Companion app not recognising ethernet network connection

Bugs and Support
1

Hi,

I have noticed a bug in the companion app. I have 3 Samsung devices running Android all with the companion app installed.

The companion app works on all devices when connected via WiFi on my home network but when I connect it via an ethernet connection it sticks on the main screen saying that there is no internet connection.

There definitely is a connection because I downloaded the app using it. Also the main Zwift app works fine using ethernet which suggests the bug is within the companion app.

I am using an OTG usb to ethernet to connect all three Samsung devices to the wired network. The phone devices are s8 and s10e and the tablet is
Tab A 10.1

You may wonder why I am doing this…I want to create a very stable connection to my Apple TV device and bridge my sensors. I often get dropouts that only occur when I bridge.

I wonder whether anyone else can confirm this bug.

2

I don’t think it’s a bug. I imagine that the Zwift Companion only supports wireless connections by design. :man_shrugging:t2:

1 Like
3

I find that hard to believe. I don’t see why Zwift would intentionally limit the app when it serves no benefit.

4

I wouldn’t say they intentionally limited the device, more likely a design decision in favor of WiFi only.

How many Zwifters are there? How many even know it’s possible to connect their phones to Ethernet? How many actually have the necessary adapter? Etc…It’s going to be a very small number.

Related, Wahoo Kickr (v5?)owners are still waiting for Zwift to support the Ethernet port on their trainer.

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5

Last I heard is that the ZCA app ONLY works over WiFi and not on a wired connection.

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6

But it works with the main Zwift app so your points about people knowing about the adapters and using them with a phone don’t really correlate.

7

Still makes no sense for it to be WiFi only.

8

I’d suggest that they havent “intentionally limited” it - they have just chosen to put scarce dev $'s to where the demand is. No-one is asking for ethernet connected a Companion App that I can see.

See above, why put dev into something that no-one is asking for?

Sounds like you need to clean up your 2.4ghz environment if you are having problems with CA wifi connectivity issues.

2 Likes
9

I use 5Ghz

10

Lucky that it works with the main Zwift app. Maybe accidentally included when they ported the app from PC/Mac.

:man_shrugging:t2:

Open support ticket with Zwift if you want a definitive answer. Maybe I’m wrong and it is a bug.

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11

No, they would have had to purposely written to the USB stack from what I can see of the standards.

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12

I’ll just send a support ticket in and see what the deal is.

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13

I connect my client via. Ethernet and companion works fine!

Is your WiFi connection to the phone good?

14

Which device are you using for this? Are you using the companion app via ethernet?

15

I was under the impression that the discussion was about the Companion device being on Ethernet, not the client device.

16

All sorted.

  1. Connect the companion app via WiFi and pair devices.
  2. Leave companion app open but make sure the game page is available to confirm it is connected to Zwift.
  3. Plug in OTG ethernet cable and let phone automatically connect to ethernet.

Companion app works over Ethernet :slight_smile:
Rock solid. Super fast. No drop outs.

1 Like
17

I guess there is a check to see that it is not trying to connect via mobile data since that won’t work. That it only looks for wlan connections is probably more of an omission than a design decision and definitely not a matter of developer time (originally anyway). Anyway, good thing that it isn’t more thorough than that, might have to try this myself at some point as well if the Direct Connect support won’t materialize in the near future.

18

One thing to note though is the OTG ethernet cable is powered by the phone which means it can’t be charged at the same time.

To get around this I sat it on a wireless charger and it held up. Bit overkill but it was nice to troubleshoot it.

1 Like
19

Good detective work