Setup & Usage Guide

Everything you need to install DECT, connect to your Bolero system, and access it from any device on your network — or remotely.

Last updated: April 13, 2026

1. How DECT Works

DECT is a modern replacement for the built-in Bolero web UI. It consists of two parts: a lightweight launcher (the desktop app) and a web-based interface that opens in your browser.

Here's how it works: the DECT launcher runs a small local server on your computer that talks to your Bolero antenna. When you click "Open in Browser", the full interface opens in your default web browser. This means once DECT is running on one computer, any device on the same network can also open a browser and access the same interface.

    ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
    │                     YOUR LOCAL NETWORK                       │
    │                                                              │
    │   ┌─────────────┐         ┌───────────────────────────┐      │
    │   │   Bolero     │◄───────►│  Host Computer             │      │
    │   │   Antenna    │  REST   │                             │      │
    │   │  10.0.42.11  │  + WS   │  ┌───────────────────────┐ │      │
    │   └─────────────┘         │  │  DECT Launcher (app)   │ │      │
    │                            │  │  Starts local server   │ │      │
    │                            │  └───────────┬───────────┘ │      │
    │                            │              │              │      │
    │                            │  ┌───────────▼───────────┐ │      │
    │                            │  │  Local Server          │ │      │
    │                            │  │  (port 3001)           │ │      │
    │                            │  └───────────┬───────────┘ │      │
    │                            └──────────────┼──────────────┘      │
    │                                           │                     │
    │                            ┌──────────────┴──────────────┐      │
    │                            │  Web UI available at          │      │
    │                            │  http://<host-ip>:3001       │      │
    │                            └──────────────┬──────────────┘      │
    │                    ┌──────────────────────┼──────────┐          │
    │                    │                      │          │          │
    │               ┌────┴────┐          ┌──────┴──┐ ┌────┴────┐     │
    │               │ Browser │          │  iPad   │ │ iPhone  │     │
    │               │ (host)  │          │(Safari) │ │(Safari) │     │
    │               └─────────┘          └─────────┘ └─────────┘     │
    └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
      

2. Requirements

3. Installation

macOS

Windows

4. First Launch

When you open DECT, you'll see the launcher window — a compact control panel that manages the DECT server running on your computer.

The DECT launcher window

System tray

DECT lives in your system tray (menu bar on macOS, taskbar on Windows). You can close the launcher window and DECT will keep running in the background. Right-click the tray icon to:

• Show Launcher — reopen the launcher window
• Open in Browser — open the DECT interface
• Quit — fully stop DECT and the server

5. License Activation

The first time you open DECT in your browser, you'll see the license activation screen. You need to activate before you can use the interface.

The license activation screen in your browser

6. Connecting to Your Bolero System

After activation, you'll see the connection screen in your browser with a Bolero antenna IP field and a PIN pad.

Enter your Bolero antenna's IP address to connect

The DECT dashboard with beltpacks

Antenna management in the dashboard

7. Network Setup for Multi-Device Access

This is the most important section if you want to use DECT from your phone, tablet, or other computers. Read carefully.

Understanding the Bolero network

A Riedel Bolero system typically lives on its own isolated network. The antenna has an Ethernet port that connects to a switch or router. By default, this network might only have the antenna and maybe one computer on it.

To use DECT from multiple devices, you need those devices to be able to reach the host computer running DECT. There are two common scenarios:

Scenario A: Bolero is on your existing production network

If your Bolero antenna is already connected to the same network as your other devices (your Wi-Fi network, production LAN, etc.), then you're already set. Any device on that network can reach the DECT host.

http://<host-computer-ip>:3001

Scenario B: Bolero is on its own isolated network

Many productions run the Bolero system on a dedicated network that's separate from the venue's main Wi-Fi. In this case, your phones and tablets can't reach the DECT host because they're on a different network.

The solution: Add a Wi-Fi access point (router) to the Bolero network so wireless devices can join it.

    ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
    │                  BOLERO NETWORK (e.g., 10.0.42.x)         │
    │                                                            │
    │  ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────┐    ┌───────────────────┐     │
    │  │  Bolero   │    │  Host    │    │  Wi-Fi Access     │     │
    │  │  Antenna  │    │  PC      │    │  Point / Router   │     │
    │  │ 10.0.42.11│    │10.0.42.50│    │  10.0.42.1        │     │
    │  └──────────┘    └──────────┘    └────────┬──────────┘     │
    │                                           │  Wi-Fi         │
    │                               ┌───────────┼───────────┐    │
    │                               │           │           │    │
    │                          ┌────┴───┐  ┌────┴───┐  ┌────┴─┐  │
    │                          │ iPhone │  │  iPad  │  │ Any  │  │
    │                          │        │  │        │  │Device│  │
    │                          └────────┘  └────────┘  └──────┘  │
    └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
      

How to set up the Wi-Fi access point

8. Accessing DECT from Mobile Devices

Once you have network connectivity (either Scenario A or B above), accessing DECT from any device is simple:

http://<host-ip>:3001

Multiple users at once: Yes, multiple people can access the DECT interface simultaneously from different devices. All changes are reflected in real-time across all connected browsers thanks to WebSocket live updates.

9. Remote Access (Over the Internet)

In some cases, you may want to access your Bolero system remotely — from a different location, over the internet. This is possible, but requires careful consideration of security.

Option 1: VPN (Recommended)

A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between your remote device and your production network. It's as if your phone is plugged directly into the Bolero network, but over the internet. This is the safest option.

Popular VPN solutions:

• Tailscale — The easiest option. Install it on the host computer and your remote device. They'll be on the same virtual network instantly. Free for personal use (up to 3 users). No port forwarding, no firewall changes, no configuration needed.
• ZeroTier — Similar to Tailscale. Peer-to-peer mesh VPN. Free for up to 25 devices.
• WireGuard — Fast, modern VPN protocol. Requires more setup (you need to configure a WireGuard server on your network), but very lightweight and performant.

Using Tailscale (step-by-step)

http://<tailscale-ip>:3001

Option 2: Port Forwarding (Not Recommended)

If your network has a public IP address, you can configure your router to forward an external port to the DECT host. This makes DECT accessible from anywhere on the internet.

If you still want to proceed with port forwarding (we really don't recommend it):

1. Log into your network router's admin panel.
2. Find the Port Forwarding section (sometimes called "Virtual Servers" or "NAT").
3. Create a rule: forward an external port (e.g., 43001) to the DECT host's internal IP on port 3001.
4. Find your public IP address (Google "what is my IP").
5. Access DECT remotely at http://<your-public-ip>:43001.

If you must port-forward, at minimum:

• Use a non-standard port number (not 80, 443, or 3001).
• Restrict access by source IP if your router supports it.
• Consider putting a reverse proxy with HTTPS and authentication (like Cloudflare Tunnel or Nginx + Let's Encrypt) in front of it.
• Monitor your router logs for unauthorized access attempts.
• Change the Bolero admin PIN from the default 1234 to something strong.

Option 3: Cloudflare Tunnel

A middle ground between VPN and port forwarding. Cloudflare Tunnel creates an outbound-only encrypted connection from your host to Cloudflare's network. No ports need to be opened. You can add Cloudflare Access policies to restrict who can connect (e.g., only specific email addresses). Free tier available.

10. Account Management

Manage your license and downloads at dect.app/account.

What you can do

• View your licenses — see all your license keys, activation status, and which device they're on
• Download the app — get the latest version for macOS or Windows
• Transfer your license — deactivate from one device so you can activate on another
• Resend your license key — get your key emailed to you again

How to log in

11. Troubleshooting

"Server won't start" / launcher stays on "Starting..."

• Check if another application is using port 3001. Try changing the port in the launcher to something else (e.g., 3848).
• On macOS, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → App Management to ensure DECT has permission to run.
• Try quitting DECT completely (from the tray icon) and relaunching.

"Can't connect to antenna"

• Verify the antenna IP is correct. Check the antenna's display or your router's DHCP leases.
• Make sure the host computer is on the same network/subnet as the antenna.
• Try pinging the antenna: open Terminal (macOS) or Command Prompt (Windows) and run ping <antenna-ip>.
• Check if a firewall on the host computer is blocking outbound connections.
• Try accessing the original Bolero UI at http://<antenna-ip> in a browser to confirm the antenna is reachable.

"Can't access DECT from my phone"

• Make sure the DECT launcher is running on the host computer (check the system tray). If you quit the app, the server stops.
• Confirm your phone is on the same network as the host computer.
• Check that the launcher's network interface is set to All Interfaces (not Localhost). If set to Localhost, only the host computer can access the interface.
• Double-check the host IP and port (:3001).
• Try typing the full URL including http:// — some browsers default to HTTPS which won't work.
• Check if the host computer's firewall is blocking incoming connections on port 3001. On macOS, go to System Settings → Network → Firewall and ensure DECT is allowed. On Windows, check Windows Defender Firewall → Allow an app.

"License activation failed"

• Make sure you're connected to the internet (license validation requires a one-time online check).
• Verify you're using the exact email address from your purchase.
• Copy-paste the license key to avoid typos. It should be in the format DECT-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
• If you recently transferred your license to this device, wait a few seconds and try again.
• Contact support@silo.center if the issue persists.

"Dashboard loads but shows no beltpacks"

• Make sure your Bolero beltpacks are powered on and registered to the antenna.
• Check the Beltpacks section — it may be collapsed. Click the section header to expand it.
• Verify the antenna has beltpacks registered by accessing the original Bolero UI at http://<antenna-ip>.

"Changes aren't saving"

• After editing a beltpack or profile, make sure to click the Apply button. Changes aren't sent to the antenna until you apply them.
• Check for any error banners at the bottom of the screen — they'll tell you if the antenna rejected the change.
• Verify you're logged in with admin privileges (4-digit PIN), not service mode.

"Browser shows 'connection refused' after reboot"

• The DECT launcher needs to be running for the browser interface to work. Launch the DECT app and wait for the server status to turn green.
• If you bookmarked the URL, make sure the port hasn't changed.