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Setup guide · GivEnergy WiFi dongle

GivEnergy WiFi Setup — Dongle Configuration Guide

How to connect the GivEnergy WiFi dongle to your home network for the first time, reconnect it after a router or password change, fix 5GHz and signal issues, and reset the dongle if needed. Covers both USB dongle (WE/WF/WO/WZ serial) and built-in WiFi (WG/WH/WJ/WK serial) models.

Step-by-step configuration at 10.10.100.254 2.4GHz only — 5GHz fix included Reset, router change, signal troubleshooting
Dongle connected but portal still offline?

If the dongle LED is solid and your home WiFi credentials are saved, but the portal still shows no data — the cause may be upstream: GivHub, firmware, cloud outage, or port 7654. The portal offline guide covers all of these.

GivEnergy portal offline guide → Book a remote diagnostic — from £75

Not affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd. Independent diagnostic support.

Know your hardware
Hardware types

Which GivEnergy WiFi hardware do you have?

GivEnergy uses different WiFi communication methods depending on the inverter model. Check your serial number prefix to identify which type you have — the setup steps are the same, but the menu layout differs slightly between the WF/WO and WZ dongle variants.

USB WiFi dongle
Serial: WE, WF, WO, or WZ

A USB stick that plugs into the port on the underside of the inverter. The most common type on UK residential GivEnergy installations. Applies to AC coupled inverters and Gen 1 hybrid inverters. Serial prefix WE is an older variant also in this category.

Flashing LED = connecting
Solid LED = connected
Must be screwed in on both sides
Built-in WiFi
Serial: WG, WH, WJ, or WK

Internal WiFi built into the inverter itself. Found in Gen 2 (WG), Gen 3 (WH), All-in-One (WJ), and Giv-Gateway (WK). Accessed the same way — 10.10.100.254 — but requires dipswitches set to WiFi mode inside the bottom cover.

Dipswitch must be set to WiFi mode
Same setup process as USB dongle
Gen 3 reset: contact GivEnergy support first
Using LAN? Still secure the internal WiFi — see note below
4G dongle
Has a SIM card slot

The 4G dongle looks similar to the WiFi dongle but has a SIM card slot visible inside the blue rubber cap, rather than a reset button. It does not require WiFi setup — it communicates via mobile data. This guide does not apply.

No WiFi setup required
Requires active SIM with data plan
USB dongle physical installation: The USB plug has 4 pins — the two outer pins are power (longer) and the two inner pins are data (shorter). The dongle must be screwed into the bottom of the inverter on both sides to make a secure data connection. A loose dongle will power up (LED lit) but fail to transmit data.
Using LAN (wired ethernet) instead of WiFi? If you are connecting the inverter via LAN cable, you still need to secure the internal WiFi dongle. Without a password set, the dongle's access point remains open and broadcasts to anyone nearby — leaving your network vulnerable. Follow steps 6 and 7 of the setup process below to set WPA2-PSK and a password on the AP interface, even if you are not using WiFi as your primary connection method.
Step-by-step setup
First-time setup

Connecting the GivEnergy dongle to your home WiFi

On first power-up, the dongle broadcasts its own WiFi hotspot named after its serial number. You connect to this hotspot, configure the dongle via a browser at 10.10.100.254, then restart it so it joins your home network.

1
Connect to the dongle's WiFi hotspot

Open WiFi settings on your phone or laptop. You should see a network named after the dongle's serial number — for example WG2049G011. Select it and click Connect (tick "Connect automatically" if shown). If prompted for a password, try your inverter serial number.

Only one device at a time: The dongle only allows one device to connect to its hotspot at once. If another device is connected, disconnect it first. Also ensure you are close to the inverter — signal from the dongle's hotspot is short-range.
2
Log into the dongle at 10.10.100.254

While connected to the dongle's hotspot, open Google Chrome (recommended) and type 10.10.100.254 in the address bar. When prompted for login credentials, enter:

Username:admin
Password:admin
If admin/admin doesn't work: Your installer may have changed the credentials. Try your inverter serial number as the password. If that fails, a factory reset is required — see the reset section below.
3
Select Mode Selection → STA Mode → Apply

In the left-hand menu, click Mode Selection. You will see two options: AP Mode (Access Point) and STA Mode (Station Mode). Select STA Mode and click Apply. This tells the dongle it should connect to your home network rather than act as a hotspot.

4
Search for your home WiFi network

Click STA Interface Setting in the menu. Click the Search button to scan for nearby networks. A list of available WiFi networks appears with their RSSI signal strength shown as a percentage. Check that your home network shows at least 60% RSSI — if lower, see the signal strength section before proceeding.

Network not appearing? Click Refresh. If it still doesn't appear, restart your internet router and search again. You can also manually type your network name (SSID) directly into the network name field if the scan doesn't find it.
5
Select your network and enter the password

Select your home WiFi network from the scan list. In the Pass Phrase field, enter your WiFi password. Passwords are case sensitive — check for capital letters. Click Apply.

6
Secure the dongle's own access point

Click AP Interface Setting. Under Security Mode, select WPA2-PSK. Choose a password for the dongle's own hotspot — GivEnergy recommends using the inverter serial number. Click Apply. This prevents others from accessing the dongle's configuration interface.

WZ serial dongles: The menu labels and button names are slightly different — you'll see AP Setting instead of AP Interface Setting, you select WPA2-PSK under Select Channel, and you click Save instead of Apply throughout. The process is otherwise the same.
7
Restart the dongle

Click Device Management in the menu. Click Restart. The screen will show "Rebooting" and appear to hang — this is normal. The restart takes up to 10 minutes. After restarting, the dongle leaves AP mode and connects to your home WiFi network. Your device will lose its connection to the dongle's hotspot — reconnect your device to your home WiFi and check the portal after 15 minutes.

How to confirm the setup worked: The dongle LED should be solid (not flashing) once connected. Log into givenergy.cloud and check whether live data with recent timestamps is appearing in your dashboard. Data packets should appear within 10–15 minutes of a successful connection.
Router change
Router change

Portal went offline after changing your router or WiFi password

Changing your router, WiFi name, or password instantly breaks the dongle's connection — it still has the old credentials. The quickest fix is the SSID rename trick. The full reconfiguration is also straightforward.

Quickest fix — rename your new router

If you have just changed your router, temporarily set your new router's WiFi name and password to match your old router exactly. The dongle will reconnect automatically within a few minutes — no reconfiguration needed. You can then change the router name/password and update the dongle at a convenient time.

This is the fastest option and works well if you still remember your old WiFi credentials.
Full reconfiguration

Wait for the dongle to revert to AP (hotspot) mode — it will do so after failing to connect to the saved network. Power cycle the inverter (AC isolator off for 60 seconds) to speed this up. Once the dongle's hotspot reappears in your WiFi list, follow the full setup steps above with your new network name and password.

If the hotspot doesn't reappear, try the power cycle again — AC isolator off for 60 seconds, then back on.
5GHz and dual band
2.4GHz only

All GivEnergy dongles connect to 2.4GHz only — not 5GHz

This is the most common cause of intermittent portal connectivity and failed setup on modern routers. If you have a dual-band router broadcasting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, you must either disable the 5GHz frequency or give the two bands different network names — otherwise the dongle will attempt to connect to 5GHz and fail.

The symptom
Connects briefly then drops
You successfully configure the dongle, it appears to connect, portal data appears briefly — then goes offline within minutes or hours. Power cycling fixes it temporarily. This is the classic sign of a dual-band router assigning the dongle to 5GHz after initial connection. Most modern Sky, Virgin, and BT hubs broadcast a single SSID for both bands and will cause this problem.
Fix — option 1
Disable 5GHz on your router
Log into your router admin panel and disable the 5GHz frequency entirely. This is the definitive fix recommended by GivEnergy. If you are unsure how to do this on your specific router, contact your internet provider — most ISPs will walk you through it. Your 2.4GHz network remains active and all devices will connect to it.
Fix — option 2
Give the bands separate names
In your router settings, give the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks different SSIDs — for example MyWiFi (2.4GHz) and MyWiFi-5G (5GHz). Connect the GivEnergy dongle to the 2.4GHz name. Your other devices can connect to either band. This avoids disabling 5GHz for the rest of your home.
WiFi extender note
Use a different SSID on the extender
If you use a WiFi extender for the dongle, the extender's SSID should be a different name from your main network — for example add _EXT to the end. This prevents devices from switching between the main router and extender unpredictably, and gives you a dedicated 2.4GHz-only network to connect the dongle to.
Signal strength
RSSI & range

Minimum signal strength and WiFi extender guidance

Signal strength (RSSI) should be at least 60% for connection — GivEnergy's own troubleshooting guide recommends ≥70% for stable, reliable operation. You can check the RSSI the dongle sees directly from its configuration interface — look at the percentage shown next to your network in the STA Interface Setting site survey. Also note: the dongle requires WPA2 security — WPA3-only networks are not compatible.

Checking signal

Connect to the dongle's hotspot, go to 10.10.100.254 → STA Interface Setting → Search. The site survey table shows each nearby network with an RSSI percentage. Your home network should show 70% or above for reliable connectivity (minimum 60%).

Anything below 60% is likely to cause intermittent drops, stale data in the portal, or setup failure. Between 60–70% may work but expect occasional outages.
Adding a WiFi extender
Position the extender approximately midway between the router and the inverter — not right next to either.
Give the extender a different SSID from the main router (e.g. add _EXT). Connect the dongle to the extender's SSID.
Ensure the extender broadcasts 2.4GHz with WPA2 security — or disable its 5GHz band and confirm WPA3 is not the only security mode.
For inverters in detached garages, a powerline (HomePlug) adapter with a WiFi access point at the inverter end is the most reliable long-term solution.
Mesh WiFi systems — common compatibility issue. Most mesh networks (BT Whole Home, Google Nest WiFi, Eero, Ubiquiti, etc.) use band-steering to push devices to 5GHz automatically. The GivEnergy dongle only connects to 2.4GHz, so it is often refused or silently dropped. If you have a mesh system, create a dedicated 2.4GHz SSID in the mesh management app and connect the dongle to that specific network. Alternatively, connect the dongle to a router port directly via an access point rather than relying on the mesh backhaul.
Factory reset
Reset

How to factory reset the GivEnergy WiFi dongle

A factory reset is required if you can't access the dongle configuration (unknown credentials, or the hotspot is not visible) and the SSID rename workaround hasn't resolved it.

1
Locate the reset button

Remove the small blue rubber cap from the base of the USB dongle. Inside you will see the reset button — a small recessed button next to the USB connector. For built-in WiFi models (Gen 2/Gen 3), the reset button or reset procedure is described in the inverter installation manual. Note: If you have a Gen 3 inverter, contact GivEnergy support before resetting the built-in WiFi.

2
Hold the reset button for 15 seconds

While the dongle is powered (plugged into the inverter with the AC isolator on), press and hold the reset button for 15 seconds. A pin or straightened paperclip is usually needed to reach the button. The dongle LED will react during the process.

3
Wait 20 minutes for the full reset

The reset process takes between 5 and 45 minutes — wait at least 20 minutes before attempting to reconnect. If after 20 minutes the dongle's hotspot has not reappeared in your WiFi list, repeat the 15-second button hold. Do not power cycle the dongle during the reset process.

After a full reset, the dongle returns to factory defaults with username/password: admin / admin and no WiFi credentials stored. Follow the full setup steps above from step 1.

GivEnergy WiFi setup questions

Username: admin — Password: admin. These are the GivEnergy factory defaults. If your installer changed them and you don't know the credentials, try your inverter serial number as the password first. If that doesn't work, a factory reset is the only way to regain access — press and hold the reset button for 15 seconds and wait 20 minutes for the reset to complete.

No — all GivEnergy WiFi dongles connect to 2.4GHz only. If you have a dual-band router, you need to either disable the 5GHz frequency, or give the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands different names so the dongle can be pointed at the 2.4GHz network specifically. If you're unsure how to do this on your router, contact your internet provider.

Quickest fix: temporarily set your new router's WiFi name and password to match your old router — the dongle will reconnect automatically. If that isn't possible, wait for the dongle hotspot to reappear in your WiFi list (or power cycle the inverter to speed this up), then follow the setup steps above with your new credentials. The full configuration process takes about 10 minutes.

At least 60% RSSI. To check: connect to the dongle's hotspot, navigate to 10.10.100.254 → STA Interface Setting → Search. The site survey table shows each network with its RSSI value. If your network is below 60%, a WiFi extender positioned midway between the router and inverter is usually the fix. The extender's SSID should be a different name from the main router — for example add _EXT to the end.

This usually happens because your device is switching back to a remembered home WiFi network or using mobile data. Fix: go to your WiFi settings and forget all other networks, then turn off mobile data on your phone before connecting to the dongle hotspot. Also ensure you are standing close to the inverter — the dongle's hotspot has a short range. Remember: only one device can be connected to the dongle hotspot at any time, so disconnect any other devices first.

A solid LED means the dongle is connected to your home WiFi, but data may still not be reaching GivEnergy's servers. The most likely causes are: port 7654 is blocked by your router or firewall (the dongle communicates on TCP port 7654 — contact your internet provider if you're unsure); a GivEnergy cloud outage (check givenergy.cloud directly); or a firmware issue. See the GivEnergy portal offline guide linked below for a full diagnostic covering all causes.

Still not connecting?

WiFi configured but portal still offline?

If you've followed the setup steps and the portal is still showing no data, the problem may be upstream — cloud-side, firmware, or a port block. Share what you're seeing and we'll identify the cause without a site visit.

Not affiliated with GivEnergy Ltd
Remote diagnostic from £75
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