Your dongle usually comes back online with the steps below. If it still won't connect, we set it up on site, from £195: we connect it to your WiFi, set up your router, including a separate 2.4 GHz network if it needs one, and check it's reporting.
Book on-site WiFi setupBack to AlphaESS hubIndependent — not affiliated with AlphaESS.
Very speedy response. Handled by a real human who took my system through a logical process with the desired outcome within minutes of them accessing my inverter settings. Ron passed me on to Ash, they are both ex-Givenergy people who clearly know their stuff and can give the reassurance of proper technical support now that the Givenergy support desk has closed. A worthwhile investment in ensuring my expensive kit is kept fully functioning.
Contacted Solar Tech Support when trying to understand what my Givenergy inverter problem might be and what might be my options. Received good/honest advise which backed up my thoughts.
My Givenergy system went offline, so I lost control of it. Ron from STS and Craig from Norfolk Solar were most helpful in diagnosing the problem by phone. Full marks for their patience and ability.
Absolutely brilliant service. Our GivEnergy battery stopped working for no obvious reason. The manufacturers have gone in administration so no aftercare is available. Our installer could not diagnose the problem and gave up. We were at our wits end. A web search came up with Solar Tech Support. In truth, the reviews almost seemed to good to be true. But Ron diagnosed the problem within the hour and fixed it remotely the same day. He explained everything clearly and thoroughly and has offered solutions to other issues we had too. I honestly cannot recommend Ron highly enough. An absolute godsend in the mess that GivEnergy have left behind in their demise. Thank you again for all your help!
STS installed/commissioned an extra Givenergy battery for me. Communication was great and the engineer did a great job and even tidied up the existing wiring which made it look a great deal nicer than it did. Very happy so far and grateful to the team for their professionalism.
Super support. Delighted I found them. System battery was down for quite a while and no one would try to fix it as GivEnergy out of business. A few hours later and I’m up and running again. Brilliant service!!! Highly recommend them.
Key point: AlphaCloud going offline does not mean your solar system has stopped working. The system usually keeps running, but offline doesn't prove it, so check the inverter's own screen. What you lose is the remote data until the communication dongle is reconnected.
When AlphaCloud goes offline, the problem is in the communication link between the SMILE inverter and the cloud portal. The dongle has lost internet connectivity. Work through these steps in order.
The communication dongle plugs into the bottom or side of the SMILE inverter. Locate it and check the LED:
If the LED is off, reseat the dongle firmly in the communication port. A loose dongle is the simplest and most common cause of AlphaCloud going offline.
The WiFi dongle requires a 2.4GHz WiFi connection. Common reasons for lost connectivity:
Check that your router is broadcasting a 2.4GHz network and that the password matches what is stored in the dongle.
A power cycle clears transient connection failures and cached states:
This resolves most firmware-induced communication hangs. Data should appear in AlphaCloud within a few minutes of the inverter coming back online.
Note: power cycling the inverter does not lose your working mode settings, charge schedules, or any other configuration.
Some AlphaESS installations use a 4G module instead of WiFi — typically where the inverter is in a garage, basement, or metal enclosure with poor WiFi coverage:
If the SIM is active but signal is weak, relocating the 4G module or adding an external antenna resolves the issue.
If power cycling did not restore connectivity, the dongle needs to be reconfigured with your current network credentials:
The app communicates with the dongle via Bluetooth — ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone and you are within 2 metres of the inverter. If the app cannot find the dongle, the dongle itself may have failed and need replacing.
If you are not comfortable reconfiguring the dongle, or it still won't connect, we can set it up on site, from £195.
AlphaCloud is AlphaESS's cloud monitoring platform. It provides real-time and historical data for solar generation, battery state of charge, grid import/export, and working mode status. The SMILE inverter sends this data via a communication dongle — either a WiFi stick that connects to your home router, or a 4G cellular module with its own SIM card. Both plug into the inverter's communication port.
The most common triggers for AlphaCloud going offline are router changes (new router means new WiFi credentials), ISP firmware updates (BT, Virgin, and Sky hubs sometimes reset WiFi settings), and loose dongles (the dongle gradually works loose from vibration or temperature cycling). Less common but still seen: 4G SIM expiry, communication dongle hardware failure, and AlphaESS server maintenance. In most cases only the monitoring is down, and the system usually keeps running, so check the inverter's own screen.
Return to the AlphaESS brand hub to explore other common faults and services.
AlphaESS support hubTell us what the dongle LED is showing and what you've tried. If the dongle needs reconnecting to your WiFi, we can set it up on site, from £195: we connect it to your WiFi, set up your router, including a separate 2.4 GHz network if it needs one, and check it's reporting. If it's the 4G SIM or the AlphaCloud account, the remote diagnostic is free, and a remote fix is £125, only if we fix it.
Due to unprecedented demand we’re currently only carrying out on-site work in Yorkshire, and replies are taking up to 7 days. Remote diagnostics continue for the whole UK as normal.
Every message is read and answered, so please don’t send it twice; that only slows the queue.
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