Syncing Issues

Last updated - Sep 29, 2020 at 12:35PM

Troubleshooting time entries not coming through into the dashboard

The most common cause of time entries not syncing through from a TimeDock device is an internet connectivity issue. If an internet connection is not available, unsecure or dropping too many packets of data, devices may struggle to synchronise data with your TimeDock dashboard.

See below for help with troubleshooting connectivity with the TimeDock hardware, and the TimeDock mobile app.

Troubleshoot TimeDock machine/hardware sync issues

Symptoms:

  1. Few or no time entries are syncing through from the device.

  2. The device listed in the web dashboard under setup > devices is highlighted red.

  3. On the device itself, at the top of the screen, it may indicate that the last successful sync was a while ago. e.g. "Full sync 15 days ago".

  4. The screen may turn grey, on some versions, indicating that it's not connected to the internet.

Remedy:

To remedy this issue, please try the following options:

  1. Turn the device off (long-press the power button). Then turn it on again. Sounds simple, but this is the quickest and easiest remedy when there's been a Wi-Fi hiccup!

  2. Reconnect your Wi-Fi. To access Wi-Fi settings on your device, use one of the master key cards that came with it, or tap on the "am" or "pm" next to the time, 20 times. A Wi-Fi password change can cause the device to seem like it's connected successfully when it hasn't, so tap on the Forget button which will clear the connection and allow you to re-enter the password and establish a fresh connection.

  3. Check the system Date/Time is set correctly and hasn't reset to the factory default. Make sure this is the case within the system settings on the device, not just the TimeDock app. System settings are accessible the same way as the Wi-Fi step above.

  4. Ensure that your Wi-Fi router is within range, and there are no obstructing materials or objects that could interfere with the signal e.g. metal walls, heavy duty fire doors, enclosed metal-clad buildings, heavy machinery with electromagnetic fields, etc.

  5. Check whether any IT technicians have changed any network or internet configurations for your organisation.

  6. If the above options don't work, try restarting your internet router.

  7. If using a SIM card with a data plan, ensure that it's active and has remaining data.

  8. If using a SIM card, ensure it's compatible with tablet devices (some specialised SIM cards & data plans are prohibited for use within consumer devices).

If none of the above options succeed, the best next step is to connect it through another internet connection to rule out an issue with the first one. That could be another Wi-Fi access point, or a hotspot from someone's phone.

When successfully reconnected, the device will display a message along the top of the screen like "Full sync 0 minutes ago".

Troubleshoot mobile app sync issues

Watch the video below for help with troubleshooting mobile app data synchronisation issues.

Frequently asked questions about Syncing Issues

Why is the date (and time) way out?

If your device has been turned off for some time, or hasn't yet been connected to your network, it may default to the factory date and time. To remedy this, connect it to a WiFi connection or use a SIM card with a strong connection. Once connected, your device will synchonise the UTC date from your network. You can also change the date and timezone manually, if required, via the system settings on the device.

None of our hours have come through since...

The most common cause of time entries not syncing through from a TimeDock device is an internet connectivity issue. Refer to Troubleshooting time entries not coming through into the dashboard for more help.