PC not seeing my Hotspot

[G1SCY]

Sorry really I'm not being thick on purpose.
I have reformatted the SD card taking the wrong software of and putting on
Pi-Star_RPi_V4.0.0-RC3_20-Jan-2019
Dropped the config file (router WiFi details) on the card
Put the SD card into the HotSpot.
Diddley Squat !!!
So some one tell me please what should I be doing next?
I go into the Pi-Star.UK site is that right?
And I should see a screen telling me to configure the Raspberry Pi Is that correct.
Cos if it is I don't , see that screen that is.
After two days this is really wee-ing me off.

[KE0FHS]

See the instructions here:
https://amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.h ... hingpistar

[AF6VN]

I go into the Pi-Star.UK site is that right?

NO...

pi-star.uk is the site hosting this forum. It knows nothing about your hotspot.

You connect to your hotspot.

If it is in Auto-AP mode, that means telling your computer (if using WiFi) to disconnect from your WiFi system, then searching for the hotspot WiFi access point name, and connecting to IT (you will not have internet access). Configure the hotspot including the parameters of your normal WiFi access point. Reboot -- it should then come up connected to your regular WiFi.

If it is connected to your regular WiFi (or you used a CAT-5/CAT-6 cable to physically connect to your router) you need to connect to either: the IP # assigned to the hotspot by the router (this will always work, but you'll have to connect to the router admin pages to find out what clients are connected and what IP # they have been given); one of "pi-star" or "pi-star.local" depending upon router and OS (this expects the router to handle translating host names on the LAN; if you changed the host name in the configuration, you would use that name -- mine is pi-star-3b, as I expected to add a second pi-star system at some time and didn't want to cause confusion).

[G1SCY]

Sorry my mistake I meant to say go to Pi-Star.local
I can't get my PC to see my Hotpot
I tried to go down the AP route but Windows 10 ain't very helpful and I cannot see Pi-Star anything

[M1DNS]

Couple things to be aware of on first initial boot of 4.0.0
The setup expands the SD card file system so it can make use of all the space the card has to offer... Depending on the size of used card that could take a little while and when doing so you won't have access to anything. So give it a minute or two to setup.

Either connect via cat 5 to setup ur WiFi config
Or use pistar setup AP. which should be showing as an available WiFi access connection point if you search for WiFi connections with ur controlling device, pc, laptop, phone, tablet etc.

Andrew M1DNS, (Mod)

[AF6VN]

Sorry my mistake I meant to say go to Pi-Star.local
I can't get my PC to see my Hotpot
I tried to go down the AP route but Windows 10 ain't very helpful and I cannot see Pi-Star anything

Presuming the device is NOT in AP mode, (based on my system) for Win10 you just want "pi-star", no .local suffix. (Recall, I renamed my host to pi-star-3b) This is the bookmark in my browser.

http://pi-star-3b/admin/

If you can't find it by name, you WILL have to go into your router's admin pages to find what the active WiFi clients are (from mine an ATT U-verse Arris NVG589 unit) Apologies for the mess, alignment lost in cut&paste

Code: Select all

IP Allocation
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 	
192.168.1.74 / 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 	
192.168.1.67 / HP507DC0 	9c:b6:54:50:7d:c0 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.79 / pi-star-3b 	b8:27:eb:4b:0b:d5 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	
192.168.1.66 / ElusiveUnicorn 	b8:ca:3a:79:0c:36 	on 	DHCP Allocation 	

(That list includes both cable and WiFi IP assignments)

If you don't see the name, you might have to power down the hotspot, do a refresh/rescan of the allocation list -- then power-up and wait a minute or so to complete boot, refresh/rescan and look for changes -- it could be unnamed, but there should be a new IP allocation.

If it STILL does not appear, you will have to use an ethernet cable directly connected to the router and again look for DHCP client IP allocation changes. The odds are then that you do not have the hotspot WiFi (wpa-* file) correctly specified for your node.

[G1SCY]

Andrew is saying that, after you install Pi-Star 4.0.0-RC3, you can run a manual upgrade to 4.0.0-RC4. To do so, go to the Expert Editor page of the Pi-Star dashboard. First run a Pi-Star Update by clicking the Update link, and then run a Pi-Star Upgrade by clicking the Upgrade link (you always should run an update before running an upgrade).

If you need some help with upgrading from 3.4.17 to 4.0.0-RC3, see the Upgrade to 4.0 video in the W1MSG Tutorial Videos section of this forum:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1267

OK thanks so I think you are saying I should have run an update when going from 3.4.17 to 4.0.0-RC3? Yes?
Will what Andrew say clear the problem i.e. is there anymore I need to do after that?

[G1SCY]

Sorry watched the video as suggested this guy was uploading via a Mac not Windows
Cos he said he was having trouble with Windows so he went to a Mac
Doesn't bode well does it !

[M1DNS]

No, you can only go from vers 3.4.** to vers 4.0 by way of a new download and reburn it to a sdcard. There's no update path to 4.0 RC3 or RC4 from 3.
On ur original 3.4.** install, run a backup... Download and burn 4.0 RC3 to the sdcard... pull in the backup from the earlier install.. then run an update/upgrade so you get the newest 4.0 RC4.

Here's a video link showing the update path from pistar video guy, Craig W1MSG. https://youtu.be/3RWYLpqlH1w

It shows the jump to an earlier version 4.0 RC1 but the update path is the same as shown. Just remember to run an update / upgrade after you have vers 4.0 running to get the newest 4.0 RC4

Andrew M1DNS, (Mod)

[G1SCY]

Like I said I watched the video he is using a MAC cos he said he was getting no joy from Windows.
How do I do a back up? And where is the Expert editor page? Please