By default, Screenly is configured to use DHCP over Ethernet. If you require a different setup (e.g. enabling wireless or assigning a static IP), this guide is for you. There are two methods for configuring WiFi on your player:
The Keyboard Method
Difficulty: Easy
This is the easiest way to connect your player to WiFi, with the lowest potential for error. We strongly recommend configuring WiFi this way unless absolutely necessary. To get started you will need a standard keyboard that connects via USB. After you have connected your Screenly Player to your TV and plugged in the power cable, follow the below instructions.
- Connect a USB keyboard to your Screenly Player.
- Press the F2 key.
- Follow the on-screen prompt to select your WiFi network from the list using the arrow keys and press enter. Next, type in your password and press enter once more.
Hidden Networks: Scroll down the list of network names and select "Other". You can then manually enter your network information.
For more advanced options, you will need to use the following:
The USB Drive Method (Advanced Setup for Technical Users)
Difficulty: Moderate
This method of setup carries more risk for both human and system error, so setup by keyboard should be your first choice whenever possible. However, there are some situations where configuration by USB is necessary and our support team may instruct you to use it.
- Grab a USB stick.
- Important: The USB stick needs to be formatted as FAT32. No other file format is supported.
- Log in to Screenly, select "+ New" at the top of the page, then select "Screen".
- On the right side of the page, expand the section for "Need to Configure Your WiFi and Advanced Network Settings".
- Select "WiFi & Advanced Network Setup", then "Start Setup".
- Configure the settings required for your network.
- Click "Generate Configuration File", and a file named "network.yaml" will be downloaded to your computer.
- Put the downloaded file onto your USB stick.
- Safely eject the USB stick from your computer.
- Boot up your new Screenly Player, and wait for the network diagnostics to complete. You should see the message "Skipped Wireless Connection" in the list with a red X icon.
- Insert the USB stick into a USB port on the player, and it should pick up the new WiFi configuration and reboot itself.
- Once the player reboots and comes up you can remove the USB stick.
Going forward, you can use this same USB stick to configure multiple devices, making only the necessary changes to the template (e.g. static IPs, etc.).
Troubleshooting
- If the network configuration is not picked up (i.e. the player does not reboot), simply try removing and re-inserting the USB stick in a different USB port. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries.
- Ensure that the file name on your USB drive is exactly "network.yaml". Sometimes a number can get added to the file (e.g. "network (1).yaml", which will cause issues.
- If you are using a disk image that is older than the April 18, 2018 release, the USB configuration will not be picked up automatically when the USB is inserted. You can install the latest image by following the guide here.
- 5 GHz connections are not supported on older players built with the Raspberry Pi 3 B (please review the guide here for more details).