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AP + STA Mode

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 12:53 am
by dimitry
Following instructions in the "Setup AP + STA Mode" section of http://vocore.io/v2.html I am able to get my VoCore2 to work in AP + STA Mode.

However, if the external wifi is not available, VoCore2 will not start in AP mode and the only way to access it is through a serial console using USB2TTL converter. And unless one has such a converter, VoCore2 essentially becomes useless.

This seems to be a known limitation and I've seen several "workarounds" for this limitation that disable STA mode after reboot. But these "workarounds" are really just HACKS.

IMHO the proper solution is: the AP mode should work independently of the STA mode. In other words, whether or not the external wifi is available, VoCore2 should start its hot spot (AP mode) all the time.

I'd like to know if anyone has been able to achieve this, or if the devs are planning to fix it in future firmware upgrades.

In the meantime my VoCore2 will be sitting on the shelf collecting dust. :(

Re: AP + STA Mode

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 4:06 am
by Vonger
Please try latest version of firmware on vonger.cn

Or you can compile it with github.com/vonger/vocore2, follow the instruction.

This version only need to setting up STA and very stable from my usage, later I will update the tutorial and firmware.

Re: AP + STA Mode

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 4:07 am
by Vonger

Re: AP + STA Mode

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 7:51 pm
by dimitry
@Vonger that seems to only add Web GUI to configure STA mode, which I don't care about.

Does this also fix the problem with the AP mode not working?

Re: AP + STA Mode

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2018 1:16 pm
by Vonger
it is AP+STA

Re: AP + STA Mode

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2018 4:11 pm
by dimitry
@Vonger, I don't think you understand my question.

Yes, I can get it working in AP+STA. But, if I set it up to connect to an external wifi and that wifi is not available, the STA mode will fail *and* the AP mode will not start.

So, if I reboot VoCore2 and it can't connect to the external wifi, it won't start the AP mode either. At that point there is no way to connect to VoCore2.

It's useless.

Re: AP + STA Mode

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 2:10 pm
by Vonger
I totally understand your question...
That problem is only happen for the old firmware in 2017, this 2018 firmware already no such problem.

AP is not depends on STA anymore, that is caused by old wifi driver, now new wifi driver already fix such issue. Make sure you are using the wifi driver from github.com/vonger/vocore2

Re: AP + STA Mode

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2018 7:59 pm
by dimitry
Vonger wrote:I totally understand your question...
That problem is only happen for the old firmware in 2017, this 2018 firmware already no such problem.


Thank you for clarifying that. The post on your blog is not clear about that. It's titled "Patch LuCI for VoCore2",
so I thought all it does is fix the web GUI to allow WPA2 to be selected.

Vonger wrote:AP is not depends on STA anymore, that is caused by old wifi driver, now new wifi driver already fix such issue. Make sure you are using the wifi driver from github.com/vonger/vocore2


Thank you, but I will have to pass on your offer at this point. I've already spent too much time trying to get it working. Once you officially release the new firmware, maybe I will give it another try.

In the meantime, I've purchased 2 RPi Zero W boards for the price of one VoCore2 (with microsd) and I am loving them. They just work!