Connection Problems With Zwift, Laptop And Tacx Smart Trainer

[El Duderino]

My pretty powerful Dell work laptop crashed. I was using it for Zwift, paired with my Tacx Flux Smart Trainer, with no issues. I've now had to start using my backup laptop, a cheap Lenovo Ideapad 3, and I'm having persistent connection problems. Trainer pairs with Laptop, but then loses connection almost immediately. So, Bluetooth is working, just losing signal/connection after pairing, meaning I can't do any rides or workouts. 

 

Any ideas on what the issue is and how I might fix it. Online advice seems to be: "Get an Ant + dongle." I don't know what this is, and I don't know if I can get any Ant + Dongle, or if it must be one made specifically for Tacx devices. 

 

Any advice welcome. TIA. 

 

[DieselnDust]

Use Zwift Companion as the bridge

[Paul Ruinaard]

Use Zwift Companion but start it on the phone first before turning ANYTHING else on. If that doesn't work take as many BT connections that could be near the laptop that pair with it out of range or delete them from the list of known devices as the more BT connections you have (Speakers, Keyboard, mice etc) the less bandwidth you have. BT is super sensitive and some thinks like headphones (aftershokz) will crash all your BT on a mac. But yes ANT+works better and it is standard so you can use any Ant +dongle. I recommend getting a USB cable to allow the actual dongle to hang closer to the floor and therefore closer to the cadence sensor and the back of the trainer which creates a stronger signal path.

Hope that makes sense. Do some googling as well. Check firmware on everything and do some spindowns. 

Zwift is super flaky and sometimes randomly implodes. Especially after they release an update.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Paul Ruinaard

[madmarc]

I'm on a Kickr - Lenova idea pad.

Just go ANT+ and be done with it. I've had so many problems with BT on multiple laptops i given up trying. A lot of the trouble is because the BT switches off on the Laptop and then you need to constantly go into device manager and switch them back on - and if you have other BT devices in range it gets all confused with connections fighting each other and drops one connection to connect to another.

Ant+ just works and connects perfectly the only time i get drops is when there is an obstruction between the trainer and the laptop - currently the laptop is approx 4m from the trainer and it connects both the trainer and HR monitor no problems. If you have this situation then a USB extension to have the dongle closer to the trainer also works.

I currently run both TR and ZWIFT as well as a HR strap together at the same time with 2 ANT+ dongles with no issues.

Edited April 12, 2022 by madmarc

[El Duderino]

1 minute ago, madmarc said:

I'm on a Kickr - Lenova idea pad.

Just go ANT+ and be done with it. I've had so many problems with BT on multiple laptops i given up trying. A lot of the trouble is because the BT switches off on the Laptop and then you need to constantly go into device manager and switch them back on - and if you have other BT devices in range it gets all confused with connections fighting each other and drops one connection to connect to another.

Ant+ just works and connects perfectly the only time i get drops is when there is an obstruction between the trainer and the laptop - currently the laptop is approx 4m from the trainer and it connects both the trainer and HR monitor no problems. If you have this situation then a USB extension to have the dongle closer to the trainer also works.

I currently run both TR and ZWIFT as well as a HR strap together at the same time with 2 ANT+ dongles with no issues.

Thanks Marc. Think I'm going to go the Ant + dongle route. Can I use any Ant + dongle, or must I use a Tacx specific one?

[madmarc]

3 minutes ago, El Duderino said:

Thanks Marc. Think I'm going to go the Ant + dongle route. Can I use any Ant + dongle, or must I use a Tacx specific one?

I go this one off Takealot and it works perfect with Kickr i would assume it will work with Tacx as long as it has Ant+ FE-C but most dongles handle both Ant+ & Ant+ FE-C signals - But maybe some Tacx owners can comment

 

https://www.takealot.com/saris-ant-usb-stick/PLID60539737

Also check out this interesting video from GP Lama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DieselnDust]

51 minutes ago, Giba Nut said:

How do I do this? I'm not very tech savvy.

when you load up zwift, click on the settings button top right hand corner of the device connection window. Select zwift companion instead of builtin Bluetooth.

then load zwift companion onto your mobile phone from the play or app store

[Duane_Bosch]

24 minutes ago, madmarc said:

Just go ANT+ and be done with it.

This guy knows. Went ANT+ a while back after my laptop forgot it had bluetooth drivers installed and I couldn't reinstall them and I've not had a single dropped connection since.

[DieselnDust]

26 minutes ago, Duane_Bosch said:

This guy knows. Went ANT+ a while back after my laptop forgot it had bluetooth drivers installed and I couldn't reinstall them and I've not had a single dropped connection since.

I've had several problems with ANT+ hence the switch to Zwift Companion.

BT direct to laptop was a crap shoot.

[Frosty]

As an Apple user I had more problems with Ant+, than with BT. Even my 4iiii connects better with BT than Ant+ when using the MacBook Pro

[Mongoose!]

ant + al the way 👌

[El Duderino]

4 hours ago, DieselnDust said:

when you load up zwift, click on the settings button top right hand corner of the device connection window. Select zwift companion instead of builtin Bluetooth.

then load zwift companion onto your mobile phone from the play or app store

Tried this and it seems to be working for now. Will give the Ant + dongle a try at some point as this doesn't seem to be the best connection. I think the issue is my laptop.

 

[TIB]

3 minutes ago, El Duderino said:

Tried this and it seems to be working for now. Will give the Ant + dongle a try at some point as this doesn't seem to be the best connection. I think the issue is my laptop.

 

Methinks you think all right. I ran my Flux2 on an older laptop, always issues with Rouvy freezing for a few seconds on a regular basis. As the problem disappeared with my current laptop, I think it was purely the processing speed of the old one that could not handle 1080p resolution. Bought an AppleTV. 

What a pleasure!

[ChrisF]

57 minutes ago, TIB said:

Methinks you think all right. I ran my Flux2 on an older laptop, always issues with Rouvy freezing for a few seconds on a regular basis. As the problem disappeared with my current laptop, I think it was purely the processing speed of the old one that could not handle 1080p resolution. Bought an AppleTV. 

What a pleasure!

Slight hi.jack ...

 

Do you need an iphone to use apple.tv and Zwift ?

 

The apple.tv certainly rates high on DC Rainmaker and similar sources.

 

But as an Android and PC user it seems like a significant migration to get this to work ....

[TIB]

6 hours ago, ChrisF said:

Slight hi.jack ...

 

Do you need an iphone to use apple.tv and Zwift ?

 

The apple.tv certainly rates high on DC Rainmaker and similar sources.

 

But as an Android and PC user it seems like a significant migration to get this to work ....

To be honest, I cannot speak to your question with absolute authority. The reason I use Apple products is because I’m not particularly clever but it is very easy to get Apple stuff to work.

In essence AppleTv is just a streaming device that is very good at handling hi definition visual content, Netflix, Showmax, Rouvy ect.

It is a freestanding product, no iPhone needed, just create an Apple ID (e- mail and password setup) and off you go…. 
 

The problem of course is that once used to it you would want an iPhone and iPad too😎