Axial Server Setup Guide

A quick guide to get from installation to controller setup

This guide covers how to setup and install the Axial Server PC application. Axial Server is required to be able to use the Axial Mobile app from your Android or iPhone.  If you need help getting started with your z-wave network, you should first about the basics of z-wave. 

Installation

First, make sure you've downloaded the latest version of Axial Server. Just run the setup and sit back and wait. It will ask you a few questions, but overall it should install fine. If you end up with any problems here, head over to the forums and ask for specific help.

Setup USB Stick

Automatic Controller Setup

If this is your first install, Axial Server should have prompted you to run a wizard to setup your USB stick when you ran the program for the first time. If it didn't ask you, pick the Controller Setup from the tools menu. Follow each step of the wizard. 

IMPORTANT:  Only one program at a time can access your USB stick.  If you have anything else that works with z-wave on your computer, this will prevent Axial Server from being able to see or connect to your USB stick. Make sure all other z-wave applications are turned off.

If Axial Server is still unable to find your USB stick, be sure to update your drivers and your firmware. Here is a list of common drivers and firmware downloads.

Manual Controller Setup

If you'd like to manually setup your USB stick, follow these steps. These are specific to the Aeon Labs USB stick, but other usb sticks should have a similar setup:

  1. Determine which port your USB stick runs on by running devmgmt.msc from the windows Start/Run (Start button + R key) dialog box. Alternatively, you can get to the Device Manager by going to your control panel. 
  2. Expand the Ports (COM & LPT) section of Device Manager
  3. Look for a device labeled "Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge" and make note of the COM # that is at the end.
  4. From Axial Server, go to Tools/Options/Z-Wave Controller and enter the COM # you found in the device manager. For example, if it was COM3, you should enter '3' (without quotes) into the Com Port fields.
  5. For Controller Type, choose the option "Com Port."
  6. To enable more advanced features, choose to use "Beta Z-Wave Controller"
  7. Click Close, then click "Offline" and then "Online" to restart the Axial Server server.

Test Axial Server

At this point, your Axial Server app should be setup and ready to go. You should see one or more devices listed and you should be able to control them. If you can't you might try running through the Setup Wizard again (See the step "Setup USB Stick" above this one).

Setup Axial Mobile for Android or iPhone

The next step requires you to setup the Axial Mobile app running on your smart phone. If you haven't installed it yet, search your app store/market for "InControl."  

  1. If you have not already setup your cloud account, from inside Axial Server, choose Tools/Cloud registration. NOTE: This is the same account you use to login at AxialControl.com, so you may not need to create one at this time if you've already done so.
  2. Register for your account
  3. Inside your Android or iPhone app, visit the settings or login page to enter the cloud username/password you setup in steps 1 & 2.
If all went well, you should see a list of devices and be able to control them. If you don't see anything yet, try refreshing your list.  

Troubleshooting

There are some general things to check when trying to troubleshoot. 

  1. If you can't see devices listed in your Axial Server app, make sure that:
    1. No other apps are using your USB stick. Only one app can access it at a time.
    2. Make sure you've setup your USB stick. Some sticks require you to choose a COM port. You can find these options in the Tools menu OR you can run the Setup Wizard from the Tools menu to try and auto-detect your USB stick.
    3. Try to unplug your USB stick and plug it in again. Be sure to restart Axial Server.
  2. If you can see devices from Axial Server, but not from your smart phone app:
    1. Verify that your settings are correct from within the app. Server Address/port must match exactly to what your Axial Server shows in the iPhone Setup menu.
    2. Verify that your antivirus & firewall are not blocking access to Axial Server.  Simple turn them both off and if it works, you'll know it's being blocked and you can add exceptions for Axial Server at that time.