# Quick Start: BirdNET‑Pi Setup Wizard

Welcome!
This guide helps you configure your BirdNET‑Pi in a few minutes. It works on phones, tablets, and computers.

## What you need

- Your BirdNET‑Pi powered on
- Your home/school Wi‑Fi name and password
- A phone, tablet, or computer with a web browser

## 1) Connect & open the wizard

1. Power on the BirdNET‑Pi and wait ~60 seconds.
2. Join the temporary Wi‑Fi network broadcast by the device.
   Default name: BIRDNET-PI-SETUP (or similar).
3. Open your browser and go to `http://10.42.0.1:1234`.
4. You should see the blue setup screen. Click Start setup.

## 2) Configure in four steps

### Step 1 – Wi‑Fi details

- Enter your Wi‑Fi name (SSID) and password (case‑sensitive).
- Leave IP mode on DHCP unless you know you need a static IP.
- Click Next.

### Step 2 – Device & location

- Pick a short hostname suffix (e.g. `01` or `Garden`). Final hostname becomes `BIRDNET-PI-<suffix>`.
- Set your location by searching an address or dropping the map pin.
- Click Next.

### Step 3 – Optional extras

- BirdWeather code if you want to share detections online.
- Web UI password to protect the interface (recommended).
- Optional RTSP camera/mic URL and Flickr API key for photos.
- Click Next.

### Step 4 – Confirm & finish

- Review the summary. Click Finish to apply settings.
- Wait while the device reboots (about 30–60 seconds).

## After setup

- The device reboots and joins your Wi‑Fi (or Ethernet) network.
- Open the BirdNET‑Pi web page via its IP/URL to view detections.
- You should now see live bird detections. 🎉

## Troubleshooting

Problem | Try this
--- | ---
Setup page doesn’t load | Connect to the BIRDNET-PI-SETUP network and open `http://10.42.0.1:1234`. If you changed networks, re‑join the setup Wi‑Fi.
Cannot join home Wi‑Fi | Double‑check SSID/password (case‑sensitive). Move the device closer to your router.
No detections / no audio | Check microphone/camera cabling and power. Verify input settings in BirdNET‑Pi.
Forgot the Web UI password | Reconnect to the setup AP and run the wizard again to set a new one.

## Need help?

See the project on GitHub: Nachtzuster/BirdNET‑Pi. For issues with this setup wizard, open an issue in your fork’s repository.

© 2025 – Community edition guide • Last updated {{ "2025‑08‑09" }}