Wifi module keeps disconnecting

r123

I had erroneously loaded 1.21RC3 WifiServer….. Have now tested 1.21RC4 for a good hour and it seems to have cracked the problem.

Well done!

On the wifi router still see a "*" instead of the name of the printer, but who cares?

Really this embedded wifi has caused such grief over the years.... Yet also on home network have another ESP device - https://luftdaten.info/en/construction-manual/ - and it just seems to tick over without causing any trouble.

dc42

Thanks. It looks like the new SDK from Expressiv that fixed the KRACK WPA vulnerability introduced a new issue, but they seem to have resolved it in the more recent version that we use in RC4. Your other device is probably using the SDK that predates the KRACK fix.

r123

ps don't forget the two links (from the documentation to the Betas on github) are broken: https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Firmware_Overview#Section_Betas

dc42

@r123:

ps don't forget the two links (from the documentation to the Betas on github) are broken: https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Firmware_Overview#Section_Betas

Thanks, I've corrected that link.

kirk001

I've gone through the Troubleshooting AJAX errors and my last signal strength says 50dbm. I can't stay connected for more than a minute before I get a request timeout. I'm using firmware, server & web control 1.21. Where should I go from here?

dc42

@kirk001, have you tried changing your router WiFi channel between 1, 6 and 11 ?

kirk001

@dc42 Yes, sir. All 3 and same result.

dc42

I think we need to change your Duet in case the WiFi module is faulty. Please contact your supplier. If you purchased it directly from Duet3D, see https://duet3d.com/warranty.

kirk001

Thank you.

kirk001

I just received my warranty replacement board and installed it. I'm getting fewer disconnect errors, but I'm still getting them. My M122 shows "WiFi signal strength -50dBm, reconnections 0, sleep mode modem."

I don't think I've configured anything incorrectly, but a second defective board would be quite unlucky. What are my options for getting this to work consistently?

MortarArt

kirk001 - the solution I used was to create a Wireless Hosted Network on my Win10 workstation that I use to access the Duet. This has the added bonus of keeping the Duet offline. If your computer is closer to the printer than your router it could be worth a shot. There's similar functions in Linux.

kirk001

Both my computer and the printer are 6 feet away from the router. I have a raspberry pi 10 feet away that can has no problem staying connected.

I can't believe I spent almost $200 on this and still can't print 4 months later.

dc42

@kirk001 said in Wifi module keeps disconnecting:

I just received my warranty replacement board and installed it. I'm getting fewer disconnect errors, but I'm still getting them. My M122 shows "WiFi signal strength -50dBm, reconnections 0, sleep mode modem."

I don't think I've configured anything incorrectly, but a second defective board would be quite unlucky. What are my options for getting this to work consistently?

I'm sorry to hear that you are still getting problems. I would expect a signal strength a little better than -50dBm if the Duet is only 6ft from your router, but -50dBm should be enough for a reliable connection.

A few questions:

Do the disconnections occur when the Duet is idle, or only when printing?
Have you increased the maximum number of Ajax retries in the settings/general page of DWC?
Do you have a password set, other than the default "reprap"?

kirk001

Signal strength ranges from -40-50dBm, but -50dBM is the worst it gets. The board is sitting at the bottom of my Hypercube--I don't know if that is what's making the signal strength worse at 6ft.
Disconnections occur when idle. I haven't been able to print. I can't stay connected more than 10 seconds. I've tried channels 1,6, and 11. I'm using a Netgear Nighthawk and I had 4 other devices on the 2.4G working fine. I removed the other 4 devices in case they might interfere with the Duet.
AJAX retries are at 5.
And have no password at the moment (it was really tedious to have to enter a password 5 times in one minute because it kept disconnecting every 10 seconds.)

dc42

@kirk001 said in Wifi module keeps disconnecting:

Disconnections occur when idle. I haven't been able to print. I can't stay connected more than 10 seconds.

That's worse than I've ever heard happen before. Please can you connect a PC running e.g. YAT or Pronterface to the Duet, and send M111 S1 P13 (if using YAT, set the end-of-line sequence to "LF only"). This will enable WiFi debugging. When DWC connects, you will see a few lines of debug. When you get a disconnection, there may be some more debug messages - please post them here.

And have no password at the moment (it was really tedious to have to enter a password 5 times in one minute because it kept disconnecting every 10 seconds.)

The latest DWC (1.21.1) remembers the password when it reconnects.

kirk001

Something odd just happened. I logged into my Duet from 2 different computers. On one, I connected directly to the IP address, and on the other, I connected to my "duet.local" address. The one connected directly to the IP address has stayed connected for over an hour now while the "duet.local" connection has disconnected 20+ times. I haven't tried printing yet. but this is the longest I've been able to stay connected.

dc42

@kirk001 said in Wifi module keeps disconnecting:

Something odd just happened. I logged into my Duet from 2 different computers. On one, I connected directly to the IP address, and on the other, I connected to my "duet.local" address. The one connected directly to the IP address has stayed connected for over an hour now while the "duet.local" connection has disconnected 20+ times. I haven't tried printing yet. but this is the longest I've been able to stay connected.

Interesting! Were you previously always using "duet.local" to connect?

If you are able to capture a Wireshark trace showing the network traffic on the PC at the time it disconnects, that may also help us diagnose the problem.

kirk001

Yes "Duet" was the name I put in the config.g file and "Duet.local" was the address I've been using.

I'm downloading Wireshark now.

kirk001

I was able to do a Wireshark capture (I hope I did it correctly.) I saved it to a file (1.7Mb). Should I upload it here or e-mail it to you?

dc42

@kirk001 said in Wifi module keeps disconnecting:

I was able to do a Wireshark capture (I hope I did it correctly.) I saved it to a file (1.7Mb). Should I upload it here or e-mail it to you?

Please post it on Dropbox or another file sharing site, and post the link here, if you are happy that it doesn't contain confidential information.