MEATER Problems.
I've had the Meater block since just after the kickstarter campaign finished. I REALLY like it. It works great with the rotisserie.
I did have issues with it getting connected to my wifi router at the beginning. I found that the problem was that my router was set for smart connect or some nonsense thing like that. Basically my router has 2 5ghz and 1 2.4ghz transmit channels. When the router was set to the smart connect setting only 1 channel was transmitted that you connect to. The "smart connect" function thingy then placed your device on what it deemed as the best channel to connect your device to. It often tried connecting some of my 2.4ghz only devices to the 5ghz channels for some dumb reason. It created havoc with my Sonos speakers and the Meater block. Once I changed my router setting to show the 2.4ghz on its own I have not had any of those issues. The Meater block connects every time now easily (and no more issues with my Sonos system).
Now the Meater block is not perfect, and maybe the newer ones are better. Here are my only issues with it:
1. The block needs to be VERY close to the cooker for the probes to connect to the block. Several times a cook I will get an alert that says 1 or more probes have lost connection. Moving the block a little closer and facing the cooker seems to help, but most of the time I do nothing and the probe reconnects within seconds.
Well, now that I think of it, that is really my only gripe.
I love that each probe tells me the internal temp of the meat and also tells me the ambient temp of the pit as well. My favorite thing is when I have to leave for something I forgot to get at the store during a long cook and I can still monitor the cook.
Hm...you gave me hope there for a minute....lol.
I bought the MEATER Block the other day on Amazon Prime and feel I got a decent price.
However, I have NOT been able to set it up with my local WiFI with my current password. The same password that EVERYTHING wireless in my home has been connecting with for years (streaming boxes, TVs, toys, lights, etc....) with no problem.
I've been back and forth with support asking to make sure what is permissible in a password. I happen to have some punctuation symbols in mine, for a little extra security.
I had a sneaking suspicion...so, just for sh*ts and giggles, I took the symbols out...and set my phone to connect with that altered password....and VOILA, the Meater Block connected to WiFi and ran a firmware update.
Problem is, I do not want to have to go through EVERY item I own all over the house and reset the d*amned password. Heck with some of the things, I don't actually remember the config password for that item to get to the WiFi password to change it....
I've requested escalation on their support and I'm now conversing on email (about 1 a day) with someone that has a bit more tech knowledge....and hoping there's something that will get me by this.
I REALLY wanna use this unit...and likely when it comes down to it...I may decide to go through and change everything.....or, I may not.
But it blows this day in age that a network connected bit of hardware or an app cannot use all the commonly used characters for a password, you know?
Anyway...I really wanna use it...I see the 4 probes lit up in the app and I see all the graphical doodads sitting there waiting for me...mocking me...to set some temps.
Oh well....I thought I might have had a chance with your suggestion...I turned smart connect off my wireless access point, but alas...that did no good.
And after I did this....it dawned on me, I'd connect before with smart connect "on" but the password change.
Oh well...my smoker comes in in a month.....but darn it, I just did an amazing El Pollo Local copycat marinade recipe I tinkered with on a whole spatchcocked bird and it is AMAZING, but I'd sure like to have used my MEATER probes on it....
Cayenne
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