diff --git a/modules/service_plugins/packet_capture_service.py b/modules/service_plugins/packet_capture_service.py
index 5fac5ec..56fce86 100644
--- a/modules/service_plugins/packet_capture_service.py
+++ b/modules/service_plugins/packet_capture_service.py
@@ -76,10 +76,23 @@ NEIGHBORS_ATTEMPT_STATE_KEY = "packet_capture.last_neighbors_attempt"
 # instead, which is longer.
 NEIGHBORS_RETRY_BACKOFF_SECONDS = 300.0
 
+# waev.app rejects a JWT whose exp is more than an hour past its iat, so the
+# project-wide 24-hour default cannot authenticate there (#248). These are the
+# values its brokers accept, applied only when nothing else was configured;
+# renewal is set just under the TTL so a token is replaced before it expires.
+WAEV_JWT_TTL_SECONDS = 3600
+WAEV_JWT_RENEWAL_INTERVAL = 3500
+
 # Sentinel meaning "no IATA configured" (documented as invalid in config.ini.example).
 DEFAULT_IATA = "XYZ"
 
 
+def _is_waev_host(host: str) -> bool:
+    """Whether ``host`` is a waev.app broker (the apex or any subdomain)."""
+    normalized = (host or "").strip().lower().rstrip(".")
+    return normalized == "waev.app" or normalized.endswith(".waev.app")
+
+
 def _decode_key_str(key_str: str) -> Optional[bytes]:
     """Decode a 16-byte channel key from a hex (32 chars) or base64 string."""
     key_str = key_str.strip()
@@ -689,6 +702,8 @@ class PacketCaptureService(BaseServicePlugin):
 
         global_jwt_renewal = config.getint("PacketCapture", "jwt_renewal_interval", fallback=43200)
         global_jwt_ttl = config.getint("PacketCapture", "jwt_ttl_seconds", fallback=86400)
+        global_renewal_set = config.has_option("PacketCapture", "jwt_renewal_interval")
+        global_ttl_set = config.has_option("PacketCapture", "jwt_ttl_seconds")
 
         # Parse multiple brokers (mqtt1_*, mqtt2_*, etc.)
         broker_num = 1
@@ -712,21 +727,42 @@ class PacketCaptureService(BaseServicePlugin):
                 if not upload_packet_types:
                     upload_packet_types = None
 
+            host = config.get("PacketCapture", server_key, fallback="localhost")
+            # waev.app refuses a token whose lifetime runs past an hour, so the
+            # 24-hour default never authenticates there and the operator only sees
+            # a bare auth failure (#248). Give those brokers a lifetime they accept
+            # unless a value was chosen for them, per broker or globally.
+            waev_default = _is_waev_host(host)
+
             renew_key = f"mqtt{broker_num}_jwt_renewal_interval"
             if config.has_option("PacketCapture", renew_key):
                 jwt_renewal_interval = config.getint("PacketCapture", renew_key)
+            elif waev_default and not global_renewal_set:
+                jwt_renewal_interval = WAEV_JWT_RENEWAL_INTERVAL
             else:
                 jwt_renewal_interval = global_jwt_renewal
 
             ttl_key = f"mqtt{broker_num}_jwt_ttl_seconds"
             if config.has_option("PacketCapture", ttl_key):
                 jwt_ttl_seconds = config.getint("PacketCapture", ttl_key)
+            elif waev_default and not global_ttl_set:
+                jwt_ttl_seconds = WAEV_JWT_TTL_SECONDS
             else:
                 jwt_ttl_seconds = global_jwt_ttl
 
+            if waev_default and (
+                jwt_ttl_seconds != global_jwt_ttl or jwt_renewal_interval != global_jwt_renewal
+            ):
+                self.logger.info(
+                    "MQTT broker %d (%s) is a waev.app host; using a %ds JWT TTL and %ds "
+                    "renewal instead of the defaults, which it rejects. Set "
+                    "mqtt%d_jwt_ttl_seconds to override.",
+                    broker_num, host, jwt_ttl_seconds, jwt_renewal_interval, broker_num,
+                )
+
             broker = {
                 "enabled": True,
-                "host": config.get("PacketCapture", server_key, fallback="localhost"),
+                "host": host,
                 "port": config.getint("PacketCapture", f"mqtt{broker_num}_port", fallback=1883),
                 "username": config.get("PacketCapture", f"mqtt{broker_num}_username", fallback=None),
                 "password": config.get("PacketCapture", f"mqtt{broker_num}_password", fallback=None),
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_packet_capture_mqtt_jwt_config.py b/tests/unit/test_packet_capture_mqtt_jwt_config.py
index 899a2d5..54a1960 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_packet_capture_mqtt_jwt_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_packet_capture_mqtt_jwt_config.py
@@ -124,3 +124,81 @@ def test_auth_token_iat_exp_uses_broker_then_global():
 )
 def test_jwt_ttl_log_phrase(ttl: int, phrase: str):
     assert PacketCaptureService._jwt_ttl_log_phrase(ttl) == phrase
+
+
+def _waev_service(ini: str):
+    bot = _bot_from_ini(ini)
+    svc = object.__new__(PacketCaptureService)
+    svc.bot = bot
+    svc.logger = MagicMock()
+    return svc, PacketCaptureService._parse_mqtt_brokers(svc, bot.config)
+
+
+def test_waev_broker_defaults_to_a_ttl_the_broker_accepts():
+    """waev.app rejects the 24-hour default, leaving the bot unable to auth (#248)."""
+    _, brokers = _waev_service(
+        """
+        [PacketCapture]
+        enabled = false
+        mqtt1_server = mqtt-a.waev.app
+        mqtt2_server = broker.example
+        """
+    )
+    assert brokers[0]["jwt_ttl_seconds"] == 3600
+    assert brokers[0]["jwt_renewal_interval"] == 3500
+    # Only waev hosts move; every other broker keeps the project default.
+    assert brokers[1]["jwt_ttl_seconds"] == 86400
+    assert brokers[1]["jwt_renewal_interval"] == 43200
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("host", ["waev.app", "WAEV.APP", "mqtt-b.waev.app"])
+def test_waev_default_matches_apex_and_subdomains(host: str):
+    _, brokers = _waev_service(
+        f"""
+        [PacketCapture]
+        enabled = false
+        mqtt1_server = {host}
+        """
+    )
+    assert brokers[0]["jwt_ttl_seconds"] == 3600
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("host", ["notwaev.app", "waev.app.example.com"])
+def test_waev_default_does_not_match_lookalike_hosts(host: str):
+    _, brokers = _waev_service(
+        f"""
+        [PacketCapture]
+        enabled = false
+        mqtt1_server = {host}
+        """
+    )
+    assert brokers[0]["jwt_ttl_seconds"] == 86400
+
+
+def test_explicit_per_broker_ttl_beats_the_waev_default():
+    _, brokers = _waev_service(
+        """
+        [PacketCapture]
+        enabled = false
+        mqtt1_server = mqtt-a.waev.app
+        mqtt1_jwt_ttl_seconds = 1800
+        mqtt1_jwt_renewal_interval = 900
+        """
+    )
+    assert brokers[0]["jwt_ttl_seconds"] == 1800
+    assert brokers[0]["jwt_renewal_interval"] == 900
+
+
+def test_explicit_global_ttl_beats_the_waev_default():
+    """An operator who set a global value meant it, even for waev."""
+    _, brokers = _waev_service(
+        """
+        [PacketCapture]
+        enabled = false
+        jwt_ttl_seconds = 7200
+        jwt_renewal_interval = 3600
+        mqtt1_server = mqtt-a.waev.app
+        """
+    )
+    assert brokers[0]["jwt_ttl_seconds"] == 7200
+    assert brokers[0]["jwt_renewal_interval"] == 3600