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Overview

On-Device Setup starts only if the player has been factory reset, a storage device is present, and there is no autorun present. The only setup type that connects your player to BSN.cloud using On-Device Setup is the BSN (Content Cloud) option. By contrast, if you use BrightAuthor:connected, you can also connect your player to BSN.cloud with the Simple File Networking, Local File Networking, and Standalone setup types.

To perform Device Setup on a player, you will need the following equipment:

• A display with attached HDMI^® cable
• A blank microSD card
• A USB keyboard (and optional USB mouse) --or-- Ethernet cable connected to the local network. 

When On-Device Setup starts up, it checks for a network connection:

• If there is a network connection and a provisioning record is present, it runs provisioning. 
• If there is a network connection but no provisioning record, it displays the Activation screen. 
• If there is no network connection, your display will show the Setup Wizard which is described below. 

To perform Device Setup, follow these steps:

1. Connect the display to the player.
2. Insert the microSD card.
3. Attach the USB keyboard (and optional mouse) or ethernet cable.
4. Power on the player.
5. Wait a few moments. Then, follow the on-screen instructions.

Introduction Screen

When a non-configured player is powered on, the Introduction screen will display for 2 minutes: This will give you time to connect a USB keyboard (and optional USB mouse) to the player or access the player using a web browser. Accessing the player using one of these options will lock out the other option (i.e. you can't configure the player using both methods at the same time).

If the countdown timer reaches zero, the player will attempt automated provisioning over the network using B-Deploy or DHCP Option 43. Alternatively, if there are media files in the root directory of the microSD card, the player will begin automated, looping playback of the files when the countdown timer reaches zero.

• Stop Timer: Click this button to pause the countdown timer. It cannot be restarted.
• Next: Click this button to begin Device Setup.

Network Setup Screen

This screen allows you to choose the network setup for the player:

• Ethernet: Connects the player to a wired ethernet network. Choose this option if you plan to publish to the player using the BSN.cloud / BrightSign Network, Simple File Network, or Local File Network methods. You should also choose this option if you want to use remote assets (e.g. websites, MRSS feeds) in your presentations. 
• WiFi: Connects the player to a wireless network. You must have a WiFi/Bluetooth module installed on the player to use this option. Choose this option if you plan to publish to the player using the BSN.cloud / BrightSign Network, Simple File Network, or Local File Network methods. You should also choose this option if you want to use remote assets (e.g. websites, MRSS feeds) in your presentations. You can configure WiFi using a mouse and keyboard or Access Point Mode. If you use Access Point Mode, you should see the Access Point page after 60 seconds. Once configured, the player should re-run provisioning, and if no provisioning record is present, you should re-run On-Device Setup to allow connection to BrightSignNetwork.com or BSN.cloud.
• Use Current Device Settings: Configure the device without changing the network configuration. This will take you to a screen that will let you choose either BrightAuthor:connected (the default) or BrightAuthor. Use this option if you are connecting with a modem, or you previously configured Wifi using Access Point Mode.
• No Networking: Configures the player without networking. If you choose this configuration, the player will be set up as a Standalone device (i.e. you will publish content directly using an SD card or other storage device) and will not connect to BrightSignNetwork.com or BSN.cloud.
• Play Media Files: Plays media files, if they are present, from the on-board storage (e.g. microSD card, USB drive) without further configuration.

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Ethernet Settings

This screen allows you to configure your Ethernet connection. If the player is able to communicate with a DHCP server, it will automatically configure itself on the local network and list its IP parameters under Current Settings. 

If you wish to use the DHCP settings, you can click Use Current Settings without further configuration. If you wish to make changes to the automated configuration, or if the player is not able to contact a DHCP server, click Change Settings to configure the network settings manually.

Change Ethernet Settings

Use this screen to manually configure the network settings of the player:

• IP Address:  Select one of the following:
  • Obtain an IP address automatically: The player will configure itself on the local network using DHCP. 
  • Use the following IP address: The IP settings of the player are configured manually.
• Proxy: Check the Use proxy box to configure the player to communicate via a proxy server.
  
  • Address: Enter the address of the proxy. If you need to provide a user name and password for the proxy, use this format: <user name>:<password>@<proxy server address> (e.g. “admin:root@myproxy.com”).
  • Port: Enter the port number of the proxy.
• Time Server: Check the Set Time Server box to change the server that the player will use to synchronize its clock. The BrightSign Network time server is used by default. 
  • URL: Enter the URL for the time server in this field.

When you are finished configuring the network settings, click Next – Network Diagnostics; the player will then attempt to connect to the network using these settings.

Wireless Setup

This screen allows you to connect to a wireless network:

• SSID: Use the dropdown list to select a wireless network.
• Security Key: Enter the password for the wireless network.

If you need to manually configure the player on the network, click the Advanced button to specify the player IP address, proxy server, hostname, etc. Otherwise, click the Next – Network Diagnostics button to connect to the wireless network immediately.

Advanced Wireless Setup

Use this screen to manually configure the wireless-network settings of the player:

• IP Address: Select one of the following:
  • Obtain an IP address automatically: The player will configure itself on the wireless network using DHCP. 
  • Use the following IP address: The IP settings of the player are configured manually.
• Proxy: Check the Use proxy box to configure the player to communicate via a proxy server.
  
  • Address: Enter the address of the proxy. If you need to provide a user name and password for the proxy, use this format: <user name>:<password>@<proxy server address> (e.g. “admin:root@myproxy.com”).
  • Port: Enter the port number of the proxy.
• Time Server: Check the Set Time Server box to change the server that the player will use to synchronize its clock. The BrightSign Network time server is used by default. 
  • URL: Enter the URL for the time server in this field.

When you are finished configuring the wireless network settings, click Next – Network Diagnostics; the player will then attempt to connect to the wireless network using these settings.

Network Diagnostics

On this screen, the player will first test its connection to the wired/wireless network. If this test is successful, it will then attempt to connect to the Internet.

These tests can succeed, fail, or succeed partially with errors: Check the Show Details boxes to see more information about the tests results.

Publishing Options

Use this screen to select the publishing option for your player:

• BSN.cloud / BrightSign Network: Use the BSN.cloud or BrightSign Network content-management system (CMS) to remotely schedule presentations, distribute content, assign players to groups, and monitor the health of players. 
• Local File Networking: Publish presentations and schedules to players over your local network. 
• Simple File Networking: Publish presentations and schedules remotely using your own web server. Enter a URL for the SFN server, after which the player will reboot and run recovery to download a presentation (if one was published)
• Standalone: Publish presentations directly to your player using an SD card or USB drive. Use this method if your player doesn’t have a network connection or if you don't plan to update the presentation frequently. 

BSN.cloud / BrightSign Network

Sign-In

Use this screen to sign in to the BSN.cloud or BrightSign Network:

• Account: Enter the name of your BrightSign Network account.
• User name: Enter your account user name (i.e. your Email address).
• Password: Enter your account password.

Device Info

Use this screen to provide information about the device:

• Device Name: Enter a name for the player.
• Customization: Select Append device serial to append the serial number of the player to the end of the player name. Select Use name only to not append anything to the player name.
• Device Description (optional): Enter a description for the player. A description can help you remember the purpose or location of the player when publishing to it later.
• Time Zone: Select the time zone where the player is located.

• Firmware: Select a firmware update option:

  • Production Firmware: The current release version of firmware. This may be the same version as the current firmware on the player.

  • Current Firmware: The firmware version currently on the player (i.e. no firmware update)
  • Beta Firmware: The current beta version of firmware

  Note
  title Note
  If you choose to update the firmware, the player will download the selected firmware version and apply it after completing the Device Setup process—this can take several minutes.

  
  

• Group: Assign the player to a BrightSign Network group.

Select Finish to complete BrightSign Network setup, or the Advanced button to configure additional networking options for the player.

Network & Server

Use this screen to configure BSN and local server settings:

• Network: Configure the following settings:
  • Check content frequency: Specify how often the player should communicate with the BSN servers to determine if there is new scheduled content to download.
  • Update health frequency: Specify how often the player should send health status updates to the BSN servers.
  • Specify Host Name: Check this box to specify a hostname for the player.
• Diagnostic Web Server: Check this box to enable the Diagnostic Web Server on the player. This will allow you to perform various system functions—such as rebooting the player, changing display settings, and retrieving log files—by accessing the player IP address from a web browser. You can include a Password if desired, while the username defaults to “admin”.
• Local Web Server: Check this box to enable the Local Web Server on the player. This allows you to modify User Variables using a web browser or the BrightSign App. You may include a Username and Password in the text fields for added security.

Click the Next button to configure logging and Remote Snapshot settings, or click the Finish button to complete BrightSign Network setup.

Logging & Remote Snapshot

Use this screen to configure logging and Remote Snapshot settings:

• Logging: Use the check boxes to enable/disable logs. You can view logs in the Current Usage tab of the BSN WebUI or in the currentLog folder on the player storage.
  • Playback: Records playback start and end times, zone names, media types, and file names.
  • State: Records timestamps, state names, zone names, event types, and event data.
  • Event: Records current and last state names, timestamps, and media types.
  • Diagnostic: Records timestamps, firmware and script versions, and the current presentation.
  • Uploads logs: Specify log upload settings:
    • On Startup: Check this box to have the player upload its logs to the BSN servers each time it boots up.
    • At specific time each day: Check this box to have the player upload its logs daily at the specified time.
• Remote Snapshot: Check the Enable Remote Snapshot box to enable the Remote Snapshot feature, which allows you to remotely monitor the contents of the presentation display.
  • Capture Interval (minutes): Specify how often the player should take a snapshot of the presentation display. The allowed range is from 1 minute to 24 hours (1440 minutes).
  • JPEG Quality Level (1 - 100): Specify the quality level (and thus the file size) of each image file.
  • Number of Snapshots to Keep on Local Storage: Specify how many JPEG snapshot images can be stored on the local storage of the player. The allowed range is between 1 and 500.
  • Display snapshots in portrait mode: Check this box to have the player rotate snapshots to portrait mode before saving and uploading them.

Click the Finish button to complete BrightSign Network setup.

Local File Networking

Device Info

Use this screen to enter information about the device:

• Device Name: Enter a name for the player.
• Customization: Select Append device serial to append the serial number of the player to the end of the player name. Select Use name only to not append anything to the player name.
• Device Description:(Optional) Enter a description for the player. A description can help you remember the purpose or location of the player when publishing to it later.
• Time Zone: Select the time zone where the player is located.

• Firmware: Select a firmware update option:

  • Production Firmware: The current release version of firmware. This may be the same version as the current firmware on the player.

  • Current Firmware: The firmware version currently on the player (i.e. no firmware update)
  • Beta Firmware: The current beta version of firmware

  Note
  title Note
  If you choose to update the firmware, the player will download the selected firmware version and apply it after completing the Device Setup process—this can take several minutes.

  
  

Click the Finish button to complete the setup process, or click the Advanced button to configure additional networking options for the player.

Network & Server

Use this screen to configure network and local server settings:

• Network: Check the Specify Host Name box to specify a hostname for the player.
• Diagnostic Web Server: Check this box to enable the Diagnostic Web Server on the player. This will allow you to perform various system functions—such as rebooting the player, changing display settings, and retrieving log files—by accessing the player IP address from a web browser. You can include a Password if desired, while the username defaults to “admin”.
• Local Web Server: Check this box to enable the Local Web Server on the player. This allows you to modify User Variables using a web browser or the BrightSign App. You may include a Username and Password in the text fields for added security.

Click the Next button to configure logging and Remote Snapshot settings, or click the Finish button to complete the setup process.

Logging & Remote Snapshot

Use this screen to configure logging and Remote Snapshot settings:

• Logging: Use the check boxes to enable/disable logs. You can retrieve the logs from the currentLog folder on the device storage.
  • Playback: Records playback start and end times, zone names, media types, and file names.
  • State: Records timestamps, state names, zone names, event types, and event data.
  • Event: Records current and last state names, timestamps, and media types.
  • Diagnostic: Records timestamps, firmware and script versions, and the current presentation.
• Remote Snapshot: Check the Enable Remote Snapshot box to enable the Remote Snapshot feature, which allows you to remotely monitor the contents of the presentation display.
  • Capture Interval (minutes): Specify how often the player should take a snapshot of the presentation display.
  • JPEG Quality Level (1 - 100): Specify the quality level (and thus the file size) of each image file.
  • Number of Snapshots to Keep on Local Storage: Specify how many JPEG snapshot images can be stored on the local storage of the player.
  • Display snapshots in portrait mode: Check this box to have the player rotate snapshots to portrait mode before saving and uploading them.

Click the Finish button to complete the setup process.

Simple File Networking

Device Info

Use this screen to enter information about the device:

• Device Name: Enter a name for the player.
• Customization: Select Append device serial to append the serial number of the player to the end of the player name. Select Use name only to not append anything to the player name.
• Device Description:(Optional) Enter a description for the player.
• Time Zone: Select the time zone where the player is located.

• Firmware: Select a firmware update option:

  • Production Firmware: The current release version of firmware. This may be the same version as the current firmware on the player.

  • Current Firmware: The firmware version currently on the player (i.e. no firmware update)

  • Beta Firmware: The current beta version of firmware

    Note
    title Note
    If you choose to update the firmware, the player will download the selected firmware version and apply it after completing the Device Setup process—this can take several minutes.

    
    

• URL for web folder: Specify the network/Internet location from which the device will download content updates. Do not use trailing slashes in your URL; some web servers do not support trailing slashes.

Click the Finish button to complete the setup process, or click the Advanced button to configure additional networking options for the player.

Network & Server