When a device will not connect to an eero Pro 6, begin by finding out whether it is one device or many, because the answer separates a network fault from a device fault. If everything fails, the network may be down, so check the eero's light and the app. If only one device fails, treat it as a device problem first. The eero Pro 6 is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system with one network name for all bands, and a few devices, especially older smart plugs, cameras and printers, can only use 2.4 GHz and struggle to find that band on a shared name.
The checks in more detail
During their setup, bring the device close to the eero and, if the setup uses a phone, make sure the phone is joined to the 2.4 GHz band, which you can influence by turning off the 5 GHz band briefly in the app, or by following the manufacturer's guide. Check the password carefully, since a single wrong character is the commonest cause, and forget the network on the device and join again. Private or random Wi-Fi addresses on phones confuse some routers, so turn them off for this network in the phone's Wi-Fi settings. Open the eero app's device list and check whether the device appears, whether it is paused or blocked by a profile or parental control, and whether its address is a duplicate.
Restart the device and the eero. Check that the eero has not reached a limit on devices, which for a home system is rarely the case but may happen with many smart devices; remove old devices from the list. If a device connects but has no internet, check DNS and the date and time, and try a reserved address in the app. A weak signal makes the device connect and drop, so move it closer to a unit. Update the eero and the device's own firmware. If a device will not join on any network, it is probably faulty, and the maker should help.
If the eero cannot be reached by the app, make sure Bluetooth and location are on, and that the phone is on the eero network. The eero Pro 6 can also act as a smart home hub for Thread and Zigbee devices, and those use their own pairing in the app, not the Wi-Fi join. If a device of that kind will not connect, check the box and the app for its pairing steps, since the Wi-Fi password is not involved. Keep such devices within range of a unit with the hub features switched on.
Differential
Likely causes of “eero Pro 6 will not connect one device”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A wrong password
What separates it The device never joins
How to confirm Re-enter it carefully
- 2
A 2.4 GHz-only device
What separates it A plug or camera cannot find the network
How to confirm Join while close and with the phone on 2.4 GHz
- 3
A private Wi-Fi address
What separates it A phone fails to join
How to confirm Turn it off for this network
- 4
A paused or blocked device
What separates it It shows no internet
How to confirm Un-pause it in the app
- 5
A weak signal
What separates it It joins and drops
How to confirm Move it nearer a unit
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether one device or all fail
- The app's device list
- The band support
- The profile and pause state
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCheck one or many
ReversibleDevices failing.
Check the password
ReversibleAnd band support.
Forget and rejoin
ReversibleOn the device.
Turn off private address
ReversibleFor this network.
Check pause and profiles
ReversibleIn the app.
Restart the eero
ReversibleAnd the device.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Tri-band
- One name covers the bands.
- Pauses
- Profiles can block devices.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If every device fails, check the eero's light and restart
- !If one device fails on every network, contact its maker
- !Update the eero
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why will my device not join my eero Pro 6?+
A wrong password, band or a pause.
Do plugs need 2.4 GHz?+
Many do.
Can the app block a device?+
Yes.
Should I restart the eero?+
Yes, if all fail.