Reset the WiFi Network Connection

Sensors
1

Some time after installation, you may decide it necessary to change which WiFi network your PurpleAir sensor connects to. Or you may have changed your password and need to reconnect the device to your Wi-Fi. Follow the guide below to reset the WiFi network connection of your sensor.

Once you’ve followed the steps below and can connect to the sensor’s config page or see the PurpleAir-**** WiFi network, continue connecting your sensor by following the steps in our WiFi Troubleshooting Guide.

The first option requires finding the IP address assigned to the sensor by your router. If this is something you’re not comfortable with, you can start with the second option.

PA_Phone_ConfigurationPage
Sensor's Hotspot Login Page399×804 118 KB

Sensor’s Hotspot Login Page
(Pop-up Window)

First Option: Use the Currently Connected WiFi Network

If you have access to the same WiFi network that the sensor is assigned to, you may look up the IP Address assigned to the sensor by the router. When connected to the WiFi network, you can enter the assigned IP Address in the address bar of any web browser to navigate to the sensor’s interface. From this Sensor’s Hotspot Login Page, update the WiFi Settings on the sensor. Depending on your router, you may also be able to look up the sensor by the hostname, http://purpleair-****.

The **** is a 2-4 character code determined by your sensor.

Second Option: Make the Configured WiFi Network Unavailable

If the sensor is already configured to a WiFi network, you will need to either take the sensor out of range or turn that network off. After about 10 minutes of being disconnected from that WiFi network (because it is out of range or turned off), the sensor will broadcast its own network again. Once you see the sensor’s network in the list of available WiFi networks on your computer or mobile device, connect to this network and configure the sensor to another WiFi network via the Sensor’s Hotspot Login Page.

If an SD card is inserted in the device, make sure to remove it before trying this step. It’s possible that the PurpleAir-**** WiFi network will take much longer than 10 minutes to appear when an SD card is inserted.

Third Option: Create a Hotspot

You can create a hotspot that a PurpleAir sensor will connect to when it is booting up. To do so, create a hotspot named “PurpleAir”. This must have no spaces, a capital P and a capital A.

The hotspot will need its password set to the device ID precisely as written on your sensor. Ensure that the all colons are included and that all letters are lowercase.

Once the hotspot is broadcasting, restart your sensor. As the sensor turns on, it will connect to your created hotspot. Using the steps listed in the First Option above, you can then connect to the sensor from your hotspot device (if it is a phone) or from another device connected to the hotspot.

Learn More

Sensor WiFi and Registration
WiFi Troubleshooting
The PurpleAir Utility

1 Like
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I recently ran into a situation where I wasn’t allowed to make the configured wifi network unavailable, but I didn’t have access to the router to figure out the ip address. It would be really handy if there was another way to reset the wifi information – perhaps via logging onto my account on the PurpleAir map and then selecting “reset wifi” somehow for that monitor. I should only be able to do that for monitors I installed and have connected to my e-mail address. Maybe this is more of a feature request? Is there a section in this community forum where we can post such feature requests? (And then maybe vote them up or down and debate them?)

Thanks for creating this community forum!

Best,
Mark

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There is another way.

  • Create a hotspot called “PurpleAir” with the password being the sensorId EXACTLY as printed on the sensor’s label.
  • Restart the sensor.
  • The sensor will connect to that hotspot.

You can then connect to the sensor either from the hotspot device if it is a phone or from another device connected to the hotspot.

The trick is, you need to know what IP address the sensor has on the hotspot. That may not be the easiest thing to do. You could guess based on the IP of another device connected to the hotspot, scan for it or use software or status info on the hotspot to see connected clients and their IP address.

Any way you do it, you will be able to connect to the sensor on it’s IP address at http://IP_OF_SENSOR and configure it as needed.

1 Like
10

Thanks for this! I’ll have to experiment with it. It could prove to be a very helpful way to update my monitors.

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Hi Mark, we appreciate the idea you have given here and we have gone ahead and created a new category named “User Experience” for this. This category includes subcategories for feedback, bug reports, and feature requests, so feel free to make posts there for future requests!

1 Like
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Thanks so much! Can’t wait to add ideas to that section. :slight_smile:

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It would be so simple - just turn on both the wifi server and the wifi client at power up. The server continues to run for several minutes after wifi setup for the client is completed, so I know both can run at the same time.

To reset the connection, one would unplug and then power back up - for serveral minuts the user would have access to the wifi configuration page.

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I have a PA-II sensor I’ve had for about 5 years. It’s always been connected to the same ASUS wifi router with the same id and pw. The problem is it has stopped uploading data and I’m not seeing it in the connected device list when I go to my router client list.

I did take the sensor to another location, well outside of range of my home router to access the sensor from my phone using the PurpleAir hotspot of the sensor. But it never shows up.

I tried the trick above about creating a hotspot on my router with name PurpleAir and pw of the Device-ID but that also didn’t work. Again, the PA-II sensor never showed up in my list of clients on the router.

I now have the Sensor sitting here outside of the case so I can visually see the red status light. I can also hear a slight hum from the sensors themselves. So the device is powering up.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to proceed? Has anyone had the wifi on a PA-II simple fail?

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I had the same thing happen. Just dropped off the network. Power light is on and the sensor fans are spinning, but even the hotspot trick doesn’t work. Wish I could buy a new board…

2 Likes
16

I have two of those sensors. Red light on, not connecting to WiFi and not showing a local WiFi to connect to. This is getting pricey if sensors only last a few years.

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Reloading the firmware fixed this for me.

18

How do I reload the firmware

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19

I just got a brand new Flex sensor. The hotspot will not show up on my iphone 16pro, after waiting 1 min, 10 min, or 30 min. I rebooted multiple times and no luck. I was going to try this PurpleAir hotspot solution, but the latest iOS does not let me name my broadcasting hotspot SSID.

I have no idea what to do next. It’s a brand new sensor, what is the issue and should i just get a new one?