Having trouble pairing your device? See if your issue is covered in some of our most common issues! 

Your Wi-Fi signal is not strong enough or you are out of its range

Just because your computer can connect to a Wi-Fi network, it doesn't mean your device can. 

Your device has a different Wi-Fi module inside of it that isn't necessarily as strong as your computer's Wi-Fi module. 

If there's something blocking the signal, a large appliance is between the router and your device for instance,  or your device is in another room, it may not be strong enough to connect. 

If this is the case, your device will continue to drop offline once it has been paired, or it won't finish the pairing process successfully. 

Move your device and computer closer to the router and try again or use another pairing option to connect to your device. 

Your Lightform device and computer are not on the same network 

If your device is not on the same network as your computer, it is really easy to get confused. 

Here are a few things that can happen when your computer is not on the same network as your device. 

• You may think that your device needs to be paired again, when in actuality, it is already paired and connected to a network. (You then just need to connect to that same network on your computer.)
• You may see that the device is connected on your test card, but it is showing offline in Lightform Creator.
• You aren't able to control your device from the control page in Lightform Creator (i.e. you can't toggle the test card on/off).
• You may be wanting to use the device in Direct Pairing Mode, but the device says offline in Lightform Creator. 

Watch this video or view the examples below to understand why this is crucial to the process.

Example 1: Successfully using the device in Pairing Mode (device and computer are on the same network)

In this example, the device is successfully being used in Pairing Mode (without internet). Notice how the computer and device are both successfully connected to the device's Wi-Fi network (Lightform Elegant Hippogriph in this example).

Example 2: Device is connected to a different network than the computer (no connection)

In this example, the device is connected to the Wi-Fi Network Pretty_Fly_For_A_Wi-Fi but the computer is connected to a mobile hotspot, so Lightform Creator can't make the connection. 

To fix this: 

• Connect your computer to the same Wi-Fi the device is on (Pretty_Fly_For_A_Wi-Fi in this example). OR 
• Go through the Wi-Fi pairing steps in Lightform Creator to pair the device to the hotspot.

Example 3: The Lightform device is connected to and broadcasting its own network but the computer is on another network (no connection)

In this example, the device is broadcasting its own network (Lightform Elegant Hippogriff), but the computer is connected to a local Wi-Fi network (Pretty_Fly_For_A_Wi-Fi) so Lightform Creator cannot make the connection. 

To make the connection, either:

• Connect your computer to the Lightform's network to use your device in Pairing Mode without the internet (Lightform Elegant Hippogriph in this example). OR
• Go through the Wi-Fi pairing steps in Lightform Creator to pair the device to the Wi-Fi network (Pretty_Fly_For_A_Wi-Fi in this example).

Example 4: Successfully using a Wi-Fi network (device and computer are on the same network)

In this example, the device is successfully being used with Wi-Fi. Notice how the computer and device are both successfully connected to the Wi-Fi network (Pretty_Fly_For_A_Wi-Fi in this example).

Your device is connected via ethernet and you can't switch over to using the device with Wi-Fi

Your device will always attempt to use an ethernet connection if an ethernet cable is plugged in. If an ethernet cable is connected to it, it won't look for Wi-Fi networks. 

Here are a few things that can happen when your device is connected via ethernet. 

• Manually entering Pairing Mode won't work. 
• Going through the Wi-Fi pairing process in Lightform Creator won't work. 

To switch from one method to the other, you must first unplug the ethernet cable from the device, otherwise, it thinks it is connected and won't look for Wi-Fi networks to connect to. 

Your computer is on an unsupported network and/or your device falsely "paired" to an unsupported network

Your computer is on an unsupported network and/or your device falsely "paired" to an unsupported network

If you are trying to pair your device to an unsupported network type, you run the risk of not being able to get your device back into pairing mode. 

Here are a few things that can happen when you try pairing your device to an unsupported network. 

• It may seem like the pairing process worked, when it hasn't. This is most common with trying to use unsupported Captive Portal networks. Lightform Creator allowed you to go through the pairing steps and it appeared to connect, but your device is not showing up as available to connect to in Lightform Creator. 
  • Captive Portals are tricky. The Creator Software has no way of knowing a network is Captive Portal, until it is too late, which means your device can be stuck in a false connection state. The device can think it is online, when in actuality, it wasn't able to make a secure connected and it is in a "false state" of connectedness. In this false state, the device cannot be put back into pairing mode manually. 
  • Since the device will think it got online when it didn't, the only way to get the device back into pairing mode is to move your computer and your device out of range of the Captive Portal network. 
    • If your firmware is updated, you can also force the device into pairing mode: 
      • On LFC, you can tap the device's power button 3x to enter pairing mode
      • On LF2/2+, you can put the device into pairing mode using by tapping the back button on the remote 3x
• Your Test Card shows that the device is online, but Lightform Creator does not. This is most common with trying to use unsupported corporate networks, or college campus networks. These networks tend to have additional security and require that the device be whitelisted. 
  • Because of this, the Lightform Creator software on your computer, won't be able to communicate with the device (even if the device is on that network). 
  • Since the device will think it got online, but Lightform Creator can't communicate with the device, the only way to get the device back into pairing mode is to move out of range of the unsupported network. i.e. if you were at a college campus, you'd need to go somewhere far away from that network to try again. 
    • If your firmware is updated, you can also force the device into pairing mode: 
      • On LFC, you can tap the device's power button 3x to enter pairing mode
      • On LF2/2+, you can put the device into pairing mode using by tapping the back button on the remote 3x

Your device is being used in Pairing Mode and you can't switch back to using the device with Wi-Fi

Once your device is in Pairing Mode, you can either use it this way (without pairing to another Wi-Fi network), or you can go ahead and pair it to another network.

To pair your device to a Wi-Fi network, the device needs to be in Pairing Mode. But did you know you can actually use your device without the internet like this? 

Check out this video on understanding the difference. 

Think of the pairing process in two phases: 

Phase 1 - You look for your device's Wi-Fi network in your computer's available Wi-Fi network list and connect to it. 

Phase 2 - You choose your local network from a list of available networks in Lightform Creator and enter the password in Lightform Creator. 

If you stop at Phase 1, you can use and control your device without the internet. Your computer needs to be on the device's network in order to allow for this connection to be made. If your computer is connected to another Wi-Fi network, and the device is broadcasting its own signal, the two cannot communicate. They need to both be on the device's network to communicate. 

If, however, you want to go back to using Wi-Fi, you have to complete the pairing steps in Lightform Creator to complete pairing the device to a Wi-Fi network.

You can't get your device into pairing mode

One of the most common things we hear in support is "I tapped the LFC power button 3 times but it won't go into Pairing Mode" or "I tapped the LF2/2+ remote back button 3 times but it won't go into Pairing Mode". 

This is due to any of the following issues. 

• Your device firmware is not updated. When you first receive your device, the device is not capable of being 'forced' into pairing mode via button presses. After updating firmware, these buttons will work correctly.
  
  • If the initial pairing and firmware update has not been done,  you cannot trigger your device to go into pairing mode. This is basically like telling a remote to work, when the batteries aren't in it. If the device has never had a firmware update, it is already in pairing mode and isn't configured to be manually triggered to do anything yet. If it is your first time pairing, and you don't see it in your computer's list of available networks, there is likely a firewall connection blocking your computer from seeing it.
  • Using Ethernet to connect and update firmware (especially the first time) is the best way to work around any of these issues. 

  Notice for LF2 and LF2+ users (only):

  • A firmware update is required to correct potential fire risk and device damage. Please complete the update procedure to safely update your device to the latest firmware version (2.4.1), and do not otherwise use the device until you perform a firmware update. See more about this issue here.
• You are connected via Ethernet. 
  • You can't trigger your device to look for Wi-Fi networks, when it is already connected via Ethernet. The device will always attempt to use an ethernet connection if an ethernet cable is plugged in. It won't look for Wi-Fi networks, or go into Pairing Mode until the Ethernet connection is unplugged from the device. Refer back to the earlier issue for more information about this. 
• With LF2/2+, the remote may not be paired, or it may not have enough power to control the device.
  • Charge your remote using the micro USB port on the right (charge at least 30 minutes before trying again), or try to re-pair it to your device. 
• Your device is already paired to a network that your computer is not connected to. 
  • Refer back to example 2 above. You cannot control your device if its not on the same network as your computer. 

You entered in the wrong Wi-Fi password

The Lightform Creator software can only tell when the pairing process was successful or not, it can't tell if the reason it was unsuccessful. For instance, if it failed to pair because the Wi-Fi network password wasn't entered correctly or the Wi-Fi network signal was not strong enough.  The software is only aware of the information you give it. If you enter the wrong password, it won't pair successfully just the same as if you try to pair it to an unsupported network.

This is all seen as an unsuccessful pairing attempt.

Even if you think you entered in the password right, please try again. Lightform Creator won't know the difference between an incorrect password and an unsupported network.