Beacon Configuration and Installation

Beacon Configuration and Installation

Note: This article only applies to Relay accounts with our Indoor Location Service (i.e. Pro Plan with Indoor Location)

Overview

Relay's bluetooth beacons are designed specifically to work with your Relays in order to provide indoor location information for your day-to-day operations and during emergency incidents. Installing your bluetooth beacons is required before your Relay system will be able to report any indoor location information and be ready to function as your panic solution.

Configure Your Building in Dash

Each building you have will require a unique building configuration within Dash.
  1. Create a spreadsheet with four columns with the following heading in this order: Floor, Room, MAC, Access Point
    1. Notes:
      1. For simplicity and to ensure proper formatting of your file - use this template
      2. The MAC and Access Point columns will be left blank except for the column header
  2. Outline all rooms and/or locations where the beacons will be installed and fill in the Floor and Room columns on the spreadsheet accordingly
  3. Once the spreadsheet has been completely filled out, save it as a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file format and include your building name in the file name
  4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 until all buildings have unique files completed
  5. Log into Dash www.dash.relaypro.com
  6. Select Locations > Building Admin
  7. Select Create Building and give your building a name
  8. Select the building, then click Import CSV
  9. Select Choose File and upload the respective CSV file you created for the building
  10. Click Submit
  11. You will see a preview of what will be created in Dash, click Confirm Rooms
    1. Note: The system will take a few moments to process all of the information
  12. If you have multiple buildings, repeat steps 7 through 11 until all files have been uploaded to each building

Download the Relay App on Your Phone

You’ll need to download the Relay app for iOS or Android on your phone in order to configure and test beacon placement. Use one of the following links, or search for “Relay for Frontline Teams” in your phone’s app store.
  1. Relay App for iOS
  2. Relay App for Android
The app you download should look like this:


Once downloaded, sign into the app with your Relay account email and password.
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Prepare Bluetooth Beacons

The first installation step is to prepare all beacons to be installed. Beacons will be packaged in unlabeled boxes.
  1. Remove each beacon from it’s shipping box
    1. Note: there is double-sided tape and screws included for each beacon. Set these items aside for the time being as they will be used during the installation process. Do not apply the tape or attempt to install screws at this stage.
  2. Open each beacon by gently squeezing each end and pulling it apart, or by inserting a small card into one of the slots on either end
  3. Find and remove the yellow battery tab inside the beacon

  4. Ensure both batteries are properly seated in the beacon - you may notice a faint blue light illuminate, this is normal and indicates the batteries are installed correctly and the beacon has power.
  5. Close the beacon back up and set it aside
  6. Repeat this process for all beacons
Once all beacons have been prepared by following the above steps, they are ready to be installed.

Initial Testing

The first phase of the installation will consist of installing beacons in 5 guest rooms. This process is critical to verifying beacon placement and reporting accuracy. 

First, identify a test room; in our example this will be room 303. Your process will be to install a beacon in room 303, the two adjacent rooms (301 and 305), and the rooms above (403) and below (203) your testing room (303). See the illustration below.



Configure Testing Beacons

  1. To install the beacons, open the Relay app and login
  2. Tap Account along the bottom menu bar
  3. Tap Manage Buildings
  4. Tap the Building Name
  5. Tap the floor you’re on
  6. Tap the room you’re installing a beacon in
  7. Tap Add Beacon under the room
  8. If prompted, allow the app access to your camera for the purpose of scanning the beacon’s QR code (this will only be required once)
  9. Scan a beacon’s QR code
    1. Note: Every beacon's QR code will need to be scanned prior to placement
  1. Confirm the room you are assigning the beacon to and tap Add Beacon
  2. The app will do a verification to ensure the beacon is active. If presented with an error, follow the on-screen instructions.
  3. Place the beacon in its installation location, but do not permanently affix the beacon until after you’ve concluded the test.
  4. In the app, repeat the steps above for configuring beacons and add beacons to the two adjacent rooms and place them accordingly
  5. Configure and place beacons in the rooms directly above and below your testing room
  6. Once the 5 beacons have been assigned and placed in their respective rooms, you’re ready to perform a test

Test Beacon Placement

To perform the placement test, you’ll need your phone with the Relay app open, and a Relay. If the Relay is not powered on and showing 3 white LEDs on its face, press and hold the plus (+) button for 5 seconds. Once powered on, quickly press and release the small raised button in between the plus (+) and minus (-) button. The Relay should announce its name (i.e. Device 3, etc.).
  1. Walk into your central test room (i.e. Room 303 from our example)
  2. Open the Relay app and tap Location on the bottom of the screen
  3. Find the Relay that you have in the list of devices on the screen
  4. Ensure the location reports the correct room
    1. Note: it could take up to 60 seconds for the location to report
  5. Move to different positions in the room (near the exterior wall, in the bathroom, near the door) and wait 30 seconds to see if the location bounces to an adjacent room. Single bounces are acceptable, but the location should not linger in the wrong room for more than 30 seconds and bounces out of the correct room should not be happening consistently.

If your test was successful: permanently affix the 5 beacons you configured with either the provided double-sided tape or screws and continue to the “Install Remaining Beacons” section below. If your test fails, see “In case of test failure” below.

In case of test failure: If you consistently receive a different location or no location at all in specific parts of the room, move the beacons closer towards that area. For an accurate test, you must move each beacon to the same spot in the adjacent rooms as well. Once all beacons have been moved, test again using the location screen.

  • For example, if the bathroom fails to pick up the room location, move the beacon closer to the bathroom, such as on an interior wall.

Install Remaining Beacons

Follow the installation instructions to configure additional floors, rooms, and assign all beacons throughout the property. Once all beacons are installed, repeat the steps above to test in at least one room on each floor and at least 10% of the overall rooms in the hotel.


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