Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit Setup Guide – Assembly, OS, and Remote Access

Introduction

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ shares the same footprint as the Pi 3 Model B and the Pi 2 Model B. This guide uses images of the Pi 3 Model B, but all steps apply unchanged to the B+.

With the latest Pi 3 hardware, the process to get your device running is identical to the Pi 2, only newer software and hardware features are available. Follow the steps below to assemble the kit, install the operating system, and configure your Pi for desktop or headless use.

Raspberry Pi 3 Starter Kit

Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Starter Kit

What You’ll Cover

• Kit Assembly
• Operating System Installation
• Working with the Pi (HDMI, serial, SSH)
• System Configuration
• GPIO Resources

Materials Needed

To get started, you’ll need a monitor, USB mouse, and keyboard. Once the Pi is configured, you can operate it headlessly over SSH or Telnet.

For desktop use:

• Pi 3 Starter Kit (or Pi 3/2 Accessory Kit with a separate Pi)
• USB mouse
• USB keyboard
• HDMI monitor/TV or VGA adapter

For headless operation:

• Pi 3 Starter Kit (or Pi 3/2 Accessory Kit with a separate Pi)
• Second computer on the same network
• SSH client (e.g., PuTTY)

Ensure an active internet connection – the Pi will need to download updates and, if using Wi‑Fi, will use the onboard antenna.

Assembly

The Pi’s assembly is straightforward. Follow these steps to avoid common pitfalls:

1. Insert the Pi into the case base. Snap the board firmly into the recessed area and verify it sits evenly around the perimeter.
2. Insert the microSD card. The card should be flush with the case’s side; the Pi 3 slot has no spring, so check the edge against the label.
3. Attach the HDMI cable. Connect to your monitor and power it on.
4. Connect the USB mouse and keyboard. Use wired devices; some wireless keyboards can fail to enumerate properly during the first boot.
5. Connect the power supply. Use the included 5.24 V, 2.4 A adapter – the Pi will not run reliably from a USB port.

Optional: If you plan to use the serial console, connect the FTDI adapter to the Pi’s GPIO via the ribbon cable. Follow the pin‑1 orientation marked by the red stripe on the cable.

Getting an OS

The kit ships with a 16 GB microSD card pre‑loaded with the Noobs installer (v1.9.0). If you need a fresh copy:

1. Download the latest Noobs image from Raspberry Pi Foundation.
2. Format the microSD card with FAT32.
3. Extract the ZIP contents directly onto the formatted card.

Boot the Pi; a splash screen indicates power delivery. Noobs will prompt you to install Raspbian. Select the OS, choose your language and keyboard layout, and let the installer finish. The default login is pi / raspberry.

Initial System Upgrade

After the first boot and an internet connection, update all packages to avoid potential bugs:

sudo apt‑get update
sudo apt‑get upgrade -y
sudo shutdown -r now

Methods of Working with the Pi

Choose the method that best fits your workflow:

• HDMI Desktop – use the Pi as a full desktop computer.
• Serial Console – lightweight, but the current Raspbian release has known issues.
• SSH – secure network access from any computer on the same LAN.

HDMI Desktop

Noobs automatically logs in and launches the desktop. If you boot into the shell, type startx to launch the GUI. Use Ctrl‑Alt‑F1–F7 to switch between virtual terminals; F7 typically hosts the graphical session.

Shutdown cleanly with the menu item or sudo shutdown -h now before disconnecting power.

Serial Console

Connect the FTDI adapter via USB and configure your terminal for:

• Baud: 72000
• Data bits: 8
• Parity: None
• Stop bits: 1
• Flow control: None

Note: this mode is experimental and may be unstable with newer Raspbian builds.

SSH

After an initial setup with a monitor, discover the Pi’s IP address using ifconfig or by hovering over the network icon. Typical output looks like:

eth0      inet addr:192.168.1.101  Bcast:192.168.1.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
wlan0     inet addr:10.0.0.5      Bcast:10.0.0.255      Mask:255.255.255.0

Launch PuTTY (or any SSH client) and connect to the appropriate IP. The experience is identical to the serial console but with a color terminal.

Configuring the Pi

Keyboard Layout

Raspbian defaults to a European layout. To switch to US keys, run sudo raspi-config and navigate:

1. Internationalisation Options → Change Locale → deselect en_GB.UTF‑8 → select en_US.UTF‑8 → set as default.
2. Keyboard Layout → Generic 105‑key (Intl) PC → Other → English (US) → Default.

Reboot if needed, then verify the " and # keys work correctly.

Internet Configuration

Raspbian automatically configures DHCP for both Ethernet and Wi‑Fi. To set a static IP:

1. Click the network icon on the taskbar.
2. Select “Wi‑Fi Networks (dhcpcdui) Settings”.
3. Choose the interface (eth0 or wlan0) and disable DHCP.
4. Enter your desired static IP, netmask, gateway, and DNS.

For Wi‑Fi, simply click the icon, choose the network, and enter the password. Hovering over the icon displays current IP addresses.

GPIO Resources

Explore the Pi’s GPIO pins using official libraries such as RPi.GPIO or gpiozero. Refer to the Raspberry Pi GPIO documentation for detailed pinouts and best practices.

Enjoy building projects with your Raspberry Pi 3 starter kit!