Five things must be true, in order. Four of them look identical from
Zora, in that nothing arrives. What you see on the GX tells you which one is missing.
Find the gate in three questions
Ask
No
Yes
Does the GX have Settings → Services?
Gate 1
next question
Is MQTT switched on in there?
Gate 2
next question
Did any Victron value ever appear in Zora?
Gate 3 or 4, see below
Gate 5
To tell 3 and 4 apart, open http://
followed by the address you typed into Zora. A password prompt means the GX is there and wants a
password, so gate 3. Nothing loading at all means the address is wrong, so gate 4.
The five gates
1
A network security profile is chosen
Why
Venus OS 3.x runs no network service until a profile is picked. Every web page on the GX answers “A network security profile has not been selected.”
You see
No Services entry under Settings. Nothing in Zora.
Fix
On the GX screen, or VictronConnect over Bluetooth. There is no way to do it over the network, so deal with it before you walk away from the GX.
2
The MQTT service is switched on
Why
Off on a new GX. Settings → Services → MQTT. The label moves between firmware versions (“MQTT Access”, “MQTT on LAN”).
You see
Services exists, MQTT sits in it switched off. Nothing in Zora.
Fix
GX screen, or the GX’s Remote Console in a browser. The network works by now, so either will do.
3
The password matches
Why
Current Venus OS checks the GX’s Remote Console password before handing out data. Older firmware did not, which is why the same settings work on one boat and not on the next.
You see
The GX’s web page asks for a password. Nothing in Zora.
Fix
Put the same password in Venus MQTT Password. Only the password is checked, the username does not matter. You can also clear it on the GX (Settings → General), which unlocks the GX’s own web page and keeps the data flowing. A guessed or blank password will not do.
4
The host address points at your GX
Why
venus.local is a name resolved by whoever answers first. On a busy boat another device can answer to it.
You see
No error anywhere, and no Victron data. The quiet one.
Fix
Put the GX’s numeric IP address in Venus MQTT Host, never the name. Read the address off the GX: Settings → Ethernet (or Wi-Fi).
5
MQTT Keep-Alive is switched on
Why
Left alone, a GX publishes only its serial number. Keep-Alive is what tells it to send every value, every 50 seconds.
You see
Values arrive, then stop after a minute or two, and it looks like a flaky network. This is the only gate that ever gives you data.
Fix
Switch MQTT Keep-Alive on, Connection tab.
▲ fixed on the GX · ● fixed in Zora
Two choices to make now, not later
Use Device Names. This renames every Victron item. Anything pointing at the
old names stays behind: widget bindings, which source wins, recorded history. Decide before you
build screens.
Report Position. Switch on only if the GX’s GPS should stand in for the boat’s
position. Source priorities decide which fix is used, so treat it as a backup for when the main
GPS stops.
The Cerbo GX widget frames the GX’s own console inside Zora. It needs Venus OS 3.50 or newer.
Leave its fields blank and it uses the connection above.