Getting Started

Device Setup Guide

Everything you need to unbox, connect, and activate your Water Buddi or Drip Defender. Both products follow the same setup steps — the process takes about 15 minutes.

Setup (also called provisioning) is the one-time process of connecting your device to your WiFi network and assigning it a PIN. Once complete, it links to your account and begins monitoring.

What's in the Box

Your package includes everything you need to get started.

Device
USB-C power supply
Docking station
Soil Moisture & Temperature Sensor — 3-prong probe with 4-wire cable
Cardboard installation template
Instruction sheet
Wall mount hardware — 4 wood screws with plastic anchors
Valve box top-mount hardware — 8 stainless steel machine screws, 4 threaded coupling spacers, and 4 rubber gaskets

Everything included in the box.

Connect Power

Turn the device over and locate the rubber cover on the bottom of the enclosure.
Lift the cover to reveal the USB-C charging port and a small pinhole reset button.
Insert the USB-C connector from the included power supply into the port.
Plug the power supply into a wall outlet.

The device will power on and the first LED in the status bar will illuminate red, indicating the internal battery is charging.

The pinhole next to the USB-C port is a reset button. Because the device has an internal battery and no power switch, inserting a pin and pressing it restarts the device. You only need this if the device becomes unresponsive.

The USB-C port and reset button are located under the rubber cover on the bottom.

Setup Mode

The LCD screen turns on and displays setup information. The screen has five rows:

Row 1: Telemetry Insights LLC

Row 2: WiFi Setup Mode

Row 3: AP: BuddiSetup

Row 4: PW: setup123

Row 5: IP: 192.168.4.1 | 180s

Row 5 counts down from 180 seconds — this is how long the device stays in setup mode. You must complete the next steps before the timer reaches zero, or the device will reboot and you'll need to start again from Step 2.

The LCD displays the setup hotspot name and password. You have 180 seconds.

Connect Your Phone to the Device

On your mobile phone:

Open WiFi settings.
Connect to the network named BuddiSetup.
When prompted for a password, enter setup123.

Your phone will automatically open the setup page in your browser. If it does not open automatically, open your browser, type 192.168.4.1 into the address bar, and tap Go.

Connect to the BuddiSetup hotspot using password setup123.

Enter Your WiFi Credentials and PIN

On the setup page that opens on your phone:

WiFi Network (SSID) — enter the name of your home or business WiFi network.
WiFi Password — enter your WiFi password.
Device PIN — enter a 6-digit numeric PIN. You can use the one pre-filled on the screen or choose your own. The PIN must be exactly 6 digits, numbers only.
Tap Connect.

The page will confirm “Credential saved” when the information has been accepted.

Write down your PIN. You will need it when adding the device to your account. The PIN must be exactly 6 digits and numbers only.

WiFi signal strength matters. If the signal is too weak, the device will retry up to 5 times (~1 min), then attempt a LoRa fallback (~1 min), and return to setup mode automatically. To get back sooner, press the reset button on the bottom of the device. Then move it closer to your router before repeating from Step 2.

Enter your WiFi credentials and choose a 6-digit PIN for your device.

Device Connects to Your Network

After saving credentials, watch the device LCD for connection progress. Row 1 always shows Telemetry Insights LLC. The remaining rows update as the device connects:

Testing WiFi…

Row 3: SSID: [your network]

Row 4: Attempt 1/5

WiFi connected

Row 2: WiFi Connected

Row 4: [IP address] | [signal]dBm

Syncing time & connecting to platform…

Row 4: Syncing cloud time

Row 4: Connecting manager

Online — setup complete

Row 4: Manager connected

Some screens may flash by very quickly depending on your network speed. You don't need to catch every screen — just watch for Manager connected to confirm the device is online.

The LCD updates as the device connects. Manager connected means you're online.

Setup Complete — Note Your Device Name

Once the device shows Manager connected, it switches to sensor cycling mode — live readings rotate on the LCD every 5 seconds:

Row 1: Telemetry Insights LLC

Row 2: WiFi Connected

Row 3: SSID: [your network]

Row 4: Buddi-XXXXXX WiFi

Row 5: [Sensor]: [value] — rotates

Write down the name on Row 4 (e.g., Buddi-A1B2C3). You will need your device name, PIN, and WiFi network name to link the device to your account.

Your device is now set up and connected to the Telemetry Insights platform. It is online but not yet linked to your account. The next step is adding it in the app using the device name and PIN.

Before you continue — have these ready:

Device name — shown on Row 4 (e.g., Buddi-A1B2C3)
Device PIN — the 6-digit PIN you entered in Step 4
WiFi network name — the network the device connected to

The device name (Row 4) is unique to your device. Write it down now.

Next step: open the Telemetry Insights app and go through the account setup wizard to link your device.

Troubleshooting

The setup page did not open automatically

Open your browser and navigate to 192.168.4.1.

The 180-second timer ran out

The device will reboot automatically. Wait for it to restart and re-enter setup mode, then repeat from Step 2.

WiFi connection failed after entering credentials

The device retries up to 5 times (~1 minute), then attempts a LoRa fallback (~1 minute), and returns to setup mode automatically — the full cycle takes approximately 1–2 minutes. To get back to setup mode sooner, press the reset button on the bottom of the device. Once back in setup mode, double-check your WiFi password and move the device closer to your router before trying again.

The device name is not visible on the LCD

The device name appears on Row 4 only after the device is fully connected. If you don't see it yet, wait for Row 4 to show Manager connected — the device then switches to sensor cycling mode where Row 4 permanently shows your device name (Buddi-XXXXXX WiFi).

Device set up? Next, link it to your account.

Open the app and follow the account setup wizard to add your device using the name and PIN from your LCD screen.

Open the App Customer Manual