ScreenCloud OS is our own Linux-based operating system, built for digital signage and nothing else. It runs on the Station P1 Pro and the earlier Station P1, and the ScreenCloud Player is part of the operating system, so there is no app to install. A device arrives, connects to your network and shows a pairing code.

Because ScreenCloud OS controls the whole device, it handles things a Player running on a third-party operating system cannot: enterprise Wi-Fi authentication, static IP and proxy configuration, and unattended fleet provisioning from a USB flash drive. This article covers the hardware, what to prepare before a device arrives, the three ways to set one up, and how to manage and troubleshoot it afterwards.

Two models run ScreenCloud OS. The Station P1 Pro is the current device and the one you will receive if you order today. The Station P1 is its predecessor and remains fully supported, receiving the same operating system updates.

The practical difference between the two is Wi-Fi. The Station P1 Pro can join 5 GHz networks and use the ac protocol, which is roughly three times faster than the n protocol the Station P1 tops out at. The Station P1 is limited to 2.4 GHz, which travels further but carries less. Everything else about how the two devices behave is the same.

If you have inherited a device and are not sure which model it is, check the sticker on the underside. The model name is listed under Model. Failing that, there are two visible differences.

A mouse, a keyboard and a USB flash drive are not included, and you will need at least one of them depending on how you set the device up. If your device arrived without the interchangeable plugs, contact support and we will send them.

See How to Buy a ScreenCloud OS Device for pricing, regional minimum order quantities and how to order in volume.

Most failed ScreenCloud OS deployments fail on the network, not the hardware. The work in this section is what separates a device that pairs in five minutes from one that sits on an error screen while you chase your IT team.

Send the domain list in Domains & Servers to Whitelist for ScreenCloud to whoever runs your network before the device arrives. ScreenCloud OS devices also need the AWS IoT endpoints listed in that article, which are specific to ScreenCloud hardware and easy to miss.

On a corporate, campus or otherwise restricted network, confirm each of the following as well. Anything you cannot answer here becomes a fault you diagnose on site later.

If your network uses a proxy, What is a Proxy Server covers how to configure one. If you profile devices by switch port, ScreenCloud OS supports LLDP, covered in What is LLDP. For regions where ScreenCloud services are geo-restricted, see VPN and Geo-Restrictions with ScreenCloud OS.

You need a provisioning USB flash drive for any Wi-Fi setup that the on-screen menu cannot handle, for any enterprise network, and for deploying more than a handful of devices. It is worth preparing these in advance.

If the drive is formatted incorrectly, the device tells you so on screen with a USB incorrectly formatted message.

On first boot you will see the ScreenCloud logo, a Starting ScreenCloudOS message and the operating system version number, followed by the setup screen.

There are three ways to get a device onto your network. Pick based on your network, not on device count.

To move a device from Ethernet to Wi-Fi later, remove the LAN cable and restart. The device will connect to Wi-Fi automatically, but only if Wi-Fi credentials were already supplied through a provisioning USB flash drive. Without them, you will need to provision the device again.

With a mouse connected, select Start Setup on the setup screen, then work through the steps. A small keyboard icon in the bottom right corner opens an on-screen keyboard whenever you need to type.

If you see Your configuration has not been configured correctly, power the device off and on to return to the setup screen and run through it again. For other error messages, see the troubleshooting section below.

Provisioning writes a configuration file to a USB flash drive on your computer, which the device reads on boot. Nobody at the installation site needs network credentials or technical knowledge, which is what makes this the right method for fleets.

Go to scos.screencloud.com/start on your computer with the FAT-formatted drive connected, and select Got it, let's start. The generator has a basic section on the left and an advanced section on the right.

Use the right-hand side of the generator for anything your network imposes on top of basic connectivity.

Once the pairing code is on screen, log in to your ScreenCloud account, add a new screen, enter the code and name the screen. You can then assign content to it. See Pairing, Designing and Managing Your Screens for the full process.

Connect a wired mouse and click the transparent button in the top right corner of the screen. The settings menu slides in from the right. With a wired keyboard, press M instead.

The menu shows the device's IP address, MAC address, hostname, operating system version, device ID, network connection and current performance, and lets you reload the Player. This is where to look when your IT team asks for the MAC address of a device that is already installed.

Once configured, a device's network connection is deliberately locked down. How you change it depends on whether the device can still reach the old network.

Moving to Ethernet. Connect a LAN cable and restart the device. To go back to the original Wi-Fi network, remove the cable and restart.

Moving to a different Wi-Fi network, with the old one still reachable. If the old network used a shared password rather than enterprise authentication, create a mobile hotspot with the same SSID and password as the old network. The device will join it, and you can then reconfigure it for the new network.

Moving to a different Wi-Fi network, with the old one gone. Factory reset the device and provision it again for the new network. This is also the only route if the old network used enterprise authentication, because the hotspot method cannot reproduce it.

Devices update themselves over the air whenever a new version is released, so keep them online and there is nothing to do. Updates bring new features, fixes and security patches. Every release is listed in ScreenCloud OS Changelogs.

To check what a device is running, power it off and on and read the version on the startup screen, or open the settings menu.

A device that has been offline for a long stretch may need updating by hand. There are three methods, and which one you want depends on how much you need to wipe.

ScreenCloud OS has two update channels. Stable is the production version and the right setting for any screen in service. Canary receives pre-release builds as well as production ones, so you can test an upcoming version against your own content, network and environment before it reaches your estate, and report anything you find while it can still be fixed.

Set one device aside as your test device and put that one on Canary. Never put a production screen on it. A device may take up to an hour to pick up and display a new version after the channel changes.

To switch a device's channel, the device needs to be RDM connected. Open the screen in your ScreenCloud account, scroll to Remote Device Management in the right-hand panel, and select Stable or Canary under Release channel. See Controlling Your Screens with Remote Device Management (RDM) for the full range of RDM actions available for a screen.

To move a Canary device back to production immediately, reflash it with the SD flasher. Simply switching the channel back to Stable works, but the device will stay on its current build until the next production release.

Recovery mode is where you reset a device, install an update from USB or inspect its network configuration. It needs a wired USB keyboard. Mac keyboards are not supported.

The menu offers four things worth knowing about.

Reset a device when you are moving it to a new network, when it will not boot, when the screen stays black, or when its network configuration has become unrecoverable.

Before you start, sort out the screen license. If you delete the screen from your account without planning, you may need a spare licence to pair the device again.

If you cannot get into recovery mode with the keyboard, use the SD flasher instead, which resets the device without needing keyboard input at all.

Work through these in order for a device that was previously online and has lost its connection. Stop when the screen comes back.

Almost every error message on a ScreenCloud OS device points at the network configuration, and almost every fix means regenerating the provisioning file at scos.screencloud.com/start with the correct settings and inserting the drive again.

If a device will not connect and shows nothing specific on screen, one of these is usually the cause.

Savelogs pulls system log files off a device so support can diagnose what is happening. It is the right next step when a device will not enter recovery mode or is failing in a way you cannot pin down.

If no log files are created at all, record video of each failed step and have your purchase invoice number ready. That combination is what support needs to assess a warranty replacement.

If none of the above resolves it, contact the support team with the screen name, the device or screen ID, screenshots of any error messages, and the steps you have already tried.

For a device that is genuinely faulty and still under warranty, see Replacing ScreenCloud OS Hardware.

Do I need to install anything on a ScreenCloud OS device?

No. The Player is built into the operating system. Connect the device to your network and it shows a pairing code.

Is the Station P1 still supported?

Yes. It is discontinued and no longer sold, but it receives the same operating system updates as the Station P1 Pro. The only meaningful difference is that it cannot use 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

Can I run two displays from one device?

No. Both models support one display at a time, at up to 4K.

Can I set up an enterprise Wi-Fi network through the on-screen menu?

No. Enterprise authentication requires a provisioning USB flash drive.

I inserted a new provisioning drive but nothing changed. Why?

A configured device ignores new provisioning files. Factory reset it first, then insert the drive.

Why will the device not read my USB flash drive?

Either the drive is not formatted as FAT, FAT16 or FAT32, or the file is not named exactly scosprov.json and sitting at the root of the drive. Browsers often append a number to the filename on a repeat download.

Where do I find the MAC address of a device that is already installed?

Connect a wired mouse, click the transparent button in the top right corner to open the settings menu, and read it there alongside the IP address and device ID.

Do I need the Wi-Fi antenna if the device is on Ethernet?

No. It is only needed for Wi-Fi.

Can I use an HDMI cable with Ethernet?

No. Use a standard or high-speed HDMI cable without Ethernet. Cables with Ethernet cause problems when the device power cycles.

Why has my device not updated itself?

Updates arrive over the air, so a device that has been offline will be behind. Bring it back online and it will catch up, or update it manually from a USB flash drive or micro SD card.