Introduction

Welcome to the Author Clock Setup Help Page. We've compiled this comprehensive guide to assist you through the process of setting up your Author Clock. Whether you're encountering connectivity issues, setup portal problems, or any other hiccups during the setup of your Author Clock, this guide is here to help. Follow these step-by-step instructions to resolve common issues and ensure a smooth setup experience. Let's get your Author Clock up and running seamlessly.

Quick Fixes

Many issues can be resolved by these quick methods:

  1. For problems with setup, try doing the setup using a different device or a different browser.
  2. If the setup page is not opening, try going to "192.168.4.1" instead of "captive.apple.com".
  3. For intermittent responsiveness, make sure your device is charged.
  4. If device is charged and still failing to respond, try pressing the Reset button above the USB with a paperclip.
  5. To get the latest software fixes, you can manually update your device as explained in the next section.

Manual Updates

In the event that your device is unable to automatically update, we are working on a program where you can use a Mac or PC to update your device:

  • Author Updater for Windows (Coming Soon)
  • Author Updater for Mac (Coming Soon)

How to Use This Guide

For each issue, we'll follow a consistent format to make it easier to find and follow the solutions. This format will include:

  • Symptoms: A brief explanation of what you might experience when encountering this issue.
  • Causes: A quick overview of potential reasons for the issue.
  • Solutions: Step-by-step instructions to resolve the issue.

By standardizing the format, we aim to provide clear, easy-to-follow guidance that quickly addresses your setup challenges.

Device is unresponsive

Symptoms: Pressing and rotating has no effect, the screen does not change.

Causes: Device has low battery power

Solutions:

  1. Connect the Author Clock to any USB port using the provided USB-C Cable
  2. Allow at least 15 minutes for the device to charge and try again.
  3. If device is charged and still failing to respond, try pressing the Reset button above the USB with a paperclip.

Time Mismatches

Symptoms: The clock time is incorrect

Causes: Bugs related to older software

Solutions:

  1. Ensure your clock is at least version 1.0.9 by going to the Status screen in the settings
  2. If version 1.0.8 or below is loaded, update your clock using the manual updater above of by selecting "Software Update" in the settings.
  3. If you are using a time interval that is not 1-minute, switch to the 1 minute interval updates as we continue to work on this bug in the next update.

Unable to find the AUTHOR WiFi Network on my device

Symptoms: The clock requests you connect a device to AUTHOR WiFi, but the Author WiFi network is not visible on your device

Causes: Network visibility issues, distance from the clock, or it appearing under a different name.

Solutions:

  1. Move the clock and your device closer to each other.
  2. Refresh the WiFi list on your phone or device, or turn WiFi on and off on your device
  3. Look for the appearance of a network named “Hidden Network” as Author might be listed under this name for some devices.
  4. Attempt to connect using a different device if the problem persists.

Blank “Select Wi-Fi Network” Dropdown During Setup

Symptoms: The dropdown menu for selecting a Wi-Fi network is empty during setup.

Causes: Temporary loading issue in the setup interface.

Solutions:

  1. Refresh your browser window to reload the network list.
  2. Alternatively, try the setup from a different device.

Error Message “Unable to Join the Network AUTHOR-XYZ”

Symptoms: Receiving an error message when trying to connect to the AUTHOR network.

Causes: The network may be auto-connected to another device, especially when setting up multiple clocks.

Solutions:

  1. Ensure no other device has automatically connected to the clock.

Setup Portal Not Automatically Opening

Symptoms: After connecting to the clock, the setup portal does not open automatically.

Causes: Browser security settings preventing automatic page opening.

Solutions:

  1. Manually open your browser and go to “captive.apple.com” or "192.168.4.1"
  2. This action should start the setup process on any device and browser, including non-Apple products.

Setup Device loads a Blank Page or “Header Fields Too Long” message when connected to the AUTHOR WiFi

Symptoms: Seeing a blank page or an error message upon visiting “captive.apple.com”.

Causes: Your device may be simultaneously attempting to connect to the internet and the Author Clock.

Solutions:

  1. Temporarily disable cellular data on your device or use Airplane Mode with only WiFi turned on.
  2. As an alternative, try connecting with a different device.
  3. Instead of “captive.apple.com” try the webpage "192.168.4.1"

Setup Webpage Loading Incorrectly

Symptoms: The setup web page displays with strange formatting.

Causes: The issue can arise if the same device was previously used to set up another Author Clock.

Solutions:

  1. Refresh the webpage.
  2. Clear your browser's website data or “cookies”.
  3. Use a different browser or device to resolve formatting issues.
  4. Instead of “captive.apple.com” try the webpage "192.168.4.1"

Failure to Connect to WiFi

Symptoms: The Author Clock fails to connect to WiFi, leading to error pages.

Causes: Multiple potential causes.

Solutions:

  1. Move the Author Clock closer to your router.
  2. Retry connecting to WiFi, verify the password is correct.

Different Issue

If a solution to the issue you are encountering is not listed above, please use this Setup Help Form to let us know. We will reach out to you directly to follow up to ensure you get the most out of your clock. If there is any issue we cannot fix for you, we will gladly replace your device at no cost.