Inkplate 2 Clock example not connecting to WiFi on main router

TECHNICAL SUPPORT Inkplate
1

Customer:

I tested my Inkplate 2 this evening. A basic example loads and works fine. However, when I try to load the ‘Inplate2_Clock’ example, the board doesn’t react. I can compile and load successfully (Hash of data verified), and the hard reset via RTS pin completes, but the board still doesn’t respond. I filled in my WiFi SSID and password, and I also tried manually pushing the reset button. What might be causing this?

Originally submitted via email support on 20 June 2023. Migrated to the forum for community visibility.

2

Soldered Support:

The Arduino IDE output confirms the example uploaded successfully. Since the basic example worked and updated the screen, we know the display functions properly.

The Inkplate2_Clock sketch contains debug messages in Network.cpp that print over serial. After uploading, open the Serial monitor in Arduino at 115200 baud to see what the sketch is doing. You should see messages like “Waiting for WiFi to connect… Connected, getting time from NTP server” etc.

WiFi credentials are required and must be correct - note that case matters. Double-check your WiFi data entry. This appears to be a network connectivity issue.

Try checking the serial monitor output and verify your WiFi details. If it still doesn’t work, try uploading another network example like Web/WiFi → Show pictures from web and report the results.

3

Customer:

Thank you for introducing me to the serial monitor. While compiling the WEB/WIFI example, I can see it’s definitely a network problem.

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4

Soldered Support:

Try connecting to a mobile hotspot instead. Usually a mobile hotspot works fine. If it connects to your mobile hotspot but not your main router, please share the router model and I can check for any required configuration.

Inkplate (ESP32) usually works with any router, but I’ve heard of compatibility issues with certain models.

Make sure you enter the SSID and password with correct case in lines 43 and 44, then upload:

// Put in your ssid and password
char ssid[] = "Your_SSID";
char pass[] = "yourpassword";
5

Customer:

A mobile hotspot works! But my main router does not.

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6

Soldered Support:

That’s excellent - the mobile hotspot working means the router just needs configuration.

Let’s whitelist your Inkplate’s MAC address in your router.

First, find the MAC address by following this tutorial: Get ESP32/ESP8266 MAC Address and Change It (Arduino IDE) | Random Nerd Tutorials - you should get a string like 00:11:22:AA:BB:CC.

Once you have the MAC address, follow these general steps to add it to your router’s whitelist (exact steps may vary by router):

  1. Log into your router’s settings by opening a web browser and navigating to your router’s IP address, usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 (check your router’s manual if unsure)
  2. Enter your username and password (check the manual if you haven’t changed defaults)
  3. Look for a section related to wireless access, wireless security, or MAC filtering
  4. In the MAC filtering section, enable the whitelist option
  5. Add your ESP32’s MAC address to the whitelist - enter it exactly as shown with all colons in the correct places
  6. Save your changes - there should be an apply or save button
  7. The router may need to restart

After these steps, your Inkplate should be added to the whitelist and allowed to connect to your network. Try it and let me know the results.