First Boot¶
SQMeter ships with no WiFi credentials. On first power-on it starts in hotspot mode — it broadcasts its own open WiFi network so you can configure it from any phone or laptop.
Step 1 — Power On¶
Connect the ESP32 to USB or a 5V supply. Within a few seconds it broadcasts:
Step 2 — Connect to the Hotspot¶
Connect your phone or laptop to SQM-Setup. No password required.
A "Sign in to network" notification will appear automatically. Tap it to open the captive portal in your browser.
A sign-in sheet pops up automatically in Safari after joining the network.
Click the network notification or open a browser — Windows will redirect you to the portal.
Open a browser and navigate to http://192.168.4.1 manually.
Step 3 — Configure WiFi¶
The captive portal shows a list of nearby networks:
- Select your home/lab network
- Enter the password
- Tap Connect
The device restarts and joins your network. The hotspot disappears.
2.4 GHz only
ESP32 does not support 5 GHz. If your router broadcasts both bands under the same SSID, the device will pick the 2.4 GHz band automatically.
Step 4 — Find the Device¶
After connecting, SQMeter is reachable at:
The IP address is logged over serial (115200 baud) if you have a monitor connected. You can also check your router's DHCP client list for a host named sqmeter.
Step 5 — Access the Dashboard¶
Open the web UI. You should see live sensor readings on the Dashboard within a few seconds of the sensors initialising.
WiFi Config is Persistent¶
Credentials live in the NVS partition — completely separate from firmware and filesystem storage:
| Action | WiFi config |
|---|---|
| Flash new firmware | ✅ Preserved |
| Update web UI filesystem | ✅ Preserved |
| Power cycle | ✅ Preserved |
| Full chip erase | ❌ Cleared |
To force the hotspot again (reset WiFi config):
Then re-flash from the release binaries.