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Can't connect to wifi & wpa_supplicant.conf dissapears

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2020 12:44 pm
by ke8gyh
I got my complete mmdvm from ebay 2 years ago and never got around to trying to use it until now... So maybe its outdated and needs to be updated, I don't know... Anyway, what's happening is...

1. I created the "wpa_supplicant.conf" and copied it to the root dir on the SD card
2. Plug in the MMDVM and wait a few minuites.. I do get the colorful lights and screen saver on the OLED, but it doesn't want to connect to wi-fi
3. When I try to go to http://pi-star or http://pi-star/local after a a time-out it will either say host not found or go to pistar.com which obviously isn't the right place.
4. To rule out the problem with my wifi at home, I created a hotspot on my cell phone that I can connect to with a tablet, yet the MMDVM does not connect.
5. funny thing is that each time I unplug the MMDVM to take the SD card out and change the "wpa_supplicant.conf" file - the file isn't there on the SD card...

For some reason, the config file is some how deleted from the SD card every time it boots up and or I take it out to check or change the file... That is, when I remove the SD card to check or change the SD card, the file is gone.

If you have any help or suggestions that would be greatly appreciated. If I need to flash a new operating system or new files to the SD card, I'm not opposed to do that - please help - thanks

Re: Can't connect to wifi & wpa_supplicant.conf dissapears

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2020 12:52 pm
by G8SEZ
The wpa_supplicant.conf file is removed from the root directory when it is found at boot time.

You need to look at http://pi-star.local probably best to use Chrome.

Re: Can't connect to wifi & wpa_supplicant.conf dissapears

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2020 1:02 pm
by ke8gyh
thank you... I didn't know it's normal for the file to be deleted at boot, however, it doesn't connect to wifi- or cell phone hotspot. I have tried firefox and google chrome, but as I said, I am unable to connect to the MMDVM control (regardless of how I try to get there), because it is unable to make a wifi connection (to anywhere) for some reason.

(just for clarity - when I create a hot spot connection with my phone, I can see the number of connections when someone or something connects to it - i.e. my tablet to test it and my settings.... Yet the MMDVM does not connect to it)

That being said, I did check my settings and try it again based on your suggestion and still no wifi connection

Re: Can't connect to wifi & wpa_supplicant.conf dissapears

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2020 2:15 pm
by ke8gyh
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>UPDATE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ok, after watching a different setup video on Youtube, I noticed that the guy in the video connected TO THE MMDVM with his computer wifi settings... For some reason I thought I was suppose to connect the MMDVM to my computer or wi-fi (not the other way around).

so anyway, not that my computer is connected to the MMDVM, I can now access the pi-star desktop and configuration pages...

HOWEVER, I see that the MMDVM still doesn't want to connect to my wifi - neither on the phone hot spot or the home wifi- what am I missing here>?

Re: Can't connect to wifi & wpa_supplicant.conf dissapears

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2020 4:31 pm
by M1DNS
ke8gyh wrote:>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>UPDATE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ok, after watching a different setup video on Youtube, I noticed that the guy in the video connected TO THE MMDVM with his computer wifi settings... For some reason I thought I was suppose to connect the MMDVM to my computer or wi-fi (not the other way around).

so anyway, not that my computer is connected to the MMDVM, I can now access the pi-star desktop and configuration pages...

HOWEVER, I see that the MMDVM still doesn't want to connect to my wifi - neither on the phone hot spot or the home wifi- what am I missing here>?
What ur describing above is the pistar setup AP if it boots with no connection config, or no Wi-Fi preconfigured network in sight it falls over into setup AP mode. You use it, by connecting ur computer to it and configure for ur Wi-Fi. Once setup the MMDVM device connects to ur Wi-Fi, then you connect to it through ur Wi-Fi, and no longer through the AP setup.
(Which as the name suggests, is for the initial setup of ur connection)

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Re: Can't connect to wifi & wpa_supplicant.conf dissapears

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2020 5:12 pm
by ke8gyh
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M1DNS wrote: Sun Mar 15, 2020 4:31 pm ...What ur describing above is the pistar setup AP if it boots with no connection config, or no Wi-Fi preconfigured network in sight it falls over into setup AP mode. You use it, by connecting ur computer to it and configure for ur Wi-Fi. Once setup the MMDVM device connects to ur Wi-Fi, then you connect to it through ur Wi-Fi, and no longer through the AP setup.
(Which as the name suggests, is for the initial setup of ur connection)
ok - thanks.. however, there is/was a config file put on the SD card to tell it what wi-fi to connect to... AND I do see that info on MMDVM pi-star configuration page but it says no link and it isn't connecting.

any other suggestions on how to get it to connect to my wifi ?

Re: Can't connect to wifi & wpa_supplicant.conf dissapears

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2020 6:48 pm
by ke8gyh
<<<UPDATE>>>

Ok, after much horsing around, I am now able to get the MMDVM to connect to the internet...
...so for anyone else having a similar problem, it seems the zoomspot does not like an SSID that contains spaces or one that is more than 8 characters.

Re: Can't connect to wifi & wpa_supplicant.conf dissapears

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2020 7:44 pm
by M0TQM
From https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm

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You should be able to start from step 3 above - press Configure WiFi and add name and password for your wifi network manually.
I suggest you don't use Reset WiFi Adapter to scan for available wifi networks, because that will kill the Pi-Star-Setup wifi.

73!
Tomasz

Re: Can't connect to wifi & wpa_supplicant.conf dissapears

Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2020 8:37 pm
by M1DNS

ke8gyh wrote:<<<UPDATE>>>

it seems the zoomspot does not like an SSID that contains spaces or one that is more than 8 characters.
Currently the Wi-Fi all my hotspots are connecting with has a 10 digit SSID so I don't think that's correct.

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