Sorry I thought I added the link.
MikroTik RB2011UiAS-2HnD-IN
MikroTik RB2011UiAS-2HnD-IN
536hp wifi issue
- Thread starter JStemann
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If you are interested, I had a thought come to mind:
While at home with the scanner in your vehicle, do the following:
Menu>Wi-Fi Setup>Set Connection>Infrastructure Mode The scanner will give you a list of all the wireless routers it sees. Make a list of all you see. Then back out of this by repeatedly pressing menu until you are back to normal scanning.
Next, drive your vehicle with the scanner and dongle still running to a location at least a half mile from your home. Then repeat the Menu>Wi-Fi Setup>Set Connection>Infrastructure Mode process making a second list of observed wireless routers. Then back out using to menu button to normal scanning.
If you see a given router showing up in both lists, most likely it is something in your vehicle affecting your dongle.
(I'm still thinking something in your vehicle is affecting the dongle and we have to run it down. If your vehicle happens to have some type of electronics package that provides router functionality, you could try using Infrastructure Mode to connect to that, just like you would for a home wifi system.)
While at home with the scanner in your vehicle, do the following:
Menu>Wi-Fi Setup>Set Connection>Infrastructure Mode The scanner will give you a list of all the wireless routers it sees. Make a list of all you see. Then back out of this by repeatedly pressing menu until you are back to normal scanning.
Next, drive your vehicle with the scanner and dongle still running to a location at least a half mile from your home. Then repeat the Menu>Wi-Fi Setup>Set Connection>Infrastructure Mode process making a second list of observed wireless routers. Then back out using to menu button to normal scanning.
If you see a given router showing up in both lists, most likely it is something in your vehicle affecting your dongle.
(I'm still thinking something in your vehicle is affecting the dongle and we have to run it down. If your vehicle happens to have some type of electronics package that provides router functionality, you could try using Infrastructure Mode to connect to that, just like you would for a home wifi system.)
I live in a rural area, the only router that shows at home is mine. I never proceeded to connect in infrastructure mode, but did go as far to see that it could see my home network.
It's definitely not the vehicle. I can take the scanner in the house, disable my home wifi, and the scanner will not go into access point mode or generate an IP address. If I turn the home wifi back on, I can then start AP mode on the scanner and it will report an IP address.
Similar thing for in the truck. No wifi signal available in truck, the scanner will not start AP mode. I took my deactivated wifi hotspot out to the truck. I was then able to start AP mode, 1st try, no problem. I tried 20x or more before that, including multiple resets and power sources (thinking it was my truck) it would never work, or report an IP address.
Jeff.
The only other things are perhaps the dongle is bad or the firmware for the dongle needs to be re-done to 7.28
RFI-EMI-GUY
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Sounds like it goes in a loop trying to negotiate a channel and stays there without timing out and picking one.
Ubbe
Member
JamesO
Member
Maybe, and I would not be able to test this out where I live, the AP mode is designed to scan the Wifi channels to then pick an empty or open channel. If there are no Wifi channels then possibly the AP mode goes stupid and does not pick a channel??
It would be pretty tricky for me to find an area near where I like that would no NO Wifi signals.
It would be pretty tricky for me to find an area near where I like that would no NO Wifi signals.
Do "we" know for sure this is how AP mode & the dongle is supposed to work? While I could have missed it when the wifi features came out, I know I haven't seen anything from uniden saying there has to be a wifi network in range to start AP mode. If I missed it in the manuals, maybe someone can point me to where I can find the info.
Based on how I got mine to work, your explanation certainly fits. I'd just like to know if that's how it's supposed to work.
Jeff.
Ubbe
Member
Wrap the dongle in aluminum foil?
I turned off my 2,4GHz net and only had the 5GHz running and when starting AP mode in the 536 it goes 5 sec and then tripple beeps and returns to the menu. After starting the 2.4GHz net it goes 5 sec and then says "Access point mode started".
/Ubbe
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RFI-EMI-GUY
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I looked and found little documentation about the dongle itself. I have a separate thread opened hoping to find how to set the RF channel while setting the AP mode. It seems mine likes channel 2, probably because no one is using it nearby. I would rather it be on one of the non overlapping channels so it can negotiate the channel resource properly. This is why I believe it scans.
JamesO
Member
I wrapped my dongle in 2 layers of aluminum foil and I can still pick up the scanner dongle.
This would be a VERY easy test for Uniden in the Lab, just find and cut the trace that powers the radio portion of the dongle!!
If you unplug the dongle the scanner says something like no Wifi and you cannot even access the Wifi menus.
The problem here is you have a scanner manufacturer that added Networking, I doubt they had the Networking expertise "in house". Any good group would road test these things hard before release of the product/firmware.
I still say and I hope everyone agrees there is a LOT more to do with the network side of the 536HP and it should not be so difficult.
Static IP addressing option, Wifi channel choice of Auto or Manual, Ping Utility, offering a dual band dongle and a hardwired dongle option.
Of course the dual band and hardwired options would be an option purchase, the firmware needs to be available to support these features.
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Vermonster
Member
I just wanted to bump this thread and advise that I have been able to replicate this issue.
If there are no networks seen by the WiFi dongle on the scanner, the scanner will not enter access point mode. As others have guessed, I suspect the dongle does a scan to identify the least congested WiFi radio channel. The problem appears to be that if it sees no other WiFi channels in use, it fails to turn the dongle on in AP mode and fails.
It's an incredible oversight to not have the programming turn the dongle on using a default channel rather than fail.
Until Uniden fixes this sloppy programming, a couple solutions come to mind:
Turn on WiFi hotspot (tethering) mode in cell phone during initial startup.
Install wireless router in vehicle--could just be old wireless router or USB powered wireless router.
I'm going to try using the HooToo Travelmate, which has the advantage of being powered off the USB power already in the truck and might serve other purposes. For $18 bucks it's worth a try.
If there are no networks seen by the WiFi dongle on the scanner, the scanner will not enter access point mode. As others have guessed, I suspect the dongle does a scan to identify the least congested WiFi radio channel. The problem appears to be that if it sees no other WiFi channels in use, it fails to turn the dongle on in AP mode and fails.
It's an incredible oversight to not have the programming turn the dongle on using a default channel rather than fail.
Until Uniden fixes this sloppy programming, a couple solutions come to mind:
Turn on WiFi hotspot (tethering) mode in cell phone during initial startup.
Install wireless router in vehicle--could just be old wireless router or USB powered wireless router.
I'm going to try using the HooToo Travelmate, which has the advantage of being powered off the USB power already in the truck and might serve other purposes. For $18 bucks it's worth a try.
Im using a setup just as you describe. about once a week my AP wont connect. I does like a double beep after it tries for a while. I have to put it on infrastructure mode, connect to a network, then disconnect and put it back in AP mode. It then works fine for about another week. Dont ask me why. I usually just turn on my phones hotspot to do it.
JamesO
Member
Clearly sounds like a firmware or programming problem that NEEDS to be fixed along with the need to be able to CHOOSE the wireless change AND enter a STATIC IP address.
I would guess the programming requests the dongle to scan for active channels. If the dongle does not find any active channels it does not stop the scan and choose a channel, it just keeps scanning for active Wifi channels, kind of site survey loop?? Seems that a time out timer is needed in this case and an instruction for the dongle to default to a channel and/or ASK/PROMPT the user to choose a wifi channel!
UPMan are you listening?
I would guess the programming requests the dongle to scan for active channels. If the dongle does not find any active channels it does not stop the scan and choose a channel, it just keeps scanning for active Wifi channels, kind of site survey loop?? Seems that a time out timer is needed in this case and an instruction for the dongle to default to a channel and/or ASK/PROMPT the user to choose a wifi channel!
UPMan are you listening?
That would be a 3rd party vendor for the wifi firmware
Don't know if this will help or not. I was setting up 2 BCD536's for a local tv station and ran across the same problem, NO ip address... what worked for me was to go into Wi-Fi setup....set connection(enter).... access point mode(enter).... (it shows the Input SSID) hit enter..... open(enter).... and that should work, or it did for me on both scanners. then go to wi-fi information and your IP address should(might) be there..
This is what worked for me.. hopefully this will help
This is what worked for me.. hopefully this will help
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RFI-EMI-GUY
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I agree. And having the option to over ride and manually select a channel for AP mode would be useful because some channels may be problematic to the user.
Mbk127k
Member
You know it's just funny to see all the people reposting the same exact issues but never got fixed.
Jeff, question for you. When you go into the access ppint section in setting, does it require you to setup a SSID name, a password and then press enter. So this is from my understanding of using the access point feature.
So the infrastructure and access point on the scanner is two different things. It connects to wifi in infrastructure setting as well as sends out a wifi signal for devices to connect to when in access mode.
When in access mode it's going to ask you to input an ssid, so make it jeff truck or the default which I believe is BCD536hp something, you press enter, it will then ask what security feature you would like which I always do WPA2 as security and then it asks you to set a password, make it jeff or whatever you want the password to be. Then i believe it's gonna ask you to confirm and press yes, when this happens what the wifi dongle will do is that it's going to send out a wifi connection to a devices
You go into the wifi section on the Samsung device and you will see the the name/ssid you created for the access point and you will press connect on samsung device, then your going to put in the password that you put in for the access point and press connect. Now your scanners wifi dongle is now feeding a wifi signal to your phone/tablet which makes you connect to it. Then you go back into the scanners wifi setting and select show connection. It will show the ip that the scanner and phone connected to and this is where you will see the ip to enter into the siren app.
Hope this is helpful, that's what I did and it works.
Jeff, question for you. When you go into the access ppint section in setting, does it require you to setup a SSID name, a password and then press enter. So this is from my understanding of using the access point feature.
So the infrastructure and access point on the scanner is two different things. It connects to wifi in infrastructure setting as well as sends out a wifi signal for devices to connect to when in access mode.
When in access mode it's going to ask you to input an ssid, so make it jeff truck or the default which I believe is BCD536hp something, you press enter, it will then ask what security feature you would like which I always do WPA2 as security and then it asks you to set a password, make it jeff or whatever you want the password to be. Then i believe it's gonna ask you to confirm and press yes, when this happens what the wifi dongle will do is that it's going to send out a wifi connection to a devices
You go into the wifi section on the Samsung device and you will see the the name/ssid you created for the access point and you will press connect on samsung device, then your going to put in the password that you put in for the access point and press connect. Now your scanners wifi dongle is now feeding a wifi signal to your phone/tablet which makes you connect to it. Then you go back into the scanners wifi setting and select show connection. It will show the ip that the scanner and phone connected to and this is where you will see the ip to enter into the siren app.
Hope this is helpful, that's what I did and it works.
Vermonster
Member
I am not Jeff. But I have the same issue. What you indicate above **IS** what happens if there is another WiFi signal (from any other access point, regardless of whether you have the password to that AP, etc.).
If, however, you are in an area with no visible access points (that is, the dongle does not receive a signal broadcast from any AP), after you enter the password and say Eyes it will say "Processing Please Wait". But then, instead of saying "Access Point Mode Starts", it will make a bonk sound and return to the setup menu.
It's NOT a user error.
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