The default configuration of Eero routers conflicts with PurpleAir sensors because both devices use the same IP address. Further details on why this occurs are found in our Network Checklist.
To solve this problem, we recommend a simple update to the Eero configuration that uses an alternate IP address.
Any one of the following three options can be used to solve this conflict:
Option 1: Change to the Manual IP address on the Eero router.
This is the most common reason for the sensor not connecting
Within the Eero app:
Navigate to “Network Settings” in the bottom right-hand corner.
Select “DHCP & NAT”.
Change the setting from Automatic to Manual IP and then select one of the three alternate options for the IP address prefix.
Leave all of the other settings the same and select “Save” at the top. Your Eero will restart and your PurpleAir will be able to connect to it and appear on the PurpleAir map if the sensor has been successfully registered. All your other devices that know the network should connect back to your Eero router as well.
Option 2. Disable Frustration Free (if purchased on Amazon)
Click on “Discover”, then Amazon Connected Home Frustration-Free Setup
Click on Frustration-Free Setup
Disable the Setting
Connect the PurpleAir to the main Eero SSID network.
View this post if you are trying to connect to a guest network.
Option 3. Advanced security settings.
Turn off the advanced security of the Eero
Do a hardware reset of the Eero unit connected to the Internet modem. This is what Eero Calls the Gateway Eero Pro. There is a small button in the back of the Eero unit you need to press until a yellow light comes on in front of the Eero. Keep pressing the button until the yellow light appears.
Verify that the sensors reading appears on the PurpleAir map
So my PurpleAir has been working fine on my Eero goes network for the past year. Even moving to a new location it continued working. Suddenly a week or so ago it stopped reporting. I can see when I connect to the device it is connected to the Wifi and thinks everything is fine. I don’t have “Frustration Free” as an option and Advanced Security has been disabled since day 1.
I am not sure what changed to cause this, I have tried connecting it to main Eero network as well as a Guest network a few times, each time it shows up as if it is connected fine but still doesn’t report. I can’t do option #1 above as I have a lot of devices on my network, many with static IPs and many that are configured to talk to other specific IPs on the network.
Do we have an understanding about what is unique about PurpleAir networking that causes this problem? Is there another way to resolve it? it seems like assigning it a static IP should resolve this if it was just an IP conflict.
Was there a firmware update pushed around 12 days ago (August 9th, 2022)? I see 4-5 PurpleAir in my area that stopped reporting around then (same as when mine stopped). I am wondering if there was an update that caused them to stop working with Eero guest network as it had been working fine for 1+ year before that. Also for anyone in this situation, I just ended up using an old router as a second network just for PurpleAir to use which is silly, but it got it working again at least.
My Eero gateway ip is 192.168.4.1 making my PurpleAir Touch not reachable
I have way too many ip reservations and configurations; the suggested fix is not acceptable.
If I enable Guest network, I am able to connect my device and it updates on PurpleAir map…
However, the Guest network is separate/isolated… the whole reason I went with PurpleAir Touch was because I wanted local polling - to get data from http://ip/json?live=true
I know I can get data from PurpleAir cloud API, but the rate limit kills off my intended use case.
I see there is a usb firmware flashing tool.
Is there a way to fix this issue with that tool? (i.e. not use a common router ip for the device)
I’ve had a very difficult time getting my existing PA-II to work with eero. After several calls with both PurpleAir and eero, I’ve finally found a solution (thanks eero support). The steps outlined above didn’t work, and actually took down my entire wireless network, so I’ll start with the solution that did work, then outline for your edification the ones that did not. I had successfully connected PurpleAir to the eero (as displayed on the PurpleAir setup page). However, the device was not reporting status to the PurpleAir servers and so it did not show the readings on the map.
To fix the problem you need to change DNS (domain name service) provider from the default for your internet company to the google dns:
In the eero app, click the “Discover” button at the bottom of the page. Under eero Secure and Amazon Connected Home, turn off all services. This needs to be done because the option to specify a different DNS is not available if one or more of these is turned on. This is only temporary and can be reenabled after the alternative DNS is applied. Note that this step only applies if you subscribe to these services (or, as with me, MediaCom, my cable provider, subscribed to them for me.)
Click the "Settings button on the bottom of the page.
Click “Network settings”
Click “DNS”
Choose the “Custom DNS” radio button.
Enter 8.8.8.8 in the IPv4 Primary field.
Enter 8.8.4.4 in the IPv4 Secondary field.
Click “Save” at the top of the screen.
You will be prompted to reboot your eero device. Click Ok and wait.
Re-enable services you disabled (if any) under “eero Secure” and Amazon Connected Home.
So that worked. Here’s what I tried before doing this:
Under the Discover->eero Secure-> Advanced “Block & allow sites”, per a suggestion from PurpleAir support, under the “Allowed” tab, I added in “map.purpleair.com” and “www2.purpleair.com” Each of those required approval of an alias site. I accepted the aliases. This didn’t work. The PA-II was still unable to report data.
Working with eero support, I disabled the IP v6 support of eero. I didn’t need this, so it was OK, but after rebooting the eero device, the PA-II was still unable to report in.
I spoke with the PurpleAir support team and they suggested that I change the DHCP & NAT network settings from automatic to manual and choose the first IP address prefix (192.168.0.0). After I did this, and rebooted the eero, it “went red” and my entire network was down. In a long call with eero support, we recovered the eero by reversing the action and going back to Automatic, resetting the eero and recovering the wireless network. The eero support engineer then said something about my settings being wrong and fixed them somehow. I don’t know exactly what she changed, but the eero is now on that specific manual IP address prefix, but it now works. However, still, the PA-II did not work.
Finally, by changing the DNS provider to Google, (8.8.8.8) the problem resolved. This made it clear that the domain name server used by MediaCom was not properly resolving the domain names sent to it by PA-II. I don’t know why the whitelist approach recommended by the PurpleAir support rep didn’t solve the problem, but this did.
Finally, I want to say that all of the support professionals I spoke with, both with Purple Air and with eero were great. Everything made sense and they were remarkably patient with me. I would recommend
Hi @Tom_Clement, could you send the IP address for your previous DNS server to contact@purpleair.com if you still have it? We’d like to investigate the issue further as this could affect other users.
I’d like to help, Josh, but I’m not sure I can get it. The eero setting was labeled “ISP DNS (Default)”. So this is a MediaCom thing. I found this on the web:
Mediacom uses different DNS servers across the United States. Here are some of the primary and secondary DNS servers used by Mediacom in different locations:
New York City: Primary DNS: 108.166.149.2, Secondary DNS: 108.166.149.31.
Missouri: Primary DNS: 97.64.183.162, Secondary DNS: 97.64.183.1631.
Georgia: Primary DNS: 97.64.209.34, Secondary DNS: 97.64.209.351.
Iowa: Primary DNS: 97.64.168.10, Secondary DNS: 97.64.168.111.
Please note that these are just a few examples, and there might be additional DNS servers used by Mediacom in other locations as well.
If I had had the question before getting everything fixed, I’d be able to do ipconfig /all for you, but I’m not daring to change it back to the default just for that. (It would also take down my internet for 15 minutes or so, and I can’t afford to do that right now.)
I tried following the above steps and setting DNS to Google but it does not work for me. The sensor is on the network and transmitting and receiving data but does not show up on the map. Eeros Pro 6 with TDS
This article is overly complex. I have for years used PurpleAir on eero without any complex configuration. Just use the eero guest network functionality.
Eero app: Settings: Guest network
Enable guest network (green on)
Name the network a simple unique name (no fancy characters, no spaces, keep it simple)
Use the default random password provided, it should be something like three random words and a couple numbers. Copy paste this or write it down so you can tell PurpleAir the password to use.
These steps are rock solid and don’t require any custom configuration that may cause your eero network to hiccup.
