Connecting to a Wireless Network

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Testing Wi-Fi Strength
• Introduction
• Wi-Fi Hand Off
• Selecting Your Network
• iOS Prompts

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 41 seconds.

Testing Wi-Fi Strength

(Step 1)The range of Wifi networks varies depending on your internet performance, router brand/specifications, and your environment.  So, in general, we recommend 30-40 feet from the nearest access point. Using your phone to determine the Wi-Fi strength is a great point of reference. Connect to your desired network and put your phone near where you plan to install bluebot. If you see less than 2 bars of Wi-Fi Signal, bluebot will likely have a hard time staying connected, and you should consider adding a Wi-Fi repeater for best results. 

If you see 2 or more bars and are still having trouble connecting, it could be a result of interference. Troubleshoot your Wi-Fi with these tips.

Introduction

The bluebot device transmits data using Wi-Fi technology over a wireless access point in your home. A wireless "Access Point" (AP mode - solid green LED light) allows wireless devices to connect to the wireless network. For bluebot to operate efficiently you must have a dedicated 2.4ghz network configured on your network. Most internet service providers set up two networks by default 2.4ghz and 5ghz, bluebot will only work on a 2.4ghz network. Dual band networks are also acceptable.

Tip: We require connecting bluebot to your Wi-Fi network near your router where there is maximum Wi-Fi strength.  Once bluebot is connected to your network, it is programmed.  The unit, upon install and power, will always search and find your network and automatically reconnect.

During the connection process led by the app (step 2) you will plug in your device and place the device into pairing mode (access point mode). 

After holding down the button 5-10 seconds and following the in-app instructions, the LED light will flash and then turn solid green.  Solid green mean access point success. 

At this point the bluebot device creates it's very own network when in access point mode, the network name is "bluebot" and is ready for the hand off.

Wi-Fi Hand Off

After setting the bluebot to access point mode with a solid green light, you will be prompted to continue. The “Join” prompt will appear on the next screen, this could take up to 30 seconds. For best results press "Join" immediately after it appears. 

Tip: If you wait too long the connection process with restart.

Selecting Your Network

If you follow all the prompts and read all the instructions you will get to the last step of the connection process. Select the network of your choice and input your password for the network. 

If the bluebot and network are properly communicating you will see this behavior. The device will transition from solid green pairing mode to connecting to the network you selected. If connection to your network is successful, you will see a solid blue light and your app will notify you. A solid blue light means bluebot is now connected to your network and can now transmit flow date through the bluebot cloud and to the app.

If you fail you will see a red light. Read more here about the LED Indicator colors.

Solid

Flashing

Solid

Info: If you attempt to connect bluebot to an unsecured network with no password you must add at least one space from the keyboard in the password input cell to continue.

Once the connection to your network has been established, there is more flexibility in where you can move the device from the network. There is a point during the app led connection process where you will be prompted to unplug the meter, take it to your installation location and the bluebot device will automatically reconnect to the Wi-Fi network.  Full Wi-Fi strength is preferred at the install location, but in some cases, the device will connect with only 1-bar of strength.

If you have any questions, please submit a support ticket or call (831)275-2715 and leave a message. A member of our support team will call you back within 24 hours.

Connecting to the Lora network

The LoRa network and gateways act as another sort of middle man between the bluebot and our cloud, issues can possibly arise that warrant the need for a manual reconnection when the correct fail-over parameters are not set on the gateway.  Events like power outages, or the occasional update might disturb the connections establish during initial setup of the devices.  When your device loses connection or if you are trying to connect the device for the first time, there are some steps you can take to ensure you're eliminating possible any variables that might be causing the connection to fail.  

Step 1: If you are connecting to your gateways via ethernet cable:  Power-off your modem, router, bluebot, and any gateways linked to you network. Then power up your devices in the following order being sure to let each device finish coming all the way online before proceeding to the next. Modem, router, gateway, then bluebot.  Once online 

Step 1.5:  If you are connecting your bluebot to a gateway that is connecting to our cloud via cellular network then all you need to do is ensure that the sim card in installed correctly, that the gateway has been preconfigured to use cellular, and that the gateway has power.  After all three are confirmed the bluebot should automatically connect to the gateway when powered on.

Step 2: After finishing setup of your gateway, use the app to complete the device registration process and add the bluebot to your account.

If the bluebot is still not connecting to your network then attempt to create a mobile hotspot with your phone and try to connect to that hotspot.  If the bluebot connects to the hotspot, then there is an issue with your network that is preventing the bluebot from connecting to it.  If the hotspot doesn't work, attempt to connect with another mobile device, try apple if using android and vise versa. If you're still having problems with the connection, you can always reach out to our customer support ticketing system after trying the above steps without success.  Please report any failures on one particular device to our support ticketing system.