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Setup WiFi/Ethernet Network Connection

Overview

All PlugStream Charge Points support Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and (with an optional add-on card) 4G connectivity.
This guide explains how to set up Ethernet and Wi-Fi so your unit can take full advantage of PlugStream smart features.

Wi-Fi setup methods

PlugStream charge points support two Wi-Fi configuration methods:

Method Summary
Bluetooth app setup The PlugStream app connects to the charger over Bluetooth and sends the selected Wi-Fi network details during setup or commissioning.
Setup hotspot and setup page The charger creates its own temporary setup hotspot. You connect a phone or laptop to it and set up Wi-Fi on the charger's setup page.

Use the Bluetooth app setup where it is available for the charger and installation workflow. Use the setup hotspot when the app flow is not available, when firmware requires it, or when PlugStream Support directs you to use it.

On PlugStream 7S (PS-7S) and PlugStream 7T (PS-7T) firmware 1.52 or later, Bluetooth is on all the time, unless it has been turned off for that charger. On firmware 1.42 to 1.51, Bluetooth is on for the first 10 minutes after power-on, and comes back after the charger has been offline for about 5 minutes. A connected phone keeps it on, and it stays on for up to 30 minutes after the last connection. See Bluetooth availability.

Ethernet

  • PlugStream includes an RJ-45 Ethernet port on the main board.
  • Connect a standard LAN cable to this port.
  • No configuration is required — the charger will automatically request an IP address from your network’s DHCP server.

For the most reliable performance, we recommend using Ethernet whenever possible.

To give the charger a static IP address, or to check its Ethernet address, use the setup page: Connect a charger by Ethernet on the setup page.

Setup hotspot

The charger has its own setup hotspot for Wi-Fi setup without Bluetooth.

  • The hotspot is called PlugStream-XXXX, where XXXX is the last 4 characters of the charger's serial number.
  • It only appears while the charger has no network connection (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or 4G):
    • at once, if no Wi-Fi network has been saved
    • about 30 seconds after power-on, if a saved Wi-Fi network has not connected
    • about 2 minutes after the charger loses its network connection
  • It turns off once the charger connects to a network again.

The hotspot depends on the charger's connection to the router, not on the internet. If the charger is still joined to the router but the internet is down, the hotspot does not appear.

At a glance

You need Use
Hotspot name PlugStream-XXXX
Hotspot Wi-Fi password The adoption code on the charger's shipping-box label, exactly as printed. If your charger has a local access password, use that instead. It is on the Local access card in the box, and in the MyPlugStream app.
Setup page address, on the hotspot https://192.168.4.1
Setup page address, on your home network https://PlugStream-XXXX.local, once the charger has a local access password
Setup page username The charger's serial number
Setup page password None until the charger has a local access password. Then that password.
First visit to the setup page Your browser shows a security warning. Check that the certificate fingerprint matches the one in the MyPlugStream app, then continue.

XXXX is the last 4 characters of the charger's serial number. Plain http:// addresses also work: they take you to the https:// page.

For more, see Your charger's local access password.

The hotspot password

The hotspot password is the adoption code printed on the charger's shipping-box label, exactly as printed. Use the code from the label, not a code shown later in the app. The app's code can change when the charger is claimed, but the charger keeps the code on its label.

If the charger has a local access password (firmware 1.72 or later), the hotspot uses that instead. Find it:

  • on the Local access card in the box, whose QR code joins the hotspot directly
  • in the MyPlugStream app, under Charger settings > Local access

Chargers supplied without a card have no local access password until PlugStream gives them one.

Chargers supplied before adoption codes existed, and chargers on firmware older than 1.45, use the serial number instead, in capital letters with no spaces.

See Your charger's local access password to find, change, or restore it.

Set up Wi-Fi on the setup page

Step by step, with pictures: Connect your charger to Wi-Fi. The setup page's other installer tasks: Ethernet, OCPP connection and Certificates.

  1. On your phone or laptop, open Wi-Fi settings and join the PlugStream-XXXX network. Enter the hotspot password. It is case-sensitive.

    Wi-Fi Selection

  2. The setup page should open by itself. If it doesn't, open a browser (Safari or Chrome) and go to https://192.168.4.1. Plain http://192.168.4.1 also works: it takes you to the https:// page. On firmware before 1.72, the page is http://192.168.4.1 only.

    The first time, the browser shows a security warning, because the charger uses a certificate it makes for itself. Check that its fingerprint matches the one the MyPlugStream app shows under Local access, then continue. See The browser warning.

    Local Access

  3. Log in to the setup page:

    • Firmware 1.72 or later, with a local access password: the username is the charger's serial number, and the password is the local access password.
    • Firmware before 1.72, or no local access password yet: enter the charger's serial number. There is no password.

    After 5 wrong passwords, logins stop for 60 seconds. Each further wrong password doubles the wait, up to 15 minutes. The page tells you how long to wait.

  4. On firmware 1.72 or later, the setup page opens on Charger status. Tap Wi-Fi. Choose your home or business Wi-Fi network from the list and enter its password. If your network does not appear, click Refresh.

    Select a Network

    Enter Wi-Fi Password

    Check your Wi-Fi password carefully

    Be careful not to confuse zeros (0) with the letter O — they can look similar when typed.

  5. Click Connect.

    • PlugStream will restart and attempt to connect to your Wi-Fi.
    • A successful connection is confirmed when the LED indicator ring shows solid white.
    • Once PlugStream is successfully joined to your network and can access the internet, it will connect to PlugStream Cloud which is confirmed when the LED indicator ring shows solid blue (see LED Status Guide for details).
    • The setup hotspot turns off once the charger is connected.

On firmware 1.72 or later, the setup page also has a Local access page for changing the local access password. Firmware upload and install actions on the setup page ask for the local access password again. On a charger with no local access password, they ask for the adoption or activation code instead.

Open the setup page on the site network

On firmware 1.72 or later, once the charger has a local access password, its setup page is also on the site network, over Wi-Fi or Ethernet. You don't need the hotspot.

  1. Use a phone or laptop on the same network as the charger.
  2. Go to https://PlugStream-XXXX.local, where XXXX is the last 4 characters of the serial number. If the device can't open .local addresses, use the charger's IP address from the router, starting with https://.
  3. Log in with the serial number as the username and the local access password as the password.

The browser warns once, as on the hotspot. Until the charger has a local access password, this address shows only a message saying so. Use the hotspot instead.

Next Steps

Once configured, PlugStream will remain online via your chosen Wi-Fi network.
If Wi-Fi is unreliable, you can always connect Ethernet later for maximum stability.