Device intermittently shows online/offline and Remote Viewer times out: connectivity typically self-resolves after network stabilizes

Android

If your device intermittently shows as online and offline in the Esper Console, or Remote Viewer sessions time out when you try to connect, the issue is typically related to network connectivity. This article walks you through diagnosing and resolving the problem.

Understanding the issue

Your device's online/offline status in the Esper Console depends on a stable connection to Esper's MQTT messaging service. When your device's internet connection is unstable—due to weak Wi-Fi signal, network switching, DHCP issues, or intermittent internet access—the device repeatedly disconnects and reconnects to the MQTT service. This causes the oscillating online/offline status you see in the Esper Console.

Remote Viewer requires a persistent, stable MQTT connection to establish a relay session. If the connection drops or is reconnecting when you try to start a Remote Viewer session, the session will time out and fail to connect.

In most cases, this issue resolves itself once your device's network connectivity stabilizes.

Before you begin

Verify that your device has access to a stable internet connection and can reach external endpoints on ports 443 and 8883 (not blocked by a firewall or proxy).

Step 1: Confirm device network connectivity

1. On your device, check your Wi-Fi signal strength by going to Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → [Your Connected Network].
2. If available, open a web browser on the device and load a web page to confirm internet access.
3. If you have physical access to the device and the signal is weak, move the device closer to your Wi-Fi router or check for network interference.

Step 2: Monitor the device status in the Esper Console

1. In the Esper Console, go to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Overview.
2. Watch the online/offline indicator for several minutes.
3. If the device status stabilizes and remains consistently online, proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Retry Remote Viewer

1. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Remote Viewer.
2. Start a new Remote Viewer session.
3. Allow up to 60 seconds for the session to establish.

Step 4: Power-cycle or reboot the device (if on-site)

If you have physical access to the device, try one of the following to force a clean MQTT reconnection:

• Toggle Wi-Fi off and back on on the device.
• Reboot the device through the Esper Console by navigating to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Actions → Reboot.

Step 5: Verify the fix

1. Confirm the device shows a stable Online status in the Esper Console for at least 2–3 minutes.
2. Attempt a Remote Viewer session again to confirm it connects without timing out.

If the problem persists

If your device continues to flip between online and offline after you've confirmed the network is stable, or if Remote Viewer times out even when the device shows consistently online, follow these steps:

1. Collect your device's ADB logs by contacting Esper Support with your device UUID and details of the issue.
2. Note your device's Esper Agent/Agent version, visible at Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Overview → Device Info.
3. Record the timestamp window when the failures occurred.
4. If multiple devices at the same site are affected simultaneously, suspect a site-level network issue, such as a firewall blocking MQTT port 8883, a captive portal, or proxy misconfiguration.

Still need help?

If you've completed all the steps above and your device is still showing intermittent connectivity or Remote Viewer timeouts, contact Esper Support. Have your device UUID, Esper Agent/Agent version, and a description of when the issue occurred ready to share.