WiFi Setup and Operation

Since the Flame Boss 500 has a display and keypad, you can control your cooker without having access to WiFi and smart devices. However, you will find that there is a significant amount of function available once you access your Flame Boss 500 via the web or a smart device. Hence you will want to use the Flame Boss App, or the web page access provided by www.myflameboss.com.

It is probably worth explaining before we set up the Flame Boss 500 that it has two WiFi modes:

Access Point Mode: In Access Point mode, the controller creates a small network and begins broadcasting its network ID over WiFi. Other devices can then see this network and connect to it. This is how your smart device will initially connect directly to the controller so that you can set it up. Your controller will be in Access Point mode when you get it, which is indicated on the "Wifi Status" screen that displays shortly after you power on your Flame Boss 500 (if you haven't completed setting up the WiFi yet):

Also notice that there is an "SSID" field displayed. This is the network name of your controller and you will need to know it shortly, so keep this in mind.

Station Mode: When in Station Mode, your controller is just like any other WiFi device (such as a printer or a laptop or a phone) in that it can see what networks are available and then join them to communicate with them. Once you set up your controller, it will switch from Access Point mode to Station mode, which is indicated on the WiFi Status screen, available by selecting the WiFi menu item on your controller. Your controller should remain in Station mode from then on. If you should ever need to set up your controller again, you can return it to Access Point mode by going into the WiFi menu item on the controller.

So let's set up a controller and get it talking to the Flame Boss servers.

1. First of all start up the Flame Boss App your phone. You will see the following screen. Either Login or create an account:	2. Once you are logged into your account you will see the following screen. Click on the Home icon. (If you just created your account and the Home icon is dimmed, logoff and log back in.)	3. When you get to the home screen, this will pop up. Click on Yes to add a controller.
4. Select the controller type you wish to set up. In this case, we selected Flame Boss 500.	5. Since we haven't set up WiFi on our controller yet, we selected Setup WiFi.	6. Next the App prompts you to ensure the controller is in Access Point mode. Click on Next:
7. Now it is time to bring up your device's Settings App and tell the device to join the Flame Boss network. Open the Settings App, leaving the Flame Boss App running.	8. In your Settings WiFi section, you will see a new network FB-xxxxx, where xxxxx is a four or five-digit number. Join that network:	9. Return to the Flame Boss App and you will see it trying to join the Flame Boss Access Point:
10. Eventually, the App should report that it has successfully joined the Flame Boss controller's network. Click on NEXT:	11. Now you need to tell the Flame Boss App the name of your network. Wait for the Flame Boss App to display a list of available networks:	12. Select your network from the list of networks:
13. Enter your network password and click on Done:	14. You should then see the following screen indicating that the Flame Boss 500 is connecting to the network and that the App is waiting for it to come online:	15. The following screen will appear once the Flame Boss 500 controller has connected. Click on OK and you are done!
16. You will be returned to the Home screen and your controller will now appear. Click on the controller in the list of Added Controllers:	17. You are now at the screen that will show your controller's status:

Notes on WiFi operation: Here is some further information on using the WiFi function of you Flame Boss 500 controller.

1. Once you reach step 15 above in the process for connecting your controller to the network and the Flame Boss servers, your controller will check to see if it needs a firmware update. If so, it will update itself and you will get a notification on your controller and a notification on your smart device letting you know that it is in progress or has completed.
2. Once your controller is set up, when you power it on, the controller will show the base screen that lists all the probes and their temperatures. Once the controller connects to the Flame Boss servers, you will hear a chirp and the display will show the online screen:
   

   Press any key to go back to the base screen.

WiFi Connect Modes

Flame Boss has added (since we reviewed the Flame Boss 300) the ability to connect your smart device to your controller via WiFi in the following three modes:

Cloud Connect: Your phone will connect to the Flame Boss server over the internet and you can view and manage any of your connected controllers. This mode has the most functionallity including cook history and cook notes. If both your phone and controller have internet access, use this mode.

When in Cloud Connect mode, your home screen will show "Added Controllers" and "Local Controllers." Since your smart device has access to your history data, both Added and Local controllers will show the last cook for each controller that you have connected to the Flame Boss cloud. Your cook screen will show the word "Public" at the top with a slider to allow you to turn this feature on or off.

Local Connect: Your phone will detect any controllers on your local WiFi network. You can then connect to your controllers to view and manage them. History and Account pages are disabled for this mode. If you have a router but no internet access, use this mode.

When in Local Connect Mode, your smart device does not have access to any history data so your home screen will show only "Local Controllers" and only controllers that are currently active on your local network. Your cook screen will show the word "Local" at the top. Note also, that your smart device must be connected to your local network, and not the cell data network, for it to connect to your controller in local mode.

Direct Connect: Your phone will connect directly to your controller so you can view and manage it. Using this mode requires the controller to be in Access Point mode. History and Account pages are disabled for this mode. If you don't have a router, use this mode.

When in Direct Connect mode, your Home screen will show "Connected Controller" and only the controller to which you are directly connected. Your Cook screen will have the word "Direct" at the top.

To switch from Cloud Connect mode to Direct Connect mode:

1. Go to the Home page in the App.
2. Tap the Direct Mode button on the MODE: bar.
3. When you get the popup window asking which device you want to connect to, select Flame Boss 500.
4. The App will tell you to ensure the controller is in Access Point mode.
5. On the Flame Boss 500 controller, press the NEXT button and then scroll down to the WiFi menu item. Press NEXT to display the WiFi Status screen. Press NEXT again to display the Wifi Mode screen. Now you can press either the up or down arrow to change from Station Mode to Access Point mode, then press Next to activate the mode. The controller will display "Starting" and change to Access Point mode.
6. Tap the Next button on the App.
7. Go to your smart device's settings page, and connect its WiFi to the Flame Boss controller's network, named "FB-xxxxx", where "xxxxx" is a five-digit number.
8. Return to the App which will then join the Flame Boss network. Once it shows that it has successfully joined the network, you will then be in Direct Connect mode. Your Home screen will show a "Connected Controller". When you select the controller, it will show "Direct" on the controller's status screen.

To switch back to Cloud Connect mode:

1. Go to the Home page in the App.
2. Tap the Cloud Mode button on the MODE: bar.
3. On the Flame Boss 500 controller, go through the same procedure of navigating to the Wifi Mode screen and change the mode from Access Point mode back to Station mode.
4. Wait for the Flame Boss 500 controller to verify that it has joined your network.
5. Go to the Home page in the App, select your controller, and it should now be online in Cloud Connect mode. (If your controller doesn't show up immediately on the Home screen, you may need to go to the Controllers screen and then back to the home screen.)