Wi-Fi Connection Troubleshooting
If scanning the QR code or tapping your phone to a Wifi Porter doesn't prompt you to join the network — or the join fails — work through the checks below. This step happens at the phone's operating-system level, so the Porter Setup app itself can't always tell you exactly what went wrong; these are the most common causes we see.
Tip: use "Load name" instead of typing your network name. During setup, tap "Load name" to pull in the exact network name your phone is already connected to, character-for-character. Typing it by hand risks small mistakes that are easy to miss, like:
- Letters that look like numbers (0 vs O, 1 vs l)
- Unusual symbols or emojis in the network name
- Invisible trailing spaces
The same caution is good general advice for passwords, too — copy them from your router or password manager rather than retyping from memory.
Troubleshooting Tips
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Scanning the QR code doesn't do anything | Make sure you're using your phone's built-in Camera app, not a third-party QR scanner — some third-party apps don't trigger the Wi-Fi join prompt. Also check the printed code isn't damaged, smudged, or too small to focus on. |
| "Unable to join" or "connection to Wi-Fi impossible" even though the password looks right | Go back through setup and re-check the network name and password for typos and capitalization — Wi-Fi passwords are case-sensitive. If you can, redo the network name entry with "Load name" instead of typing it (see tip above), and copy the password from your router rather than retyping it from memory. |
| Network name and password are confirmed correct, but it still won't join | Make sure the phone trying to join is within range of the Wi-Fi network — a Porter can be in range of the guest but the guest's network out of range of them. Try the same credentials by joining manually through the phone's own Wi-Fi settings to rule out a router-side issue. |
| It used to work, but stopped recently | Your Wi-Fi password was probably changed since the Porter was set up. In local mode, credentials are written to the device itself and don't update automatically — the Porter needs to be reprogrammed with the new password. In cloud mode, update the password on the Location instead. |
| The network is hidden | Confirm the "Is your network hidden?" setting was set to Yes during setup — if it doesn't match your router's actual configuration, phones may fail to find the network at all. |
| Security type doesn't match | Confirm the router's actual security type (WPA2/WPA3 vs. Open/None) matches what was selected during setup. |
| Lost or damaged the printed QR code | In cloud mode, reprint any time from the app or dashboard — the code doesn't change. In local mode, you'll need to reopen the app, select the Porter from your device list, and regenerate it from where you left off. |
Need Additional Help?
If none of the above resolves it, contact our support team (info@tenonedesign.com) with the Porter's ID (found in the app's device list) and what you've already tried.
Was this article helpful?
That’s Great!
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry! We couldn't be helpful
Thank you for your feedback
Feedback sent
We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article