Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

General support for the Pi-Star System
G6CTX
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:15 am

Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by G6CTX »

Hi, I've blown the dust off three PI-Star's I have, they are the top hat type on a Zero Pi, they were last used for DMR about seven months ago, they all worked fine then, now they do not work, or it seems they will not be recognised by my TP Router, same one as before when everything worked fine, also have an open spot which is working fine, no problems.
I'm no expert in IP addresses so please no complex IP suggestions, all three are working, well almost using my phone, they receive but will not TX using my radio or even see my radio but that is probably something else.

I have looked at everything in the router and cant see what could have changed, the open spot is still working fine, I dont think I have done anything to the router. The hotspot displays are working but the IP address that comes up when using the phone is.. 192.168.207.13, could this be the problem,it seems a strange IP address and perhaps the router doesn't understand it.. or any other thoughts, I've only spent about four weeks trying to get this to work so early days for Pi-Star software...

Thanks

Malc G6CTX
AF6VN
Posts: 821
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:15 am

Re: Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by AF6VN »

G6CTX wrote: Thu Dec 01, 2022 8:43 pm I have looked at everything in the router and cant see what could have changed, the open spot is still working fine, I dont think I have done anything to the router. The hotspot displays are working but the IP address that comes up when using the phone is.. 192.168.207.13, could this be the problem,it seems a strange IP address and perhaps the router doesn't understand it.. or any other thoughts, I've only spent about four weeks trying to get this to work so early days for Pi-Star software...
192.168.x.x is the common block for what used be called a Class C private/local area network address. Here's the list my router has assigned to devices

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 	
192.168.1.93 / unknown5ca39d084ab9 	5c:a3:9d:08:4a:b9 	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 question then becomes: what IP address range has your router issued? You'll have to log into the router's admin interface and check the IP number range it assigns, and any devices connected to it. The number shown by the phone doesn't help if the hotspot is connected to the phone -- then the number is what the PHONE issued to it. Have you tried resetting the router and then rebooting all devices (after turning off the phone access point so they don't reconnect to the phone)?

--
AF6VN
Dennis L Bieber
KN2TOD
Posts: 264
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2018 6:36 pm

Re: Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by KN2TOD »

Hi, I've blown the dust off three PI-Star's I have, they are the top hat type on a Zero Pi, they were last used for DMR about seven months ago, they all worked fine then, now they do not work, or it seems they will not be recognised by my TP Router, same one as before when everything worked fine, also have an open spot which is working fine, no problems.
Can you log into the dashboard(s)?

If it's been this long since you last fired up your hotspots, check to make sure you've updated the BM API key from V1 to V2 - you may not be connecting to the BM network like you once where.
G6CTX
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:15 am

Re: Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by G6CTX »

Hi, the hotspot won't even connect to the router, just sits there saying finding IP address which it never does, as previous it works on phone and if I set Laptop to Phone as hotspot I can see and control the Pi, as soon as I switch to router there is nothing so its not a matter of things like new API address's because it hasn't even connected to the router, I have about ten other things on the router and they all, including the One Spot connect instantly. So I dont know if it is something in the router settings or Pi settings that is stopping it connecting I've just put a Wireless speaker on to try and kit connected to router straight away no problem.
As it is not connected I cant say what IP address it is using, for clarity, is the router telling the Pi what address to use or is it the Pi asking the router what address to use... ?

The Pi (they) will just not connect to the router and bear in mind six months ago they all worked fine and as far as I know I haven't done anything to the router or Pi's....
The Pi is not visible on the router in any list, passwords for PSK and SSID checked and ok, same password used for all other devices as well and no problems... I'm stumped... I'm guessing this is something likely simple so thinking out of the box is called for I think...

Example of errors

Looking for Pi Dashboard on website: This site can’t be reached, pi-star’s server IP address could not be found.

On Pi : Searching for IP address..... (never found)


Cheers
KN2TOD
Posts: 264
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2018 6:36 pm

Re: Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by KN2TOD »

Hi, the hotspot won't even connect to the router, just sits there saying finding IP address which it never does, as previous it works on phone and if I set Laptop to Phone as hotspot I can see and control the Pi, as soon as I switch to router there is nothing so its not a matter of things like new API address's because it hasn't even connected to the router, I have about ten other things on the router and they all, including the One Spot connect instantly.
To be clear here (in the context of Pi-Star), your phone is not a "hotspot", it's an "access point". So, if I understand what you are saying, your hotspot (Pi-Star) connects to the access point on the phone (same as your laptop) but not the access point on the router. Correct?

Does Pi-Star operate normally when connected to your phone's access point?
is the router telling the Pi what address to use or is it the Pi asking the router what address to use..
Yes, the router is telling the Pi what address to use, but only if the Pi makes a connection to the router to ask for an address. The Pi can't ask if it can't connect; the router can't offer an address to a device that is not connected. And if connected, then normally the Pi can not tell the router what address it wants, unless you've hard-coded a static address in your Pi, in which case ... the connection would be refused by the router if the desired address is already in use by another device already connected to the router. Is that clear? And further, the ip address offered by your router should be, usually is, different than the one offered by your phone: your router is on a completely different network than your phone (assuming, of course that your router is wired locally, whereas your phone is probably wire-less to a nearby tower).

So, if Pi-Star is not connected to either access point (router or phone), then it should be offering it's own "access point", same as it would when initially built and configured.

Does you phone or laptop have a "wifi sniffer" app of some kind? One that can scan for nearby "access points"? Does your Pi-Star Setup Access Point show up in such scans?

If you find the Pi-Star Setup Access point, then enter the setup (again) and check/recheck your Pi-Star configuration, especially the wifi settings.
M1DNS
Pi-Star Team
Posts: 1388
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:30 am

Re: Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by M1DNS »


KN2TOD wrote:

If it's been this long since you last fired up your hotspots, check to make sure you've updated the BM API key from V1 to V2 - you may not be connecting to the BM network like you once where.
The API vers. wont stop you connecting to the BM network. You dont need create an API key to join the network and talk on a Tg.

The API is used in pistar to switch and control TG's from within its dashboard.
It has little to no bearing on ur ability to connect to a BM server to chat on the network.

Sent via smoke signals from my SM-G935F M1DNS (Admin)





Andrew M1DNS.
Pi-star Admin Team.
M1DNS
Pi-Star Team
Posts: 1388
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:30 am

Re: Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by M1DNS »

What ip addreeses are being issued to ur hotspot by the router.
Youll need to login to it and search connected devices.

If there are none showing then use pistar AP to search and connect to ur routers wifi or alt. use the wifi builder apllication from the pistar website.

Until ur hotspots show in ur router your not going to be able to connect or do anything much with them.

Sent via smoke signals from my SM-G935F M1DNS (Admin)

Andrew M1DNS.
Pi-star Admin Team.
G6CTX
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:15 am

Re: Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by G6CTX »

Hi,

Important, I'm trying things as I type over three hours, See discovery below... Bold NOW

Having done this for all three hot spots, some answers.
Turning normal WiFi off they Eventually find the PI AP, it seems to come and go and if you try and do anything, most of the time it loses it and says Network change detected, it may or may not come back after a few minutes after many hours of trying these things as often I have to re-start the laptop to get the Pi AP to show in the list of available networks.

They all work on the phone, yes I understand the Phone IP is nothing like the Router one, I never see any Pi IP in the router it just will never connect in the first place.

As said tried a new set of wireless speakers, connected almost instantaneously.

The upper 192.168. 20, X upper is 250, the highest used is about 59.

Trying to access the Pi, with all other WiFi connections OFF only occasionally does the Pi AP come up, if I try and modify something when it is up almost immediately it loses that connection and only again very very occasionally saves it.

Q : At the bottom of the screen it says Auto AP SSID PSK. What should that be, raspberry i guess, what is point of it...?

See Attachment

Pi AP disappears after a few mins, it is visible on my phone WiFi app, strong signal. Thw WIFi panel on the Pi page disappears after about one minute and says "A network Change was detected, occasionally it will come back if you do a page reload, generally not, you have to go throug the Pi star Disconnect and reConnect and hope, 50 50

Now, I have just noticed another Signal on the same channel and same frequency but quite low on the phone app, nothing to do with me... I use Virgin but my IP is not that its either MalcHome 2 or 5 where the Virgin is I have no idea, next door..? If this is the problem, what is the answer, can I change the Pi IP..? I've got it set to random in the Laptop config and tried Fixed but always the same.
Or is this not the problem...
Se Attachment
Obviously I cant see which Virgin network it is as there are six near me, without access Name and Password its not possible, Phone only shows Virgin and not ID unless you log on, which I cant.

If I speak to neighbours, how, what can I say and what can they do, or do I change something in the Pi software... ?

To be honest I've had just about enough, Tried a couple of checks on router earlier, didn't change anything but it is so delicate when eventually goy it back on line 4 of my 5 WiFi cameras CCTV didn't work no 0bvious reason, eventually four hours later and a lot of Off and Ons they all came back on so I'm very reluctant to fiddle with the router.

So bear in mind, this ALL worked six months ago, I haven't changed anything router or Pi apart from they weren't used for actually 11 months checking back, so money for me is this random Virgin signal...?

If not that and no ideas I think I'll leave until next year as Im spending over 4 - 5 hours a day I have to thank you guys so far for your help and suggestions, definitely one for the note book.

Thanks

Malc G6CTX
M1DNS
Pi-Star Team
Posts: 1388
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 5:30 am

Re: Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by M1DNS »

6 mnths is a long time in the it arena, much has and will change.

If you have other users on the same wifi channel as ur own router. Change ur router channel, move it to someplace clear.

Also, if the hotspots are connecting to ur phone, they wont be connecting to ur home wifi. So id switch the phones ap off whilst your trying to initiate a connection to the home router.

Sent via smoke signals from my SM-G935F M1DNS (Admin)

Andrew M1DNS.
Pi-star Admin Team.
G6CTX
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:15 am

Re: Pi-Star cannot be seen by TP Router - was (three of them) OK when last used 6 months ago.

Post by G6CTX »

Hi,

The Router Ch 11 is fine for IP generally, but the Hotspot Pi is outputting it's API on Ch 6 with it's IP, so the you can see the Pi API on the PC at a good signal level, but Virgin somewhere is also outputting on Ch6 at a much lower signal level, I cant see what its actual IP address is and I dont know what the Pi address is, they both have the same frequency, 2437MHz, a different MAC address.. I think it's MAC, but same freq in same Ch. I think it may be from across the road, they moved in about that date...
Can I change the output frequency on the Pi and WiFi channel....?

See attached pic.

Cheers

Malc
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