<!– –>{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@graph”: [ { “@type”: “Article”, “headline”: “Solar Monitoring Offline — Why It Happens and What to Do”, “description”: “Solar monitoring portal showing offline or device unreachable. This guide helps you separate local WiFi faults from dongle hardware failures, firmware issues, and cloud-side outages.”, “url”: “https://solar-tech-support.co.uk/problems/monitoring-offline/”, “datePublished”: “2026-03-18”, “dateModified”: “2026-03-18”, “author”: { “@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “STS Solar Tech Support”, “url”: “https://solar-tech-support.co.uk” }, “publisher”: { “@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “STS Solar Tech Support”, “url”: “https://solar-tech-support.co.uk” } }, { “@type”: “HowTo”, “name”: “How to diagnose solar monitoring offline”, “description”: “A step-by-step process to identify whether your monitoring offline issue is a local WiFi fault, a dongle or hardware fault, a firmware issue, or a cloud-side outage.”, “url”: “https://solar-tech-support.co.uk/problems/monitoring-offline/”, “step”: [ { “@type”: “HowToStep”, “name”: “Check whether the cloud platform itself is having an outage”, “text”: “Before investigating your own equipment, check whether the monitoring provider is experiencing a platform outage. Most brands have a status page or post outage notices on their social media. A platform outage means your system is fine — the cloud side is unavailable. If other users are reporting the same issue at the same time, wait for the platform to recover.” }, { “@type”: “HowToStep”, “name”: “Check that your home broadband and router are working”, “text”: “Confirm your internet connection is working by browsing a website on a device connected to the same network as the inverter. If your broadband is down, your inverter cannot reach the cloud regardless of its own connection status. Restore your broadband connection first.” }, { “@type”: “HowToStep”, “name”: “Check whether the inverter or dongle has lost its WiFi connection”, “text”: “Look at the WiFi dongle or inverter for its connection indicator light. On most devices a steady green light means connected; a flashing or amber light means it has lost the network. If the device has lost WiFi, follow the WiFi reconnection process — the monitoring offline is a consequence of the WiFi issue, not a separate problem.” }, { “@type”: “HowToStep”, “name”: “Power cycle the dongle or WiFi module”, “text”: “Unplug the WiFi dongle from the inverter, wait 30 seconds, and reinsert it. If the dongle is integrated, power cycle the inverter via its DC isolator switch (turn off, wait 60 seconds, turn back on). Many temporary connectivity faults are resolved by a clean restart of the wireless module.” }, { “@type”: “HowToStep”, “name”: “Check for a recent firmware update that broke connectivity”, “text”: “If monitoring went offline immediately after a firmware update notification from the platform, the update may have introduced a connectivity regression or reset your WiFi credentials. Check whether the dongle is now in AP mode — advertising its own hotspot. If so, you need to re-enter your WiFi credentials via the setup process.” } ] }, { “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [ { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Does monitoring offline mean my solar system has stopped working?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “No. Monitoring offline means the inverter or dongle cannot communicate with the cloud platform — it does not mean your solar panels have stopped generating or your battery has stopped working. The system continues to operate as configured. You just cannot see live or historical data until connectivity is restored.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How do I tell if it’s a WiFi fault or a hardware fault?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Check the dongle’s indicator light. If it is flashing or showing amber, it has lost WiFi — that is a connectivity fault, not a hardware fault. If the light is green (connected) but monitoring is still offline, the issue is either on the cloud platform side, or the device is connected to WiFi but cannot reach the cloud server (firewall, DNS, or server-side fault). If there is no light at all, the dongle may have lost power or failed.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “My monitoring has been offline for days — is my system still working?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Almost certainly yes — the system continues to generate and store as configured. However, extended monitoring downtime means you are not seeing any alert if a fault does develop. It is worth resolving the connectivity issue within a reasonable timeframe. If you cannot see any data at all and are concerned about system health, a remote diagnostic session can verify the system is operating correctly.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What should I do if the monitoring went offline after a router change?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “A router change typically changes the WiFi network name and password. The inverter has your old credentials stored and will fail to connect to the new network. You need to run the WiFi setup process for your brand to give it the new network details. This is one of the most common causes of monitoring going offline.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Can a dongle fail and need replacing?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Yes. WiFi dongles can fail from power surges, lightning proximity events, or simply age. Signs of dongle hardware failure include: no indicator light despite power being present, the AP hotspot not appearing when expected, or complete failure to connect after a successful factory reset. Replacement dongles are usually available directly from the brand and are low-cost to fit.” } } ] }, { “@type”: “BreadcrumbList”, “itemListElement”: [ { “@type”: “ListItem”, “position”: 1, “name”: “Home”, “item”: “https://solar-tech-support.co.uk/” }, { “@type”: “ListItem”, “position”: 2, “name”: “Problems”, “item”: “https://solar-tech-support.co.uk/problems/” }, { “@type”: “ListItem”, “position”: 3, “name”: “Monitoring Offline”, “item”: “https://solar-tech-support.co.uk/problems/monitoring-offline/” } ] } ]}
Connectivity fault · All brands
Solar monitoring offline
Your monitoring portal is showing the device as offline, or you haven’t seen live data for a while. This doesn’t mean your solar system has stopped working — but it does mean something in the communication chain has broken.
The cause could be your home WiFi, the dongle hardware, a firmware issue, or a cloud platform outage. This guide helps you find which.
System still generating while offlineFour distinct causesMost cases don’t need an engineer
Worked through the steps and still offline?
Dongle hardware failures and firmware-related connectivity faults often need deeper diagnosis. A remote session can confirm the cause and tell you exactly what needs replacing or resetting.
Your solar system is almost certainly still working. Monitoring offline is a communication fault, not a generation fault. Your panels and battery continue operating as configured — timed charge schedules are stored locally on the inverter and are not affected by loss of internet connectivity.
The four causes of monitoring going offline
Each has different symptoms and a different fix.
1. WiFi connectivity fault
The inverter or dongle has lost connection to your home WiFi. This is the most common cause. Triggered by router replacement, password change, weak signal, or a 5GHz network incompatibility.
Sign: Dongle indicator is flashing or amber. AP hotspot may be visible in your WiFi list.
2. Dongle or hardware failure
The WiFi dongle or internal wireless module has failed — from age, power surge, or hardware defect. Less common but requires hardware replacement.
Sign: No indicator light at all, AP hotspot never appears, no response after power cycling.
3. Firmware update regression
A firmware update cleared WiFi credentials, changed network settings, or introduced a bug that prevents cloud connectivity. Happened immediately after an update notification.
Sign: Monitoring went offline at the same time as a firmware update. Dongle now in AP mode.
4. Cloud platform outage
The monitoring platform’s servers are down. Your system and dongle are working fine — the cloud side is unavailable. Nothing to fix locally; wait for the platform to recover.
Sign: Multiple users reporting the same issue. Brand status page or social media confirms outage.
How to diagnose which cause you have
Work through these in order — each step narrows down the cause.
1
Check for a platform outage first
Before investigating your own equipment, check whether the monitoring platform is having an outage. Search for your brand name plus “outage” or “not working” on Twitter/X or check their status page. If it is a platform outage, nothing local needs fixing — wait for the provider to restore service.
2
Confirm your broadband is working
Open a website on your phone connected to your home WiFi (not mobile data). If your broadband is down, your inverter cannot reach the cloud. Restore broadband first, then recheck monitoring status after 10–15 minutes.
3
Check the dongle indicator light
Look at the WiFi dongle or inverter’s WiFi indicator. A steady green (or blue on some brands) light means connected to WiFi; a flashing or amber light means the WiFi connection has been lost; no light may indicate loss of power to the dongle.
If the light shows WiFi lost, follow the WiFi not connecting guide to reconnect it. The monitoring offline is a symptom — WiFi loss is the cause.
4
Power cycle the dongle
Unplug the WiFi dongle from the inverter, wait 30 seconds, reinsert it, and wait 3–5 minutes for it to reconnect. If integrated, turn the inverter off via its isolation switch, wait 60 seconds, then turn it back on. Many transient connectivity faults clear with a clean restart.
5
Check for a recent firmware update
Think back to when monitoring went offline. If it coincided with an update notification from the app or portal, the update may have cleared stored WiFi credentials. Check whether the dongle is now broadcasting an AP hotspot (visible in your phone’s WiFi list). If it is, run the WiFi setup process again to re-enter your credentials.
No. Monitoring offline means the device cannot communicate with the cloud platform — not that your system has stopped generating or storing. Panels and battery continue operating as configured. You just cannot see data until connectivity is restored.
Check the dongle indicator light. Flashing or amber means WiFi lost — that is a connectivity fault. Steady green but still offline suggests a cloud-side issue or firewall problem. No light at all despite the dongle being plugged in suggests a hardware failure or power issue to the dongle.
Run the WiFi setup process for your brand to give the inverter your new network credentials. The device has the old password stored and cannot connect to the changed network. See the brand-specific WiFi setup guides linked above.
Yes — dongle hardware can fail from power surges, age, or lightning proximity. Signs include no indicator light, the AP hotspot never appearing, or complete failure after a power cycle and factory reset. Replacement dongles are usually available from the manufacturer and are generally inexpensive and straightforward to replace.
Technically the system will run indefinitely without monitoring — it doesn’t need the cloud connection to operate. However, without monitoring you won’t see alerts if a fault develops, and you lose visibility over performance and battery state. We’d recommend resolving extended outages within a few days where possible, and using a Solar Health Plan to ensure ongoing monitoring oversight.
Need help restoring monitoring?
A remote diagnostic session can confirm exactly what’s causing the offline status, walk you through the reconnection process live, and check the system is operating correctly in the meantime.
