Set up your Hungry Machines satellite

A satellite is a small Hungry Machines WiFi device that reads the temperature and humidity in a room and controls a mini-split or window air conditioner over infrared — just like the original remote, but on an optimized schedule. There’s nothing to wire and no app to install: you set it up from any phone’s web browser.

The whole process is three steps: mint a claim code on your dashboard, join the device’s setup network, and enter your details. It takes about five minutes.

Note

You’ll need a Hungry Machines account first. If you don’t have one, sign up at hungrymachines.io and confirm your email — see Getting Started.

Before you start

• The satellite, plugged in within a few feet of the AC it will control (its infrared blaster needs a clear line of sight to the unit).
• Your home WiFi network name and password (2.4 GHz — most satellites don’t join 5 GHz-only networks).
• Your AC’s brand, so the satellite knows which infrared “language” to speak.
• A phone or laptop on that same WiFi.

Step 1 — Mint a claim code

The claim code is a one-time secret that proves the device belongs to your account.

1. Sign in to your dashboard at hungrymachines.io.

2. Find the Devices section and choose Add a device.

3. The wizard shows a claim code and a 15-minute countdown. Leave this screen open — you’ll type the code into the device in Step 3.

Caution

The code expires after 15 minutes. If the countdown runs out before the device checks in, the wizard shows a Generate a new code button — mint a fresh one and continue. An expired code never silently “works”; the device will tell you it was rejected.

Step 2 — Join the device’s setup network

When a satellite has never been set up, it broadcasts its own temporary WiFi network so you can talk to it directly.

1. On your phone, open WiFi settings and look for a network named hm-satellite-XXXX (the XXXX is unique to your device).

2. Join it. It’s an open network — no password.

3. A setup page should pop up automatically (a “captive portal”, the same kind you see joining hotel or café WiFi). If it doesn’t appear within a few seconds, open a browser and go to http://192.168.4.1.

Tip

Some phones warn that this network “has no internet” and ask whether to stay connected — choose stay connected. That’s expected: the device’s setup network isn’t meant to reach the internet, it’s just there so you can configure the device.

Step 3 — Enter your details

On the setup page:

1. Pick your home WiFi network from the list and enter its password.

2. Type the claim code from Step 1.

3. Choose your AC brand from the dropdown, and optionally give the unit a name (e.g. “Living Room Mini-Split”).

4. Submit. The device joins your WiFi, connects to your account, and restarts.

Within a few seconds the device disappears from your phone’s WiFi list (its setup network shuts down for good once it’s connected) and appears back on your dashboard, where the Add-Device wizard advances to a success screen naming your new unit. From here on, the satellite runs on its optimized schedule and you can control it from the dashboard.

Tip

Rejoin your home WiFi on your phone after the device restarts — it won’t switch you back automatically.

If something goes wrong

The setup page tells you exactly which step failed, so you can fix just that one:

Message	What it means	Fix
Couldn’t join WiFi / check the password	Wrong WiFi password, or a 5 GHz-only network	Re-enter the password; make sure it’s a 2.4 GHz network
Invalid or expired code	The claim code was wrong or timed out	Mint a fresh code on the dashboard (Step 1) and try again
Already claimed	This device is bound to an account already	If it’s yours, unclaim it first; then it’s claimable again
Couldn’t reach Hungry Machines	The device joined WiFi but couldn’t reach our servers	Check your internet connection and retry

Factory reset

A factory reset wipes the device’s WiFi and account binding and returns it to first-time setup — the setup network from Step 2 comes back.

1. Hold the device’s button (the recessed BOOT button) for 10 seconds.

2. Release when the device restarts.

3. The hm-satellite-XXXX setup network reappears — start again from Step 2.

Use this if you moved to a new home, changed your WiFi, or want to hand the device to someone else.

Selling or moving a device

To remove a satellite from your account — before you sell it, or because you’re replacing it — open its card in the dashboard Devices section and choose Unclaim.

Note

Unclaiming stops the old device from talking to your account and makes it claimable again by anyone (including you, on a fresh setup). The AC’s history stays in your account — its readings, learned model, and past schedules aren’t deleted, so a replacement device you claim to the same room keeps the learning. If you also want to delete that appliance and its history, remove the appliance separately from your dashboard.

For developers

Building your own dashboard or device client? The endpoints behind this flow — enroll-token, claim, config, commands, and state — are documented in the Devices API reference.