Common customer question:

“My smart lock has been installed for a couple of weeks and has already dropped off the Wi-Fi twice. I’ve had to power-cycle it to get it working again. Is something wrong with the lock?”

In the vast majority of cases, the answer is no. Wi-Fi dropouts on smart locks are almost always caused by the home network environment — not a fault with the lock or its gateway.

This guide explains the most common causes, the mechanism behind each, and the fixes — from free network settings changes through to the hardware upgrade that eliminates the most common problem entirely.

For background on how smart lock gateways connect to your network and what each model supports, see McGrath G2 vs G3 vs G4 vs G5 Gateway Comparison and Chapter 08 — Gateway & Connectivity Comparison in the Smart Lock Buyer’s Guide.

This guide was reviewed and updated in May 2026.

Band Steering: The Most Common Culprit

Band steering is worth understanding in more detail because it causes more smart lock WiFi problems than all other factors combined — and many users have no idea it’s happening.

Modern routers — and virtually all mesh systems (including Eero, Google Nest, TP-Link Deco, Telstra Smart Modem, and most NBN gateway routers) — broadcast a single network name (SSID) that combines both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The router then decides which band each device uses, steering devices to 5 GHz when it offers better speed.

Why this breaks smart lock gateways: The gateway connects to the network at 2.4 GHz during initial setup. Later — sometimes minutes, sometimes hours — the router’s band steering pushes it to the 5 GHz band. The gateway hardware cannot use 5 GHz, so it drops off the network entirely. From the user’s perspective, the lock was working fine and suddenly stopped for no apparent reason.

Phones handle band steering seamlessly because they have dual-band radios. Smart lock gateways (except the McGrath G5) have 2.4 GHz radios only. When the router tries to steer them to 5 GHz, they cannot follow — and the connection drops.

Quick test: If your lock reconnects reliably after a power cycle but keeps dropping out days later, band steering is almost certainly the cause. The power cycle forces a fresh 2.4 GHz connection; over time the router steers it to 5 GHz again and the cycle repeats.

For the gateway-level breakdown of which models are susceptible to band steering and which handle it natively, see Chapter 08 — Gateway & Connectivity Comparison in the Smart Lock Buyer’s Guide.

Why Power Cycling Works (And What It Tells You)

Power cycling forces a fresh connection attempt from scratch. The gateway reboots, scans for networks, and reconnects to 2.4 GHz. If this restores normal operation, it strongly points to a signal-quality or network behaviour issue — not faulty hardware.

If the gateway consistently works for days after a power cycle before dropping again, that interval often reflects the router’s band-steering timing. If it drops within minutes or hours regardless of cycling, signal strength at the gateway location is more likely the culprit.

How to Improve Stability

Work through these steps in order. Most dropout problems are resolved by steps 1 or 2.

1. Create a dedicated 2.4 GHz-only SSID. Log into your router settings and separate the two bands into distinct network names (e.g. HomeNetwork_2.4G and HomeNetwork_5G). Connect the gateway to the 2.4 GHz network only. This is the most effective fix for band-steering issues and costs nothing.
2. Disable band steering in your router settings if you prefer to keep a single SSID. Most routers have this as a toggle under “Wireless” or “Advanced Wi-Fi” settings. Note that some ISP-supplied modem-routers do not expose this setting.
3. Check Wi-Fi signal strength at the gateway’s physical location. Use your phone’s Wi-Fi settings to check signal bars at exactly where the gateway sits. If it shows weak signal, move the gateway closer to the router or add a Wi-Fi extender or mesh node near the door.
4. Confirm the gateway is within 5 metres of the lock. Bluetooth range between the gateway and door is the second most common cause after band steering. Repositioning the gateway inside the wall near the door (rather than across the room) often resolves this.
5. Keep lock firmware and app up to date. Outdated firmware can contain connectivity bugs that have since been patched.

The Hardware Fix for Persistent Band-Steering Issues

If separating your bands or disabling band steering in your router isn’t possible — which is common on ISP-supplied modem-routers where those settings are locked — the most reliable solution is a gateway that natively supports both bands.

McGrath G5 Gateway — dual-band 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz

The McGrath G5 Gateway supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks. When band steering pushes it to 5 GHz, it can follow — eliminating the most common dropout cause entirely. For anyone on a modern mesh system or band-steering router, the G5 is usually the cleanest long-term solution. It supports up to 100 locks and is recommended for all new installations of 3 or more locks.

The older McGrath G2 is 2.4 GHz only and will experience band-steering issues on modern routers. If you are troubleshooting an existing G2 installation on a mesh network, upgrading to the G5 is the most reliable fix. For a full comparison of all gateway options, see McGrath G2 vs G3 vs G4 vs G5 — What’s the Difference?

If Problems Continue

If dropouts persist after working through the steps above, contact us with the following details so we can help narrow down the cause:

• Router brand and model (found on the router label or in your ISP paperwork)
• Whether the router is an ISP-supplied unit or your own
• Distance from the router to the gateway location
• Distance from the gateway to the lock
• Whether there is line of sight or walls/doors between them
• Gateway model (G2, G3, G4, or G5)
• How long the lock stays connected before dropping

Bottom line: If a smart lock reconnects after a power cycle, the issue is almost always Wi-Fi quality — not the lock. Once the network environment is properly configured, smart lock gateways are extremely reliable. The technology works; the challenge is almost always the router sitting between it and the internet.

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Still Getting Dropouts You Can’t Resolve?

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