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← Network Survey User Manual

Troubleshooting

The status word on the Survey tab, the NS Scout page and the More row tells you what is wrong, and the NS Scout page offers one button for the fix when there is one. This page goes through each problem.

Out of range, or Not connected

Section titled “Out of range, or Not connected”

The phone can’t reach the Scout. Before a survey the word is Not connected; during a survey it is Out of range.

  • Check that the Scout has power: its light blinks.
  • Keep it within a few meters of the phone.
  • If the Scout was used with another phone, hold its BOOT button for about 3 seconds.

During a survey, the Scout keeps listening for up to 5 minutes after it loses the phone and sends what it heard once it is back in range, so records from a short gap are not lost. The status reads Catching up while it sends them. After a longer gap, Wi-Fi from the time it was away is missing, and the rest of the survey is unaffected.

If the Scout runs from a battery and its last reading was 10% or less, the line reads “Battery may be empty”.

Bluetooth is off

Section titled “Bluetooth is off”

The phone needs Bluetooth to reach the Scout, even when the phone’s own Wi-Fi is off. Tap Turn on Bluetooth. During a survey, turning Bluetooth off also stops the Bluetooth record type, so the notice names both: “Bluetooth is off, so Wi-Fi from NS-5CFA, Wi-Fi clients, Raw frames and Bluetooth aren’t being recorded”.

Allow Nearby devices

Section titled “Allow Nearby devices”

On Android 12 and later the phone needs the Nearby devices permission to reach the Scout. Tap Allow. If Android doesn’t ask any more, allow it in Settings > Apps > Network Survey > Permissions. See Required permissions.

Can’t connect

Section titled “Can’t connect”

“NS-5CFA answers but won’t finish connecting. Unplug it for 5 seconds and plug it back in.”

The phone reaches the Scout, but three connections in a row failed before they were set up. The app keeps trying on its own, so once the Scout restarts it reconnects without anything else from you.

Pairing lost

Section titled “Pairing lost”

The Scout and the phone no longer agree on their pairing. This happens after the Scout’s software is reinstalled from a computer (installing erases the board, including its pairings), or after its pairings are erased with the BOOT button.

Forget the Scout in Android’s Bluetooth settings, then tap Pair again on the NS Scout page and follow the pairing steps. Android keeps its side of an old pairing until you remove it, and apps can’t remove it for you.

Pairing refused

Section titled “Pairing refused”

The Scout refused to pair, usually because it is paired with another phone and its pairing window is closed. Hold its BOOT button for about 3 seconds until its light blinks fast, then pair it again within 60 seconds. This replaces the other phone’s pairing.

Needs a firmware update

Section titled “Needs a firmware update”

The Scout runs older software than this app understands. It stays paired, but records nothing until it is updated. Tap Update firmware; it takes about a minute over Bluetooth. See Firmware updates.

Needs a newer app

Section titled “Needs a newer app”

The Scout runs newer software than this version of Network Survey understands: “Update Network Survey to use NS-5CFA.” Update the app.

Some data missed

Section titled “Some data missed”

Part of the capture didn’t reach the phone. Now > Data missed on the NS Scout page says what:

  • Records dropped on the Scout: the Scout’s buffer filled up before it could send everything, so it dropped the oldest records. That happens when it hears more than the Bluetooth link carries, for example in a busy place or while the phone is out of range for longer than the buffer lasts.
  • Raw frames dropped: raw frames over the Scout’s rate limit. Expected in a busy place while Raw frames is on.
  • Bluetooth packets lost: packets lost between the Scout and the phone. Keep the two closer together.

The Scout isn’t in the Add a Scout list

Section titled “The Scout isn’t in the Add a Scout list”

Use the Didn’t see your Scout? checklist in the sheet: the Scout software is installed, it has power (its light blinks), it is within a meter of the phone, and its name starts with NS-. If it was used with another phone, hold its BOOT button for about 3 seconds. On Android 11 and lower, finding Bluetooth devices also needs the location permission.

Wi-Fi shows no 6 GHz networks

Section titled “Wi-Fi shows no 6 GHz networks”

None of the chips the Scout runs on can tune to 6 GHz. Switch Wi-Fi comes from to This phone for a survey that needs 6 GHz.

The Wi-Fi source won’t switch

Section titled “The Wi-Fi source won’t switch”

The source is locked while a survey records: “A survey uses one Wi-Fi source from start to finish.” Stop the survey first. Pairing a Scout during a survey also leaves that survey on the phone’s Wi-Fi.

Section titled “Related”