Nest Thermostat Not Connecting to Wi-Fi: How to Troubleshoot

So you’re trying to set up your Nest thermostat, but it won’t connect to your Wi-Fi network? Keep reading to see why this might be happening and how to troubleshoot the problem.

First off, your Nest thermostat might not connect to Wi-Fi because of the following reasons:

Your router is turned off.
Your Wi-Fi signal is weak.
You entered the incorrect Wi-Fi password in the thermostat.
Your thermostat is not working properly.

For details on how to troubleshoot this problem, keep reading.

Table of Contents

Nest Thermostat Not Connecting to Wi-Fi: How to Troubleshoot

1. Check if Your Router is Turned Off

If your Nest thermostat isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi, your router might be turned off. Perhaps you switched off the router and forgot to turn it back on.

To know if your router is on, check if any light on the router is on/flashing. If you don’t see any light on the router, the router might be turned off. As such, you’ll need to turn it on.

If your router has a power button, press the power button to switch it on. If not, unplug it from the power outlet and plug it back in. This should turn the router on.

After switching on your router, wait a few minutes to let your router boot. Then enter your Wi-Fi network details in the Nest app and try connecting the thermostat again.

If the device doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi after this, continue to the next step.

2. Power Cycle Your Router

Another fix to try if your Nest thermostat isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi is to power cycle your router.

Take the following steps to power cycle your router:

Switch off your router.
Remove your router’s plug from the power outlet. Then wait 10 seconds and insert the plug back into the power outlet.

Power cycling your router should refresh your Wi-Fi network and fix some errors obstructing the connection.

But if your thermostat still doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi, the router might still contain some errors. In that case, continue to the next tip.

3. Change Your Wi-Fi Band

If you have a dual-band router, check what band your router is operating on and switch to another band.

Nest thermostat works with the 5GHz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi bands. However, the current band your router is operating on might be malfunctioning. So, check and switch it to another band to see if it solves the problem.

You can change Wi-Fi bands via your router’s admin web page. Refer to your user manual for guidelines.

If the connection problem persists after trying a different Wi-Fi band, continue to the next step.

4. Move Some Devices Away from Your Router

Some devices/materials like microwave ovens, baby monitors, concrete walls, metal blinds, etc., may interfere with Wi-Fi signals while your router is transmitting the signals. This prevents your thermostat from receiving these signals. Due to this issue, your Nest thermostat won’t connect to Wi-Fi.

You can protect Wi-Fi signals from interference by putting these devices away from your router. Or keeping your router where concrete walls/metal objects won’t interfere with the Wi-Fi signals.

More so, you may consider getting a Wi-Fi extender to boost Wi-Fi signal strength in your home.

If this checks out and your Nest thermostat is still not connecting, continue to the next step.

5. Bring Your Thermostat Closer to Your Router

A weak Wi-Fi signal may also prevent your Nest thermostat from connecting to Wi-Fi. Your Wi-Fi signal may become weak because your thermostat is too far from your router.

To resolve this issue, move your thermostat closer to your router. The devices should be at least 30 feet closer.

Once your thermostat is close enough to your router, your Wi-Fi signal will become stronger. The thermostat should then connect to Wi-Fi.

If the problem persists, go to the next tip.

6. Check that You’ve Entered the Correct Password

If you enter the wrong Wi-Fi password in the Nest app, your Nest thermostat won’t connect to Wi-Fi.

Did you enter the letters in the incorrect cases? Or you just aren’t sure what your password is. Whatever the situation is, you’ll need to check that you’ve input the correct password.

Here’s how to do that:

Tap the Settings app on your phone to open it.
Click on Connections and Preferences.
Select Wi-Fi. A list of Wi-Fi networks will appear.
Find your Wi-Fi network in the list. Then click on the gear icon beside the Wi-Fi network. You’ll see the Show Password option.
Tap Show Password to view your Wi-Fi password.
Now, enter the password in the Google Nest app.

Your Next thermostat should connect to Wi-Fi once you’ve input the right password.

However, if the device doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi, proceed to the next tip.

7. Factory Reset Your Router

If your Nest thermostat is still not connecting to Wi-Fi after applying the fixes above, you might need to factory reset your router to fix incorrect settings or unseen glitches.

Follow the steps to factory reset the router:

Find the reset button on your router. This button is usually located in a tiny hole at the back of your router.
Ensure that your router is turned on.
Next, get a paper clip or a pin. Use this object to press and hold the reset button for 15 seconds.
Now, release the button. The device will go off.
Wait a few minutes for the device to finish resetting and turn back on.

Note that the reset method for your router may differ—depending on the brand. If this reset method doesn’t work for you, refer to your user manual for guidelines.

As mentioned earlier, a factory reset will eliminate any errors left in your router. Please note that all the information you’ve saved on your router will also disappear after resetting it.

After factory resetting your router, connect your phone to your Wi-Fi network. Then try surfing the internet with Wi-Fi. If your browser loads website pages quickly, the router is working properly.

However, if you can’t browse the internet with Wi-Fi, your Wi-Fi connection might be problematic. As such, you’ll need to contact your ISP.

Once you’re certain that your router is functioning correctly, try connecting your Nest thermostat to Wi-Fi. If the thermostat doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi, move to the next step.

8. Restart Your Nest Thermostat

If your Nest thermostat isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi, the device might be faulty.

A quick way to resolve the faults in your thermostat is to restart the device.

Here’s how to restart your Nest thermostat:

Press the ring of your thermostat to open the Quick Menu.
Then turn the ring until it points to the Settings option.
Tap Settings. Then rotate the ring again until you get to the Reset option.
Click on Reset. You’ll see the Restart option. Tap the Restart option to restart your thermostat.

Has your Nest thermostat connected to Wi-Fi? If not, see next tip.

9. Reset Your Nest Thermostat

If your Nest thermostat fails to connect to Wi-Fi after you’ve tried all the steps above, factory reset your thermostat.

The following guide will show you how to reset your thermostat:

Press the ring on your Nest thermostat to open Quick Menu.
Turn the ring until you see the Settings option. Then tap Settings.
Next, turn the ring again to Reset. Then tap Reset.
Now, tap on All Settings to reset your Nest thermostat.

Your Nest Thermostat will most likely connect to Wi-Fi after you’ve reset the device.

That said, there are cases where the thermostat still doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi after you’ve reset the device. If you encounter this problem, reach out to Nest Support and report the issue.

Wrapping Up

If your Nest thermostat isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi, check that your router is turned on. Then try to change the band on your router to 2.4GHz. You’ll also need to move metal objects away from your router.

Another way to fix the connection issue in your Nest thermostat is to move the device closer to your router. In addition, ensure that you’ve entered the correct Wi-Fi password in the Nest app.

If all these tips fail to connect your thermostat to Wi-Fi, reboot your router. Then restore the router to its factory settings. Restarting and resetting your Nest thermostat might also resolve the issue.

But if your Nest thermostat doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi after you’ve applied all these tips, contact Nest Support.

You may also like to see how to troubleshoot heating and cooling issues in a Nest thermostat.