By default a player uses DHCP over ethernet, which needs nothing configured. Wireless takes one of two routes.
With a keyboard
This is the route to use unless something prevents it. You pick the network from a list, so there is nothing to mistype.
Connect a USB keyboard to the player.
Press F2.
On a Pi 3, or a device on older software, press ESC instead.
Select your network from the list with the arrow keys and press Enter.
Type the password and press Enter.
For a hidden network, scroll to Other at the bottom of the list and enter the details by hand.
With a USB drive
Use this when you cannot attach a keyboard, or when support asks you to. It carries more risk, because every detail is typed rather than picked.
- Format a USB stick as FAT32. No other filesystem is supported.
- Open the Network Config Generator.
- Enter the SSID and passphrase. The other settings are optional.
- Generate the file. A
network.yamldownloads. - Copy it to the USB stick and eject the stick safely.
- Boot the player and wait for the pairing screen. It will show a network error, which is expected at this point.
- Insert the stick. The player picks up the configuration and reboots itself.
If it does not connect
Check the band first. A Pi 3B is 2.4 GHz only, and everything newer handles both. Each model page lists what its radio supports: see Screenly players.
Then check two access point settings. These cause most of the wireless trouble we see, and neither looks like a fault on the player.
Turn off band steering on managed access points. It confuses players that are choosing a band.
Avoid one SSID that serves 2.4 and 5 GHz at the same time. Create a dedicated SSID for your players on one band or the other.
Both are worth ruling out before you spend time on the player, because a player that connects on one network and not another is usually looking at one of these.
On a corporate network that authenticates devices rather than using a shared password, see Connect on an enterprise network.