Setting up your
NearestPlane display

Follow these steps — takes about 3 minutes total.

⚠️

The most common setup mistake

The #1 reason displays show nothing is entering incorrect location coordinates, or leaving them as default. Your display uses these to know which aircraft are flying near you — WiFi alone is not enough.

1

Power on the display

Plug in via USB-C. After a few seconds the display should show "Join WiFi: NearestPlane".

💡 Nothing appearing on screen? Press the small Reset button on the back of the board (labelled RST). If that doesn't help, unplug the USB-C cable, wait 3 seconds, and plug it back in. Allow up to 15 seconds for the display to start.
2

Connect to the setup network

On your phone, go to WiFi settings and connect to:

Network
NearestPlane
Password
setup123

Then open your browser and visit 192.168.4.1

📵 Can't see the NearestPlane network? Make sure you're within 2–3 metres of the display. If it's still not appearing, press the RST button on the back to restart it, or press RST 3 times quickly to force setup mode.
3

Enter your location — most important!

The setup page will ask for your latitude and longitude. You need these before anything else will work.

📱 Get your coordinates from Google Maps

  1. Open Google Maps on your phone
  2. Long-press your home on the map (hold for 1 second)
  3. Two numbers appear at the top — these are your coordinates
  4. Tap them to copy, then paste into the setup form
🌍 Or use latlong.net to find your coordinates →

Your coordinates will look something like:

Latitude51.5074
Longitude-0.1278
❌ Common mistakes Don't swap latitude and longitude. Longitude is negative if you're in the UK or anywhere west of Greenwich. Don't leave them as the placeholder defaults.
4

Enter your WiFi, settings & choose what to display

Select your home network, enter the password, set your tracking radius, and optionally enable night mode. You'll also see a What to Display section — tick or untick exactly what appears on the screen. Then tap Save & Connect.

🖥️ Display options — all on by default, untick anything you don't want:

☑ Flight number
e.g. BA117
☑ Route
e.g. LHR→JFK
☑ Aircraft type
e.g. B789, A320
☑ Altitude
e.g. 35,000ft
☑ Ground speed
e.g. 490kt
☑ Distance from you
e.g. 8.2mi

The airline name is always shown on line 1 in the airline's own brand colour — this can't be turned off.

📶 Only 2.4GHz networks appear in the list. If your router has separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, pick the 2.4GHz one. Most home routers broadcast both under the same name — if so, just pick it and it'll connect.
5

Display restarts — wait for first flight

After saving, the display will show "NearestPlane — Ready!" and restart automatically.

⏱ Wait up to 30 seconds for the first flight to appear. The display needs time to connect to WiFi and pull live flight data.
🔄 Nothing after 30 seconds? Press the RST button on the back once — it will reload and try again.
✈️ Once tracking, this is what you'll see:

BA456  LHR→JFK
B77W · 35,000ft
↗ 8.2mi · 523mph
6

Changing settings or display later

Need to change your WiFi, location, or what appears on screen? You don't need any tools — just use the two buttons on the front of the device.

How to do it Hold UP + DOWN together for 3 seconds

While the display is running, hold both the UP and DOWN buttons at the same time for 3 seconds. The display will count down and then restart into setup mode. Works at any time — no need to unplug or restart.

UP and DOWN buttons on the MatrixPortal S3 — hold both for 3 seconds

The UP and DOWN buttons are on the front-facing edge, labelled clearly on the board.

At startup Hold UP + DOWN while plugging in

Hold both buttons before plugging in the USB-C cable and keep holding for 3 seconds. The device goes straight to setup mode without loading any previous settings.

Remote Ask Harry

If your display is online and connected to WiFi, Harry can trigger setup mode remotely — just get in touch with your device ID (shown at startup).

💡 Changing what's displayed? Re-enter setup using UP + DOWN, then scroll to the "What to Display" section. Tick or untick: Flight number, Route, Aircraft type, Altitude, Ground speed, Distance. All on by default.

Still stuck? Harry can help.

Message or email and you'll get a quick response — usually within a few hours.

WhatsApp Harry ✉️ Email

Common questions

The display shows "No flights" or nothing at all

Almost always wrong or default coordinates. Hold the UP + DOWN buttons for 3 seconds to re-enter setup, then use latlong.net or Google Maps to get your exact home coordinates.

The page at 192.168.4.1 won't load

Make sure you're connected to the NearestPlane WiFi (not your home network). Some phones automatically switch back to mobile data — check your WiFi settings. If still nothing, press RST on the board and try again.

My WiFi password is correct but it won't connect

Double-check you've selected a 2.4GHz network — the display doesn't support 5GHz. Also check for any unusual characters in your password that might not have submitted correctly.

It's showing planes but from the wrong place

Your coordinates were entered incorrectly. Hold UP + DOWN for 3 seconds to re-enter setup, zoom right into your house on Google Maps, and long-press to get precise coordinates.

The display worked, then stopped

Check your home WiFi is working normally. If your router password changed, hold UP + DOWN for 3 seconds to re-enter setup and update your details.

Can I change what information appears on the display?

Yes. Hold UP + DOWN for 3 seconds to re-enter setup, then go to the "What to Display" section. You can turn on or off: Flight number, Route, Aircraft type, Altitude, Ground speed, and Distance. The airline name on line 1 is always shown.

Still need help?

WhatsApp Harry [email