So I thought I'd document the problem I had setting up my new Amazon Echo Dot [July 2017].
On the face of it, the process looked pretty easy. I downloaded the Android app and followed the instructions.
Pressed the button on the Dot and got the orange glow. Then I connected to it from my phone over WiFi - the Echo reported I was connected - happy days - or so I thought. Next, I selected my router WiFi from the list, entered the password and then.... nada, nothing, didly squat. Just three dots moving on my phones screen before eventually timing out and the Echo changing to a nice shade of purple.
So I turned it all off and tried again, too the same result. Failure. Boo.
So then I thought I'd give setup a go via the web app on my Laptop, going to http://alexa.amazon.co.uk and followed a very similar process to that of the phone app.
I put the Echo Dot into setup mode with its orange glow. Connected to it via WiFi on my laptop - she told me I was connected and the web app moved to the next page automatically - so it must know something, right? So then I selected my router WiFi from the scanned list and typed in the password before clicking onwards. Again, a similar result to that of the phone app. Lots of waiting before timing out with the web app showing me, "Computer say no" and the Echo turning purple with her embarrassment.
I repeated the above a couple more times with no joy as frustration started to creep in... grrrrrhhhhh.
So I turned to the internet for some help but didn't really get anything specific that related to my problem. It was just as I was going to throw a tantrum that I read of someone saying that they had problems and it turned out they had their Echo TOO CLOSE to their router. Moving it away a few feet solved things for them and they were able to get set up.
Now I didn't have that problem as my Echo was a few metres away from the router but what it turns out I did have was my Echo Dot too close to my laptop and phone - all sat within a foot of each other. So in a last ditch bid to get my Echo setup I moved my phone to the next room and moved a few feet away with my laptop.
Turns out that did the trick. I went through the process again from the web app - which at first failed again so I repeated but selected to forget the failed learnt WiFi settings, re-typing the password and this time, BAM! The process bar moved across the screen smoothly, stopped for about 30s before completing and the Echo happily reporting that it had successfully completed the setup before a brief flash of blue and then the lights went out - which is totally normal when it's happy but not doing anything.
"Alexa, what's the time?" - "It's three twenty two" - RESULT! (Finally). I'm now the happy owner of a setup complete, connected Amazon Echo Dot.
In summary.
If you are having problems getting through the setup of your Echo Dot and can't get it connected/registered on your WiFi network then make sure it isn't placed too close to any other WiFi enabled equipment and, if in doubt, turn off any WiFi devices you don't need. Obviously you'll need at least one of a laptop or phone to run the setup but turn off everything else and make sure the Echo Dot is a few feet from the router and your laptop/phone.
I should say that once everything was setup I didn't have a problem with my laptop or phone being next to the Echo Dot. It worked flawlessly. So it only seemed to confuse the process during setup.
Well there you go, that's my lot with regard to setting up the Amazon Echo Dot....
On the face of it, the process looked pretty easy. I downloaded the Android app and followed the instructions.
Pressed the button on the Dot and got the orange glow. Then I connected to it from my phone over WiFi - the Echo reported I was connected - happy days - or so I thought. Next, I selected my router WiFi from the list, entered the password and then.... nada, nothing, didly squat. Just three dots moving on my phones screen before eventually timing out and the Echo changing to a nice shade of purple.
So I turned it all off and tried again, too the same result. Failure. Boo.
So then I thought I'd give setup a go via the web app on my Laptop, going to http://alexa.amazon.co.uk and followed a very similar process to that of the phone app.
I put the Echo Dot into setup mode with its orange glow. Connected to it via WiFi on my laptop - she told me I was connected and the web app moved to the next page automatically - so it must know something, right? So then I selected my router WiFi from the scanned list and typed in the password before clicking onwards. Again, a similar result to that of the phone app. Lots of waiting before timing out with the web app showing me, "Computer say no" and the Echo turning purple with her embarrassment.
I repeated the above a couple more times with no joy as frustration started to creep in... grrrrrhhhhh.
So I turned to the internet for some help but didn't really get anything specific that related to my problem. It was just as I was going to throw a tantrum that I read of someone saying that they had problems and it turned out they had their Echo TOO CLOSE to their router. Moving it away a few feet solved things for them and they were able to get set up.
Now I didn't have that problem as my Echo was a few metres away from the router but what it turns out I did have was my Echo Dot too close to my laptop and phone - all sat within a foot of each other. So in a last ditch bid to get my Echo setup I moved my phone to the next room and moved a few feet away with my laptop.
Turns out that did the trick. I went through the process again from the web app - which at first failed again so I repeated but selected to forget the failed learnt WiFi settings, re-typing the password and this time, BAM! The process bar moved across the screen smoothly, stopped for about 30s before completing and the Echo happily reporting that it had successfully completed the setup before a brief flash of blue and then the lights went out - which is totally normal when it's happy but not doing anything.
"Alexa, what's the time?" - "It's three twenty two" - RESULT! (Finally). I'm now the happy owner of a setup complete, connected Amazon Echo Dot.
In summary.
If you are having problems getting through the setup of your Echo Dot and can't get it connected/registered on your WiFi network then make sure it isn't placed too close to any other WiFi enabled equipment and, if in doubt, turn off any WiFi devices you don't need. Obviously you'll need at least one of a laptop or phone to run the setup but turn off everything else and make sure the Echo Dot is a few feet from the router and your laptop/phone.
I should say that once everything was setup I didn't have a problem with my laptop or phone being next to the Echo Dot. It worked flawlessly. So it only seemed to confuse the process during setup.
Well there you go, that's my lot with regard to setting up the Amazon Echo Dot....
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