Buddy3D Camera Reconnection Loop on AmpliFi Alien WiFi 6 Router - Need Help!  

Buddy3D Camera Reconnection Loop on AmpliFi Alien WiFi 6 Router - Need Help!

Hi Prusa Community,

I’m struggling with a persistent reconnection loop on my Buddy3D camera (Firmware: 3.1.0, Hardware: NB.1.1.0) when connected to my AmpliFi Alien WiFi 6 router. The camera connects briefly, grabs an IP, but after some time (minutes to hours) or a power cycle, it either works briefly or immediately starts looping (connects, drops, repeats), making it unusable. I’ve tried a single SSID with band steering, separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs, and a dedicated 2.4GHz IoT network, resetting the camera after each attempt, but the issue persists across all setups. I’ve contacted Prusa support, but their response was limited. I’ve spent a week troubleshooting and need insights from anyone who’s tackled this with a WiFi 6 router. Here’s the full breakdown.

My Setup

• Camera: Buddy3D Camera (Firmware: 3.1.0, Hardware: NB.1.1.0)
• Router: AmpliFi Alien, running software version 4.0.8, software revision 0-g0c028c5c, hardware revision 10.
• Wireless Network Setup:
  • One SSID, simple name "T-Kova" and a simple password of numbers only, no special characters or spaces (e.g., 1945091820166). Security is set to WPA2-PSK, no additional SSID that includes separate 2.4 and 5 GHz or IoT network initially. Band steering is on, Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channels are allowed, 2.4 and 5 GHz channels set to automatic (currently 11 for 2.4GHz with 20MHz bandwidth, 100 for 5GHz with 80MHz bandwidth). In radio settings, the following is off: 802.11r - Fast BSS Transition; and all of these are on: 802.11k - Neighbor Report, 802.11v - BSS Transition Management, and DFS channels. No active QoS settings, like latency optimization, were ever used. DHCP server is on, and lease validity is set to 8 hours, with a range from 100 to 249.
• Network Configurations Tested:
  • Main SSID: "T-Kova" (single SSID with band steering, 2.4GHz and 5GHz combined, as described above).
  • Separate SSIDs: Tested separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs (disabling band steering).
  • IoT Network: Tested a 2.4GHz-only SSID "T-Kova IoT" (same password, WPA2-PSK).
• Other Devices: Core One printer and other devices work flawlessly on the main "T-Kova" SSID with band steering.
• Location: Camera and printer are in a room ~6 meters from the router, separated by two small concrete walls (1970s–1980s European construction). Signal strength: Core One printer 60–80%, Buddy3D camera >50% at all times.
• Environment: Dense WiFi area (10-floor building, 4 apartments per floor, nearby houses, ~12–15 visible 2.4/5/6GHz networks, but only mine and one neighbor’s exceed 80% signal strength in the room).

The Issue

The Buddy3D camera initially connects to any of my network configurations ("T-Kova" with band steering, separate 2.4GHz SSID, or "T-Kova IoT" 2.4GHz SSID) but starts a reconnection loop after some time (minutes to hours, depending on the setup). After a power cycle (manual unplug/replug or via Prusa app), it either works briefly before looping again or immediately fails to reconnect, even when placed near the router or in the room with the Core One printer. For example, on the IoT network, it worked for ~4 hours near the printer but started looping. I set up the camera 50cm from the router (100% signal), where it worked for 2 hours on a power bank, but upon moving it to the printer room without powering off, it began looping immediately. Post-power cycle, it often fails to reconnect entirely. The camera works perfectly on my phone’s 2.4GHz hotspot (tested for 8 hours, 40–100% signal strength, surviving manual and app-based restarts), confirming no hardware defect. This suggests a compatibility issue between the camera’s WiFi 4 (802.11n) module and the AmpliFi Alien’s WiFi 6 protocols.

Troubleshooting Steps Taken

I’ve spent a week systematically testing, resetting the camera (hold reset 4s) after each attempt to ensure a clean slate, but the camera still fails:

1. Hotspot Test: Reset camera, connected to my phone’s 2.4GHz hotspot. Worked perfectly for 8 hours, surviving power cycles (manual and app-based) at 40–100% signal strength, even when moved around. This ruled out hardware issues.
2. Static IP and DHCP Lease: Reset camera, assigned a static IP, then tried a static DHCP lease for both the camera and Core One printer. The lease helped the Core One, but the camera still looped.
3. Separate SSIDs: Reset camera, disabled band steering, and created separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs. Connected the camera to the 2.4GHz SSID, but it started looping after about a minute.
4. Channel and Bandwidth Tests: Reset camera, switched back to the single "T-Kova" SSID with band steering. Tested 2.4GHz channels (1, 6, 11) and bandwidths (20MHz, 20/40MHz). No improvement; looping persisted across all settings.
5. Radio Settings: Reset camera, disabled all radio settings (802.11r, 802.11k, 802.11v) on the main and separate SSIDs, then re-enabled them one by one. Also tested with DFS channels off (irrelevant for 2.4GHz). No change.
6. IoT Network: Reset camera, created a 2.4GHz-only "T-Kova IoT" SSID (WPA2-PSK, same password). The camera worked for ~4 hours near the printer but started looping. After a power cycle, it wouldn’t reconnect reliably, often failing entirely.
7. Proximity Test: Reset camera, set it up 50cm from the router, and left it on a power bank for 2 hours (100% signal, worked fine). Moved it to the printer room without powering off, but it started looping upon placement. Post-power cycle, it either worked briefly or failed to reconnect.
8. Firmware Check: Confirmed via Prusa App and website that 3.1.0 is the latest firmware.
9. Interference Check: No major 2.4GHz interferers (e.g., microwaves, Bluetooth) in the room. Dense WiFi environment, but signal strength remains strong (>50% for camera, 60–80% for Core One).

Prusa Support Response

I contacted Prusa support, providing photos, videos, and these questions:

• Are there known compatibility issues between the Buddy3D camera and modern routers like the AmpliFi Alien?
• Does the camera have a logging feature to track network communication issues?
• Can you recommend specific router settings (e.g., DHCP configuration, disabling WMM) to improve the camera’s stability?

Their response (from Zuzana U., Customer Support):

• Not specifically, but if the router is meshing the two network frequencies, it could be an issue.
• It does not, unfortunately.
• There is nothing special to recommend. Reserving the IP address for the camera in the router settings could be an option, but the camera does not have a way to assign a static IP, unfortunately.

This wasn’t very helpful, as I tried a static DHCP lease and separate SSIDs, and the camera lacks logging capabilities.

What I Haven’t Tried

• WiFi Extender: A 2.4GHz extender (e.g., TP-Link RE220) to stabilize signal in the room.
• Secondary Router: A cheap WiFi 4/5 router (e.g., TP-Link Archer C20) as a dedicated 2.4GHz access point connected to the AmpliFi Alien via Ethernet or WiFi.
• Disable IPv6: Haven’t disabled IPv6 on the router, as some IoT devices struggle with it.
• Router Logs: Downloaded AmpliFi logs (Settings > Support > Download Support Information), but they’re encrypted. Haven’t sent to AmpliFi support ([email protected]) for analysis.
• Double Registration: Reset camera, removed it from Prusa Connect, re-registered via QR code, and generated/scanned a new QR to create a duplicate entry.

Community Insights and Help Needed

I’ve found reports on Prusa forums and Reddit of similar reconnection loops with Prusa cameras/printers on WiFi 6 routers (Ubiquiti, Eero, ASUS), often resolved with a secondary 2.4GHz router or extender. One user fixed a similar issue by re-registering the camera twice in Prusa Connect.

Has anyone with an AmpliFi Alien or similar WiFi 6 router found a reliable fix for the Buddy3D camera? Are there specific settings (e.g., IPv6, WMM, or other router tweaks) or workarounds (extender models, secondary router configs) that worked?

I’d prefer not to wait for a firmware update, as there’s no guarantee it’ll fix this. I’m also open to analyzing router logs if anyone can guide me on decrypting them or spotting relevant errors.

Thanks for any help or insights!