Plug in a wireless or wired keyboard and mouse to the player’s USB port.
Make sure your player is connected to your TV via HDMI and that the TV is tuned to the corresponding HDMI input (i.e. HDMI 1).
Power on the player
SOON after starting up (on the white “Playr” screen), hit CTR+ALT+S to exit out of the signage app as directed at the bottom.
Now in ChromeOS Flex, click on the time at the lower-right corner of the screen.
Click on the settings gear symbol.
Click on Network and then find the unwanted WiFi network in list of known networks.
Select the network and choose “Forget.”
Reboot your player and select your preferred network at the prompt.
If your player hasn’t been registered yet then you will see steps on-screen for how to connect it to your account.
Obtaining your device’s MAC address
If you need to locate your player’s MAC address then please contact us. We will need to lookup your device in Google Admin where that information is kept. We will need your device’s SN (serial number) located on the bottom of the device.
Static IP Assignment
By default your Chrome player will use standard DHCP methods to acquire information that’s appropriate to connect to your network automatically. If your network requires that devices use static IP assignments, proxy servers, etc read on…
Plug in a wireless or wired keyboard and mouse to the player’s USB port.
Make sure your player is connected to your TV via HDMI and that the TV is tuned to the corresponding HDMI input (i.e. HDMI 1).
Power on the player
SOON after starting up (on the white “Playr” screen), hit CTR+ALT+S to exit out of the signage app as directed at the bottom.
Now in ChromeOS Flex, click on the time at the lower-right corner of the screen.
Click on the settings gear symbol.
Click on Network and set your parameters for IP address, gateway IP address and DNS servers.
Reboot your player to begin displaying signage (turn the player off and back on)
If your player hasn’t been registered yet then you will see steps on-screen for how to connect it to your account.
DHCP server persistence
In at least one case we have discovered that customers who have their network configured for “DHCP server persistence” may have unstable or erratic connectivity or symptoms. DHCP server persistence is a configuration whereby the router will save a device’s IP address based on the device’s MAC address and ensure that it continues to have that same address if the device falls off the network and subsequently comes back online. This is an alternative way to configure a static IP address. We currently do not recommend this configuration and prefer a standard DHCP scenario or if required, a standard static IP address, configured on the device itself.
Symptoms we have observed from the one problem case:
Intermittent crashing of the Chrome player (frown face on screen)
Intermittent problems launching the signage app (player displays that it cannot connect to the web)
Device shows as offline on the local screen, but remains online in Chrome Device Management, including the ability to reboot the device.
Overall erratic and unpredictable behavior.
Disabling DHCP server persistence resolved all issues.
Proxy Server Configuration
For networks that have all of their traffic directed through a proxy server, this information must be loaded by our team into the Google Admin backend. Attempting to configure proxy settings on the local player itself will not save unless it has been loaded into this cloud-based management system, as intended by Google. Please contact us so that we can help you configure devices this way, if needed.
Alternatively you may be able to configure an exception to the proxy requirement inside your network appliance for our URL range, which is represented by http://*.playr.biz and in that case communications with our servers would happen without having to go through your proxy servers first.
Device Reset (ChromeOS Flex “Powerwash”)
If your device is exhibiting erratic behavior and other remedies don’t solve the problem then a reset may be in order.
Connect a keyboard and mouse, then reboot the device.
After the device boots up, press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R
A prompt should appear asking if you would like to perform a Powerwash. Confirm to continue.
Once the device reboots itself, follow the prompt to connect to your network (if using WiFi) and accept Google T&C.
The exact steps vary by ChromeOS Flex version. Select “for work” if asked. When you get to a login screen, press CTRL+ALT+E to change to Enterprise Enrollment mode (onscreen messaging may not change). Enter “players@smartsign2go.com” for the email and “Happyplayers” for the password.
*IF you are asked to enter a phone number for verification then please use our text support number of 802-851-7446. Send us a text to that same number asking for the verification code and we will forward it to you.
Next, the kiosk app should launch and present a registration code to re-register the device to your SmartSign2Go account.
Login to your account from a separate computer. You can register the player either by clicking on the play icon on your preferred channel at the bottom of your dashboard, OR you can click on settings at the top-right and then Players at the right where you’ll see a space to type in the registration code, player name and select a channel. You can delete the original player registration from your list of players.
NOTE: in order to register your player, your user role needs to be set as “Company Admin” or “Technical Admin.” If you are an Editor or Author then you will need to reach out to whoever on your team is an admin or we can assist you with this task.
Re-installing ChromeOS Flex
If you see a message on your TV that says “Chrome OS is missing or damaged” or if the Powerwash option above doesn’t resolve issues with your device then installing a fresh version of Chrome Flex may be in order.
Locate a blank USB drive of at least 8GB in capacity
Launch the Chrome Recovery Utility extension from your office computer’s Chrome browser. Search for Chrome Recovery Utility in the Chrome Web Store if the hyperlink in this article isn’t working for you.
On Step 1, choose “Select a model from a list” and choose “Google ChromeOS Flex” for the Manufacturer and “ChromeOS Flex” for the model.
Follow the prompts along until the process has finished creating the USB recovery drive.
Turn off your player.
Insert the recovery drive and power on the player.
Choose install ChromeOS Flex and follow the prompts along to connect to your network (if using WiFi) and accept Google T&C.
The exact steps vary by ChromeOS Flex version. Select “for work” if asked. When you get to a login screen, press CTRL+ALT+E to change to Enterprise Enrollment mode (onscreen messaging may not change). Enter “players@smartsign2go.com” for the email and “Happyplayers” for the password.
*IF you are asked to enter a phone number for verification then please use our text support number of 802-851-7446. Send us a text to that same number asking for the verification code and we will forward it to you.
Next, the kiosk app should launch and present a registration code to re-register the device to your SmartSign2Go account.
Login to your account from a separate computer. You can register the player either by clicking on the play icon on your preferred channel at the bottom of your dashboard, OR you can click on settings at the top-right and then Players at the right where you’ll see a space to type in the registration code, player name and select a channel. You can delete the original player registration from your list of players.
NOTE: in order to register your player, your user role needs to be set as “Company Admin” or “Technical Admin.” If you are an Editor or Author then you will need to reach out to whoever on your team is an admin or we can assist you with this task.
Player FAQs
How do I get a registration code?
A unique registration code will be automatically generated after you’ve connected your player device to the internet. If you’re still not seeing it, simply reboot your player by unplugging it from power for a few seconds.
Where do I enter the registration code?
Login to your SmartSign2Go account from your office computer, phone or tablet. Next, click on the little play icon on your chosen channel and choose “on new playback device.” Enter the code you see on your TV screen and click “Register!” You can also register your player by visiting the players section of settings.
Why is the image shrunk on the TV screen?
Sometimes the player and your TV aren’t able to handshake when they need to. The fix is to simply reboot your player by unplugging it from power for a few seconds.
Why don’t I see a picture on the TV?
Be sure to connect your player to power with the included power supply and double check that your TV is set to the HDMI input that you’ve connected the player to (e.g. HDMI 1). When in doubt, simply reboot your player by unplugging it from power for a few seconds.
Why won’t the keyboard and mouse work?
Be sure to connect your keyboard and mouse to any of the USB ports on the player device and NOT the TV itself. If you are using the wireless keyboard/mouse that came with your player, be sure that you are using it wirelessly. The cable that comes with it is only for charging the battery. Inside you’ll find the USB wireless receiver. Remove that and insert it into a USB port on the player. Lastly, be sure to turn the keyboard on with the power switch at the top-right!
