Overview
If you’re getting power outage alerts when there hasn’t actually been a power cut, don’t worry — this usually means the device briefly lost Wi-Fi or internet connection, not power. PowerNotify works by monitoring heartbeats (regular cloud check-ins). If these heartbeats are interrupted, it assumes power or connectivity has been lost.
Good to know: PowerNotify detects the absence of communication. If Wi-Fi or internet temporarily drops, it may look the same as a power failure.
Common causes
- Weak or unstable Wi-Fi signal: If the device is far from the router, signal dropouts can interrupt heartbeats.
- Router or internet hiccups: ISP maintenance, router reboots, or brief network outages can trigger false alerts.
- Overly short “Alert After” time: If the alert window is set too low (e.g., 30 seconds), even a momentary delay can appear as an outage.
- Router band-steering or mesh switching: Some routers automatically move devices between bands or nodes, briefly interrupting connection.
- Power to router interrupted: If the router loses power but the monitored outlet doesn’t, you’ll still receive an alert since the device can’t reach the cloud.
How to reduce false alerts
- Check Wi-Fi strength: Place PowerNotify closer to your router or add a Wi-Fi extender.
- Increase the “Alert After” window: Go to your device settings in the portal and change the alert delay. We recommend a minimum of 90 seconds. This gives time for temporary hiccups with Wi-Fi to recover before triggering an alert. If your Wi-Fi is known to be unstable and frequently has short drops, extend the alert delay further.
- Ensure stable internet: If other smart devices also drop connection, restart your router and modem. Check for firmware updates or ISP reliability issues.
- Disable band steering (optional): If you have a dual-band router, give the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks different names (SSIDs) so PowerNotify stays on 2.4 GHz consistently.
Advanced checks
- Look in the portal’s Heartbeat Log to see how long the device was unreachable.
- If gaps are only a few seconds, it’s almost certainly Wi-Fi or network interference, not power.
- Check your router’s event log for disconnects or DHCP renewals at the same time as alerts.
Tip: Once you improve Wi-Fi strength and set a slightly longer alert window, false outage alerts are very rare.
If the problem persists
- Try moving PowerNotify to another outlet nearer the router and test again.
- Reset and reconnect to Wi-Fi using Resetting or Updating Wi-Fi on Your PowerNotify Device.
- Contact support@powernotify.net if alerts continue after improving Wi-Fi stability.