Tendril Troubleshooting Guide - NStar

Tendril Troubleshooting Guide 

This guide explains how to resolve common issues when you set up and register Tendril devices. 

How Do I Change My Password 

In the Vantage web portal, go to the User Profile tab. Click the Change Password button below your 

name and address, and enter the new password you would like to use. Write down the password in a 

secure location. 

If you forget your password and cannot log in, please call the Customer Support phone number 

provided by your utility in the Welcome letter or email. Thank you. 

How Do I Resolve a “Gateway ID Not Found” Message 

Tendril Transport is a communications device included 

with your Home Area Network (HAN) equipment. Transport 

sends and receives energy-related information, to and 

from your electric utility, over a secure Internet connection. 

During the registration process in the Vantage web portal, 

you may receive a “Gateway ID Not Found” message, 

which refers to the Transport device. 

If you encounter this message, see the troubleshooting 

tips in the following list. 

• Make sure the Gateway ID you entered into the Vantage web portal matches the Gateway ID 

listed on the back of the Transport. 

• Check whether the top and bottom lights on the front of the Transport are solid green. If the 

top LED is GREEN, the middle LED is blinking GREEN continuously (every ½ second), and the 

bottom LED is OFF, the device is still checking for a firmware update from our servers, and 

the device cannot be registered. Wait at least 15 minutes from the time you power-on the 

device for the top and bottom lights to turn solid green. If your Transport lights never turn 

green, contact Support. 

Copyright © 2011 Tendril 1

Tendril Troubleshooting Guide 

• Check whether the Transport is plugged in, and connected to your router with an Ethernet 

cable. Press the cable’s end firmly into the port in the Transport, and do the same with the 

end in the router. If you hear or feel a click, try the registration process again. 

• Check your Internet connection on your computer. Are you able to access other websites If 

not, power-cycle your router by unplugging the power cable and plugging it back in. Wait 

several minutes, then try and access the page. Try logging out and refreshing your browser 

before attempting to register again. 

• Check the Ethernet port on the back of the Transport. You should see a green light and a 

flashing amber light. If you do not see those lights, check your router. Make sure it is plugged 

in and connected to your modem. If you have an Internet connection, you should see the 

green and amber lights on your router. If you do not see any lights, unplug the power cable 

from your Transport, and power-cycle your router by unplugging the power cable and plugging 

it back in. Wait several seconds, then plug the Transport back in. Check your Internet 

connection on your computer. If you still cannot access any websites, call your Internet 

service provider. 

What do the Colored Lights on the Transport Indicate 

The Tendril Transport device 

contains three lights that provide 

status information regarding the 

communication of the Transport 

with the Internet, with the remote 

Tendril Platform servers, and with 

other Tendril devices in your 

Home Area Network (HAN). 

The following tables explain the 

LED light functionality and helps 

with troubleshooting your 

Transport device. For ease of 

explanation, each LED light is 

labeled with a letter on the 

graphic -- A, B, or C. However, the 

actual lights on the device are not 

labeled. 

Transport Behavior Per LED 

On your Transport device, each LED operates independently. The tables in this section explain the 

meaning of the lights for each LED. Subsequent sections describe the LED lights that you'll see 

during setup and use of the device, and the number of blinks displayed (per LED) if errors occur. 

© 2011 Tendril 2


LED A (Top) — Power and Internet Connectivity 

LED A in the top position is used to report the status or "state" of the Transport's Internet connectivity. 

LED A 

OFF 

Blinking GREEN 

Solid Green 

Blinking AMBER 

State 

No power to the Transport. 

Startup in progress but not yet complete. 

Initial boot sequence (first 10 seconds of power up). 

Internet ready for use (normal operation state). 

Error connecting to Internet. See the section “Blink Sequence 

Per LED during Error Conditions,” which appears later in this 

topic. 

LED B (Middle) — Tendril Platform Connectivity 

LED B in the middle position is used to report the status or "state" of the device's Tendril Platform 

(remote server) connectivity. 

LED B 

OFF 

Continuous GREEN Blinking (1 

blink per ½ second) 

Slowly Blinking GREEN (1 blink 

per 3 seconds) 


Solid RED 

State 

Transport is attempting to communicate with Tendril Platform 

(remote servers). 

Transport Firmware update in progress – do not interrupt. 

Transport is connected to Tendril Platform (normal operating 

state). 

Transport cannot connect to Tendril Platform. See the section 

“Blink Sequence Per LED during Error Conditions,” which 

appears later in this topic. 

Fatal error — please call the Support team. For the Support 

number, see the email or letter from your utility. 



LED C (Bottom) — Radio & HAN Status 

LED C in the bottom position is used to report the status or "state" of the device's interactions with 

other wireless devices in your Home Area Network (HAN). 

LED C 

OFF 

Blinking GREEN 

Solid GREEN 


State 

Transport radio has not started. 

Transport is attempting to find the correct ZigBee Home Area 

Network (HAN), or form a HAN. 

Transport has connected to the ZigBee HAN (normal 

operating state). 

Transport was instructed to leave the ZigBee HAN. See the 

section “Blink Sequence Per LED during Error Conditions,” 

which appears later in this topic. 

Summary of the Transport States 

The table in this section describes the Transport's LEDs in the context of various conditions or 

"states." 

State 

Top 

Middle 

Bottom 

LED A 

LED B 

LED C 

Transport's initial power-on and 

"bootup" (first 10 seconds). 

Solid GREEN OFF OFF 

Transport is connecting to the 

Internet. 

Blinking 

GREEN 

OFF 

OFF 

Transport is receiving a Firmware 

update. 

Do not interrupt — meaning, do 

not power-off the Transport 

during this process) 

Solid GREEN 

Continuously 

Blinking Green 

(every ½ 

second). 

OFF 



State 

Top 

Middle 

Bottom 

LED A 

LED B 

LED C 

Transport is searching for the 

electric meter. 

Blinking 

GREEN 

Transport is "Ready for 

Registration" in the Tendril 

Vantage portal. 

Solid GREEN 

OFF or a 

GREEN blink 

every 3 

seconds. 

Solid GREEN 

Transport is registered and 

operating normally. 

Solid GREEN 

A GREEN blink 

every 3 

seconds. 

Solid GREEN 

Transport is currently 

experiencing an Internet 

connection problem. [1] 

Blinking 

AMBER 

Blinking 

AMBER 

This LED could 

be in one of 

several states 

during an 

Internet 

connection 

problem. 

However if the 

top and middle 

LEDs are 

blinking 

AMBER, the 

likely problem 

is with your 

Internet 

connection. 

Transport currently cannot 

connect to the remote Tendril 

Platform computer servers. [1] 

Blinking 

AMBER 



State 

Top 

Middle 

Bottom 

LED A 

LED B 

LED C 

Transport is instructed to leave 

the Home Area Network. 

Blinking 

AMBER 

[1] Possible remedies: check that the Ethernet cable is plugged into the back of your Transport, and 

the other end is connected to your (powered-on) Internet router or modem. Check that from your 

computer you can connect to the Internet and successfully get to a website. 

Blink Sequence Per LED during Error Conditions 

The following table explains the meaning of the AMBER color blink sequences that may occur when 

an error has occurred. This information is helpful if you need to contact our Support team. For the 

Support phone number, please refer to the email or letter from your utility. 

If your Transport is not functioning properly, first check the following: 

1. Check that the Ethernet cable is plugged into the back of your Transport, and the other end is 

connected to your (powered-on) Internet router or modem. 

2. Check that from your computer you can connect to the Internet and successfully get to a website. 

3. If you cannot reach a website, please contact your Internet provider for assistance diagnosing 

the connection problem. 

If those steps do not solve the problem, contact our Support team. For the Support phone number, 

please refer to the email or letter from your utility. The Support specialist may ask you about the 

number of blinks occurring on the Transport's LED lights — please see the next three tables. 

LED A (Top) Blink Sequences 

LED A in the top position is used to report the status or "state" of the Transport's Internet 

connectivity. 

Number of AMBER Blinks 

Error Condition 

1 blink before pause No Ethernet link detected. 

2 blinks before pause No Internet connectivity or the Transport cannot 

acquire a DHCP address. 

3 blinks before pause DNS is not working properly. 



LED B (Middle) Blink Sequences 

LED B in the middle position is used to report the status or "state" of the device's Tendril Platform 

(remote server) connectivity. 



1 blink before pause Unable to connect to Tendril Platform. 

LED C (Bottom) Blink Sequences 

LED C in the bottom position is used to report the status or "state" of the device's interactions with 

other wireless devices in your Home Area Network (HAN). 



1 blink before pause Transport was instructed to leave the HAN. 

If your Transport was instructed to leave the HAN, as indicated by this AMBER blink on LED C, try 

these steps: 

1. Unplug the power cords to your Tendril devices, and plug them back in (following the power-up 

sequence listed earlier in this topic, or on the Getting Started Guide poster). 

2. Then if your HAN includes a Transport and a Translate, register the devices again in Vantage 

portal. 

3. Or, if your HAN does not include a Translate, contact Support and request that the utility "reprovision" 

the devices for you. For the Support phone number, please refer to the email or letter 

from your utility. 

NOTE: LED C does not turn amber if the connection to the meter was impaired or lost (such as a 

power loss to the meter). The amber LED C means that the Transport received an instruction to leave 

the Home Area Network. 

What do the Colored Lights on the Translate Indicate 

The Tendril Translate device contains a collection of four lights that provide status information 

regarding the communication of the Translate with the Meter and your Home Area Network (HAN). At 

initial startup, each light/LED cycles its color for 1 second. When the Translate has two solid green 

lights, the HAN (ZigBee) network is formed and the Meter signal is being read. 



The letters shown in the diagram are for your reference when you read the following table. The letters 

do not appear on the device itself. 

LED Light State Indication 

A Solid Red Signal from Meter lost (for 1 hour) 

A Blinking Red No signal found from the Meter (Blinks for 1 hour) 

B Blinking Green Receiving signal from the Meter 

C Solid Red Unrecoverable error 

D Blinking Green Blinking until registered state (Meter ID received) 

D Solid Green HAN Network formed and registered 

C & D 

Alternate Blinking Green 

and Red 

An Over the Air (OTA) update is in progress. 

What if My Translate Has a Red Flashing Light 

The physical location of the Translate device in your home can affect its ability to receive a signal 

from the meter. To avoid this issue, follow these tips: 

• Place the Translate in the same room, preferably on the same wall, as the meter. However, 

do not put the Translate directly behind the meter, or within three feet of the meter. Here’s 

why: the meter box blocks the signal directly behind the box, so placing the Translate too 

close will not allow it to pick up the signal. 

• Allow several hours (2-8 hours) for the Translate to pick up the first signal from the meter. 



• A red light on the Translate may begin to flash, which means it has not received a signal from 

the meter in an hour. This does not necessarily mean the location is bad. It simply means 

that the Translate has not begun to receive meter reads yet, but it might in another hour or 

so. Best practice: leave the Translate up overnight. If it is still flashing red the next day, try 

another location. 

• The online portal needs several reads from the meter, via the Translate, before it can begin 

showing data and graphs. Leaving it up overnight sets good expectations: the Translate will 

usually receive meter reads overnight, and the reads should then appear in the portal. 

How do I Adjust the Screen Contrast on the Insight 

The Tendril Insight device is an in-home display that lets you determine quickly your current 

household consumption and estimated monthly bill. The Insight is pictured here: 

When you initially turn on your Insight in-home display and prepare to register and join it to your 

Home Area Network (HAN), the contrast setting may be too light or dark, making it difficult to read 

the text on the screen. If your screen appears hard to read, use the following steps to adjust the 

screen contrast. 

• Press the bottom left button repeatedly to lighten your display. 

• Press the bottom right hand button repeatedly to darken your display. 

This technique only works prior to registration upon initial plug in, and your contrast settings are not 

saved. You can easily adjust and save contrast settings after registration by using the Insight menu 

options. (Menu: Settings: Contrast) 

How Do I Know If My Insight Joined the Right Network 

When a Tendril Insight device joins a Home Area Network (HAN), it automatically joins a unique 

channel number. In some cases, your Insight may join another HAN that is nearby. As a result, you 

cannot register your Insight on your HAN. 

To verify that your Insight joined your HAN, compare: 

• The EPAN ID that is printed on the back of your Translate device. 



• The EPAN ID that is shown on your Insight in-home display. 

If the EPAN IDs are the same, your Insight has joined your HAN and you may register it. 

If the EPAN IDs are different, you can resolve this issue by pressing the two buttons on the upperright 

corner of your Insight. The upper button increases the channel number, while the lower button 

decreases the channel number. Watch the display for each number that you try, and wait a few 

seconds to see if your Insight device successfully joined your HAN. Verify that the EPAN ID on the 

Insight matches the EPAN ID on the Translate device. You can then register your Insight on your 

online portal. 

What if My Insight Didn’t Find Any Network 

If your Insight didn’t find any network, it displays a message such as “Device FAILED to Join.” 

To fix this, use the two buttons on the upper-right corner of your Insight to try other channel numbers. 

The upper button increases the channel number, while the lower button decreases the channel 

number. Watch the display for each number that you try, and wait a few seconds to see if your 

Insight device successfully joined your Home Area Network (HAN). 

If using a different channel number worked for your Insight and it has now joined a network, great! 

However you should still verify that your Insight joined your HAN, and not an adjacent HAN, as 

explained in the previous section. Verify that the EPAN ID on the Insight display matches the EPAN ID 

on your Translate device. You can then register your Insight on your online portal. 

If you toggled through every channel number and your Insight still cannot find any network, please 

contact Support. 

What do the Insight Symbols Represent 

The Insight Home screen provides information about the connectivity status of your home area 

network (HAN). The upper left corner displays symbols that indicate whether your devices are 

connected. These symbols appear only on the Home and Monitor screens. 

When devices are not connected, the Insight indicator light on the upper right hand side of the 

display flashes, signaling a communication error. 

The following two sets of diagrams and tables explain the Insight symbols. 



If your Tendril Platform system includes these products, use the following table to interpret the 

connection status of your system: 

Insight 

Symbol 

Status 

Insight is connected to your HAN (Home 

Area Network). 

Insight cannot communicate with the 

Meter. 

Insight cannot communicate with both 

Transport and Meter. 

Insight cannot communicate with 

Transport 

Insight can communicate with the meter, 

however Insight is not receiving valid 

reads. 

Insight Indicator Light 

(upper right) 

Off 

Blinks red on and off every 

.05 seconds. 


.05 seconds. 


.05 seconds. 


.05 seconds. 



If your Tendril Platform system includes these products, use the following table to interpret the 

connection status of your system: 

Insight 

Symbol 

Status 

Insight is connected to your HAN (Home Area 

Network). 

Insight cannot communicate with Translate. 

Translate is not connected to the Meter. 

Insight Indicator Light 

(upper right) 

Off 


.05 seconds. 

Off 

Insight cannot communicate with Transport. 

Insight cannot communicate with Transport, 

and Translate cannot communicate with Meter. 

Insight cannot communicate with any of the 

products. 


.05 seconds. 


.05 seconds. 


.05 seconds. 



Tendril Volt Troubleshooting Tips 

If your kit included a Tendril Volt outlet, refer to this section for troubleshooting tips. 

The Volt is an electrical outlet that can be plugged into a standard wall outlet. You can then plug any 

compatible 120V appliance, such as a room fan, into the Tendril Volt to control the appliance and 

learn more about its energy usage from the Vantage web portal. 

As explained in the Tendril Volt Guide, the A-B-C switch on the right side of your Volt lets you select 

your preferred level of participation in “load control” events offered by your energy provider. 

When you have the device oriented with the word Tendril in the top part of the front panel, and the 

slider switch on the right: 

• The bottom slider position is A 

• The middle slider position is B 

• The top slider position is C 

The following list explains the meaning of each slider position. 

• Position A (Bottom) - The Volt is set for automatic maximum participation in all utility issued 

events. You can manually choose not to participate in any non-mandatory event by pushing 

the override button located on the front of the Volt, or by accessing the Vantage web portal 

and using the “opt-out” button on the Events tab. 

• Position B (Middle) – The Volt will automatically refuse to participate in any non-mandatory 

event. You can manually elect to participate in any non-mandatory event by pushing the 

override button located on the front of the Volt, or by accessing the Vantage web portal and 

using the “opt-in” button on the Events tab. 

• Position C (Top) - The Volt will automatically refuse participation in any event including 

mandatory events. You can manually elect to participate in an event by pushing the override 

button located on the front of the Volt, or by accessing the Vantage web portal and using the 

“opt-in” button on the Events tab. 



NOTE: In the Vantage portal, under the Control settings for a Volt, you cannot Opt-In to a Mandatory 

event when the Volt device’s slider switch is in this top “C” position (Opt-Out of All Events) and the 

Volt is on. Therefore, if your intention is to participate in events from your utility (and perhaps earn 

rewards, if provided by the utility’s Smart Energy program), be sure that your Volt’s switch is not in 

the top Position C. 

The following table provides additional troubleshooting tips for the Volt outlet. 

Symptom Possible Issue Solutions 

I cannot control 

the connected 

appliance from 

my Vantage 

portal account. 

The Volt is 

participating in a 

mandatory DR 

event. 

The Volt is not 

communicating 

with my Home Area 

Network (HAN). 


registered in my 

HAN. 

The Volt outlet is 

not getting power. 

If the LED below the override button is amber, the 

Volt is participating in a DR event. If the appliance 

cannot be switched on using the Vantage portal, 

then it is likely that the DR event has been 

classified as "mandatory.” Once the Volt has 

entered a mandatory DR event, is not possible to 

Opt Out of a mandatory DR event; the appliance 

will not be able to be switched on until the DR 

event ends. 

If the Volt selector switch on the side of the unit is 

set to the top position, you can Opt In or Opt Out to 

a mandatory event. 

If the appliance MUST be switched on prior to the 

termination of a mandatory event, unplug the 

appliance from the Volt, and plug it directly into 

your wall outlet. 

If the LED above the Volt’s override button is red, 

the Volt is not joined to the HAN. Follow the steps 

in the "Setting up your Volt" and "Registering your 

Volt" sections of the Tendril Volt Guide. 

If the LED above the override button is flashing 

green, the Volt is joined to a HAN, but is not yet 

registered. Follow the steps in the "Setting up your 

Volt" and "Registering your Volt" sections of the 

Tendril Volt Guide. 

If no LEDs are lit on the Volt, the outlet into which 

the Volt is plugged may not be getting power. 

Unplug the appliance from the Volt and plug it 

directly into the outlet. If the appliance does not 

function when plugged directly into the outlet, 

check the fuse or circuit breaker for the outlet. 




I cannot switch 

on the appliance 

plugged into the 

Volt. 

I cannot get the 

Volt to join the 

HAN after 

following the 

steps in the 

Tendril 

documentation. 

The Volt is 

malfunctioning. 

The appliance in 

question may not 

be plugged into the 

Volt. 

The Volt is currently 

participating in a 

DR event. 

The appliance has 

been switched off 

using the Vantage 

portal. 

The Volt outlet is 

located too far from 

other Tendril 

devices in your 

Home Area Network 

(HAN). 

Incorrect EUI-64 ID 

number for the Volt. 

If no LEDs are lit on the Volt, it may be 

malfunctioning. Unplug the Volt from the wall and 

then plug it back in. If both LEDs remain off, the 

Volt is malfunctioning. Please contact Support 

(refer to the email or letter from your utility). 

Ensure the appliance is plugged into the Volt. 


Volt is participating in a DR event. If you wish to 

switch the appliance on, press the override button 

on the device, or in the Vantage portal go to the 

Events tab and click the "Opt Out" button 

(assuming the event is still running). 

Switch on the appliance using the Vantage portal. 

Install a Tendril Relay range extender, or move the 

Volt closer to the nearest Tendril device that has 

joined the HAN, or move the nearest device that 

has joined the HAN closer to the Volt. 

Verify that the EUI-64 on the Volt's label was 

recorded correctly prior to plugging the Volt into 

the wall. 




My Volt is not 

participating in 

DR events. 

The event 

participation level 

selector switch on 

the Volt is not set 

correctly. 


communicating 

with my HAN. 


registered in my 

HAN. 

The Volt has lost 

accurate time. If 

the Volt does not 

have the correct 

time stored 

internally, it will 

only participate in 

events that were 

scheduled by your 

utility to start 

immediately. 

The Volt is 

malfunctioning. 

Set the participation level switch as described in 

the "Setting your Event Participation level" section 

of the Tendril Volt Guide. 

If the LED above the override button is red, the 

Volt is not joined to the HAN. Follow the steps in 

the "Setting up your Volt" and "Registering your 

Volt" sections of the Tendril Volt Guide. 

If the LED above the override button is flashing 

green, the Volt is joined to a HAN, but is not yet 

registered. Follow the steps in the "Setting up your 

Volt" and "Registering your Volt" sections of the 

Tendril Volt Guide. 

Plug and unplug the Volt. When the Volt is 

powered up again, it will acquire the correct time 

from the Tendril Connect platform (remote 

computers). 

If no LEDs are lit on the Volt, it may be 

malfunctioning. Unplug the Volt from the wall and 

then plug it back in. If both LEDs remain off, the 

Volt is malfunctioning. Please contact Support 

(refer to the email or letter from your utility). 




I cannot Opt Out 

of a DR event. 

The DR event has 

been classified as 

"mandatory” by 

your utility. 

It is not possible to Opt Out of mandatory DR 

events. 


Volt is participating in a DR event. If the appliance 

cannot be switched on using the Vantage portal, 

then it is likely that the DR event has been 

classified as "mandatory.” Once the Volt has 

entered a mandatory DR event, is not possible to 

Opt Out of a mandatory DR event; the appliance 

will not be able to be switched on until the DR 

event ends. 

If the Volt selector switch on the side of the unit is 

set to the top position, you Opt In or Opt Out to a 

mandatory event. 

If the appliance plugged into the Volt MUST be 

switched on, unplug it from the Volt and plug it 

directly into an outlet. 

Set Point Thermostat Troubleshooting Tips 

If you encounter any issues while using your Set Point 218 thermostat, please read the following 

troubleshooting tips. 

Symptom Potential Issue Corrective action 

Display is blank. 

Power has not 

been restored to 

the HVAC system. 

Connections to the 

installed 

thermostat are not 

made or not tight. 

Call Support or a qualified technician. For the 

Support phone number, please refer to the 

Welcome letter or email from your utility. 

Buttons do not 

work. 

The keypad on the 

thermostat has 

been locked. Verify 

this by looking for a 

padlock icon on the 

screen. 

In the document “Using the Tendril Set Point 

Thermostat,” see the section Locking or Unlocking 

the Keypad. 



Thermostat starts 

AC or heating 

furnace before it is 

scheduled. 

Time is not set 

correctly. 

Or the Ramp 

function has been 

activated. 


Thermostat,” see the sections: 

• Setting or Changing the Thermostat Date 

and Time 

• Using the Thermostat Ramp Option 

House is too hot or 

too cool. 

House changes 

temperature at the 

wrong time. 

Thermostat does 

not have the right 

time. 

The setpoint is not 

set to the desired 

temperature. 

Time is not set 

correctly. 

Or the Ramp 

function has been 

activated. 

Or the Program 

schedule is not set. 

Your Set Point 218 

thermostat is not 

“joined and 

registered” to your 

Home Area 

Network. 

Or the time is not 

set correctly. 



• Setting a Program Schedule on the 

Thermostat 

• Setting a Temporary Temperature Override 

on the Thermostat 




and Time 

• Using the Thermostat Ramp Option 

• Setting a Program Schedule on the 

Thermostat 



• Configuring the Thermostat to Work with 

Your Home Area Network 


and Time 



Furnace does not 

turn off or on. 

Temperature 

setpoint is not 

correct. 

Or Vacation 

settings are active. 

Verify that the room temperature does not 

override the set temperature. Verify that the HVAC 

system is in good working condition and has 

power. In the document “Using the Tendril Set 

Point Thermostat,” see the section: 

• Setting a Vacation Program Override 

How Do I Unregister a Device from my HAN 

Careful! Unregistering a device can cause re-registration difficulties in some configurations. If you 

find it necessary to unregister one of your devices, please first contact Support to ensure the device 

is unregistered correctly. Please refer to the Support number in the email or letter from your utility. 

Related Documents 

For links to related documents, please visit the Tendril documentation website: 

http://docs.tendrildemo.com/platform/1.12.2/ 

Document updated: 4/27/11 8:23 AM

Tendril Troubleshooting Guide - NStar

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