Why Does My Qolsys IQ Remote Often Disconnect From My IQ Panel 2?

Your Qolsys IQ Remote often disconnects from your IQ Panel 2 due to many possible factors. You might need to update the system's firmware. You should use a 2.4 GHz WIFI connection on a single-frequency setting. Address any range issues, and consider getting a WIFI extender if needed.

The Qolsys IQ Remote is a wireless touchscreen alarm keypad for the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 and Qolsys IQ Panel 2 Plus. The keypad pairs with the system across a WIFI connection. Both the keypad and the system connect to the same local WIFI network so that the pairing process can be completed. It is also possible to complete the pairing process using a wireless Access Point (AP) on the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 System. In any case, there are a few things you should consider if you are finding that your Qolsys IQ Remote is constantly losing connectivity with your IQ Panel 2 System.

First, update your IQ2 System to the latest firmware. This is particularly important if your system is running firmware lower than 2.5.2. Connectivity between the IQ Remote and the IQ Panel 2 System was improved in System Firmware Version 2.5.2. In addition to improving the reliability of the connection between panel and keypad, being on 2.5.2 or higher also makes it more likely that if the IQ Remote loses connection with the panel, it will reconnect on its own without user intervention. It is always best practice to put your system on the latest firmware anyway, so definitely make the upgrade if you haven't already. For more information about IQ Panel 2 Firmware, please see this helpful page. Remember that both the IQ Panel 2 and IQ Panel 2 Plus use the same system firmware.

In at least one case, we have seen a customer on older panel firmware experience a lost connection between the IQ Panel 2 and the IQ Remote. After updating the panel, the two devices still would not connect to one another via WIFI. In order to get the IQ Remote updated, the panel had to be put into Access Point Mode, and the IQ Remote joined to the panel in this mode. This allowed the IQ Remote to receive the firmware update from the panel. After updating the firmware, the customer was then able to join the IQ Remote with the IQ Panel 2 using WIFI again.

Second, always use 2.4 GHz WIFI, not 5 GHz WIFI, when configuring the connection between the IQ Remote and the IQ Panel 2. This is because the 2.4 GHz WIFI network has better range. The 5 GHz frequency will have slightly better speed, but it sacrifices range in exchange for the increase in speed. In the case of the IQ Remote, range is more important than speed. Also, do not use an SSID setup for multi-frequency mode. If the SSID is on a multi-frequency setting, then it can shift between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. You want to ensure that the panel and the IQ Remote stay on 2.4 GHz at all times. You can split a multi-frequency WIFI network into two separate networks. For instance, if your multi-frequency network SSID is TestNetwork, then you can split it into TestNetwork2.4G and TestNetwork5G. In this example, you would want to use TestNetwork2.4G at all times.

Third, consider WIFI range. Have you moved the IQ Panel 2 System and the IQ Remote further away from each other recently so that range might now be an issue? Are there any new obstacles between the IQ2 and IQ Remote, such as walls and large metal objects? Try bringing the two closer together to see if that fixes the problem. You can also try adding a WIFI router with a stronger signal and/or adding additional Access Points. Please also note that the IQ Remote does not support Protected Management Frames (PMF), and you should avoid using it with routers that utilize PMF. If you are using a router that has this feature, you can try disabling PMF on the router if it supports doing so. Lastly, consider using a recommended WIFI extender. Some mesh routers that work very well with the IQ Remote and IQ2 include EERO and Velop. However, others like Google and Netgear are not recommended for connectivity between the two devices.