Voltello LinkPro Hardware Setup & Requirements Guide

This article provides the physical hardware setup instructions, network requirements, and commissioning prerequisites for the Voltello LinkPro Home Energy Management Gateway.

Whether you are a homeowner performing a self-install or an accredited solar and battery electrician commissioning on site, follow these instructions to ensure your gateway connects reliably to the Village Energy IoT cloud before initiating web onboarding.

1. What's in the Box?

Your Voltello LinkPro package contains:

Voltello LinkPro Gateway: The central IoT and Modbus communications hub.
RJ45 Ethernet Cable: Cat5e network cable to connect the LinkPro to your home internet router.
USB-C Power Cable & 5V Adapter: Power supply for the gateway.

2. Hardware Connections (Step-by-Step)

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Connect to Your Home Network via Ethernet

Plug one end of the included RJ45 Ethernet cable into the LAN / Ethernet port on the back of the LinkPro gateway.
Plug the other end into an active LAN port on your home internet router, modem, or network switch.
Note: A hardwired Ethernet connection is required for initial web-based onboarding to guarantee uninterrupted communication with local inverters and the IoT cloud.

Step 2: Connect Power via USB-C

Insert the USB-C connector into the power port on the LinkPro.
Plug the power adapter into a standard 230V/240V wall socket and switch the power on.

Step 3: Check the Status LEDs

Power LED (PWR): Should light up solid green or blue immediately upon connecting power.
Network LED (LAN / NET): Should illuminate and blink periodically as data packets are exchanged with your router.

3. The 10-Minute Waiting Period (Crucial for Automatic OTA Updates)

Important

Why You Must Wait At Least 10 Minutes Before Starting Software Onboarding:

Automatic Cloud Handshake: Immediately upon powering up with an active Ethernet cable, the LinkPro establishes an encrypted TLS/MQTT link to the Village Energy AWS IoT Core cloud.
Automatic Over-The-Air (OTA) Firmware Updates: The cloud checks the gateway's installed firmware version against the latest production release. If an update is available, the gateway automatically downloads the firmware package, verifies its cryptographic signature, flashes its non-volatile memory, and reboots.
Why Timing Matters:
- The OTA download and flash verification cycle requires approximately 5 to 8 minutes.
- If you initiate Modbus device discovery while an OTA update or flash rewrite is actively taking place, the gateway may interrupt the scan or experience a reboot panic (ESP-RST-PANIC).
- Waiting 10 minutes ensures that all background updates have finished, the gateway is running the latest software, and its Modbus registers are fully ready for smooth device discovery.

4. Identifying Gateway & Site Information

To complete your web onboarding session, you will need two key identifiers:

1. Voltello LinkPro Serial Number

Locate the product label on the side of the LinkPro gateway.
Look for the QR code and the text labelled S/N or Serial Number (e.g., 009800ABC123).
You will enter this serial number in the onboarding form to bind the gateway to your property.

2. National Metering Identifier (NMI)

The NMI is a unique 10- or 11-character identifier assigned to your property's electricity connection point in Australia (e.g., QB01234567 or 2001001234).
You can find your NMI on any recent electricity bill, usually located on the second page under "Meter Details", "Supply Details", or near your energy usage graph.

5. Next Steps: Launch Web Onboarding

Once your LinkPro has been powered on and connected via Ethernet for at least 10 minutes:

Homeowners / Self-Setup (Flow A): Open the Customer Guide: Web-Based Onboarding or launch the Web Onboarding Wizard (Customer Flow A) in your browser.
Electricians & Installers (Flow B): Follow the Installer Commissioning Guide or open the Web Onboarding Wizard (Installer Flow B) to complete onboarding with customer pre-authorisation.

6. Hardware Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Solution
Power LED does not illuminate	Power supply not connected or socket off	Check the wall switch and ensure the USB-C plug is firmly seated in the gateway.
Network LED is off or not blinking	Ethernet cable loose or router port inactive	Ensure the Ethernet cable clicks into both the LinkPro and the router. Try a different LAN port on your router.
Onboarding wizard reports "Gateway Offline"	10-minute boot window not completed or router blocking outbound ports	Ensure at least 10 minutes have passed. Verify your internet router allows standard outbound HTTPS (port 443) and secure MQTT (port 8883).
Device was power-cycled during OTA update	Firmware update interrupted	Leave the gateway connected to Ethernet and power. The device will automatically recover and re-attempt the update within 10 minutes.