Wi-Fi support on Neat devices

Last updated January 13, 2021

All Neat devices support Wi-Fi, and are compatible with both 2.4 and 5 GHz networks. Users can choose the Wi-Fi option during the setup process.

Note, if a Neat device has wired Ethernet connection to it, it will always use Ethernet. In order to force a Neat device to use Wi-Fi, there should be no wired/Ethernet connection cable physically connected.

NEAT BAR and NEAT PAD 

Wi-Fi for Neat Pad

To connect the Neat Pad over WiFi, please use the PoE injector and an Ethernet cable to provide power to the Pad. You can then select the ‘Connect using Wi-Fi’ option and enter Wi-Fi details to connect to the preferred network.

The purpose of the Ethernet cable here is to only provide power from the PoE injector to the Pad; as long as the network socket of the PoE injector is not connected to the wired network, there will be no LAN connection. This is why the Pad status always reports: ‘Connected to Ethernet’ even if there is no wired LAN connection available.

Wi-Fi for Neat Bar

For the Neat Bar, the Wi-Fi setup is done through the Neat Pad during the initial setup and pairing process. The Bar and Pad use a technology called “WiFi direct” to establish connectivity before the Bar joins the Wi-Fi network. Once the Pad chooses the Bar to pair with, it transfers the Wi-Fi details (SSID, password, etc) over the WiFi direct connection. The Neat Bar then connects to the same Wi-Fi network as Neat Pad (as long as no Ethernet cable is connected) and releases the Wi-Fi direction connection to the Pad.

For a step-by-step guide on how to connect a Neat Bar and Neat Pad to a Wi-Fi network, please see the article How to connect Neat Bar and Neat Pad over Wi-Fi.

NEAT Board

Wi-Fi for Neat Board

To connect Neat Board to Wi-Fi, leave the Ethernet cable unplugged so it is not connected to any wired network. You can use the ‘Connect using Wi-Fi’ option during the setup process to connect to Wi-Fi network.

Unlike the Neat Bar, the Neat Board does not require a Neat Pad to go through its installation process; all the installation steps are done directly on the Neat Board. Neat Pad can be used as a ‘Zoom controller’ or ‘Microsoft Teams console’ for the Neat Board (but will not be paired at a Neat-level). This means, if you want to add a Neat Pad to use with Neat Board, choose the ‘Add a controller’ option instead. 

Important note: At the time of writing Microsoft Teams pairing between Neat Pad and Neat Board is not currently supported. This feature will become available in the near future. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

Wi-Fi networks can be more susceptible to varying signal strengths and disruptions and therefore impact real-time audio/video data. For high quality, reliable video conferencing experience, we strongly recommend using wired networks over wireless networks, wherever possible.