Massively massively recommended. We had a big battery array (49kW across three phases) put in four years ago. c £35k cost. It’s been a total nightmare for many reasons, not least 1. our installer being totally useless and unresponsive and 2. Givenergy, our battery supplier, going bust. Long story short it had never worked anywhere near properly despite countless hours on phones and emails; the best we’d achieved was one third of the batteries working. Rather than write it off, I asked a PM friend to try to source someone who could come on site and review and revive the system. He found Solar Tech Support and Ron. Ron assured us he was the man to get it going again. After so many years of pain, I was not convinced but, true to his word, five hours later it was up and running. Lovely chap, super knowledgeable with a support team to lean on who are also clearly super technical. I honestly didn’t think there was much chance of getting this array going ever again so was absolutely delighted when Ron and team pulled it off. Bravo!
AlphaESS AlphaCloud Offline — WiFi Dongle, 4G Module & Portal Reconnection
- WiFi & 4G dongle diagnostics
- AlphaCloud portal restoration
- All SMILE models supported
Most AlphaESS portal connectivity issues are resolved remotely in a single session. We reconfigure the dongle and restore your AlphaCloud access.
Book your free remote diagnosticBack to AlphaESS hubIndependent — not affiliated with AlphaESS.
Ron made more sense in 20 mins than our installer has done over the last 12 months There is a jungle out there and you need someone like Ron to give a comprehensive overview and solution
My 90-year-old father-in-law had a solar system installed nearly three years ago that never worked properly and kept tripping out. Neither the original installer nor GivEnergy could resolve the issues, and we were even pushed towards replacing the system entirely when GivEnergy went bust. I contacted Ron at Solar Tech Support via WhatsApp, and within a few hours he had diagnosed multiple faults — including incorrect wiring that posed a potential fire risk. He carried out a home visit in Nottingham for £295 (including parts), fixed everything, completed firmware updates, and ensured the system was fully operational. Since then, it has worked perfectly. Ron was knowledgeable, responsive, and took the time to explain everything clearly. Highly recommended — excellent value and complete peace of mind.
I've spoken to Ron a couple of times with issues with my Givenergy installation. Such a friendly knowledge guy very highly recommended. Thank you very much for resolving my issues
Big thanks to Ron. He was incredibly patient and helpful over the phone, taking the time to walk myself and the installer through every troubleshooting step. Through lots of testing he figured out the issue was definitely a hardware issue, which allows us to consider our next steps. Support fees are clear and they operate a “no fix no fee” policy. It is rare to find that kind of honesty combined with dedicated phone support nowadays. I highly recommend Ron, if you need help with your solar system don’t hesitate to give him a call.
My Givenergy battery stopped working nearly a month ago. After unsuccessfully reaching out to my installer, who looks like he's also busted, I found Solar Tech Support on a Google search. They fixed my issue in a couple of hours. Any frustrated Givenergy customers, I highly recommend these guys.
Key point: AlphaCloud going offline does not mean your solar system has stopped working. The SMILE inverter and SMILE B battery continue operating normally — you just can't see the data remotely until the communication dongle is reconnected.
5-step AlphaCloud reconnection diagnosis
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.
Check the communication dongle LED on the SMILE inverter
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.
Verify WiFi connectivity to your router
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.
Power-cycle the SMILE inverter to reset the communication module
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.
Check the 4G module signal if using cellular connectivity
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.
Reconfigure the dongle via the AlphaESS app
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, we can talk you through the process remotely or arrange an engineer visit.
About AlphaCloud monitoring on AlphaESS systems
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 all cases, the solar system itself continues working — the outage is monitoring-only.
Return to the AlphaESS brand hub to explore other common faults and services.
AlphaESS support hubAlphaCloud connectivity — common questions
AlphaCloud offline and can't fix it?
Tell us what the dongle LED is showing and what you've tried. We'll diagnose the communication fault and restore your AlphaCloud access — usually same day.
- No fix, no fee
- WiFi and 4G dongle configuration
- Replacement dongle supply if needed
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Got a solar fault or need a quick answer? Drop us a message — we usually reply within a few minutes. Mon–Fri, 9am–7pm.