How to Fix Delayed Notifications on Your Aiphone System
An Aiphone intercom system provides critical security by allowing you to see and speak to visitors in real-time. However, if there's a significant delay between someone pressing the call button and you receiving the notification, you could miss important deliveries or visitors entirely. This delay can be frustrating and undermines the system's effectiveness.
This guide will help you diagnose the common causes of notification delays, from network issues to app settings, and provide solutions to ensure you receive alerts promptly.
Identifying the Source of the Delay
The key to solving this problem is understanding where the delay is happening. The notification journey involves several steps:
- A visitor presses the call button on the door station.
- The door station sends a signal to the master station or central control unit.
- The system processes the signal and routes it to your internal monitor and/or the mobile app via the internet.
- Your phone receives the push notification from the app.
A delay at any point in this chain will result in a late notification.
Troubleshooting Steps for Faster Alerts
Let's work through the potential issues, starting with the most common and easiest to fix.
1. Reboot Your Entire System
A simple power cycle can often resolve temporary glitches in communication between devices.
- Power Down All Components: Turn off the power to your Aiphone master station, door station(s), and any network adapters involved.
- Reboot Your Network Router: Unplug your internet router and modem. Wait for 60 seconds.
- Power Up Sequentially: Plug your modem back in and wait for it to fully connect. Then, plug in your router and wait for it to come online. Finally, restore power to your Aiphone components.
- Test the System: After everything has reconnected, press the call button and measure the notification time.
2. Analyse Your Network Connection
Network latency is the number one cause of delayed notifications.
- Wired vs. Wireless: For maximum reliability and speed, key Aiphone components like the master station should be connected to your network via an Ethernet cable, not Wi-Fi. A wired connection is more stable and much faster than a wireless one.
- Check Wi-Fi Signal Strength: If your master station or smartphone is on Wi-Fi, ensure it has a strong signal. A weak, one-bar signal will cause significant delays. Move your device closer to the router or consider a Wi-Fi mesh system for better coverage.
- Run a Speed Test: Use a speed test app on your smartphone while connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Aiphone system. Pay attention to the upload speed and ping/latency. A high ping (more than 100ms) or very low upload speed (less than 2 Mbps) can delay the signal from your intercom reaching the app.
- Reduce Network Congestion: If other people in your home are streaming 4K video or gaming online, it can saturate your network's bandwidth. Check if the notification speed improves when the network is less busy.
3. Check Mobile App and Phone Settings
Sometimes the issue isn't with your network, but with the settings on your smartphone.
- Disable Battery Optimisation: Modern smartphones aggressively manage battery life by putting apps to "sleep" when they are not in the foreground. Go to your phone's settings, find the Aiphone app, and disable all battery optimisation or "put to sleep" features for it. This allows the app to run in the background and receive notifications instantly.
- Enable Background App Refresh: Similarly, ensure that "Background App Refresh" (iOS) or equivalent background data permissions (Android) are enabled for the Aiphone app.
- Check Notification Permissions: Dive into your phone's notification settings for the Aiphone app. Ensure that all permissions are granted and that they are set to a high priority or "Allow Critical Alerts" if the option is available.
4. Update Firmware
Manufacturers release firmware updates to fix bugs and improve performance.
- Check for Updates: Consult your Aiphone manual or the installer's portal to see if there is a firmware update available for your master station, control unit, or door station. Applying updates can often resolve communication lag.
If you have worked through all these steps and are still experiencing significant delays, it may be time to consult your professional Aiphone installer. They can perform a deeper diagnosis of the system's configuration and network integration.