No network connection

Introduction

If a screen shows Offline status on the Platform, the device can't reach our servers. The screen keeps playing cached content (see How offline caching works), but it won't get new updates until the connection is restored. This article walks through restoring network connectivity, with the right steps depending on which hardware path you're using.

Step 1: Power and display basics

First confirm the device is actually running:

• The device's status LED (if it has one) is on.
• The screen shows either content or the InfoBox start screen, not a black or 'no signal' state.
• If the screen is black, the issue is likely physical (HDMI, power) rather than network. See Content not displaying.

Step 2: Reconnect to WiFi

How you check WiFi varies by device:

• InfoBox Basic stick: pick up the included remote control. Press Home, then Settings → Network or WiFi. Check whether WiFi is connected to the right network. Re-enter the password if needed.
• Native Android display: use the display's remote. Press Settings/Menu/Home (button name varies by manufacturer). Find the Network or WiFi section and verify connection.
• Customer's own Android device: use the device's standard Settings → Network or WiFi. Reconnect there.
• Full per-device guidance: WiFi setup.

Step 3: Confirm the network itself works

Rule out network-wide problems:

• Test the WiFi with another device (phone, laptop) on the same network.
• If other devices also can't reach the internet, the WiFi or upstream connection is down. Restart the router and confirm internet is back.
• If other devices work but the InfoBox doesn't, the issue is on the InfoBox side.

Step 4: Restart the InfoBox device

Most lingering connectivity issues clear with a power cycle:

• Unplug the device's power cord.
• Wait 10-15 seconds.
• Plug it back in.
• After boot, the device automatically attempts to reconnect to its last-known WiFi.
• Watch the Platform: status should change from Offline to Online within ~1 minute.

Step 5: Check corporate firewall settings

On enterprise networks, firewalls often block the ports InfoBox needs:

• Outbound port 443 (HTTPS) must be open.
• Outbound port 8883 (MQTT) must be open.
• **Whitelist `*.infoboxi.com`** on any URL-filtering firewall.
• If your network uses a proxy, contact kasper@infoboxi.com for proxy-specific configuration help.
• Have your IT team confirm these settings; they're often the cause when WiFi works fine but devices stay Offline.

Step 6: Captive portals are not supported

If the WiFi network requires a click-through login screen (common in hotels, public WiFi):

• The InfoBox device can't pass through captive portals. There's no UI to click through.
• Solution: use a regular WPA/WPA2 network instead.
• If you have to use the captive portal network temporarily, configure your router to whitelist the device's MAC address so it skips the portal.

Step 7: Still Offline? Contact us

If steps 1-6 didn't restore connectivity:

• Email kasper@infoboxi.com with: the screen name, the Device ID, and what you've already tried.
• Include the device's IP address if you can find it (check your router's DHCP client list).
• Most stuck-Offline cases we see are corporate firewalls or unsupported network features. We can usually help diagnose remotely.

What happens to your screen during the outage

Good news: the screen doesn't go dark:

• The device keeps playing the most recent cached content while offline.
• Schedules and visibility logic continue to work normally.
• When connectivity returns, the device automatically catches up: any queued publishes apply, and live URLs (Power BI, iFrame) refresh on their next interval.
• Full details: How offline caching works.

Summary

When a screen is Offline, walk through: power → WiFi reconnect → test other devices → restart → firewall → captive-portal check. Most fixes are in steps 1-4. Stick screens keep playing cached content the whole time.