Install your Layer400 receiver

Before you start

You need a Raspberry Pi connected to the internet, a browser on the same local network and the hardware for the broadcasts you want to receive. Keep existing aircraft feeders running.

Check supported hardware and operating systems before installing. You don’t have to choose between aircraft data and Remote ID permanently—you can add supported equipment later.

Prepare the Pi

Connect reliable power and your network. Plug a dedicated Remote ID Wi-Fi adapter into the Pi if you’re using one. Don’t use the Wi-Fi adapter that provides your internet connection as the capture radio.

For aircraft data, you can use a dedicated USB ADS-B receiver or share an existing decoder locally or over your LAN. See the existing-feed guide.

Run the installer

Open Terminal on the Pi, or connect to it using SSH. Copy this command, paste it and press Enter.

curl -fsSL https://layer400.com/install | sudo bash

If asked, enter your Pi password. It is normal for the terminal not to display the characters. Keep power and internet connected until the installer finishes.

The installer checks compatibility and the signed release before installing. When it finishes, it prints the receiver’s local setup address. Open that address in a browser on the same network.

Create the setup file

1. Open receiver setup and sign in or create your Layer400 account.
2. Continue to Location. Use Find location or move the map to your site, then place the pin at the receiver antenna.
3. Choose a friendly receiver name and confirm the installation position.
4. Download the .layer400pi setup file. Keep it private; it connects the receiver to your account.

You choose the location once. The Pi uses the installation from this file; you don’t need to copy latitude and longitude into a second form.

Check the hardware

Return to the Pi’s local page and import the setup file. Check the detected radios, then make an explicit aircraft-data choice:

• Not now if you are not connecting ADS-B yet.
• Dedicated USB receiver for a separate ADS-B SDR.
• Existing local feed for a decoder on this Pi.
• Network feed for a decoder on another device on your LAN.

Use the option names shown by your installed version. Bluetooth detection alone does not mean Bluetooth capture is supported.

Connect the receiver

Review the receiver name, position and hardware. Supply the real antenna mounting height when asked. The ground-elevation estimate and the antenna’s height above ground are different measurements.

Confirm you are authorised to operate the receiver and select Connect my receiver. Let the page finish; don’t create another station while it is connecting. Keep your local receiver password separate from your Layer400 account password.

Check the result

On the Pi, check the connection and hardware states. When a supported broadcast is received, check reception and upload acceptance separately. Then use Verify on the website to confirm the receiver connection.

A quiet radio is not proof of a fault, and a connection badge alone is not proof that an aircraft report reached the platform. Read the receiver results guide.

Keep it running

Use Receiver settings to change supported hardware or ADS-B feeds later. Use Updates for signed online or local-file updates. Keep the Pi powered on during installation.

Update instructions · Antenna placement

If something gets stuck

Start with the exact error rather than reinstalling. For an expired setup file, return to your account and download a fresh one. For an expired local login, sign in again on the Pi. For missing hardware, check the device and its connection before changing the account.

To find the setup address again, run:

sudo layer400 setup

Open the step-by-step troubleshooting guide.