Converting the Duet WiFi to use an external antenna

garyd9 · 28 Jan 2018, 17:30

Large differences is wifi signal strength are normal for differing wifi devices. Each one "hears" the other differently. This can be due so many different factors it's impractical to enumerate. Usually, it's different radio power, different antennas, or different propagation paths.

In your case, it appears the router has "bigger ears" (better antenna.)

fma · 29 Jan 2018, 06:58

Ok, I see.

But why switching from the default ESP (no antenna) to the new one (6dB gain antenna) didn't change that much the signal strength returned by the Duet?

I don't have signal values given by the router with the default ESP (didn't think to read it at the time); so I don't know if it really changed. But the thing is I know have a much better connection: transfers are very fast and I don't get any disconnection anymore.

dc42 · 29 Jan 2018, 08:50

If M122 is telling you that the signal strength is -73dBm now, that is already very low. If it was even lower before, that would explain the disconnections you had.

Which wifi channel is your router set to? Does the reported signal strength vary if you switch between channels 1, 6 and 11?

fma · 29 Jan 2018, 10:26

Yes, it is low. But, as said, real transmissions work much better and faster, now. And no more disconnection.

I will make tests with different channels (I think I'm on channel 1 - the router is in auto and chose this one).

parovoZZ · 30 Jan 2018, 10:30

Hi!

I have WiFi signal strength -61dBm in three meters from the router. The ESP-07 has a very very weak antenna ((
I will change to ESP-07S or connect external to ESP-07.
Laptop, iPhone, Nokia etc. - everything works fine.

fma · 3 Feb 2018, 08:20

I used a wifi analyser on my phone, and noticed that there where 3 other AP on channel 1. In fact, it depends where I am in the house, and on the AP side, they are not detected. So the AP chose this channel. But on the printer side, they where as powerfull as my AP!

I moved to channel 3, unused by other wifi AP, and I now have -66dB strength…

ephemeris · 3 Feb 2018, 15:39

Will this be available as a build option?

martins · 9 Feb 2018, 23:37

ESP-07S sold out in RS-online how thats possible

S1lencer · 26 Mar 2018, 17:03

Hi, i have a problem since i changed the Module.
I can only connect to the Duet Wifi in Accesspoint mode. If i change it to M552S1 it only says: Wifi reported error: no known networks found.
The wifi is defenitly present.
Did flash the right firmware files main as also the Wifiserver one.
Running 1.21

Anyone a clue why this could be?

S1lencer · 27 Mar 2018, 19:43

Got the Problem solved.
David, i think the firmware 1.21 has a problem with loading the M587 with the Router data from the config.g to the remembered list.
Got my problem solved with Repetier host, did send the M587 with ssid and password via g-code console.

dc42 · 27 Mar 2018, 22:30

@S1lencer:

Got the Problem solved.
David, i think the firmware 1.21 has a problem with loading the M587 with the Router data from the config.g to the remembered list.
Got my problem solved with Repetier host, did send the M587 with ssid and password via g-code console.

How did you send the M587 command originally?

S1lencer · 28 Mar 2018, 05:33

Via the config script

dc42 · 28 Mar 2018, 08:59

Sending M587 in config.g isn't going to work, because the wifi module doesn't get enabled until the end of running config.g. That's why I suggest using a macro to send those commands.

S1lencer · 28 Mar 2018, 17:08

Ok for the next time i will do that.
Should be mentioned in the Wiki.