Pi star setup

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K7LKA
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon May 13, 2019 11:21 pm

Pi star setup

Post by K7LKA »

I'm having major issues trying to open the dashboard via the server.
Why does one have to connect to a server to configure a pi star.
I should be able to connect the pi direct to my laptop and configure pi star
I'm have major issues trying to connect to the server.
After 10 tries I put everything away and call it quits.
I have to pi's a pi 3 and a pi3b+
Is it common to have conection issues to the server.
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KE0FHS
Posts: 1122
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:40 pm
Location: Colorado, USA
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Re: Pi star setup

Post by KE0FHS »

Not sure what you mean by "via the server." What server?

If you'd like to see step-by-step instructions for how to set up Pi-Star--including using Auto AP, which will enable you to connect directly between your laptop and the hotspot in order to set up your network configuration--then you might want to read through section 4 and 5 of the Playing with Pi-Star article:
4) Booting up Pi-Star (https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm#bootingpistar)
5) Performing initial Pi-Star configuration (https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.h ... starconfig)
73, Toshen, KE0FHS
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
AF6VN
Posts: 821
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:15 am

Re: Pi star setup

Post by AF6VN »

K7LKA wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 11:33 pm I'm having major issues trying to open the dashboard via the server.
Why does one have to connect to a server to configure a pi star.
I'll echo the question: "What server?"

Do you mean a router? I'm also presuming you mean via an ethernet cable
I should be able to connect the pi direct to my laptop and configure pi star
Is your laptop running a DHCP daemon? The R-Pi, on boot, is going to send DHCP requests over the Ethernet cable, asking to be issued an IP address from the "network". Issuing IP addresses is normal for routers (and, in truth, if you don't have the laptop connected to a router -- it won't have an IP address either unless you manually configure a fixed address for the NIC).

If you have your laptop connecting to the network via WiFi, and are attempting to connect to the R-Pi using cable, you need to enable "internet connection sharing" so the laptop will pass traffic from the R-Pi through to the WiFi router (so the router can respond to the DHCP request for an IP #). In actual operations, the R-Pi is going to need some sort of connection to a router (cable or WiFi) in order to pass digital voice traffic.
I'm have major issues trying to connect to the server.
After 10 tries I put everything away and call it quits.
I have to pi's a pi 3 and a pi3b+
Is it common to have conection issues to the server.
I think it only took me about an hour when I first configured mine -- and that was, I believe, BEFORE the "Auto AP" mode was implemented.. Would have been faster, but I hadn't realized the WiFi network connection is not made if there is a cable connection.

Granted, I tend to prefer working cable connections (while both of my printers have WiFi features, I direct cabled them to a high-speed switch -- faster data transfer than one gets with WiFi, and doesn't conflict with the router (the switch goes to the router, but traffic between nodes of the switch don't have to hit the router).

My procedure summarizes as:

Connect R-Pi to switch via cable and boot; it gets assigned a LAN IP from the router (check the router status page for client connections if I need to use the IP# itself)
Use browser to connect to R-Pi via hostname (just pi-star, no .local was needed)
Configure Pi-Star services (I also changed the hostname as I was thinking of getting a second unit so I could run both D-Star and DMR without having the hassle of Hang-time or chatty folks locking one mode).
Configure WiFi information (this is what took me some time before -- rebooting with the cable connected did not activate the WiFi connection. I finally disconnected the cable [for some reason] and rebooted -- this time the WiFi connected to the router).

More recent Pi-Star releases have Auto AP -- if the R-Pi, with no cable connection, is unable to connect to a WiFi router/access point, it will ITSELF create an Access Point (one with no internet access, obviously). One then arranges there computer to search for and connect to the Pi-Star setup access point (if one was using WiFi for internet, one has to disconnect from the internet to change to Pi-Star setup). Do configuration -- at the least of the WiFi router information, reboot. The R-Pi should now connect to the router/AP via WiFi (and your computer will not be connected to anything, so you need to reconnect it to the router). Check your router status pages for WiFi clients to ensure the R-Pi shows up...

Code: Select all

IPv4 Address / Name 	MAC Address 	Status 	Allocation 	Action
192.168.1.68 / EPSONF4EF32 	00:26:ab:f4:ef:32 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.65 / DIRECTV-HR54-C94828D7 	18:16:c9:48:28:d9 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.83 / unknown28c68efb9d7b 	28:c6:8e:fb:9d:7b 	off 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.74 / unknown64c6670531d3 	64:c6:67:05:31:d3 	off 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.70 / Galaxy-S9 	8c:45:00:6d:1a:4c 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.79 / pi-star-3b 	b8:27:eb:4b:0b:d5 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.252 / microdiversity 	b8:27:eb:ce:b1:eb 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.66 / ElusiveUnicorn 	b8:ca:3a:79:0c:36 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.84 / HP7C548D 	c4:65:16:7c:54:8d 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	
{the "unknown" are likely some of my Nook readers. Note that for my router, that table lists both WiFi and cable devices -- DirectTV, both "unknown", Galaxy phone, pi-star-3b, and microdiversity [another R-Pi 3B running a light duty web server] are WiFi; Epson and HP printers, and main computer are wired [and if I boot my laptop, it too is wired]}

--
AF6VN
Dennis L Bieber
K2CQW
Posts: 40
Joined: Mon Jun 08, 2020 11:44 pm
Location: FM28ep

Re: Pi star setup

Post by K2CQW »

I wish I could remember how my hot spot came up, I could have been of help but it was too uneventful. 73
73 de John K2CQW
EA3BIL
Posts: 103
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2018 11:45 pm

Re: Pi star setup

Post by EA3BIL »

... Let me guess:

HotSpot default name is NOT "pistar" as it was mentioned but "pi-star", so...

Yes, Pi-Star "control" is done via WEB, not connecting the device to a computer and have it working as a USB Memory Stick.
It will make the system to be even more complex to configure.


I can't understand why new users do complain without reading TWICE the documentation.
Yes, TWO TIMES.
First to have a global idea.
Second to understand what is each point telling.
73'Rafael.
EA3BIL
JN11an
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