The error “Keypad Out of Range” is a message that appears on your Keypad whenever the device is not communicating with the Base Station. There are two primary reasons that the error will happen. You can scroll through the article to the section that applies to you, or you can use the anchor links below to navigate to that section directly.

1. You have received a new Keypad and it is not paired to the Base Station just yet.

2. There is likely interference between the Base Station and Keypad, resulting in this error being intermittent. 

New Keypad That is not Paired With the Base Station Troubleshooting

If you received a new Keypad and are having trouble pairing it with the Base Station, we recommend using the emergency pairing steps below to get things connected again.

1. Unplug the Base Station from power by removing the cable from the base of the tower. This will expose a screw

2. Using a Phillips-head screwdriver, remove the battery compartment from the bottom of the Base Station

1. Please keep the batteries of the Base Station inserted for the following steps

3. Locate the Emergency Pairing Button on the bottom of the Base Station, opposite from where the power cord is inserted. 

1. You’ll press this in step 5

4. Power cycle the Keypad by removing and reinstalling one battery from the back of the Keypad

5. As soon as the Keypad screen reads “Searching for Base Station” press and release the Emergency Pairing Button

1. If successful, the Base Station will announce “Keypad, Added”

6. If the Keypad does not add after pressing the Emergency pairing Button, install a fresh set of AA batteries within the Keypad and attempt steps 1-5 again

Intermittent Error Troubleshooting

If the issue is intermittent, it’s likely that the distance or placement of the Base Station and Keypad may be the culprit. Below are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot this further.

Distance:

We typically recommend that the Base Station and Keypad are within 10 feet of each other, if possible. They can work at a greater distance, assuming that the placement of the Base Station and Keypad are clear of interference.

Placement:

The first step you’ll want to take is to rule out interference between the Keypad and Base Station. 

• If there are concrete, brick, or metal walls in between the Keypad and Base Station, this may impede the signal causing the “Keypad Out of Range” error.

• The placement of your Base Station is crucial to clear communication with other system devices. 

• Avoid keeping the Base Station in enclosed cabinets, or within an entertainment center with other electronic devices

• Ensure the Base Station is elevated at least 3 feet off the ground

• Avoid placing your Base Station on dense surfaces when possible, such as granite, concrete or metal

Finally, the Base Station and Keypad use Radio Frequency (RF) waves to communicate. Other electronic devices may communicate on similar frequencies, resulting in wireless interference between your SimpliSafe® devices. Because of this, we recommend keeping your Base Station and Keypad at least 3-5 feet away from the following devices:

• Wi-Fi Routers

• Large TVs

• Weather Stations

• Large Appliances (especially in the kitchen and laundry rooms)

• Baby monitors

This above list is to give you an idea of what devices may cause interference within your home, and is in no means an exhaustive list of all devices. There may be other devices that output RF or WiFi signals that could impede the connection between your Base Station and SimpliSafe® devices.

Testing Your System After Making Changes

After making changes, lets power cycle both devices with the following steps: 

1. Power cycle the Keypad by removing a battery, waiting 60 seconds and then reinserting the battery

2. Power cycle the Base Station by removing a battery

1. Make sure your system is set to OFF before taking these steps

2. Unplug the Base Station power cord from the bottom of the Base Station

3. Using a Phillips-head screwdriver, remove the screw holding the battery cover in place and remove the battery cover

4. Remove a single battery from the Base Station and wait at least 60 seconds before reinserting it

5. Reassemble the Base Station by installing the screw, battery cover, and power cord. 

Test your Keypad by arming and disarming your system multiple times to make sure that it’s working reliably. If your Keypad is not responding to arming or disarming attempts, further modification to the location of your Keypad and Base Station may be necessary.

Once you are able to successfully arm and disarm your system regularly, it is recommended that you place your system into Test Mode to test your sensors and components to ensure they still have a strong connection to the Base Station. 

To place your system into Test Mode:

1. Press the Menu button on your Keypad

2. Enter your Primary PIN

3. Use the arrow keys to scroll until Test Mode is highlighted

4. Use the arrow key to select Test Mode

You’ll know you are in Test Mode when you see a circle appear on your Keypad with the text “Test each device by pressing its button”.

Note: If you have monitoring, all Primary Contacts will receive a robo call from our monitoring center asking you to confirm you have placed your system into Test Mode. If you do not answer it, the call will go to voicemail to let you know of the user initiated test, with no further action needed from you.