Applies to: All SMA residential inverters with built-in WiFi, including the Sunny Boy 1.5/2.0/2.5, Sunny Boy AV-40/AV-41, Sunny Boy VL-40, Sunny Tripower AV-40, Sunny Tripower Smart Energy, and Sunny Boy Smart Energy models. The process is similar for the Sunny Tripower CORE2 commercial inverter.
Estimated time: 10–15 minutes.
You will need
- Your home WiFi network name (2.4GHz) and password
- A smartphone, tablet or laptop with a web browser
- Your inverter's serial number (printed on the supplementary type label, attached to the Connection Unit)
- Your inverter's WPA2-PSK password (printed on the same type label, this is the password for the inverter's own WiFi hotspot)
- Your Sunny Portal user account credentials
SMA’s reconnection process is more involved than most other brands because the inverter exposes a full web-based configuration interface rather than a single-purpose app flow. The good news: once you know the process, it is robust and well-documented. We recommend taking a photo of the inverter’s type label before starting, as you will need details from it.
Fair warning: this is the most complex reconnection procedure of any inverter brand we install. The steps below cover the new-generation Sunny Boy models with WebUI (the current generation). If you have an older Sunny WebBox or a model that uses the Sunny Explorer desktop software, contact PSW Life Support; that is a different process.
Three methods to reconnect
There are three ways to reconnect an SMA inverter, in order of preference:
- SMA 360° App with QR code: fastest if you have an iPhone or Android device and the inverter's type label is accessible.
- WPS (WiFi Protected Setup): quickest method if your home router supports WPS.
- WebUI via direct WiFi connection: the universal fallback that always works.
Method 1: SMA 360° app with QR code
1.1.
Install the SMA 360° app from the App Store or Google Play.
Sign in with your Sunny Portal account credentials.
Tap QR Code Scan in the app menu.
Scan the QR code on the inverter’s type label. The app should automatically connect your phone to the inverter’s local WebUI.
1.2.
The WebUI login page will open in your phone’s browser. Log in as Installer. If you do not have Installer credentials, log in as User and enter the password set during commissioning.
In the WebUI, navigate to Device Parameters > Device > System communication > WLAN.
Search for your home WiFi network, select it, enter the password, and tap Connect to WLAN.
Wait 30–60 seconds for the inverter to obtain an IP address from your router. The new IP address will be shown on the network configuration page.
Once reconnected, the inverter will automatically re-establish communication with Sunny Portal.
1.3.
Wait 30–60 seconds for the inverter to obtain an IP address from your router. The new IP address will be shown on the network configuration page.
Once reconnected, the inverter will automatically re-establish communication with Sunny Portal.
Method 2: WPS
If your home WiFi router has a WPS button (most do), this is the simplest method:
2.1.
At the inverter, tap twice on the enclosure lid of the Connection Unit (the access panel at the bottom of the inverter). The blue WPS LED will begin flashing quickly. WPS mode is now active for approximately 2 minutes.
Within those 2 minutes, press the WPS button on your home router. Consult your router’s documentation if you are not sure where the button is. On most Telstra Smart Modems, Optus routers, and NBN-supplied routers; it is labelled WPS.
2.2.
The inverter will automatically pair with your router.
The WiFi LED on the inverter will change state to indicate a successful connection.
If WPS does not complete within 2 minutes, the inverter returns to normal mode. You can repeat the tap-twice sequence to try again.
Note: Some modern routers (and newer Telstra Smart Modems) have WPS disabled by default as a security measure. If WPS does not work, use Method 1 or Method 3.
Method 3: WebUI via direct WiFi connection
This is the universal fallback. It requires connecting your phone, tablet or laptop directly to the inverter’s own WiFi hotspot, then configuring it through the built-in web interface.
3.1.
Get close to the inverter, within a metre or two.
On your device, open WiFi settings and look for the inverter’s network. It will be named SMA[serial number] (for example, SMA1234567890).
Connect to this network. When prompted for a password, enter the WPA2-PSK password printed on the inverter’s type label. Your device may warn that this network has no internet; that is correct and expected.
3.2.
Get close to the inverter, within a metre or two.
On your device, open WiFi settings and look for the inverter’s network. It will be named SMA[serial number] (for example, SMA1234567890).
Connect to this network. When prompted for a password, enter the WPA2-PSK password printed on the inverter’s type label. Your device may warn that this network has no internet; that is correct and expected.
3.3.
Open a web browser and navigate to https://smalogin.net (preferred) or, if that does not resolve, https://192.168.12.3.
Your browser will likely show a security warning because the inverter uses a self-signed certificate. This is expected; SMA confirms the WebUI is secure within the local network. Click Advanced and proceed to the site.
The WebUI login screen will appear. Log in as:
- User with the password set during installation, OR
- Installer if you have those credentials (commonly used by PSW during commissioning, contact us if you do not have User credentials).
3.4.
Once logged in, the Installation Assistant should appear. If not, open it from the menu icon in the top-right corner.
Navigate to the WLAN tab.
The WebUI will scan for available WiFi networks. Find your home network (the 2.4GHz version), click its settings icon, enter the password, and click Connect to WLAN
3.5.
The router will assign the inverter an IP address (assuming DHCP is enabled, which is the default on virtually all home routers). Note the new IP address shown; this is how the inverter will appear on your home network going forward.
Complete the Installation Assistant (click through to the Summary page) and click Continue. The inverter will apply the settings.
Reconnect your phone to your home WiFi. Within a few minutes, the inverter should reappear as online in Sunny Portal.
SMA inverter LED reference
SMA Sunny Boy inverters have a row of LEDs on the front cover. The one most relevant for WiFi is the Communication LED (typically the middle or rightmost indicator):
| LED state | Meaning |
|---|---|
Blue, solid | Connected to your home Wi-Fi and communicating with Sunny Portal. Normal operation. |
Blue, flashing slowly | Connected to Wi-Fi, but not yet sending data to Sunny Portal. Give it a few minutes. |
Blue, flashing rapidly | WPS mode is active — you have 2 minutes to press WPS on your router. |
Off | No Wi-Fi connection. Needs reconfiguration via one of the methods above. |
Red | Communication fault. Check the event log via WebUI, or contact PSW Life Support. |
The Run LED (green) should be steady or pulsing green during daylight operation. If it is off during the day, your system is not generating; that is a different issue from WiFi and should be reported to PSW Life Support.
If it does not work
I cannot find the inverter's WiFi network
The inverter’s WiFi hotspot is disabled by default on some newer models until activated. Tap twice on the enclosure lid of the Connection Unit to activate it. If still not visible, stand closer, the hotspot signal is intentionally short range.
The WPA2-PSK password on the label does not work
Check capitalisation carefully; it is case-sensitive and often contains a mix of upper- and lowercase letters. If it still fails, the installer may have changed it during commissioning. Contact PSW Life Support.
smalogin.net does not load
Try https://192.168.12.3 directly. If neither works, your device may not have fully connected to the inverter’s WiFi, disconnect and reconnect.
I get "Installer account locked for 15 minutes"
You have entered the installer password too many times. Wait 15 minutes without any further attempts before trying again. If you do not know the installer password, log in as User instead; you have enough privileges to reconfigure WiFi.
I changed routers and the inverter is completely offline with no way to connect
If the inverter is not on your WiFi network and its own hotspot is not active, use the Ethernet fallback: connect a laptop directly to the inverter’s Speedwire (Ethernet) port with a LAN cable.
Set your laptop’s IP to 169.254.12.1 (static, subnet 255.255.0.0), then browse to https://169.254.12.3. This always works. Contact PSW Life Support if you are uncomfortable with this. We can talk you through it or send a technician at cost.
WiFi compatibility: common issues in Perth
2.4GHz vs 5GHz bands
SMA inverters connect on 2.4GHz only. If your router broadcasts a combined 2.4/5GHz network under a single name, the inverter may fail to connect or drop out.
Fix: Split the bands in your router admin, or temporarily disable 5GHz during setup.
Sunny Portal server connectivity
After successful WiFi reconnection, the inverter still needs to reach Sunny Portal. This requires outbound access on standard web ports. Home networks virtually always allow this, but occasionally a business router or security suite blocks it.
Fix: If WiFi shows connected but data still does not appear in Sunny Portal after 30 minutes, test that your router allows outbound connections on ports 80 and 443.
When to contact PSW Life Support
Contact us if:
- You do not have your WPA2-PSK password or the type label is not accessible
- The Installer account is locked and you cannot log in as User
- WebUI will not load via either
smalogin.netor192.168.12.3 You need to use the Ethernet fallback and are not comfortable doing it yourself- The inverter is showing any red LED or fault indication
- Data does not return to Sunny Portal within 24 hours
Phone: (08) 6171 4111
Email: hello@pswenergy.com.au
Online: Lodge a support request at PSW Life Support
Have ready: your inverter model and serial number, a photo of the type label, a photo of the inverter’s LED indicators, and a note of what happened when you tried the steps above.
One reply to “SMA inverter WiFi reconnect guide”
John Cater
This only works if the SMA is actually transmitting. If it has stopped transmitting for any reason you will need to connect your laptop to the inverter by Ethernet cable and enquire IP address 169.254.12.3 via your browser and reset your Wi Fi.
But failing all this, as in my case, try turning the inverter off and then back on following correct shut down procedures, wait for green light to go off, and then reboot in reverse order.
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