Wifi access point

[tezza]

Hi

I have been lurking for a while and finally signed up! =)
This question has been bothering me since I got my drone 2 months ago.

Which device runs the access point that you connect to via wifi.
I did tests and it appears the range extender runs the access point.
If I turn on the range extender after a minute the SSID shows up on my
HTC phone. Then it disappears. This test is when the drone is turned off.

When I turn the drone on, and the range extender is already on the SSID shows up again and I can connect!

So I wonder, which device runs the access point ? The range extender or the drone ?

I await an answer from you great people!

 

[Morgon]

This process is pretty well-documented:
The range extender is exactly what it says - it extends the range of the Phantom from a hidden SSID.
It then bridges that connection to the public Phantom_XXXXX SSID, which only stays up when it has a connection to the Phantom, which is why you see it briefly, and then it disappears once it realizes it can't make the full network happen.

 

[Davekyn]

WOW -> Passes out a badge for the it being well documented. Well done DJI - That's fantastic - Excellent documentation ... applauds!

Even better -> Thanks for the question mate, much appreciated on this end.

Cheers.

 

[SpikeFinch]

WOW -> Passes out a badge for the it being well documented. Well done DJI - That's fantastic - Excellent documentation ... applauds!


Cheers.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Morgon]

Hey, to be fair, I didn't say DJI documented it

But the connection steps ARE clearly documented in the manual, which is what the OP seemed to be getting at, I just answered the asked question, instead.

 

[tezza]

Thanks.
So you are saying the AP is in the drone ?

if the range extender is just a bridge, how come it advertises the SSID when the drone is not on, albeit briefly.?
Shouldn't a bridge just bridge a signal, however if the drone is not on where is the SSID coming from via the brdige/R.E? Obviously the R,E ?

Do you see my confusion or am I being silly lol ?

This process is pretty well-documented:
The range extender is exactly what it says - it extends the range of the Phantom from a hidden SSID.
It then bridges that connection to the public Phantom_XXXXX SSID, which only stays up when it has a connection to the Phantom, which is why you see it briefly, and then it disappears once it realizes it can't make the full network happen.

 

[Dirty Bird]

The range extender is the access point. It functions identically to an access point in your home, only it is specialized in that it is designed to interface with a Phantom's Wi-Fi card and your external device (phone, tablet, etc.). The extender is actually a nifty little device when you think about it. An access point with an internal power supply, a pair of long-range directional antenna, all contained in a small housing.

 

[tezza]

That makes more sense. Thank you very much!
So i am guessing the R/E has some type of mechanism that does not allow you to connect to it, it stops advertising the SSID unless the drone is powered on as well ?

 

[Dirty Bird]

Correct, and it won't allow your phone or tablet to connect until it has successfully connected to the Vision+.

 

[tezza]

Great thanks! I get it now and it makes perfect sense.
Documentation should be updated

 

[ilovecoffee]

I bet some enterprising individual could make it work without the Range Extender... as it runs OpenWRT

I would personally like to see a dismantled Android phone on board act as an LTE/4g bridge over the internet so you could always have FPV and GS control.

 

[Davekyn]

lol morgan - "that's well documented" mate.

Just letting you know with an opening like that, I'd care less for anything that follows.

Later bud.

 

[justin00]

Hmm can multiple devices connect to the AP but only 1 can connect to the camera ?
Or does the AP restrict it to just the phantom, and 1 phone/device connecting ?

re internet: Perhaps see if you can get your phone/device to connect to wifi and 4g at the same time.. hmm infact you've inspired me.. going to have a look to see if I can do it now.

 

[Morgon]

re internet: Perhaps see if you can get your phone/device to connect to wifi and 4g at the same time.. hmm infact you've inspired me.. going to have a look to see if I can do it now.

With an iPhone, if you set your connection settings for the Phantom SSID to use a dedicated IP instead of DHCP (use anything on the 192.168.1.0 network, except .1, .2 or .10), leave the 'Gateway' field blank; the iPhone will know to use your carrier data for anything not on the 192 network. I would imagine this is the same for Android, but can't speak to that personally.

Hmm can multiple devices connect to the AP but only 1 can connect to the camera ?
Or does the AP restrict it to just the phantom, and 1 phone/device connecting ?

You are correct that the SSID can handle multiple clients (it's simply a standard wireless access point, after all), but only one can access video/telemetry. That's because of the technical architecture. The Phantom's interfaces are all handled through serial ports, which are generally 1<->1. ser2net (the open-source library that expose those serial devices to a network port) does somehow provide separate access via telnet, which I discovered some time ago, but don't have the time or enough technical knowledge to tinker with that end.

 

[justin00]

Ah yeah thanks for all that.
I was hoping maybe The AP DHCP only had enough IPs jn the pool for phone and the Phntom and that was how they stop other people connecting, but sounds like its not the case with the serial info you supplied.

I might have a bit of a look, or atlest read the other thread about whats been discovered running on the AP. I'm fairly familiar with linux/OpenW