Troubleshooting

Most controller problems are network problems. Start with the admin menu’s NETWORK STATUS and SIGNAL METER pages (hold STOP on the idle screen; neither needs an unlock). Between them they tell you whether it’s connected, and how well.

OFFLINE / WIFI LOST - OUTPUT OFF

The controller lost its connection during a session that had no end time, and cut power on purpose. It reconnects on its own once the network is back. Sessions with an end time keep running through short outages.

• One machine drops now and then: check SIGNAL METER at the mounting spot. Metal enclosures and big castings block Wi-Fi. Moving the controller a foot or two often fixes it.
• Every controller drops at once: the problem is your network or internet connection, not the controllers.

While a controller is offline, trained members can still start it from the app’s Offline unlock screen. See When the internet is down.

SERVER UNREACHABLE

Firmware 0.9.54 and later. The controller joined Wi-Fi, but for 30 seconds or more it hasn’t been able to reach the MakerOps server. The screen shows the cause, the controller’s name, how long it’s been offline, and the line NETWORK MUST ALLOW OUTBOUND MQTT.MAKEROPS.AI PORT 8883. It keeps retrying on its own and goes back to its normal screen once it connects. The controller is still paired: don’t re-pair it, because that can’t help.

Cause on screen	What it usually means
SERVER NAME NOT FOUND (DNS)	The network’s DNS can’t look up mqtt.makerops.ai.
NO ANSWER FROM SERVER	Nothing answered on port 8883. Usually a firewall blocking outbound traffic on that port, common on campus and guest networks.
SECURE CONNECTION FAILED (TLS)	The connection was opened but the secure handshake failed. Often a firewall or proxy that inspects encrypted traffic.
CONNECTION TO SERVER DROPPED	The connection was cut part-way.
SERVER BUSY - REFUSED CONNECTION	The server answered but turned the connection away for now.

• Only this network, or only new installs: ask your IT department to allow outbound TCP to mqtt.makerops.ai on port 8883. That’s the line on the screen.
• Every controller, on a network that used to work: check the internet connection itself.

Members with an offline pass can still start the machine while this screen is up. See When the internet is down.

On firmware before 0.9.54, the same problem shows the NOT PAIRED YET screen and its pairing QR once the controller has waited 30 seconds. If a controller that was working shows that screen, check the network first (above) before re-pairing it.

When the pairing QR does mean re-pair

On firmware 0.9.54 and later , a controller that was already paired shows NOT PAIRED YET and the pairing QR only when it has been removed from your space. On firmware 0.9.57 and later that happens as soon as it is removed, and any running session ends. On firmware 0.9.58 and later, the status bar on this screen shows a red ring. A red X there means the server can’t be reached, which is a network problem. Pair it again: see Pair the controller with a machine.

A Wi-Fi join fails

• NETWORK REFUSED THE LOGIN: the password (or campus username) is wrong. Send corrected details from the app. On firmware before 0.9.60, turn the controller off and on first, because it ignores details sent after a failed attempt.
• NETWORK NOT FOUND: check the network name, and that the network broadcasts on 2.4 GHz. The controller doesn’t use 5 GHz.
• REGISTER THIS MAC WITH YOUR IT DEPARTMENT: the login worked but the network gave the controller no address. Give the MAC on screen to your network team.
• NEW PASSWORD? ADMIN MENU > WIFI SETUP: a controller that was already set up can’t rejoin its network. The screen also shows LAST REFUSAL - CODE and the network’s reason code. It keeps retrying with the saved details. If the network’s password has changed, run WIFI SETUP and set the controller up again: see Move it to a different network. On firmware 0.9.62 and later this line appears only when the network refused the controller’s details; for other failures, such as the access point being off, only LAST REFUSAL - CODE shows.
• A campus network refuses good details: try the outer identity your IT department uses (eduroam realms often need one). If it still fails, the network may need a device certificate (EAP-TLS) or a sign-in method other than PEAP or EAP-TTLS with MSCHAPv2. The controller doesn’t support those yet. Ask IT for a password-based or MAC-registered network.

To start completely clean, hold STOP for about five seconds on the setup screen.

An admin menu item is locked

Scan the LOCKED screen’s QR with the MakerOps app, using an account that can manage controllers. If the controller is offline, press GREEN and enter its admin PIN instead.

• NO PIN SET ON THE WEBSITE: set one under Controllers, the controller’s settings, Hardware, Admin menu lock.
• TOO MANY TRIES: five wrong PINs block PIN entry for 5 minutes. The app scan still works.
• Forgot the PIN: set a new one on the website. It takes effect once the controller confirms its settings, which needs the controller online.

See The admin menu.

A member’s scan won’t start the machine

The app says why. Most refusals are platform rules, such as a missing credential or someone else’s booking, not controller faults. The platform troubleshooting page lists every message and its fix.

On the controller itself:

• GREEN does nothing: the start window may have run out. Scan again and press GREEN promptly. If the screen says SECOND PERSON NEEDED, the second person has to scan first.
• TURN THE MACHINE SWITCH OFF keeps appearing: the machine’s own switch is on, or the trained no-load value is too low. Turn the switch off before pressing GREEN, retrain with TRAIN NO-LOAD, or turn the check off in the controller’s settings on the website (Safety tab, “Cut power if the machine’s switch was left on”).

The panel shows RELAY FAULT

Firmware 0.9.61 and later. The controller switched the machine off but could not confirm that its relay opened. Until it can confirm, it refuses to switch the machine on, so sessions don’t start, and a session in progress ends. It retries every second and clears the fault on its own once the relay reads back as open.

On firmware 0.9.62 and later the panel shows a red RELAY FAULT screen saying the machine may still have power and to stop it with its own e-stop or disconnect, then TELL STAFF NOW. On 0.9.61 only the status light stays red.

Until the fault clears, the machine may still have power. Stop it with the machine’s own emergency stop or disconnect, not the controller. Switching off the controller’s power also ends the fault.

MakerOps tells your workspace’s admins and owners (in the app, by email and by push, unless they’ve turned it off), marks the controller Relay fault on Facility › Controllers, and shows “This machine may still have power” on the machine’s page. Scans are refused while it lasts. When the controller confirms its relay is open, they get a “Relay fault cleared” notice.

If the fault doesn’t clear, contact support with the controller’s SERIAL NUMBER and FIRMWARE VERSION from the admin menu.

Offline unlock doesn’t work

App message	What to do
No valid passes cached…	The member hasn’t opened the app online in the last 24 hours. Passes can only be saved while online.
Your offline pass for this machine has expired.	Same as above: open the app once the internet is back.
The controller rejected the pass.	The pass is out of date, often because the controller was re-paired. Pull fresh passes when online.
This pass belongs to a different controller.	The member tapped the wrong controller.
The machine is busy or otherwise unavailable right now.	A session is running, the controller is in its admin menu or overheated, or the machine needs a second person (those can’t start offline).
This machine is disabled by staff.	An admin has turned the controller off.
This controller is back online — scan its QR code as usual.	The outage is over. Scan the QR.
A machine is listed by name with “no pass”.	The member doesn’t hold the credentials that machine needs. The app lists them, with the trainings that grant each one.
Nothing found.	Controllers only show up over Bluetooth while they’re offline. Move closer, and check Bluetooth is allowed for the app.

Firmware updates

Updates are pushed from the platform. You never install one by hand. To check now, unlock the admin menu and choose CHECK FOR UPDATES.

• During FIRMWARE UPDATE, leave the controller powered. It may show as offline on the website until it restarts.
• Updates wait while a session has the machine powered.
• If an update fails, the screen says FAILED and THE MACHINE IS UNCHANGED. The old firmware keeps running.

When you contact support

Note three things from the admin menu: the SERIAL NUMBER, the FIRMWARE VERSION, and what NETWORK STATUS shows. All three are available without an unlock.