📦 LobstaBox
Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions for LobstaBox.

No LED / No Sign of Life

  • Check the power supply. The Pi 5 needs a 27W (5V/5A) supply. Lower-rated supplies may not boot.
  • Check the USB-C connection. On the Argon ONE V3, plug into the case's rear USB-C port, not the Pi's native port.
  • Check the microSD card. Remove and re-insert it. Ensure the gold contacts face the board.
  • Try a different power supply. Some USB-C cables don't support the required current.

WiFi Network "LobstaBox-XXXX" Not Appearing

  • Wait 60 seconds after power-on. The AP starts after the boot sequence completes.
  • Ensure the microSD has LobstaOS. A blank or incorrectly flashed card won't create the AP.
  • Power cycle — unplug, wait 10 seconds, plug back in.
  • Check LED color:
    • Amber = still booting (wait)
    • Blue pulsing = AP should be active (scan again)
    • Green = setup already completed (connect to your home network instead)

Captive Portal Doesn't Auto-Open

  • Navigate manually to http://192.168.4.1
  • Try https://192.168.4.1 (accept the self-signed certificate warning)
  • Try http://lobstabox.local
  • Some browsers block captive portals — try a different browser

WiFi Connection Fails During Setup

  • Double-check your WiFi password.
  • The Pi 5 supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (802.11ac).
  • Move the LobstaBox closer to your router.
  • If your network has MAC filtering, add the Pi's MAC address first.

API Key Rejected

  • Verify your key at console.anthropic.com (opens in a new tab).
  • Ensure the key starts with sk-.
  • Check that the key has the necessary permissions.
  • If you get a "rate limited" response, that actually means the key is valid.

Setup Completed But Can't Access LobstaBox

After setup, the LobstaBox connects to your home WiFi and the setup AP is disabled.

  • Try: http://lobstabox.local (requires mDNS support)
  • Find the IP address from your router's admin page
  • If using Ethernet, check your router for the wired connection IP

Case Won't Close / Bulging

  • Ensure the daughter board is fully seated on the GPIO header.
  • Check that no cables are trapped between the case halves.
  • Thermal pads that are too thick can cause this — trim if needed.

Overheating / Thermal Throttling

  • Verify thermal pad contact — reopen the case and check alignment on the SoC.
  • Ensure the fan cable is connected.
  • Check temperature via the Lobsta web interface (system metrics).
  • The fan should spin up automatically above 55°C.

LED Stuck on Red (Error)

  1. Connect to http://lobstabox.local to check error details.
  2. If you can't access the web interface, connect via SSH: 
    ssh lobsta@lobstabox.local
docker logs lobsta
  3. Common causes:
    • Invalid API key — reconfigure via the web interface
    • Network connectivity lost — check WiFi connection
    • Docker container crashed — restart via web interface or docker restart lobsta

Factory Reset

To reset the LobstaBox to its initial setup state:

  1. Connect via SSH: ssh lobsta@lobstabox.local
  2. Run: 
    sudo rm /etc/lobstabox/.setup_complete
sudo rm /etc/lobstabox/config.json
sudo reboot
  3. The LobstaBox will boot into setup mode (pulsing blue LED) and broadcast the setup WiFi network again.

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