Macro for setting up your network

Macgyver

Good Day all

Here is a little side project I was working on, Thanks to @dc42 for letting me know about the S7 switch I completely missed in the documentation.

It does force the users to be aware that DUET will connect to the 2.4Ghz network reliability, It prompts only for required information as needed. I have done a little testing on it here in my environment and it works well for me. Hopefully others can find it useful.

Not sure why its not showing properly in the preview however everything between Start and end macro is required.

---- Start Macro

;WIFI_CONFIG macro v1.1
;
; Author: Dr Jay (3D Emergency Room)
; Created: December 16, 2023
; Last Updated: December 16, 2023
;
; This macro helps configure WiFi settings on Duet boards
; Supports both Client and Access Point modes
;
; IMPORTANT WIFI REQUIREMENTS:
; - ONLY 2.4GHz networks are supported
; - 5GHz networks will NOT work
; - Dual-band networks must be split into separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks
;
; How to identify a 2.4GHz network:
; 1. Check your router settings - look for separate network names for 2.4GHz and 5GHz
; 2. Network names often end with "-2.4G" or "-2G" to distinguish them
; 3. 2.4GHz networks typically show lower but more stable signal strength
; 4. If using a dual-band router, ensure you've separated the bands with different SSIDs

; Initialize variables
var ssid = ""
var password = ""
var ip = ""
var gateway = ""
var subnet = ""
var mode = 0
var dhcp_mode = true                                  ; Track if using DHCP

; Choose wireless mode
M291 P"Choose WiFi mode" R"Mode Selection" S4 K{"Client","Access Point"}
set global.result = input
set var.mode = global.result

if var.mode == 0
    ; CLIENT MODE
    M291 P"WiFi Client Setup" R"Welcome" S3
    
    ; WARNING about 2.4GHz requirement
    M291 P"WARNING: Your network MUST be 2.4GHz. 5GHz and dual-band networks will NOT work!" R"Network Requirement" S3
    M291 P"Common 2.4GHz names end with: -2.4G, -2G, _2.4GHz" R"Network Identification" S3
    M291 P"For dual-band routers: Split bands into separate networks" R"Router Setup" S3
    M291 P"Recommended: Use WPA2-PSK security and channels 1, 6, or 11" R"Network Settings" S3
    M291 P"Make sure you are connecting to a 2.4GHz network. Continue?" R"Confirm" S4 K{"Yes","No"}
    set global.result = input
    if global.result == 1
        M291 P"Setup cancelled" R"Cancelled" S3
        M99
    
    ; Prompt for SSID
    M291 P"Enter WiFi network name (SSID)" R"Network Name" S7
    set global.result = input
    if global.result == ""
        M291 P"Setup cancelled" R"Cancelled" S3
        M99
    set var.ssid = global.result
    
    ; Prompt for password
    M291 P"Enter WiFi password" R"Network Password" S7
    set global.result = input
    if global.result == ""
        M291 P"Setup cancelled" R"Cancelled" S3
        M99
    set var.password = global.result
    
    ; Ask about custom IP
    M291 P"Use custom IP configuration?" R"IP Config" S4 K{"No (DHCP)","Yes"}
    set global.result = input
    if global.result == 1
        set var.dhcp_mode = false
        ; Get IP address
        M291 P"Enter IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.100)" R"IP Address" S7
        set global.result = input
        if global.result == ""
            M291 P"Using DHCP" R"Info" S3
            set var.dhcp_mode = true
        else
            set var.ip = global.result
            
            ; Get gateway
            M291 P"Enter gateway address (e.g. 192.168.1.1)" R"Gateway" S7
            set global.result = input
            set var.gateway = global.result
            
            ; Get subnet mask
            M291 P"Enter subnet mask (e.g. 255.255.255.0)" R"Subnet" S7
            set global.result = input
            set var.subnet = global.result
    
    ; Configure WiFi
    M291 P"Configuring WiFi..." R"Please Wait" S3
    M552 S0                                           ; Disable network
    G4 P1000                                          ; Wait 1 second
    
    M587 S{var.ssid} P{var.password}                 ; Configure WiFi
    
    ; Set custom IP if provided
    if !var.dhcp_mode
        M552 P{var.ip}                               ; Set IP address
        M553 P{var.subnet}                           ; Set subnet mask
        M554 P{var.gateway}                          ; Set gateway
    
    G4 P2000                                          ; Wait 2 seconds
    M552 S1                                           ; Enable network
else
    ; ACCESS POINT MODE
    M291 P"WiFi Access Point Setup" R"Welcome" S3
    
    ; Prompt for AP name
    M291 P"Enter Access Point name" R"AP Name" S7
    set global.result = input
    if global.result == ""
        M291 P"Setup cancelled" R"Cancelled" S3
        M99
    set var.ssid = global.result
    
    ; Prompt for AP password (minimum 8 characters)
    M291 P"Enter AP password (min 8 chars)" R"AP Password" S7
    set global.result = input
    if global.result == "" || strlen(global.result) < 8
        M291 P"Invalid password - minimum 8 characters" R"Error" S3
        M99
    set var.password = global.result
    
    ; Configure Access Point
    M291 P"Creating Access Point..." R"Please Wait" S3
    M552 S0                                           ; Disable network
    G4 P1000                                          ; Wait 1 second
    
    M589 S{var.ssid} P{var.password}                 ; Configure Access Point
    
    G4 P2000                                          ; Wait 2 seconds
    M552 S1                                           ; Enable network

; Report network status
M552                                                  ; Report current network status

; Final message
if var.mode == 0
    M291 P"WiFi client setup complete. Check connection status above." R"Complete" S3
else
    M291 P"Access Point created. SSID: " ^ {var.ssid} R"Complete" S3

; Clear sensitive data
set var.ssid = ""
set var.password = ""
set var.ip = ""
set var.gateway = ""
set var.subnet = ""

; Recommend power cycle
M291 P"Please power cycle your printer to ensure network settings are properly applied" R"Power Cycle" S3


--- End macro

Phaedrux

Thanks for the macro. I edited your post to put it in a code block so that it displays correctly.

Macgyver

@Phaedrux thank you for the assist,

I am working on a couple of things so you may see more coming in the future if they have a cool factor I am aiming for

stuartofmt

@Macgyver

I'm curious about the assertion that dual band networks will not work. Is this precautionary? The reason I ask is that, from memory (I'm now using SBC), I've routinely used Duet2 on dual band SSID. In theory (and in practice with many other devices) the WIFI will connect using whatever frequency is available to the client (typically with 5GHz preferred if the client supports both). In the case of a Duet2 this would be 2.4GHz.
Of course, my memory could be very fallible

Phaedrux

@stuartofmt I think what seems to happen sometimes with dual band networks is that the router erroneously steers the Duet to the 5ghz network even though the Duet can't use it. I'm not sure if that's ever been definitively confirmed though.

stuartofmt

@Phaedrux said in Macro for setting up your network:

@stuartofmt I think what seems to happen sometimes with dual band networks is that the router erroneously steers the Duet to the 5ghz network even though the Duet can't use it. I'm not sure if that's ever been definitively confirmed though.

I suspect that some different network issue(s) may have been explained away as such. Unless the client was sitting "right on top of the router antenna" - it should not be possible for a 2.4GHz client to even "see" a 5Ghz signal. Still ... stranger things have happened.

I'm just a bit leery of pointing people towards what might be an unnecessary complication (i.e. splitting SSIDs into separate frequency bands).

OwenD

@Macgyver
It's a pity M587.2 doesn't have an option to return an array with just SSID names.
Then you could cut out incorrect entries.

Unfortunately it only gives a text output full of unnecessary information (for a macro) or a json return

oliof

@stuartofmt it's been a problem 2008-2012ish in some networks I've been on, but I can say its never been a problem for a Duet2Wifi, Duet3mini, or any of the ESP8266/ESP32 modules for the STM port.

mrehorstdmd

Is there any possibility that the browser being used to access the web server has some effect on reliability of the connection?

I have had a lot of trouble keeping a Duet2 WiFi board connected to my mixed 2.4/5GHz network for the last few years. About a year ago I switched to a mesh network with no change in the connection behavior. The mesh router has a dedicated 2.4 GHz IOT network that I use for the Duet and things like light bulbs, appliances, etc. The Chrome browser in my laptop would connect and I could access the control panel for between 30 seconds and maybe 2 minutes at a time, then the connection would fail. It got a bit better when I shut off the VPN (even though I had local network sharing enabled) on the laptop, but still not what anyone would call reliable. I gave up on ever getting it to work reliably.

I recently tried the Mullvad browser that is based on Firefox (I think) and Duet board miraculously stays connected for up to an hour, maybe more, at a time, so it seems the browser used plays a part in the reliability of the connection.

Or am I completely wrong?

jay_s_uk

@mrehorstdmd I think this is to do we the number of AJAX tries etc

dc42

@mrehorstdmd if you have a PanelDue In your machine, is the network connection more reliable if you leave it on the Setup page?

mrehorstdmd

@dc42 There's no Panel Due. This particular controller is in the sand table.

I have gone through all the posts on wifi problems and played with ajax retries, it didn't seem to do much good. I also shut off the VPN when I am connecting to the table. The Mullvad browser just seems to work about 10x more reliably than Chrome.

Phaedrux

@mrehorstdmd

When you're unable to connect, are you still able to ping the Duet IP?

Does the chrome dev console show any errors?

mrehorstdmd

@Phaedrux I don't have access to the table right now- it's over at my brother's distillery tasting room and I don't know when it will be back.

droftarts

@mrehorstdmd another thread talks about connection weirdness when using VPN, maybe it’s related to that?
https://forum.duet3d.com/topic/37190/duet-2-wifi-don-t-connect-to-android

Ian

stuartofmt

@mrehorstdmd
Are you are taking about using a VPN to connect to your home wifi? or are you using an outbound VPN connection from home to the internet?
Assuming the former - just some colour commentary regarding VPN from a phone into the home network...

You need to be careful when testing from the same location as the home wifi. For some (maybe most ?) VPN - the phone needs to be connected ONLY to mobile data i.e. not connected with the home wifi.

In my own case: I can connect with VPN (using my iphone) from a remote location to my home wifi and access DWC without issue.
If I return home (and the phone connects to my home wifi) - I cannot connect using VPN (not that I'd need to). I use Chrome without issues.

Having said that, it looks you might be using Mullvad VPN to provide outbound VPN.

Since it looks like you have tested both Chrome and Mullvad Browser - I'd be especially careful to make sure (when checking Chrome) that the Mullvad VPN services are totally disabled. There have been reports of poor interaction between Chrome and Mullvad VPN (e.g. inability to access certain sites). I think they are unlikely to be a factor - but you never know ...

mrehorstdmd

@stuartofmt I don't try to control the sand table table from my phone, only laptop. The laptop has Mullvad VPN but I shut that off when accessing the table. I have found that using the Mullvad browser keeps the connection to the table working for better than an hour at a time, where Chrome drops the connection every few (5-10 , usually closer to 5) minutes. In the past I had the VPN running with local network sharing enabled. The connection would drop every 30 sec to 1 minute that way. When I disabled the VPN the connection would stay up for 5-10 minutes. I am using my home wifi network, not a direct connection to the Duet board. There's no VPN running on the router, just on specific computers on the network.

In the last couple years I have scoured all the posts about Duet2 wifi connection issues and have tried everything short of replacing the board to no avail -until I tried the Mullvad browser. AFAIK, the Mullvad browser is based on firefox with a bunch of security/anonymity stuff taken from Tor. Maybe there's something in there that makes a difference.

dc42

@mrehorstdmd this might be a function of how many concurrent HTTP connections the browser tries to open to the web server on the Duet. Are you using the latest version 2.1 wifi firmware on the Duet?

mrehorstdmd

@dc42 I think so. I don't have the table here, but I'll probably be going to visit it later today. I'll check then. IRIC, the last time I updated firmware was about a year ago.