Connecting to Your LaunchControl Hub

LaunchControl works on its own private Wi-Fi network and does not require an internet connection or an RV router. Connecting the Hub to your RV or home Wi-Fi is optional, but makes it more convenient to open the dashboard from phones, tablets and computers already using that network.

For most users:

Join LaunchControl-Hub-xxxx and open launchcontrol.local or 192.168.4.1. in your browser.
If you want access through your RV or home Wi-Fi, add that network under Settings → Network.

LaunchControl Touch panels continue to use the Hub's private LaunchControl-Hub network regardless of whether the Hub is also connected to another Wi-Fi network.

Direct access — always available

The Hub creates its own Wi-Fi network named LaunchControl-Hub-xxxx. LaunchControl Touch panels use this network, and you can also connect a phone, tablet or computer to it at any time.

Open Wi-Fi settings and join LaunchControl-Hub-xxxx. No password is required unless you have added one.
Open a browser and go to launchcontrol.local or 192.168.4.1.
That's it — you're looking at the LaunchControl dashboard.

This direct connection does not depend on your RV router, Starlink, campground Wi-Fi or internet service. If another network is unavailable or misconfigured, direct access is the reliable way back into the Hub.

Advanced — how direct access works

The Hub's private network is an access point with the Hub permanently at 192.168.4.1. LaunchControl devices such as Touch panels always use this network, so their connection to the Hub is independent of the IP address assigned to the Hub by an RV or home router.

The Hub can operate its own access point and join another Wi-Fi network at the same time (AP+STA). Its private network remains available while the Hub is connected to another network.

Optional — connect the Hub to RV or home Wi-Fi

Connecting the Hub to your RV or home Wi-Fi lets your phone, tablet or computer stay on its normal Wi-Fi while using LaunchControl. It does not replace the Hub's private LaunchControl network.

While connected directly to the Hub, go to Settings → Network.
Select Scan Networks, choose your RV or home Wi-Fi, enter its password, then select Save & Connect.
The Hub remembers the network and reconnects automatically after power cycles.

Once the Hub is connected, devices on that same RV or home network can try launchcontrol.local to open the dashboard.

If launchcontrol.local does not work: you do not need to reconfigure the Hub. Try installing bonjour service on your PC. For the simplest access, connect directly to LaunchControl-Hub-xxxx and use 192.168.4.1. Advanced users can also use the Hub's current router-assigned address shown under Settings → Network.

Saved Wi-Fi networks

You can save multiple RV, home or other Wi-Fi networks. When a saved network is available, the Hub can connect to it automatically; when it is not, the Hub's private LaunchControl-Hub network still works normally.

Advanced — saved networks, DHCP and mDNS

The Hub stores up to 8 networks in priority order. The top network has the highest priority. At boot it joins the highest-priority network it can see, and the current firmware re-checks every 5 minutes and can move to a higher-priority saved network when one appears.

On the RV/home network, the Hub normally receives its address automatically by DHCP. LaunchControl Touch panels do not use this address; they continue to reach the Hub at 192.168.4.1 over the private LaunchControl network.

launchcontrol.local uses mDNS/Bonjour. It is native on Apple devices, Windows may require Bonjour support, and Android support varies. If you specifically need a stable router-side IP address for another integration or a fixed browser bookmark, create a DHCP reservation in your router. This is optional for normal LaunchControl operation.

Optional integrations

The sections below are only needed if you want to connect additional equipment. They are not part of basic LaunchControl Wi-Fi setup.

If you have...	See...
Victron Cerbo GX / Venus OS	Victron with a Cerbo GX
Victron equipment without a Cerbo	Victron over Bluetooth
GL.iNet travel router	GL.iNet travel router
Starlink	Starlink

Victron with a Cerbo GX (MQTT)

If you have a Cerbo GX (or other Venus OS device), the hub can show and control your Victron system — battery, solar, inverter. The hub and the Cerbo just need to be on the same network — and if your RV has no router, the Cerbo itself can be that network. Nothing extra to buy.

Step 1 — Get the hub and Cerbo on the same network

No router in the RV? Use the Cerbo's own Wi-Fi:

On the Cerbo (Remote Console or its touchscreen): Settings → Wi-Fi → turn on Create access point . The network name (it starts with venus- ) and its password are shown there, and printed on the Cerbo's sticker.
On the hub: Settings → Network → Scan Networks → pick the Cerbo's venus- network → enter its password → Save & Connect .
Your phone keeps using the hub's own Wi-Fi ( LaunchControl-Hub ) exactly as before. The chain is simply: your phone → hub → Cerbo.

Have a router? Connect both to it:

Connect the Hub to the router's Wi-Fi as described above, and make sure the Cerbo is on the same router (Wi-Fi or ethernet cable).

Step 2 — Connect the hub to the Cerbo

On the Cerbo: Settings → Integrations → MQTT Access ON .
On the hub: Settings → MQTT → enter the Cerbo's address as the broker Host (port 1883), enable, Save. The status should turn to Connected .
- Using the Cerbo's own Wi-Fi (no router)? The Cerbo's address is always 172.24.24.1 .
- On a router? Use the Cerbo's address on that router (shown in Remote Console under Settings → Ethernet / Wi-Fi).
Settings → Victron → press Auto-Discover . The hub finds your installation's Portal ID by itself.
Go to the Devices page → Scan for Victron Equipment . Add what it finds. Done — Victron fields can now be put on any card.

Advanced — router setups: Reserve a fixed address for the Cerbo in your router. A fixed router-side address for the Hub is optional. If the Cerbo's address changes, the hub's broker setting silently points at nothing — this is the #1 cause of "Victron stopped working after a camping trip." If your setup changes routers seasonally, re-check the broker address first, before anything else.

Advanced — Cerbo-as-the-network setups: 172.24.24.1 is the Cerbo's fixed address on its own access point, so this path has no address-changed failure mode at all — one reason it's a great fit for simple rigs. Two things to know: the hub is not a router, so a phone on the hub's Wi-Fi can't reach the Cerbo's Remote Console through the hub — join the Cerbo's venus- Wi-Fi directly when you want Remote Console or VictronConnect. And if you later add an RV router, just move the hub and Cerbo onto it (the second path above) and turn the Cerbo's access point off.

Either way, the hub speaks to Venus OS's own MQTT broker directly — no cloud, no VRM account needed, works fully offline.

Victron without a Cerbo (Bluetooth)

Newer Victron gear (SmartSolar chargers, and more over time) broadcasts its readings over Bluetooth. The hub can read these directly — no router, no Cerbo, no network at all.

On the hub: Settings → Network → Bluetooth → switch it on, then press Restart Now when prompted. (Bluetooth needs a restart to start — this is normal.)
In the VictronConnect app on your phone: connect to the device → tap the gear (Settings) → tap the ⋮ menu in the top-right corner → Product info → make sure Instant readout via Bluetooth is on (newer firmware ships with it already on) → press SHOW next to Instant readout details and copy the encryption key .
- Product info is easy to miss — it's behind that three-dot menu, not in the Settings list itself.
- Don't see "Instant readout" or a SHOW button at all? Update the VictronConnect app first, then the device's firmware from within it, and look again.
On the hub: Devices page → Scan for Bluetooth Devices . Your device appears — press Add , paste the key, Save.

Readings update about every 30 seconds and can be bound to cards just like everything else (a Solar card works exactly the same whether its data comes from Bluetooth or a Cerbo).

Advanced: Bluetooth is off by default because it reserves memory on the hub while on. If you use a Cerbo you don't need this at all — it's mainly for simpler installations. If a device shows "encryption key does not match," the key was mistyped or has changed (it changes when the device's Bluetooth PIN changes) — re-copy it from VictronConnect. Turning Bluetooth off also asks for a restart; that's when its memory is returned.

GL.iNet travel router

If your RV router is a GL.iNet (Beryl AX and similar), the hub can control it: see which internet source is active, browse campground/home Wi-Fi, and join a new network — all from the dashboard, without opening the router's admin page.

Connect the Hub to the router's Wi-Fi first, as described above.
Settings → Network → Travel Router → switch it on → press Find My Router → enter the router's admin password (the one you use for its own settings page) → Save.
Add a Travel Router card to your dashboard. It shows the connection at a glance; tapping it opens status, a Wi-Fi picker, and history.

Advanced: The hub talks to the router's local API over your LAN — no cloud involved. Leave the router address blank and the hub uses whatever router it's connected through, which is what you want. It works across GL.iNet models (identified by vendor, not a model list). The Wi-Fi picker changes the router's upstream (which campground network the router repeats) — the hub's own saved-network list is separate and controls what the hub joins.

Starlink

If your router gets its internet from Starlink, the hub can show dish health — ping success, obstructions, speeds — on the Starlink card.

Make sure the Hub is connected to the router that Starlink feeds.
Edit your Starlink card (gear icon → Edit) and turn on dish readings .
The card's status dot goes green/yellow/orange/red with connection quality. When the card is on, tap anywhere except the icon for the full details panel; the icon itself is the on/off switch.

Advanced: The hub reads the dish's local status API directly (the same data the Starlink app shows) at the dish's standard address — no Starlink account or internet round-trip involved. This works with the standard Starlink router in bypass mode behind your own router, or with the dish on your router's WAN. If readings show "Looking for the dish…" while Starlink is clearly online, your router isn't passing traffic to the dish's management address (192.168.100.1) — most travel routers do this automatically; some need a static route to 192.168.100.1 added.

What actually needs the internet?

Almost nothing. For clarity:

Feature	Needs internet?	Whose internet?
Dashboard, cards, controls, RV-C	No	—
Victron via Cerbo (MQTT)	No	— (local network only)
Victron via Bluetooth	No	— (no network at all)
Travel Router card	No	— (local network only)
Starlink card	No	— (reads the dish locally)
Floor Plan library	Yes	Your phone/laptop's — not the hub's
Online update check & download	Yes	Your phone/laptop's — not the hub's

The last two work even when the hub itself has no internet, because your browser does the fetching.

Access & security

The Web UI PIN and the password on the Hub's private Wi-Fi serve different purposes. For installations with Touch panels, the Web UI PIN is usually the least disruptive security setting because changing the Hub Wi-Fi credentials can also affect LaunchControl Touch panels.

Web UI PIN

A Web UI PIN is four characters or more and is normally asked for once per browser. It prevents someone who can reach the Hub over an untrusted network from operating the coach.

Settings → Network → Web UI PIN.

The PIN is only requested on networks the Hub does not consider trusted. Trusted networks can include your own RV or home Wi-Fi. Do not mark campground or other public networks trusted.

Password on the LaunchControl network

You can add a password to the Hub's LaunchControl-Hub Wi-Fi under Settings → Network → Hosted Access Point.

Important for Touch-panel installations: LaunchControl Touch panels connect to this same private Wi-Fi network. Changing its password restarts the Hub's Wi-Fi and disconnects clients. Any Touch panel that does not already have the new credentials will need to be updated or re-paired before it can reconnect.

For that reason, do not change the Hosted Access Point password casually on an installation with Touch panels. Use the Web UI PIN for routine access control unless you also intend to update the connected LaunchControl devices.

If you get locked out

Network access can be recovered without a cable or full factory reset.

Situation	What to do
Forgot the Hub Wi-Fi password	Switch the Hub off and on 3 times in a row. Its Wi-Fi opens for 2 minutes so you can rejoin and set a new password.
Forgot both the Wi-Fi password and Web UI PIN	Switch the Hub off and on 5 times in a row. Both the PIN and Wi-Fi password are cleared and the Hub is open again.

"Off and on in a row" means quickly, resetting power after about 5 seconds. The counter clears itself after the Hub has been running for 30 seconds, so ordinary power interruptions and normal restarts do not accumulate toward a reset.

Advanced — recovery and security behavior

The 3-cycle recovery restores network access, not Web UI authorization. A temporarily open access point is untrusted, so the Web UI PIN still applies during the recovery window. Only the 5-cycle reset clears the PIN.

Neither the Web UI PIN nor Wi-Fi passwords are included in backups. If a recovery action changes the credentials used by Touch panels, those panels may need to be updated or re-paired.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	What to do
Can't find the Hub	Connect directly to LaunchControl-Hub. If that network is missing, check Hub power and move closer to the Hub.
Connected to LaunchControl-Hub but the dashboard won't load	Enter http://192.168.4.1 directly in the browser address bar.
`launchcontrol.local` doesn't work from RV/home Wi-Fi	mDNS support varies by device. The simplest fallback is to connect directly to LaunchControl-Hub and use 192.168.4.1. Advanced users can use the current router-side IP shown in Settings → Network.
Hub won't join RV/home Wi-Fi	Re-enter the password and confirm that the router provides a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network.
A Touch panel stopped connecting	Confirm that LaunchControl-Hub is available. If the Hosted Access Point password was changed or reset, update/re-pair the Touch panel with the current credentials.
Worked at home but I can't reach it somewhere else	Your phone may no longer be on the same saved network as the Hub. Connect directly to LaunchControl-Hub; direct access works independently of the RV/home router.
Hub is on a travel router but isn't reachable from the outer/home network	This is usually double NAT. Join the travel router's Wi-Fi or the Hub's direct Wi-Fi instead.
Victron data stopped after changing routers	The Cerbo's router-side address may have changed. Reserve a DHCP address for the Cerbo and update Settings → MQTT if necessary.
On the Cerbo's Wi-Fi but MQTT won't connect	Broker Host must be 172.24.24.1, and MQTT on LAN (Plaintext) must be enabled on the Cerbo.
Phone is on LaunchControl-Hub but can't open Cerbo Remote Console	Expected. The Hub exchanges Victron data but is not a router. Join the Cerbo's `venus-` Wi-Fi directly for Remote Console or VictronConnect.
Bluetooth device is found but has no readings	Re-copy its encryption key from VictronConnect.
Starlink card says "Looking for the dish…"	The router may not be routing to `192.168.100.1`. See the Advanced note in the Starlink section.
Everything froze or is acting strangely	Power-cycle the Hub. It boots in seconds and remembers its configuration. If the problem persists, check Settings → Status.

Quick reference (advanced)

LaunchControl private network: LaunchControl-Hub; Hub at 192.168.4.1. Touch panels use this network regardless of the Hub's RV/home Wi-Fi connection.
RV/home Wi-Fi: optional STA connection; router-side address is assigned by DHCP unless the router reserves one.
mDNS name: launchcontrol.local. Apple devices support Bonjour natively; Windows may require Bonjour support and Android behavior varies.
Saved networks: up to 8; list order is priority; current firmware checks for a higher-priority network every 5 minutes.
Victron MQTT: plaintext MQTT to the Cerbo on port 1883, local network only.
Cerbo as the network: the Cerbo's fixed address on its own access point is 172.24.24.1.
Starlink management: dish management address is 192.168.100.1.
Backups: intentionally do not include Wi-Fi, Web UI PIN, router or broker passwords. Restoring a backup restores devices, cards and panels, then network credentials are entered separately.
Wall tablets: if connected to the RV/home network, use launchcontrol.local when supported or the Hub's router-side address. A wall tablet connected directly