Connecting a Traeger to an eero Router

Some customers attempting to connect their WiFIRE-enabled Traeger grill with an eero router may experience difficulty pairing successfully because eero routers/boosters are designed specifically for 5GHz devices; whereas, Traeger grills are designed to connect via 2.4 GHz networks. 

Preliminary Checkpoints When Connecting to an eero Router

Create a Guest Network

Eero routers utilize a 5GHz network by default and will only provide a 2.4GHz network via a manually created guest network. Since Traeger grills connect only to a 2.4GHz network, create a guest network using a 2.4GHz frequency to connect successfully.

Create a guest network on your eero router by following this eero support article.

• Your guest network MUST have a password. The password needs to have fewer than 38 characters and contain no special characters (!@$&).
  • The default password generated by the Eero application will generate a 56-character password which causes pairing failures with our grills. Its highly advised to use a custom password at a lower limit.
• eero 6+: The eero 6+ is a dual-band router that uses both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio frequencies. You will need to pause your 5Ghz when pairing the guest network. See Disable 5GHz eero Frequency.
  
  

Still not connecting?

Check WiFi Password

Long WiFi passwords containing 38+ characters tend to cause difficulty connecting. Auto-generated passwords often exceed this length. Special characters also can prevent the grill from connecting.

1. Go to Main Dashboard > Settings > Wifi Password.
2. You’ll be taken to a field to view/edit your network password.
3. If your password is longer than 38 characters or if it has special characters (!@#$...), update your password and try to pair again.
   
   • The default password generated by the Eero application will generate a 56-character password which causes pairing failures with our grills. Its highly advised to use a custom password at a lower limit

Check for eero Software Updates

1. Open the eero app and navigate to Settings > Software > Updates. 
2. If an update is available, the app will prompt you to install the new software version.
3. Once you finish updating the software, or if there is no update, try to pair your grill again.
   
   

Turn Off Advanced Security

Eero routers come with a default feature turned on called Advanced Security. This feature blocks malicious sites, botnets, phishing, etc., but it can also prevent smart home devices like your Traeger grill from connecting to the network. 

1. Open the eero app and tap Discover > eero Secure > Advanced Security.
2. Toggle Advanced Security to OFF. 
3. Try pairing your grill again. 
   
   • If pairing is successful, you can turn Advanced Security back on without disrupting the grill's connection. 
     
     

Disable Your Apple HomeKit

Apple HomeKits create firewalls that may prevent your Traeger grill from connecting successfully. If you have an Apple HomeKit enabled, disable it temporarily while you connect. You can enable the Apple HomeKit once connected.

Turn on Legacy Mode

Legacy Mode is an eero setting that disables WiFi 6 on 2.4 GHz networks.

1. Open the eero app and tap, Settings > Troubleshooting > My device won’t connect > My device can’t detect WiFi 6.
2. Find Legacy Mode and toggle the button to ON.
   
   

Disable 5GHz eero Frequency

1. In the eero app, go to Settings > Troubleshooting > My Device Won't Connect.
2. Tap on, Temporarily pause 5GHz. 
   
   • NOTE: Turning off 5 GHz temporarily will only last about 10 minutes. You may need to go back into the app to disable it again if troubleshooting for longer than that timeframe.
3. While 5GHz is disabled, go to Settings > Advanced > Restart Network. 
4. While your router is restarting, Power Cycle your grill.
5. The network will turn back on with 5GHz still disabled, and you should be able to connect your grill successfully.
   
   

All else fails: Contact eero

If, after trying all the above workarounds, your grill still won't connect, contact eero at 1-877-659-2347.

To have a smoother experience, make sure you have the following information on hand before calling:

• "Grill name". On the ISP side, our grills populate as "Express.if". 
• Router: Serial Number
• Router: Email address

Additionally, check if all information has been cleared from the grill. The only information that should show under Menu > Wifi information should be the following:

• Name: Traeger - XXXX
• Password: Wifire - XXXX
• UUID: #
• MAC: #