JuiceBox Woes

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NeilBlanchard said:
Most EVSE units are "dumb boxes". One of the only ones than has WiFi is the Juicebox.

How far is it from the wifi router to the EVSE location?
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Literally about 7 feet. But it is on the other side of a wall. The wall is wood frame and drywall - not solid block or brick. The signal is strong. (RSSI -43dBm)

Mckersive said:
I will, for data point purposes, chime in here and say that I have no issues with JuiceBox and its connection to my wifi. I have it in the garage where the signal is pretty low. I share in OP's frustration as I am sure he has ripped his hair out trying to make it work.

I am assuming that OP knows that JuiceBox only supports 2.4GHz and not 5GHz. I don't know if there are WIFI units that only broadcast on 5GHz, but sometimes people set up these 2 bands using different names and this could cause an issue.
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Yes, we've (support and me) considered this too. I do have both networks running but each network SSID is also tagged with 5G. So essentially the broadcast SSIDs are different for 2G and 5G. However, if you have more information on this, I'd be interested to hear it.
 
I had the 2.5ghz/5ghz issue with a different device on my network that was only solved by using a different router. Do you have your own router or is it the isp's router? I finally got a Google Wifi and everything connects now. Internet networking is black magic. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to make it work and you don't know why.
 
bfd said:
Literally about 7 feet. But it is on the other side of a wall. The wall is wood frame and drywall - not solid block or brick. The signal is strong. (RSSI -43dBm)



Yes, we've (support and me) considered this too. I do have both networks running but each network SSID is also tagged with 5G. So essentially the broadcast SSIDs are different for 2G and 5G. However, if you have more information on this, I'd be interested to hear it.
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I now use Eero mesh for home wifi, so SSID is the same for both and Eero does the networking automatically to connect the two. In the past however when I used Apple's airport and had 2 separate SSIDs (say HomeWIFI and HomeWIFI_5GHz) I run into a particular issue of the following kind with smart plugs, etc.:
  • My phone is connected to wifi, but connected to the 5GHz SSID (HomeWIFI_5GHz)
  • The app I am running to connect the smart appliance naturally views this as my wifi SSID and conveys this to the appliance
  • The appliance looks for HomeWIFI_5GHz, but can't find it because it is not on the 2.4 GHz Band
In those particular cases I was able to finally get things to work by expressly forgetting the 5GHz connection on my phone and then connecting to the 2.4 GHz version and rerunning the steps under the app. Now I don't know if this is the issue with JuiceBox but it is worth a shot. You may have to reset both JuiceBox and the app to factory settings first so that they forget the 5GHz name. I think the JuiceBox website has details on how to reset and for the app, I would delete and redownload.
 
Well, as of lunchtime Monday, the new box found the network Woo hoo! I did nothing differently, just waited it out like before. So for now, it's thumbs up with box #3…

I still wonder why it took so long for the box to connect - given that nothing changed on the network, I didn't do anything new or different from "setup" onward. It just never found the network after that initial connection. So I still don't know why it took so long to get the box to connect to the network given that the device reported during set up that it had successfully connected but then never showed up on the network or gave any indication by way of a solid blue light on its panel (until today) that it had. I guess that if the box happens to lose connection again, I won't know what I did to make it work. I'll just have to hope we don't have any more incidents with power in the near future so I have to deal with it again, and that this box will indeed be a keeper this time around.

Given the past few weeks of trials (and tribulations) with the different boxes, I'm not ready to say "it's fixed now!", but at least today it's back up and collecting/sending data again. And that's more than I can say for the past few weeks.
 
Mckersive said:
I now use Eero mesh for home wifi, so SSID is the same for both and Eero does the networking automatically to connect the two. In the past however when I used Apple's airport and had 2 separate SSIDs (say HomeWIFI and HomeWIFI_5GHz) I run into a particular issue of the following kind with smart plugs, etc.:
  • My phone is connected to wifi, but connected to the 5GHz SSID (HomeWIFI_5GHz)
  • The app I am running to connect the smart appliance naturally views this as my wifi SSID and conveys this to the appliance
  • The appliance looks for HomeWIFI_5GHz, but can't find it because it is not on the 2.4 GHz Band
In those particular cases I was able to finally get things to work by expressly forgetting the 5GHz connection on my phone and then connecting to the 2.4 GHz version and rerunning the steps under the app. Now I don't know if this is the issue with JuiceBox but it is worth a shot. You may have to reset both JuiceBox and the app to factory settings first so that they forget the 5GHz name. I think the JuiceBox website has details on how to reset and for the app, I would delete and redownload.
Click to expand...

This makes sense - and we considered this, too. Might be worthwhile on the bridge (which is an Apple Airport Extreme) to disable 5G since the main router can handle that if need be. Since we're not in a highly congested signal area, 2G seems to be fine. That could help now that the box has found its way into the network in case we lose power unexpectedly or something else happens to knock it off the network. Thanks.
 
I'm glad you got it to work, bfd. For what it's worth, I have three JuiceBox Pro 40's and I've never had a problem. I really don't think people here should be concerned about getting one. It's really the only "smart" EVSE on the market, so with more features there are likely more things that can go wrong.

I've been reviewing home charging stations for about six years now (many of which are posted here on InsideEVs) and eMotorWerks has grown from a startup to one of the biggest suppliers of home charging stations, so they have naturally had some growing pains. That said, thier customer serives has been outstanding (so is Clippercreeks for that matter) recently, and they are quick to send you out a new unit if there any trouble. I wouldn't recommend a station that I didn't have complete confidence in.

I actually just posted a new review of the JuiceBox Pro 40 yesterday, so I'll post the link below if anyone is interested. Also if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

http://bmwi3.blogspot.com/2018/04/ev-charging-product-review-update.htmlh


IMG_20180118_155146.webp
 
You said "It's really the only "smart" EVSE on the market" regarding the JuiceBox, what is missing from the ChargePoint 32A compare to the JuiceBox, thanks
 
iluvscuba said:
You said "It's really the only "smart" EVSE on the market" regarding the JuiceBox, what is missing from the ChargePoint 32A compare to the JuiceBox, thanks
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I also have a ChargePoint Home (and reviewed it here on InsideEVs) and it's a really good unit. But it's really not a very "smart" charger. While it does have WiFi and charging logs it can't be set to carry out smart features like the JuiceBox can. The JuiceBox can load-balance across mulitple units and with JuiceNet Green, it can automatically schedule charging to reduce your supplied greenhouse gas emissions. It automatically synchronizes the timing of your charging to periods when your local electric grid offers the cleanest power and highest share of renewable energy. That's a huge benifit, IMO.

Don't get me wrong, the ChargePoint Home is a good, quality EVSE, but it cannot accomplish the "smart" tasks that the JuiceBox can.
 
bfd said:
Well, as of lunchtime Monday, the new box found the network Woo hoo! I did nothing differently, just waited it out like before. So for now, it's thumbs up with box #3…
Click to expand...

We're glad you finally got it to work. It's a bit of a mystery why it took so long, though. Please send us a PM here if you have any more issues or any questions. Thanks!
 
Updating this to August '18. As a result of some kind of apparently unsuccessful firmware update on July 27th, Box #3 is now playing the on-again/off-again game. No rhyme, no reason. I think support has given up - I've sent several help emails and get nowhere now, not even a response. Really bad business. While I can still use the car's system to set a timer, paying extra for the wi-fi capability that won't work is really aggravating. If other clients on the same network were DOA, I'd be far more inclined to believe it is a networking problem here. The box just isn't playing the way it should. Buyer beware.
 
I have 2 Juicebox Pro 32's hardwired. The setup wizard for the phone app is not intuitive but other than that, both have been working great after a month of service. The cables are crazy thick and I love the ability to monitor & track power consumption. If you enter efficiency parameters, it calculates how much $ you're saving over time vs. gas.
 
I have JuiceBox. The first Pro 40 I had went offline from our WiFi. I ordered a replacement and sent the first one back. The second one works fine (eight months now), just like the first, but also loses WiFi from time to time. It comes back by itself so I haven't bothered with it. It charges the car and keeps records when it is offline.

My JuiceBox is on the wall furthest from our router. It is perhaps 45 feet from the router with a lot of stuff, including two cars, to block the signal. I know the signal is weak in that location. I had a WiFi repeater in the garage but I didn't like the way it worked so I yanked it out. I'm okay with the behavior.

I like the data I get from the JuiceBox. I don't use any advanced features like reduced wattage or schedules because I don't need them.
 
bfd said:
Updating this to August '18. As a result of some kind of apparently unsuccessful firmware update on July 27th, Box #3 is now playing the on-again/off-again game. No rhyme, no reason. I think support has given up - I've sent several help emails and get nowhere now, not even a response. Really bad business. While I can still use the car's system to set a timer, paying extra for the wi-fi capability that won't work is really aggravating. If other clients on the same network were DOA, I'd be far more inclined to believe it is a networking problem here. The box just isn't playing the way it should. Buyer beware.
Click to expand...

I'm really sorry to hear about your troubles. Did you receive a ticket number for the issue? If so please let me know what it is and I'll get someone on it. Feel free to PM me with the details if you'd like.
 
Hi all
Newbie here. Don't have a Clarity but found this thread because of defective JuiceboxES. Yes, plural. I'm having the same challenges with connection.

Without any reason, the unit goes offline. Slow blue light flashing. Tried to reset it, but it stopped broadcasting SSID, so I can't connect to the unit for initialization. This was about a week since brand new.
With help from eMotorweks, I had the unit replaced. It worked for about a week, and went offline again.

It was so painful dealing with their local reseller to get the replacement under warranty, that I just gave up. It took over a month to get a response and they wanted to charge me for replacement under warranty…not shady at all. eMotorwerks, if you are reading this post, reconsider some of your reseller contracts.

So now it's just a dumb charger costing over $1000.

How did everyone else fix their problem? Were you able to find the SSID after resetting?
 
Falcon_1898 said:
Hi all
Newbie here. Don't have a Clarity but found this thread because of defective JuiceboxES. Yes, plural. I'm having the same challenges with connection.

Without any reason, the unit goes offline. Slow blue light flashing. Tried to reset it, but it stopped broadcasting SSID, so I can't connect to the unit for initialization. This was about a week since brand new.
With help from eMotorweks, I had the unit replaced. It worked for about a week, and went offline again.

It was so painful dealing with their local reseller to get the replacement under warranty, that I just gave up. It took over a month to get a response and they wanted to charge me for replacement under warranty…not shady at all. eMotorwerks, if you are reading this post, reconsider some of your reseller contracts.

So now it's just a dumb charger costing over $1000.

How did everyone else fix their problem? Were you able to find the SSID after resetting?
Click to expand...

I have mine since March and have discovered that it disconnected from WIFI (with flashing blue light) twice -- approximately a 3-4 weeks interval. Each time it happened, I had to unplug the JuiceBox -- mine is a plug-in unit, wait for the flashing blue light, and, then, start the initialization process again, which involves connecting to the JuiceBox and, then, set up the WIFI.
 
JoeN said:
I have mine since March and have discovered that it disconnected from WIFI (with flashing blue light) twice -- approximately a 3-4 weeks interval. Each time it happened, I had to unplug the JuiceBox -- mine is a plug-in unit, wait for the flashing blue light, and, then, start the initialization process again, which involves connecting to the JuiceBox and, then, set up the WIFI.
Click to expand...
Could be a wifi signal strength issue between your router & JuiceBox especially if your garage is far or you might have concrete walls etc that impair signal. You could try connecting via a cheap wifi extender and see if that helps stabilize. I have 2 Ring Video Doorbells that really benefitted using this approach. I don't recall if the JuiceBox is dual band (2.4Ghz & 5Ghz) but for longer distances and more walls/floors, 2.4Ghz is supposed to be better due to lower frequency.
 
JoeN said:
I have mine since March and have discovered that it disconnected from WIFI (with flashing blue light) twice -- approximately a 3-4 weeks interval. Each time it happened, I had to unplug the JuiceBox -- mine is a plug-in unit, wait for the flashing blue light, and, then, start the initialization process again, which involves connecting to the JuiceBox and, then, set up the WIFI.
Click to expand...

Exactly what was happening to me. I believe the issue is with some of their radios as well as some of their firmware updates. In my case, replacement resulted in receiving a DOA unit - LOL - and that was replaced with a unit that works sporadically. Currently it's about 80/20 online - it sometimes goes off-line for a few hours. Other times it's a few days. Sometimes it holds rock solid. At least it's able to transmit 240v reliably. Stay clear of their "PRO" model if you feel you must buy one.
 
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