I am setting up my new EV charger NS
The firmware on it is v.1.24, and when I use the app, I can’t get above 4% before it crashes. So it’s not possible to update.
I also can’t get into network setup. or setup thru 8. Appendix to finde a connetion.
It will be setup as standalone, with no connetions to Cerbo GX or battery system
Hello @Jens.H. Let me assist you. Can you connect to the EVCS WiFi access point and perform the ‘First setup’ procedure? After you will have access to the ‘Settings->Backup & FW’ page to update firmware.
Seems like I have the same problem. Trying to install a new EV Charger NS. In Victron Connect I get a mandatory FW upgrade from v1.24 to v2.00, but it does not proceed past 4% and finally fails with ‘Network error 4’. I must have it tried it some 30 times or so now, each time with the same result.
I get the mandatory FW upgrade page in Victron Connect only the second and subsequent times I connect to the EVCS after unpairing Bluetooth. The first time after unpairing I get a normal status screen. I can then even change some settings via the cog wheel icon (like max and min charge current) and they seem to be saved as well, upon power cycle. But Network Settings does not look okay. The scan for WiFi networks delivers a list of SSIDs, including mine, but pressing the ‘Add’ button does not give me a confirmation popup or any other reaction. Same for manually adding my own SSID. Network Status remains empty and greyed out.
I cannot reliably set the WiFi mode back to Access Point either: after I do this I sometimes see the ‘EVSE-xxx’ SSID appearing for perhaps 20 seconds, but then it disappears again. The same happens after I hold the DEF button until the LED ring flashes blue. I’ve used both my Android phone and tablet to connect, but each with the same results.
I have included a handful of screenshots from the tablet.
Any help would be appreciated.
Try to do the update via the web interface or VRM.
Thanks Matthias for you quick response.
Unfortunately I seem to be blocked by the fact that my EVCS does not broadcast the SSID mentioned on the sticker, not even after holding the ´DEF´ button for 15s. So I cannot access the web interface. Neither will it connect to my local wifi to be seen by my Cerbo GX. Indeed VRM does not list the EVCS either. Currently I can only access the EVCS from Victron Connect via Bluetooth. But I can´t change the networks settings from there. They don´t stick.
I did notice that there is also an ´RST´button on the circuit board, near the big capacitor. Could that be useful here?
I have the same issue but I can not go to the first setup from the access point .
Hello Erik.
Were you able to complete the ‘first setup’ procedure via WiFi connection(as described in Appendix 8)?
Do you have the latest Victronconnect APP version?
A few tips about updating from the Victronconnect:
Despite the Victronconnect connects to EVCS over BLE, FW update is performed over a WiFi connection, as over BLE we are not able to send a big FW file.
So, to update FW over Victronconnect, your EVCS and your mobile phone should be on the same WiFi network.
If EVCS has a factory default setting, you need to connect your mobile phone to the EVCS WiFi access point. Usually, SSID is something like ‘EVCS-SERIAL-ID’.
If you perform the ‘first-setup’ procedure and connect EVCS to your own network - connect your phone to the same network.
After, if you have the latest version of the application, you will see a prompt for FW updating.
I am unable to get past the first step of Appendix 8:
The evcs broadcasts the ‘EVCS-HQxxxx’ SSID only for a short while. In less than a minute the SSID disappears. But even while the SSID is there, neither my phone nor my tablet can connect to it. A few out of many times I got a dialog asking for the network key. I entered the 8-character Password from the sticker, but my phone/tablet could not establish a connection.
Is there some magic button sequence or other procedure to force the evcs to keep broadcasting its SSID and accept a connection? I’ve tried the 15 s DEF button hold procedure many times already, but the best I got was a temporary broadcast of the SSID, which was not enough for my phone/tablet to connect.
By the way, Appendix 8 mentions both a WiFi Key and a password. Both should be printed on the sticker. The sticker in my evcs only has an 8-character password (aside from the SSID, the WiFi MAC, the BT PIN and the QR code). There is not separate WiFi key printed. I’m assuming password and WiFi key are the same; is that correct?
Thank you for this advice . The EV charger is up and running
Hello @Ikkink . Yes, password and WiFi key are the same.
What is the distance between your PC or phone and EVCS? Can you try connecting in close proximity to the EVCS?
Also, can you try the Victronconnect APP? Is EVCS visible there?
Hi Nicolas, thanks for your help.
Distance between phone/tablet and evcs was between 1 and 2 m.
I have now also used inSSIDer on my laptop (at a distance of about 4 m) to get more detail on the wifi situation. Here are some redacted screenshots.
With the Victron Connect app on phone/tablet I can connect to the evcs via bluetooth without problem. But none of the settings changes I make there will stick. So I cannot make the evcs switch between access point mode and local network mode. Or complete the firmware upgrade, as I mentioned in my first post.
What more can I try to do?
Small update 5/4/2025: Behavior of the Wifi access point, as seen by inSSIDer, remains the same when my tablet is simultaneously connected to it using Victron Connect via BT. The Wifi radio turns on for a few seconds, then goes off for a duration that varies from less than a minute to 6 minutes. Trying to change the Wifi mode to ‘Use local Wifi’ , followed by ‘Scan for Wifi networks’ does not seem to have any effect either: the ‘EVCS-HQxxx SSID’ keeps being broadcasted intermittently.
Perhaps also noteworthy from the 2nd of the above screenshots is that the Wifi country code is ‘CN’. Is that the default of the ESP32-WROOM-32UE SoC? Shouldn’t that be set/overwritten by the Victron firmware? Does that lead to the hypothesis that the Wifi configuration of the ESP32 is somehow not properly loaded? Also the wide 40 MHz bandwidth that it uses is not what I would have expected.
Hi @Ikkink . Ok. Isee.
Are you sure then EVCS is not constantly rebooting? There is a light-ring around charging port. Is it light-up? Can you see any flickers on it?
If it is looks ok - can you check WiFi antenna connection? You will need to open the box for that. Maybe you can unpin-pin antenna to ensure that it is ok.
Hi @Nicolas .
The LED ring is constantly lit yellow. It does not flicker.
I get one very brief flicker only when I perform any of the following 3 actions:
When I keep the DEF button pressed for about 15 seconds, I get a blue flicker pattern.
I have tried rotating the antenna coax connector to the ESP32 SoC a bit back and forth as well as pressing it, to make sure it’s properly seated. But I see no difference in behaviour and neither in Wifi signal strength (still between -50 and -40 dBm). Also the bluetooth connection seems to be stable; at least pressing the ‘Reboot’ button in Victron Connect leads to a noticeable response and I can also change the Charge current setting (although not most other settings). This suggests to me that the antenna (connection) is okay.
I remain surprised by the 40 MHz bandwidth and the ‘CN’ country code. If I turn on the Wifi access point on my Cerbo GX, then that has no country code set and uses only 20 MHz. That’s what I would have expected from the evcs as well.
ok. I see. One more thing to try.
Can you try to connect GX WiFi to EVCS AP? But be sure that you will not lose access to GX(you can use GX Ethernet for example).
Hi @Nicolas, yes I can connect the GX to the EVCS AP !
I turned on the GX Wifi from the remote console (the GX is connected via Ethernet to the home network) and was able to connect.
The signal strength in a 10 min interval looks like this:
