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Wifi setup

By @bu2d
    2021-04-18 15:50:38.748Z

    How do I setup the hobbyist kit to use wifi instead of ethernet? Ran out of room on my switch.

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    1. Tinypilot Pro update fails
    • 9 replies
    1. Michael Lynch @michael2021-04-19 21:06:02.092Z

      First ssh in to your device and follow these steps:

      1. run sudo raspi-config
      2. Choose "1 System Options"
      3. Choose "S1 Wireless LAN"
      4. Enter your wireless SSID when prompted.
      5. Enter your wireless password when prompted.
      6. Select "5 Localisation Options"
      7. Select "L4 WLAN Country"
      8. Select your country from the list
      9. Select "Finish" to save the settings.
      10. When prompted to reboot, select "Yes"

      When you reboot, if you type ifconfig, you should see the wireless connection listed under wlan0.

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      1. JJason @jasonnet
          2021-11-02 01:11:16.472Z

          I'm doing the initial set up of the TinyPilot with wifi instead of ethernet. These steps are not working for me. When complete ifconfig lists, eth0, lo, and wlan0. Interestingly, the wlan0 one does mention "ether"

          wlan0: flags=4099<UP,BROADCAST<MULTICAST>  mtu 1500
        ether e4:5f:....9b  txqueuelen 1000 (Ethernet)
        RX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0B)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 0  bytes 0 (0.0 B)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

          I think the only caveat in what I've done is that I've not previously connected to ethernet because I don't have ethernet near any of the computers I'm testing. Instead I connected a monitor and keyboard to the R.Pi and was hoping to get started via wifi instead of ethernet.

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          1. Michael Lynch @michael2021-11-03 13:39:01.781Z

            Thanks for reporting this!

            Interestingly, the wlan0 one does mention "ether"

            That's normal. The Pi's wlan0 section always includes that.

            I think the only caveat in what I've done is that I've not previously connected to ethernet because I don't have ethernet near any of the computers I'm testing. Instead I connected a monitor and keyboard to the R.Pi and was hoping to get started via wifi instead of ethernet.

            Is it possible that your WiFi SSID or password are incorrect? The behavior you're seeing matches what happens when you configure WiFi settings but the Pi fails to connect because the configuration is incorrect.

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            1. JJason @jasonnet
                2021-11-03 20:31:41.199Z

                Thanks Michael.

                I did test to see if behavior would improve if the R.Pi was closer to the router and indeed that resolved the wi-fi problem

                Unfortunately my target equipment can't be there. I am now assuming that the R.Pi is not as capable as my other equipment at picking up a weak wifi signal and that my computers are simply in a zone where they can connect to the wi-fi but the R.Pi can not.

                Thanks again for your support.

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                1. Michael Lynch @michael2021-11-03 21:58:27.876Z

                  Oh, glad we figured out the problem.

                  You could also try purchasing a USB wifi adapter. You might have better reception using a WiFi adapter with an external antenna like this one or this one.

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                  1. O@Olujohn
                      2023-12-05 19:42:45.259Z

                      @michael

                      Would you know if TinyPilot supports 5GHz wireless?

                      Reply
                      1. CCharles Hague @cghague2023-12-05 20:09:41.297Z

                        Hi @Olujohn, thanks for reaching out with your question. I can confirm that the TinyPilot Voyager 2a supports 5Ghz 802.11ac WiFi. You can follow our guide on connecting to a WiFi network to get started, although we'd recommend using a wired connection where possible to ensure a stable connection.

                        Reply
            2. A
              In reply tobu2d⬆:
              ASaxena @asaxena
                2024-01-22 01:25:44.150Z

                Can you create a tutorial on how to connect to a hotel's wifi!
                Generally they have a captive portal, so a simple username and password combination won't work there.... User has to interact with the captive portal and enter some information in order to proceed with the login..

                Reply
                1. CCharles Hague @cghague2024-01-24 03:31:48.319Z

                  Hi ASaxena, thank you for your message about connecting a TinyPilot device to a hotel's WiFi network. Unfortunately, this isn't something that is supported due to the wide range of proprietary captive portal technologies that are in use.

                  I appreciate this isn't the answer you wanted, so if you'd like to share more about your requirements, I'd be happy to see if I can offer any alternatives. For example, if you only need local access, you might want to try hosting a wireless network from your TinyPilot device.

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