# Notecard (WBNAW) opens a new session every ~6 minutes in continuous mode over WiFi — isolated across 3 firmware versions, 3 networks, and 2 antennas **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [July 9, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-wbnaw-opens-a-new-session-every-6-minutes-in-continuous-mode-over-wifi-isolated-across-3-firmware-versions-3-networks-and-2-antennas/3580 "2026-07-09T01:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Howellj1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/53a042/32.png) [@Howellj1](https://discuss.blues.com/u/Howellj1)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-wbnaw-opens-a-new-session-every-6-minutes-in-continuous-mode-over-wifi-isolated-across-3-firmware-versions-3-networks-and-2-antennas/3580/1 "2026-07-09T01:03:49Z")
# Notecard (WBNAW) opens a new session every ~6:03 in continuous mode over WiFi — isolated across firmware, network, and antenna changes ## Summary My NOTE-WBNAW cycles `_session.qo` (close → reopen) at an almost perfectly consistent **6 minutes 3-4 seconds** interval while in continuous mode on WiFi. I’ve spent a full night systematically changing every variable I have access to — host firmware, WiFi network, antenna hardware, and even the Notecard’s own firmware version — and the interval hasn’t moved by more than a second in any test. I’m at the point where I believe this is either a known behavior of continuous mode on this SKU, or something specific to this unit that a card swap would reveal. Posting here before I go source a second card, in case this is already a known quantity. ## Hardware / setup - **Notecard:** NOTE-WBNAW (Cell + WiFi), board rev 5.13 - **Carrier:** Notecarrier-A - **Host MCU:** ESP32-C3, connected to the Notecard over I2C (SDA/SCL via the Notecarrier’s edge connector) - **Power:** Currently on USB for testing; production deployment is solar + single-cell 3.7V LiPo - **`hub.set` configuration:** ```auto {"req":"hub.set","mode":"continuous","sync":true} ``` No `outbound`/`inbound` overrides beyond this — using continuous mode’s defaults. ## The symptom, exactly as it appears in Notehub events A typical cycle looks like this: ```auto {"opened":true,"why":"continuous connection mode"} ``` …followed 10-30 seconds later by: ```auto {"closed":true,"why":"session closed because the notecard has opened a newer session"} ``` (Occasionally the closure reason is `"notecard ended the session"` instead — both variants show up.) The device is otherwise healthy throughout — voltage steady in the 4.0-4.4V range, no correlating `_health.qo` boot events during steady-state stretches (boots only occurred during physical handling/reconfiguration, not during clean test windows). ## Measured interval — consecutive session opens, one representative stretch ```auto 5:03:12 PM → 5:08:54 PM 5:42 5:08:54 PM → 5:14:57 PM 6:03 5:14:57 PM → 5:21:01 PM 6:04 5:21:01 PM → 5:27:04 PM 6:03 5:27:04 PM → 5:33:08 PM 6:04 5:33:08 PM → 5:39:11 PM 6:03 5:39:11 PM → 5:45:15 PM 6:04 5:45:15 PM → 5:51:19 PM 6:04 5:51:19 PM → 5:57:22 PM 6:03 6:07:06 PM → 6:13:09 PM 6:03 6:30:22 PM → 6:36:26 PM 6:04 6:36:26 PM → 6:42:29 PM 6:03 6:42:29 PM → 6:48:33 PM 6:04 6:48:33 PM → 6:54:36 PM 6:03 ``` This pattern has now been observed continuously for several hours across the variable changes below. ## Variables isolated tonight — none affected the interval | Variable changed | Values tested | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | Host firmware | 3 different builds (varying only how often the host polls `command.qi` locally over I2C — every 5s vs. only on telemetry send) | No change | | WiFi network | 3 different SSIDs/APs, signal strength ranging from -37dBm (5 bars, at the router) to -74dBm (2 bars, ~150ft away with obstruction) | No change | | WiFi antenna | Stock onboard antenna vs. a replacement 2.4GHz u.FL antenna | No change | | **Notecard firmware** | 11.2.2.17633 → 10.2.1.17719 (LTS, applied via Notehub DFU tonight) | **No change** | The host-firmware and I2C-polling-frequency changes were tested specifically because I suspected our own local polling might be nudging the Notecard’s session state — ruled out, since the interval is identical whether we’re polling every 5 seconds or roughly twice an hour. ## Other things ruled out / worth mentioning - **Not a power/brownout issue.** Voltage is stable through clean stretches of this pattern; the few brownout resets observed were tied to physical handling during setup, not steady-state operation, and didn’t correlate with the cycling. - **Cellular fallback works correctly and is unaffected** — separately confirmed the device fails over to LTE (Band 2, AT&T, good RSRQ/SINR) when WiFi is disconnected/antenna removed, and cellular sessions don’t show this pattern. This appears specific to the WiFi bearer in continuous mode. - **Host MCU also runs BLE** (to a separate peripheral, unrelated to Notehub connectivity) concurrently on 2.4GHz. Tested across periods where BLE was in heavy continuous-scan state vs. normal connected/idle polling — the ~6:03 interval didn’t change either way, which argues against BLE/WiFi RF coexistence being the driver, though I can’t fully rule out some interaction. - **Briefly tried periodic mode** (`"mode":"periodic","outbound":5,"inbound":5`) — got one data point before switching tasks that also landed at 6:03, though this wasn’t ran long enough to be conclusive on its own. ## What I’m asking 1. Is a ~6-minute session-cycle in continuous mode over WiFi expected/known behavior for this SKU, and if so, is there a config option to extend or disable it? 2. Is there a lower-level diagnostic (beyond `_session.qo` reasons) that would show _why_ the Notecard is deciding to open a new session at this cadence? 3. Given firmware version changes didn’t affect it, is this more likely a per-unit hardware behavior worth testing with a second card, or something inherent to the WBNAW/WFM200 design that a card swap wouldn’t change? Happy to provide raw `card.wireless`/`hub.status` output or anything else useful — trying to get this solid before it ships in a consumer product monitoring remote generators, so reliability here matters a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Howellj1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/53a042/32.png) [@Howellj1](https://discuss.blues.com/u/Howellj1)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 11:57pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-wbnaw-opens-a-new-session-every-6-minutes-in-continuous-mode-over-wifi-isolated-across-3-firmware-versions-3-networks-and-2-antennas/3580/2 "2026-07-09T23:57:38Z")
Update — think I found something that actually works, though I can’t 100% isolate which part of it did it yet. I set `duration:60` on the hub.set call, and around the same time also forced the device off WiFi entirely and onto cellular (cleared WiFi creds with card.wifi ssid/password set to “-”, then did a card restart to make it actually take, since I found other reports that clearing WiFi while a session is live doesn’t always stick). So two things changed at once — not a clean isolated test, but here’s what happened: Last two sessions ran 59:41 and 32+ minutes (still open as I write this), compared to a dead-consistent 6:03-6:04 across 15+ sessions before that. Huge difference either way. Also tested the Notecard fully disconnected from my host MCU (ESP32) — ran it standalone off its own USB straight into my laptop for the duration test, and separately had a second Notecard (NOTE-ESP) sitting with literally nothing attached running clean for 20+ min earlier. So this has nothing to do with anything on the host side, it’s purely Notecard/Notehub. Still don’t know if it was the duration param, the switch to cellular, or both together. Going to try to isolate next by putting it back on WiFi with duration:60 still set, see if it holds or goes back to cycling. Will update when I’ve got that. If anyone’s dealt with this and knows whether duration or bearer was the actual fix, would save me some time. ---
**Author:** ![RobLauer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discuss.blues.com/roblauer/32/1567_2.png) [@RobLauer](https://discuss.blues.com/u/RobLauer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 2:14pm UTC](https://discuss.blues.com/t/notecard-wbnaw-opens-a-new-session-every-6-minutes-in-continuous-mode-over-wifi-isolated-across-3-firmware-versions-3-networks-and-2-antennas/3580/3 "2026-07-10T14:14:37Z")
Hi @Howellj1, This 6 minute Wi-Fi session cycling is actually expected (and benign) behavior that is a keeps the TCP session active when it’s “idle” but in continuous mode. This is Wi-Fi specific behavior and you won’t see this on other Notecard transports. Thanks, Rob