Introduction

We designed Espresso Series 1 to connect to the Fellow - Coffee app smoothly, but that (frustratingly) might not always be the case based on numerous factors. There's no need to worry, though! The aim of this article is to give you the tools you need to resolve connection issues and get back to brewing!

Table of Contents

1. Ensure You Have the Correct App
2. 2.4GHz vs 5GHz WiFi
3. A Note About Captured Portals
4. Series 1 Won't Connect to the Fellow App Via BLE (Bluetooth)
5. Series 1 Won't Connect to the WiFi Router
   1. Initial Steps
   2. Next Steps
   3. Final Steps
6. Series 1 Continuously Displays "Offline"
7. Series 1 Continuously Displays "Connection Failed"

Ensure You Have the Correct App

Fellow has two apps that connect with our products: the EKG Updater app and the Fellow - Coffee app. If you're trying to connect your Series 1 to the same app that you use for your EKG Pro or Pro Studio kettle, you'll instead want to head to the App Store or Google Play Store and download the Fellow app. 

Download the Fellow app for iOS here

Download the Fellow app for Android here

2.4GHz vs 5GHz WiFi

It's important to note that the Espreso Series 1 can only be connected to a 2.4GHz WiFi network. Many WiFi routers have both and often cycle them automatically based on which one is best for your device at the time. If the troubleshooting steps above aren't working, it might be helpful to try splitting the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands into separate networks with different names.

A Note About Captured Portals

It's important to note that Series 1 does not support "Captured Portals", like hotels and businesses often use, which require consent on a login page. If you're trying to connect your Series 1 to one of these networks, it will be unsuccessful.

Series 1 Won't Connect to the Fellow App Via BLE

The Fellow App scans nearby devices using BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and filters for “Fellow Series 1”. If you don’t see it as an available device: 

• Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone
• Make sure “Connectivity” is enabled on the Series 1
• If there are many Bluetooth devices nearby, the scan process can take a long time and time out. Turn off nearby Bluetooth devices, or try at a time when fewer devices are crowding the signal space.

Series 1 Won't Connect to the WiFi Router

If you've downloaded the Fellow App and your Series 1 isn't able to connect successfully, try going through the list of troubleshooting steps below in order.

Initial Steps

• Move the Series 1 physically closer to the router if possible (you can move it back after it's connected)
• Make sure 2.4GHz mode is supported and enabled on your router (or split off the WiFi bands as discussed before)
• Try several more times

Next Steps

If your Series 1 is still unable to connect, continue on with the steps below:

• Turn off other devices that are connected to reduce congestion (they can be turned back on once the Series 1 is connected)
• Try connecting the Series 1 to a mobile hotspot instead of your internet
  • Important for iPhone: If using an iPhone, enable Maximum Compatibility mode in Settings > Cellular > Personal Hotspot
  • Important for both: If you're able to, set up the hotspot as "Open" or under "None" for security and choose 2.4 GHz instead of allowing it to choose for you.
• Rename the 2.4GHz WiFi name so that devices on that channel do not compete
• Make the WiFi "Open", with no password requirement
  • You can "hide" the wifi name to prevent others from connecting to it while there's no password, though you will have to enter its name manually. This should only be temporary during the initial connection.
• Factory reset the Series 1 (Settings > Misc > Factory reset) in case corrupted data is preventing the process from completing
  • Important: Factory resetting the Series 1 will wipe all of its profiles. If you've created any custom ones you'd like to keep, make sure to capture the settings somewhere before you reset it.
• Clear all cached data for the Fellow App, delete it from your phone, and reinstall it.

Final Steps

If nothing else has worked, it's worth noting that the following ports are necessary for operation. One or more may need to be opened on the router:

• UDP 67, 68 → DHCP (get IP, always already open unless hot-spotting or in some unusual security settings)
• UDP 53 → DNS (resolve hostnames)
• UDP 123 → NTP (time sync)
• TCP 443 → HTTPS (OTA, Cloud Server APIs)
• TCP 8883 → MQTT/TLS (Cloud Server APIs)
• TCP 80 → HTTP (connectivity test/ping, always enabled by default)

Series 1 Continuously Displays "Offline"

If your Series 1 is continuously showing a grey circle and an "Offline" message, try the following:

1. Open the app, tap on the Series 1, and then tap the settings "cog" icon in the top-right corner
2. Select "Device Information" and then "Delete Device" to remove the Series 1 from the app
3. Reconnect your Series 1 to the app by following the on-screen prompts

If that doesn't work, try the following:

1. Using the Series 1 dial, go to Settings > Setup > App Connectivity from the main menu
2. Choose the option that reads "Clear all access" (this will be lower on the menu and in dark red)
3. Remove the Series 1 from the app using the steps above if it's still present
4. Reconnect your Series 1 to the app by following the on-screen prompts

If your Series 1 still won't connect, please reach out to us by filling out a warranty claim here. 

For more information about Series 1's statuses, please refer to our dedicated help center article here. 

Series 1 Continuously Displays "Connection Failed"

If your Series 1 is continuously showing a red circle and the "Connection failed" message, try the following:

1. Share any profiles you'd like to keep with yourself
   1. Tap on a custom profile, tap the share button in the top right corner, and share it with your number or your email for safekeeping
   2. Profiles can be downloaded at any time using the link
2. Remove your Series 1 from the app if needed
   1. Tap the Series 1, tap the settings "cog" icon in the top right corner
   2. Tap "Device Information"
   3. Tap "Delete Device"
3. Delete the Fellow app from your device
4. Temporarily move your Series 1 closer to your wifi router if it's not in the same room
5. Factory reset your Series 1
   1. Go to Settings > Misc > Factory reset using the dial
6. Reset your wifi by unplugging your router for 10 seconds and plugging it back in
7. Redownload the Fellow app
8. Reconnect your Series 1 to the Fellow app

If you've gone through the process and are still unable to connect, please let us know here. Our Customer Experience team would be more than happy to help!

For more information about Series 1 statuses, please refer to our dedicated help center article here.