Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?

jallen810 · 17 Feb 2020, 20:28

Hello,

I am trying to use a Formbot Troodon printer with a Duet 2 Wifi card and the Web interface. Unfortunately, my company will not allow us to use Wifi but they provided me with a print server to connect via Ethernet to our local network that connects via USB. Can I use this print server to access my printer's Web Interface?
Any ideas would be much appreciated

Thanks,
Jake

A Former User · 17 Feb 2020, 21:01

@jallen810 said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

Can I use this print server to access my printer's Web Interface?

Not easily at least. If the print server is a plain print server and not a usb server i think it a no-go. If its a usb server you might be able to shoe-horn dwc to run locally and talk to the board over serial/usb via the network.

@jallen810 said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

my company will not allow us to use Wifi

is this just to not connect the printer to the office wifi, or also using the printer as an access point? (which you in turn could could NAT onto the wired office network using a OpenWrt or equally flexible wifi device.

Phaedrux · 18 Feb 2020, 02:56

Perhaps setting the printer to access point mode would work? You'd have to connect to the printer network to be able to interact with it.

tobias_munich · 18 Feb 2020, 07:54

Hi @jallen810,

connecting something to the USB port wouldn't give you access to the DWC.
the printserver of your company is neither of use as a "virtual lan adapter" nor as a printserver itself.

the easiest way is attaching a panel-due to your duet.

or, maybe you can convert your DuetWifi to a LAN version.
its described in the following post
https://forum.duet3d.com/topic/2890/converting-a-duet-wifi-to-a-duet-ethernet/2

jallen810 · 18 Feb 2020, 12:51

@bearer Our IT is funny about using WiFi on unknown equipment. Above my pay grade.
Essentially, i just want to be able to access it on our network (LAN) from my laptop <10ft away.

DaBit · 18 Feb 2020, 13:09

@jallen810 said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

Essentially, i just want to be able to access it on our network (LAN) from my laptop <10ft away.

Phaedrux mentioned a good method: put the Duet in access point mode, and use the laptop to connect to that access point. This way you are not using the company network at all.

A Former User · 18 Feb 2020, 14:08

@jallen810 said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

@bearer Our IT is funny about using WiFi on unknown equipment. Above my pay grade.
Essentially, i just want to be able to access it on our network (LAN) from my laptop <10ft away.

USB cable is probably your best bet if not able to replace the wifi module with an ethernet one.

Phaedrux · 18 Feb 2020, 15:22

https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Gcode#Section_M589_Configure_access_point_parameters

This would be the quickest way to get you up and running.

jallen810 · 18 Feb 2020, 15:52

@bearer Can you control the DWC that way? Or would i just have the Simplify3D/Cura/etc. control screen?

jallen810 · 18 Feb 2020, 15:53

@Phaedrux But don't you have to have the WiFi SSID and P/W to do a M589? I have a fixed IP address from the Print Server that is ready to go, basically I just need the Duet to output an IP address to get to the DWC

dc42 · 18 Feb 2020, 15:54

You can send that command (and any other commands you need to get connected) via USB.

Phaedrux · 18 Feb 2020, 15:54

@jallen810 no this is to create your own access point on the printer that you connect to so you get to name it.

jallen810 · 18 Feb 2020, 15:55

@Phaedrux I don't follow that, sorry not in IT so my networking skills are lacking a bit. Can you elaborate? What would I need to tell my IT guy to understand what we need to do?

Phaedrux · 18 Feb 2020, 15:58

With access point mode, you don't need to connect the printer to anything else on your network. Instead the duet creates its own low power wifi network that you connect to with your laptop to monitor it and send files. See if that's acceptable to your IT department.

jallen810 · 18 Feb 2020, 16:00

@Phaedrux said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

With access point mode, you don't need to connect the printer to anything else on your network. Instead the duet creates its own low power wifi network that you connect to with your laptop to monitor it and send files. See if that's acceptable to your IT department.

That would be awesome, can you point me to the instructions in the guide to do this? Or is it as simple and giving the Duet the M589 followed a made-up SSID and P/W for me to find with my Laptop?

A Former User · 18 Feb 2020, 16:00

@jallen810 said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

@bearer Can you control the DWC that way? Or would i just have the Simplify3D/Cura/etc. control screen?

If you're not as you say "in IT" then I don't think trying to get DWC to work outside of the standard means is a good path.

As far as running the Duet as an Access Point you determine what SSID and password used to create a new network. If your computer has a wireless network adapter you can connect the computer to the Duet instead of the other way around. But still check with IT, they might have issues with "rouge" Access Points for various reasons.

jallen810 · 18 Feb 2020, 16:03

@bearer said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

@jallen810 said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

@bearer Can you control the DWC that way? Or would i just have the Simplify3D/Cura/etc. control screen?

If you're not as you say "in IT" then I don't think trying to get DWC to work outside of the standard means is a good path.

As far as running the Duet as an Access Point you determine what SSID and password used to create a new network. If your computer has a wireless network adapter you can connect the computer to the Duet instead of the other way around. But still check with IT, they might have issues with "rouge" Access Points for various reasons.

Okay i think that is what @Phaedrux is also saying, is there a guide on the Duet Dozuki that i can follow that you can point me to?

Phaedrux · 18 Feb 2020, 16:05

M589 is all you need. That link is all there is for how to do it. You just need to send that command over a usb console connection.

A Former User · 18 Feb 2020, 16:09

@jallen810 said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

Okay i think that is what @Phaedrux is also saying

indeed, just make up a SSID and password to substitute in

M589 S"SSID" P"password"

Password might need to be 8 characters if it doesn't work

dc42 · 18 Feb 2020, 16:11

@bearer said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

@jallen810 said in Duet Wifi board. Can i use a USB Print Server to get to DWC?:

Okay i think that is what @Phaedrux is also saying

indeed, just make up a SSID and password to substitute in

M589 S"SSID" P"password"

Password might need to be 8 characters if it doesn't work

Bear in mind that anyone with the password will be able to control the printer from a smartphone. So choose something difficult to guess! WPA requires 8 characters minimum.