Unable to access Probe Wi-Fi hotspot?

The Probe Wi-Fi hotspot may not appear in the list of available networks, may fail to connect, or may disconnect shortly after appearing. This issue can be intermittent, but may recur more consistently on older Probe configurations using static IP over Ethernet.

Note: The hotspot showing "no internet" is expected and is not a fault — the Probe hotspot is not meant to provide internet access.

Agent triage — ask these first

Ask these before troubleshooting:

1. "What exactly are you seeing — does the hotspot not appear at all, does it appear but fail to connect, or does it connect then drop?"

   • If unsure: Ask — "When you look at the list of available Wi-Fi networks on your laptop or phone, do you see a network called Pulsenics Wifi Setup_PUXXX (where PUXXX is your Probe unit number, e.g. PU198)?"
   • If still unsure: Continue — treat as hotspot not appearing and proceed with basic checks below.

2. "Do you know whether the Probe is currently configured on a static IP or dynamic IP (DHCP)?"

   • If unsure: Ask — "Was a specific IP address set for the Probe when it was installed on your network, or was it left on automatic?"
   • If still unsure: Continue — note that IP configuration is unknown and keep the static IP recovery path in mind.

3. "How close are you to the Probe, and is there anything between you and it — metal cabinets, walls, or enclosures?"

   • If unsure: Ask — "Are you standing right next to the Probe, or are you trying to connect from a distance or through a cabinet?"

Use the answers to route:

Basic checks — try these first

1. Confirm the Wi-Fi button is pressed in on the Probe
2. If needed, reinitialize the hotspot by unpressing the button and pressing it back in
3. Stay as close as possible to the Probe during connection attempts — distance and physical barriers reduce signal significantly
4. Avoid attempting to connect through metal cabinets, shielding, or enclosures
5. Try a different device (laptop instead of phone, or vice versa)
6. Forget the network on your device and rejoin it fresh
7. If connecting from a phone, disable mobile data — active mobile data can prevent the device from joining a hotspot with no internet

Confirm after: Once connected, confirm the connection remains stable long enough to open http://setup.pulsenics.com or 1.0.0.1 in a browser before proceeding with network configuration.

If basic checks don't work — power cycle and reinitialize

1. Power off the Probe completely
2. Wait 30 seconds
3. Power the Probe back on and allow up to 5 minutes for full startup
4. Press the Wi-Fi button in to activate the hotspot
5. Attempt to connect again from your device

Confirm after: If the hotspot appears and connects, open http://setup.pulsenics.com or 1.0.0.1 to confirm the setup page loads before proceeding.

If hotspot remains unreliable — static IP recovery path

If the hotspot access is consistently unreliable and the Probe is configured on a known static IP, the setup page can be accessed directly without the hotspot. See:

→ Can't access the Pulsenics Network Setup page? (Hotspot unavailable or setup page not loading)

This is the recommended path when:

• Hotspot access remains unreliable after basic checks and power cycle
• The Probe is already configured on a known static IP
• The goal is to recover or change network settings

Before escalating — collect this information

If the issue continues after all checks, gather the following before contacting Pulsenics:

• What exactly is being observed (not appearing / can't connect / drops)
• Whether the Wi-Fi button is pressed in and hotspot reinitialization was attempted
• Whether a power cycle was performed
• Whether multiple devices were tried
• Whether the Probe is on static IP or DHCP, and whether the static IP is known
• Physical distance and environment between the device and the Probe
• What has already been tried and what effect it had

Prevention

• Stay physically close to the Probe when joining the hotspot
• Avoid attempting access through metal cabinets or shielding
• Keep track of the configured static IP whenever the Probe is moved to static addressing
• Use the hotspot mainly for setup and recovery — keep the static IP recovery path documented for the site

Escalate if

Flag for Pulsenics review if:

• The hotspot repeatedly does not appear after power cycle and reinitialization
• The hotspot appears but repeatedly returns "can't connect to this network" across multiple devices
• The hotspot drops out of the available network list during repeated attempts
• The issue continues after power cycling and hotspot reinitialization
• The Probe is on static IP and hotspot access remains unavailable
• The static IP recovery path is also unsuccessful
• The Probe IP is unknown and hotspot access cannot be restored

What recovery looks like

• The Probe hotspot (Pulsenics Wifi Setup_PUXXX) becomes visible in the available network list
• The device connects and the connection remains stable
• The Pulsenics Networking Setup page loads at http://setup.pulsenics.com or 1.0.0.1
• Where relevant, the client can proceed with switching between DHCP and static IP

Article status

This is a living troubleshooting note for the symptom Probe Wi-Fi hotspot unavailable or failing to connect. Additional causes, checks, and confirmed resolutions may be added as more cases are identified.

Tags: Probe hotspot, Wi-Fi hotspot, Pulsenics Wifi Setup, hotspot not appearing, can't connect to hotspot, hotspot dropping, static IP, DHCP, Wi-Fi button, setup page, network configuration, hotspot unavailable