close too, because the first handshake is the most fragile part of joining a mesh.
Forget the network on the device and start clean
ReversibleDelete the saved entry on the device so it does not retry an old, half-working configuration, then restart the device.
Match the band to the device
ReversibleMany plugs, bulbs, printers and cameras only support 2.4 GHz; use the device's own app to join 2.4 GHz while the phone is on the same 2.4 GHz network, which the eero app can help you set up.
Check the password characters
ReversibleIf an older device rejects the password, retype it slowly, and if it still fails, try a simpler password with letters and numbers for a test.
Restart the gateway and then the nodes
ReversibleUnplug the gateway for thirty seconds, power it on and wait for the light, then restart the nodes one at a time.
Try again from the device's list
ReversibleChoose the network from the device's own Wi-Fi list and enter the password rather than using a shared or saved one.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Why 2.4 GHz-only devices fail
- An eero network offers two bands under one name, and a device that sees both may try the stronger 5 GHz band and fail if it does not support it; setup next to a node and using the device's own app avoids it.
- A sign it is the node
- If a device joins when it is near one node and fails near another, the second node's signal or its load is the problem.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If several different devices fail together, restart the eero and contact eero support
- !If one device fails everywhere, ask its maker
- !If a device joins and drops, see the Wi-Fi drops page
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does a new smart plug fail on my eero?+
It probably supports only 2.4 GHz; set it up next to a node with the phone on 2.4 GHz.
Do I need to split my network into two names?+
Not normally; setup near a node usually works.