Bark Home "Not detected" or "MAC is invalid" error during setup

1. Connect one end of the power cord to the Bark Home and the other end to the wall outlet. 
   
   💡 Pro tip: Test the outlet has power by plugging in something like a lamp or phone charger.
2. Connect one end of the ethernet cord to the LAN 1 port on your router and the other end to the Bark Home. It will make a "click" sound when properly connected.
   
   💡 Pro tip: Avoid plugging Bark Home into a network extender or a network switch.
3. Wait a few minutes.
4. On a device connected to your home Wi-Fi, such as a computer, open a web browser and head to http://detect.network.
5. You should see "Welcome to Bark Home" after a little while.
6. If you get the same "Not detected" error (or a blank page), move on down to the next step.

During this initial setup, avoid connecting to a different network, "guest" network, or a mobile hotspot.

For example, if your router generates a Wi-Fi network called "CenturyLink7002," make sure that the device you are using to activate the Bark Home is also connected to "CenturyLink7002."

1. Double check you're on the right network by opening your Wi-Fi settings and looking at the network name. 
   
2. Then, open up a browser on that device and head to http://detect.network to see if it's working.
3. You should see "Welcome to Bark Home" after a little while.
4. If you get the same "Not detected" error (or a blank page), move on down to the next step.

The VPN can get in the way of Bark Home's initial setup. 

1. Open up the ⚙ Settings app on your device.
2. Turn off the VPN.
3. Then, open up a browser and head to http://detect.network to see if it's working.
4. You should see "Welcome to Bark Home" after a little while.
5. If you get the same "Not detected" error (or a blank page), move on down to the next step.

1. If you haven't already, click on the Connect Manually button in the Not detected error page. 
   
2. Locate the MAC address on the bottom of your Bark Home and enter it in here. In the example below, we're being asked to only enter in the last 2 digits of the MAC address.
   
3. Click Continue. You should see "Welcome to Bark Home" after a little while.
4. If you get the a "Not detected" or "MAC is invalid" error, move on down to the next step.

This option is present in most browsers. 

1. If you're using Chrome, open an incognito window by selecting the ⋮ menu on the top right.
2. Click on New Incognito Window.
3. Then, head to http://detect.network to see if it's working.
4. You should see "Welcome to Bark Home" after a little while.
5. If you get the same "Not detected" error (or a blank page), let's see if your Chrome browser has Guest Mode:
   • Select the ⋮ menu on the top right.
   • Hover over your currently logged in profile.
   • Click Open Guest Profile.
     
   • Then, head to http://detect.network to see if it's working.
   • You should see "Welcome to Bark Home" after a little while.
   • If you get the same "Not detected" error (or a blank page), move on down to the next step.

Let's switch things up by using a different device than what you'd already been using. For example, if you were trying the initial setup from your iPhone, let's try the initial setup from your home computer.

1. On the new device, verify you're connected to your home Wi-Fi network.
2. Disconnect from any VPNs.
3. Open up a web browser.
4. Then, open a private or incognito window in your browser.
5. Head to http://detect.network to see if it's working.
6. You should see "Welcome to Bark Home" after a little while.
7. If you get the same "Not detected" error (or a blank page), move on down to the next step.

These types of devices can sometimes impact the Bark Home's initial setup. After we get through the initial setup, we'll turn them on again.

1. Unplug any extra networking devices that aren't your router, like network extenders and satellite mesh units.
2. Keep your router plugged in and online.
3. Unplug the Bark Home from all ports, wait 30 seconds, and plug it in again.
4. Wait a few minutes for the Bark Home's LED lights to reflect it's "Ready for setup."
5. On a device connected to your home Wi-Fi, such as a computer, open a web browser and head to http://detect.network to see if it's working.
6. You should see "Welcome to Bark Home" after a little while.
7. If you get the same "Not detected" error (or a blank page), move on down to the next step.

Most routers come with a security system commonly called a firewall. A router's firewall tries to make sure that the traffic going through your home network is safe. Due to the technology Bark Home uses, some firewall settings may prevent the Bark Home from getting set up.

Get to your router settings

1. Find your router's IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.1). Look for it on a label on the top, bottom, or sides of the router.
2. If you don't find it that way, try searching for it online: type out your router model + router settings to find where you log in to your router settings.
3. Type in the IP address (or site) into a computer browser like Chrome or Safari.
4. This should load a page that asks you to log into your router. Below is an example:
   
5. Log into your router. Sometimes, you can find your login info on a label on the top, bottom, or sides of your router.
   
   💡 Pro tip: If you forgot your router login info, the most common username is "admin" and the password is either blank, "admin", or "password." 

Adjust your router settings

Once you've logged into your router, let's check settings that could be impacting the Bark Home's activation.

1. Unplug the Bark Home from both the router and power source.
2. Some routers have specific settings adjustments needed for Bark Home to get set up. Visit this page to see if your router is listed with specific setting requirements.
3. If your router is not listed, let's compare the following settings to what you see on your router settings page. Remember, not all settings may match exactly, and that's okay!
   
   • Firewall: We recommend keeping the firewall on but adjusting the slider to Medium or Low instead of High.
   • ARP Spoofing: Depending on how it's worded on your router, you may need to change this setting to the opposite of its current state. For instance, on Calix routers, you will enable ARP spoofing to activate the Bark Home device.
   • NAT Acceleration (also known as "Express Forwarding"): If your router supports NAT acceleration and you still can't set up Bark Home, let's try turning this off. Check your router's knowledge base for instructions on how to disable this feature. You can also refer to this list of known routers that require NAT Acceleration to be disabled.
   • Access Control or Parental Controls: Check if Access Control or Parental Control features are enabled on your router and disable them.
4. Once you've checked those and made any adjustments, plug in the Bark Home.
5. Wait a few minutes for the Bark Home's LED lights to reflect it's "Ready for setup."
6. On a device connected to your home Wi-Fi, such as a computer, open a web browser and head to http://detect.network to see if it's working.
7. You should see "Welcome to Bark Home" after a little while.
8. If you get the same "Not detected" error (or a blank page), let's just double check you're not using a mesh network. Learn more below:

If you have a mesh network in your home, it consists of multiple routers strategically placed throughout your space. If you're unsure if you have a mesh network, search your router model online to verify.

To set up the Bark Home on a mesh network, follow these steps:

1. Unplug the Bark Home from all ports.
2. Identify your main router. It is the router connected to your internet source, like the box provided by your internet company (for example, Xfinity).
3. Unplug all other routers, while leaving the main router plugged in and connected to the internet.
4. Wait a few minutes.
5. Plug in the Bark Home to the main router.
6. Wait a few more minutes for the Bark Home's LED lights to reflect it's "Ready for setup."
7. Check if any of your Wi-Fi-connected devices, such as a computer, can successfully load bark.us on a web browser.
   
   • ✅ If you can load bark.us: That's a great sign! Visit http://detect.network again for the initial setup.
   • ❌ If you can't load bark.us: We're sorry to hear that. Reference the LED lights of the Bark Home. Then, reach out to us with that LED light information, your router model, and a description of the issue. We'll be glad to assist you!

This may mean you have a combination of networking devices in your home (like multiple routers, network extenders, network switches, or other network utility devices). If you think your home network may meet this criteria, review this guide for potential adjustments and other information:

Integrating your Bark Home into existing networks