Ethernet and WiFI

General support for the Pi-Star System
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N4NQY
Posts: 77
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:47 pm

Ethernet and WiFI

Post by N4NQY »

Starting with the 4.0 Beta I am noticing a strange phenomena. If I have a Pi 3 with a Hat, and I connect the Ethernet port to my switch. Pi-Star defaults to the WiFI connection. Seems this should be the other way round. I verified with a fresh 4.1 RC4 SD Card and wpa_supplicant made with the tool. It acts as if the Ethernet is not there.

I admit i need to look a the network files more, but did not notice this before 4.0.

Any ideas? Is this a bug, a feature or a mis-configuration on my part??

jb N4NQY
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KE0FHS
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Re: Ethernet and WiFI

Post by KE0FHS »

What happens if you delete your wireless network from the Wireless Configuration section? (Or, alternatively and using SSH, delete your wpa_supplicant.conf file from the directory it gets moved to during first boot up: /etc/wpa_supplicant/)? Will your hotspot connect to your Ethernet okay then?
73, Toshen, KE0FHS
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
N4NQY
Posts: 77
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Re: Ethernet and WiFI

Post by N4NQY »

I have not dug into problem other than verify that the same happens on a new image. My previous experience is that the default is ETH0 if a cable is plugged in. When not, it would switch to WiFI, which is what you would want or expect. I want it to go to WiFI when Ethernet is not working as a backup method to log in.

I was hoping someone had experienced this and perhaps an upcoming update was going to address it. If I monkeyed with it the next update would break it.

jb N4NQY
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KE0FHS
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Re: Ethernet and WiFI

Post by KE0FHS »

You asked, "Any ideas?", so I gave you an idea. Maybe there is something broken about your Ethernet connection, which would cause it to always go to WiFi. The test I suggested would verify whether that is the case, and would take only a few minutes to perform.
73, Toshen, KE0FHS
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
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KE0FHS
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Re: Ethernet and WiFI

Post by KE0FHS »

KE7FNS wrote: Mon Sep 09, 2019 7:30 am Why would an ethernet connection be plugged in and not work?
I wondered the same thing. When I tested my own 4.0 and 4.1-based hotspots, they connected just fine via Ethernet cable when I plugged them in, with that connection taking precedence over the WiFi connections I have set up and usually use on those routers. That's why I suggested the test. Could be something as simple as a bad cable or a bad connector in the router. I also wondered whether the router might be configured to block some types of devices, but I don't have much knowledge in that area, so I'm less certain about that.
73, Toshen, KE0FHS
Playing with Pi-Star (unofficial notes about setting up and using Pi-Star):
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
KB1ILJ
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Re: Ethernet and WiFI

Post by KB1ILJ »

I have somewhat of a similar issue. I have two Pi-star both with the same configuration and versions. Same Rasp Pi 3 B. This issue happens when either one is plugged into the same Ethernet cable and connected to the same router.

One - plugged into Ethernet works fine both the Green and Yellow LED's come on and it works fine.

The other - works but the 10/100MPS yellow LED never turns on. The Pi-star works but I guess at a slower data transfer rate??

Any idea why this might be happening?

Thanks
AF6VN
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Re: Ethernet and WiFI

Post by AF6VN »

For an R-Pi3(B) and earlier, the Ethernet RJ-11 is handled internally via the USB system -- effective rate may be down around 25Mbps even if the RJ-11 jacks are at 100Mbps link rates. The 4B has a genuine Ethernet interface chip, and does not use USB system for data transfer.

For my router, the WAN downlink is 14Mbps, and the UPLINK is a mere 1Mbps.

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AF6VN
Dennis L Bieber
AF6VN
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Re: Ethernet and WiFI

Post by AF6VN »

Blast, I even knew that and was thinking RJ-45... My hands seem to have gone elsewhere (doesn't help that chemo has numbed my finger tips down to where I can barely feel the home-row blips, and a neck brace keeps me from seeing the keyboard)

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AF6VN
Dennis L Bieber
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