This article relates to the Kisi Reader Pro, as seen here. For more details on the Kisi reader, check the overview of the Kisi Reader Pro and installing Kisi Reader Pro articles.
Status LED Color Codes
The status LED light can be found inside the Kisi Reader, as shown below.
The pattern of this LED light will show you the progress of the device’s attempt to connect to the network. All the patterns can be found below, together with a description.
1. Kisi Reader Pro shows red LED lights on the front despite plugging Ethernet cable in
Red LED lights indicate that the reader is offline. Please check if:
1. The ethernet connection is a live one. A simple test would be to plug it into a computer to see if you can surf the Internet with that network connection
2. Make sure these ports are open on your firewall as per details below
The Kisi Reader Pro only makes outbound connections, so you have to configure the TCP ports if you have a firewall that prevents outbound connections. The UDP connections can remain closed. Below are the TCP ports that you need to open:
| Port | TCP | UDP | Usage |
| 31314 | ✓ | Initial device-server connection | |
| 993 | ✓ | Fallback device-server connection #1 | |
| 443 | ✓ | Fallback device-server connection #2 | |
| 80 | ✓ | Fetch device firmware | |
| 53 | ✓ | Allow DNS look-ups |
The wifi chip will attempt to connect via TCP port 31314. If this fails, they will attempt to use TCP port 993, which is typically open by default for email traffic. Our wifi chip does not use UDP. Port 80 is used to request and transfer wifi chip updates. This port is typically open by default for HTTP/HTTPS. The wifi chip we use is able to connect across multiple levels of firewall and NAT (Network Address Translation), so NAT firewalls work fine with Kisi. Be sure to have your IT administrator unblock the necessary ports before connecting your Kisi Reader Pro.
2. The LED light on the front of the Kisi Reader Pro is blue but when I tap a card against it, the lights turn red
Blue LED lights indicate the reader is online. The red LED is an error, which could mean certain settings are not set right:
If trying to unlock with a card:
1. Card not activated
Please make sure the user clicks on the card activation email
2. The group the user is in does not have card access enabled
Navigate to the Member list, search and click on the user. Scroll down to Group Memberships, click on the Group the user has access to and turn the slider for card access on.
If trying to unlock using tap-to-unlock:
1. User does not have a valid share and/or Kisi account
When shared access, the user should have received an email from Kisi saying that 'Access has been shared'. Make sure that the user clicks on the 'Accept share' button in the email which will lead him/her to create an account
2. User does not have the correct settings enabled in their Kisi app
Confirm iPhone users have both Bluetooth and location services enabled, and Android users have both NFC and location services enabled.
3. The Kisi Reader Pro is not associated to any door
As the admin, go on to the Kisi web dashboard, click on Hardware. You should see the reader in the hardware list. From there confirm the reader is associated with the correct door. If not, please associate it to a door.
3. The LED light on the front of the Kisi Reader Pro does not turn on (remains grey)
Check that all connections going into the Kisi Reader Pro are secure and there is power coming from the main source.
As a next step, disassemble the Kisi Reader and check the Blinkup LED on the PCB. If the LED is dark, power cycle the reader since it turns off after a few minutes of inactivity.
Here is the location of the Blinkup LED:
Common BlinkUp Problems
Please refer to the imp LED color codes, below.
BlinkUp Status Codes
The following table should help you identify the color patterns your device’s blink-up status LED may signal. The smallest marked time unit is one-quarter of a second.
Note Connections can proceed rapidly, so you may not see all of the patterns your imp can generate. For example, once a WiFi-using imp has successfully connected to WiFi, you may see only a few red and/or orange flashes before the LED steadily flashes green to indicate it is online. What matters for debugging is the pattern being flashed at the point of failure, ie. the last pattern to flash before the LED is powered down.
Current Codes
Please click here for additional information.
- Stuck at ‘No WiFi settings’ (long amber flash)
- The imp hasn’t received any blink-up settings — try blink-up again. Try to block out any direct bright lights, or perform a blink-up in the shade, and hold the device still during the process.
- Stuck at ‘Searching for WiFi network’ (long red flash followed by two short red flashes)
- Check that your network name (SSID) has been entered correctly, making sure that you observe capitalization, special characters etc. Devices can connect to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi networks.
- Stuck at ‘Joining WiFi network’ (long red flash followed by three short red flashes)
- Check that your network password has been entered correctly, making sure that you observe capitalization, special characters etc.
- Stuck at ‘Getting IP address’ (alternating short red and amber flashes)
- Ensure that DHCP is active on your router and has sufficient IP addresses for all of your devices, including your imp-enabled device. Also check that MAC address filtering isn’t enabled, or if it is that it isn’t denying the imp access to the network.
- If your Reader is looking for an IP address, we recommend unplugging the reader and plugging it directly to the switch, to another port. If this brings the Kisi Reader online, it could be a cable issue and we recommend replacing the cabling. Try to take another ethernet cable and plug the device directly to the switch, to either a working port (from another device) or a new port.
- Stuck at ‘Resolving server name’ (alternating short amber and red flashes)
- Check the DNS settings on your router. Devices still running early versions of impOS™ may be confused by the ‘DNS Relay’ mode on some routers — try disabling this mode.
- Stuck at ‘Connecting to server’ (alternating long amber and short red flashes)
- Check the firewall settings on your router. The imp needs to make a TCP connection to port 31314; ensure this is not blocked. Only TCP 31314 needs to be open; UDP 31314 can remain closed.
- Flashing red rapidly in a manner inconsistent with error patterns defined above
- This indicates a power supply issue. The device boots, turns the red LED on and then tries to activate WiFi. However, the WiFi power draw reduces the onboard imp’s operating voltage below tolerance and the imp resets. This continues ad infinitem. Check the power supply feeding your device.
FAQ
How many readers do I have to purchase for my space?
Each Kisi Reader Pro connects to one door. This means you would need three readers if you have a total of three doors in your space and would like to use the readers on all three doors.
Can I do a self-install of the Kisi Reader Pro?
This depends on the set-up in your space. If you already have an Ethernet cable running to the door, all that is left to do is mount the reader, which can be easily done with some tools. If not, we would recommend reaching out to support@getkisi.com if you don't already have an installer working on Kisi in your space.
Can I purchase additional cards if my team grows?
Most definitely. We support fast-growing companies and have a stack of cards ready to go. You can purchase more cards through the Kisi website.
Can I customize Kisi passes?
Yes, Kisi can make custom passes for you. Please reach out to sales@getkisi.com for custom inquiries.
Can I punch holes in the Kisi passes?
We would not recommend this and suggest purchasing plastic cardholders to place the cards into instead.
Why are the blue LED lights dimmed?
The LED lights dim when there is a weak wifi signal. Try positioning the Kisi Reader Pro in a spot where the wifi signal is strong and steady.