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Welcome to Telemetry Insights. This guide covers both the Water Buddi and Drip Defender products, it explains what you received, the key differences between the two, introduces the terms you'll see throughout our guides, and walks you through the setup sequence in the right order.
If you already know the basics, skip ahead to the guide for the step you're on.
Your package contains one or more devices. Depending on what you ordered, you may have Water Buddi, Drip Defender, or both. Both products use the same hardware, the same app, and the same account, and both follow the same setup process.
Water Buddi eliminates irrigation scheduling entirely. Instead of running on fixed timers, each night the TI cloud AI analyzes the next day's weather forecast alongside soil moisture and environmental conditions, then adjusts watering thresholds so every decision the following day is already optimized before it happens. You set it up once; the AI handles everything from that point forward. Multiple devices are deployed to provide watering coverage for the application, with placement and sensor depth determined by the crop type and zone layout.
What it monitors: soil moisture, air temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure at each device location.
Drip Defender protects your foundation by monitoring soil moisture around your perimeter 24/7. The TI cloud AI tracks moisture trends, detects dangerous conditions, soil drying too fast, over-saturation after heavy rain, before structural damage starts, and triggers automated irrigation response to correct the moisture balance.
What it monitors: soil moisture and temperature around the foundation perimeter, air temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure at each device location.
| Water Buddi | Drip Defender | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Automate irrigation decisions | Protect foundation from moisture damage |
| Where sensors go | Device irrigation areas | Foundation perimeter |
| Primary output | AI-driven watering events | Alerts (Critical / Major / Warning) + corrective irrigation response |
| Problem it solves | Wasted water, manual scheduling | Foundation settlement, structural damage |
Coming soon, Building Buddi: A third product for structural and environmental monitoring of commercial buildings. It will appear in the same app on the same account.
Provisioning, Introducing your device to the local WiFi network so it can reach the internet and connect to the TI platform. You power the device on, use your phone to tell it which local network to connect to and set a 6-digit PIN, and it goes online on its own from that point forward. Provision using the same local WiFi network the device will use permanently in the field, if you use a different network, you will need to repeat this step on-site. You only do this once per device per local WiFi location.
Device name, A unique identifier assigned during manufacturing. It looks like Buddi-A1B2C3. It appears on the LCD screen once the device is online. Write it down, you need it to link the device to your account.
Device PIN, A 6-digit number you choose during provisioning. Write it down, if you forget it you'll need to re-provision the device.
Account, Your Telemetry Insights account. One account can have multiple users, multiple locations, and multiple devices. You create it once and everything lives under it. Users on the account are assigned a role: Admin users can configure devices, manage subscriptions, add locations, and make changes across the account. Read-only users can view data and alerts but cannot make any configuration changes.
Subscription, The active monitoring plan that enables a device. Without one, a device is linked to your account but data, alerts, and configuration are not accessible. A device's subscription slot is independent of which location it is assigned to. Plans are billed monthly, yearly, or on a 3-year cycle.
Device label, A friendly name you give a device, like "Front Yard" or "Main Valve". Unlike the device name (hardware-assigned), the label is yours to set and change.
Location, A named place within your account, a property, zone, or site. You can have as many as you need under one account. A device's subscription is managed independently of its location.
Getting from box to live monitoring takes 30–60 minutes depending on your installation. The exact sequence depends on how you came to the platform.
| Step | What you do | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Create your account | Created at checkout before your order is placed | Creating Your Account → |
| 2. Install the app | Install on your phone, tablet, or computer | Installing the App → |
| 3. Provision your device(s) | When your devices arrive, connect each one to the local WiFi network at the installation site | Setting Up Your Device → |
| 4. Add your device(s) | Link provisioned devices to your account and activate your subscription | Adding Devices → |
| 5. Install in the field | Mount devices, wire sensors and solenoids at their permanent locations | Water Buddi → · Drip Defender → |
Work through your devices one at a time. Provision a device, add it to your account, assign it to a location, then move on to the next.
Important: You cannot create an account in the app without a device. Provisioning generates the device name and PIN that the account creation wizard requires. Complete step 2 before attempting step 3.
| Step | What you do | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Provision your first device | Connect it to the local WiFi network at the installation site | Setting Up Your Device → |
| 2. Install the app | Install on your phone, tablet, or computer | Installing the App → |
| 3. Create your account | The in-app wizard uses your device's name and PIN to create your account and link your first device in one flow | Creating Your Account → |
| 4. Add locations | If you have multiple zones or properties, set up named locations now | Creating Your Account → |
| 5. Add remaining devices one at a time | For each additional device: provision it, add it in the app, assign it to a location | Adding Devices → |
| 6. Install in the field | Mount devices, wire sensors and solenoids at their permanent locations | Water Buddi → · Drip Defender → |
Why one device at a time? Each device generates a name and PIN during provisioning. Adding them one at a time lets you link and label each device immediately while the details are in front of you, rather than tracking all of them at once.
You can complete WiFi provisioning at home or in the office using USB-C power, then carry the device to the field for installation. This saves time on-site and avoids the need for a temporary power source at the installation location.
Important: The WiFi network you provision must be the same network available at the field location. If the networks differ, you will need to re-provision on-site. A simple workaround is to temporarily change your home or office WiFi SSID and password to match the field network before provisioning — the device will then connect automatically when it arrives at the field location with no re-provisioning required. Restore your original credentials afterward.
Re-provisioning does not affect your account. Once a device is linked, changing its WiFi credentials does not unlink it.
Document each device as you go. For every device, record the following before moving on to the next:
| What to record | Example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Device name | Buddi-A1B2C3 | Required to add the device to your account |
| Device PIN | 482910 | Required to verify ownership when adding |
| Label | North Wall Center | How you identify the device in the app and alerts |
| Physical location | NW corner valve box, 6 ft from garage | Tells you exactly where to go if an alert fires |
| Role | WiFi (default) or Hub | Track which devices are configured as Hubs for range extension |
For large deployments, keeping this as a simple spreadsheet lets you configure, control, and troubleshoot any device by its label without having to physically locate it first.
If you forget which label belongs to which physical location, go to the device and look at the LCD display. If the display is off, press the Mode button to wake it. The device name (Buddi-XXXXXX) is shown on the display. Use that name to look up the label and location in your records.
Every device defaults to WiFi mode when provisioned. It connects directly to the local WiFi network and communicates with the TI platform over that connection. No additional configuration is needed for devices with adequate WiFi signal.
If a device cannot reach the WiFi access point (weak signal at its perimeter location), it will automatically attempt to connect via LoRa long-range radio, cycle back to try WiFi again, and fall back to provisioning mode if no connection is established. The device keeps cycling until it connects.
The solution for devices out of WiFi range is to configure one or more nearby devices that have good WiFi signal as Hub role in the device settings. A Hub stays connected to the platform over WiFi and simultaneously acts as a LoRa gateway, extending wireless coverage up to 1/2 to 1 mile into areas where WiFi does not reach. Devices that connect through a Hub automatically operate in Node role, using LoRa for all communication.
| Role | How it connects | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| WiFi (default) | Direct WiFi to TI platform | Device has adequate WiFi signal at its location |
| Hub | WiFi to platform + LoRa gateway for Nodes | Device has WiFi; one or more nearby devices do not |
| Node | LoRa to a Hub, Hub to platform | Device is out of WiFi range; a Hub is within LoRa range |
Configure Hub role in the device settings inside the app. One Hub supports a maximum of 20 Node devices, but for reliable performance it is recommended to keep no more than 5 to 10 Nodes per Hub.
Important: Node role has limitations. LoRa is a low-power, packet-based long-range radio protocol. Think of it as a slow, periodic signal rather than a continuous connection. Node devices send and receive data in small batches at intervals, which works well for soil readings and valve commands, but does not support the full range of platform services available to WiFi-connected devices. Specifically, automatic firmware updates and centralized support features such as remote log retrieval are not available over LoRa. To update firmware on a Node device, temporarily move it within range of the same local WiFi network it was provisioned with and reboot it. The device will detect that WiFi signal, connect, and apply the update automatically. Once moved back to its field location, it will reconnect to the Hub via LoRa and resume normal operation.