Troubleshooting by symptom · Rolling Shutter Guide
Why does my shutter app or Bond Bridge keep losing the shutter?
Usually distance or interference. A Bond Bridge copies your remote's radio signal and covers about 2,500 sq ft, so a bridge tucked in a far corner, behind thick walls or beside security cameras drops shutters. Pair each shutter with the bridge within 10 to 15 ft, then move the bridge to a central spot and test the farthest shutter.
Key facts
- Roll-A-Shield's placement fix for a bridge that drops shutters: pair with the bridge 10 to 15 ft from the shutter, then move it to the spot where it works best; thick walls and nearby security cameras interfere. Roll-A-Shield data
- A standard Bond Bridge covers about 2,500 sq ft and up to 30 devices; the Bond Bridge Pro covers about 3,500 sq ft and up to 50.
- The Bond Bridge works with Roll-A-Shield's radio (RTS) Gaposa and Somfy motors, not with OZRoll battery motors. Roll-A-Shield data
- The bridge works by recording a remote's radio signal and replaying it, and it reaches the internet through your Wi-Fi router; its light ring turns blue once it is on your network.
- Somfy lists airports, marinas, military bases, and weather or security systems as sources of outside radio interference for its RTS motors.
Applies to: Motorized rolling shutters with Gaposa or Somfy RTS radio motors controlled through a Bond Bridge or Bond Bridge Pro and the Bond Home app. Not OZRoll battery motors or wired switch motors.
A smart bridge does not replace your shutter's radio. It sits between your Wi-Fi and the shutter, copies the signal your remote sends, and replays it when you tap the app or ask a voice assistant. So when the app "loses" a shutter, the question is almost always whether the bridge's radio signal is still reaching that motor. Roll-A-Shield's smart-home option is the Bond Bridge, so this page uses it; the placement rules apply to any radio bridge.
Symptom, likely cause, what to do
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing in the app works, light ring is not blue | Bridge is off your Wi-Fi | Check the bridge has power and wait for the ring to turn blue; if it flashes green, set up its Wi-Fi again in the Bond Home app. |
| The farthest shutter drops, closer ones work | Out of range | Move the bridge to a more central spot. |
| Shutters dropped after the bridge was moved, or new cameras or Wi-Fi gear went in | Walls or interference between bridge and motor | Pair close, then relocate and test (steps below). |
| One shutter stopped answering the app after a reset or re-programming | The motor's memory was cleared | Pair the remote again, then add the shutter to the bridge again. |
| Shutter was never controllable from the app | Not a radio motor (OZRoll battery or wired switch) | A bridge cannot control it. |
| App and handheld remote both fail | Not a bridge problem | See remote stopped working and the stuck-shutter guide. |
| App says the shutter belongs to another account | Registered to a previous owner | Call before resetting anything. |
Where should the Bond Bridge go?
Somewhere central to the shutters it controls, not in a far corner. One standard Bond Bridge covers a home of about 2,500 sq ft and up to 30 devices, and when control is spotty, moving the bridge closer usually fixes it. Bond says radio devices need no line of sight to the bridge; distance and walls still weaken the signal.
What blocks it in practice:
- Distance and thick walls. Keep the bridge near the middle of the shutters it serves; drops come from a bridge placed off to one side.
- Other wireless devices, security cameras in particular.
- Outside radio interference. For its RTS motors, Somfy lists airports, marinas, military bases, and weather or security systems as interference sources.
For a large home, the Bond Bridge Pro is rated for about 3,500 sq ft and 50 devices and can be wired to your network, or separate areas can each have their own bridge.
How do I pair a shutter so it stays connected?
Pair it close, then move the bridge and prove it from the farthest shutter.
- Check the shutter's own remote works. The bridge learns from the remote, so a dead or unpaired remote cannot teach it anything.
- Confirm the bridge is online: its light ring should be blue.
- Bring the bridge within 10 to 15 ft of the shutter.
- In the Bond Home app, add the shutter, using its remote when the app asks for it.
- Test up, stop and down from the app.
- Repeat for each shutter, pairing every one at close range.
- Move the bridge to a central spot, away from cameras and other wireless gear, and test the farthest shutter again. If it drops, move the bridge closer to it and test once more.
Tip: If a Gaposa motor's memory is reset, every paired transmitter is erased. After any reset, pair your remote first, then check the shutter in the app and add it to the bridge again if it no longer responds. The reset itself is on resetting a Gaposa motor.
Is it the Wi-Fi or the radio?
Look at the bridge's light ring. The bridge connects to your router over Wi-Fi: a white ring means it is starting up, flashing green means it is waiting to be set up, and blue means it is connected and ready. If the ring is blue and only one or two shutters fail, the Wi-Fi is fine and the radio path to those motors is the problem. If every device in the app fails at once, start with the Wi-Fi and the bridge's power.
Either way, your handheld remotes keep working, because they talk to the motors directly by radio, not through Wi-Fi or the bridge.
Which shutters can a bridge control?
Only shutters with a radio (RTS) motor. The Bond Bridge works with Roll-A-Shield's remote-control Gaposa and Somfy motors. It cannot control an OZRoll battery motor, which has no remote receiver, or a wired motor on a wall switch, because radio accessories are for remote motors only. A wired shutter can be converted to remote control.
What next
For new smart-home control, phone and voice options are covered on phone and app control and Control4, Lutron, Crestron, Alexa and Google. For help with a bridge on a Roll-A-Shield shutter, call (480) 921-0200; in metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield services rolling shutters.
Frequently asked questions
Does a remote-control shutter need Wi-Fi?
No. The handheld remote talks to the motor directly by radio. Wi-Fi is needed only for the bridge, which lets a phone, app or voice assistant send the same radio command.
Do I need one Bond Bridge per shutter?
No. One standard bridge handles up to 30 devices within about 2,500 sq ft. A larger home may need a Bond Bridge Pro, rated for 3,500 sq ft and 50 devices, or a second bridge.
Does the Bond Bridge work with Alexa and Google?
Yes. Bond says the bridge is certified to work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and it also lists Control4, Crestron, Savant, SmartThings, RTI, URC and Elan integrations.
The app says the shutter is registered to the previous owner. What now?
Call Roll-A-Shield on (480) 921-0200 before resetting anything. Moving a bridge or shutter off someone else's account is not covered here, and resetting the wrong thing can mean re-pairing every shutter.
Parts and next step
Need a part or a hand?
Replacement motors, remotes, straps, slats and hardware ship from our Tempe, Arizona factory. Phoenix-area owners can book a service visit; everywhere else, our technicians help by phone. Call (480) 921-0200; the factory answers technical questions for any rolling shutter, not only ours.