536hp wifi issue

[Mbk127k]

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.

Your Access Point is the wifi, that is the reason why it's wanting you to put in the ssid name, security and password. Once activitated you have to go into your phone, tablet or any other device and connect to that wifi signal that the wifi dongle is putting out.

 

[Vermonster]

I give up. We are talking past each other. 50% of the time I am in the forest more than 25 miles from the nearest access point. I should still be able to use the 536 in access point mode with my tablet but can't. The 536 will not start in AP mode unless there is another WiFi radio signal it can see when you first try to enter AP mode. Since it won't enter AP mode, there is no signal it puts out for my tablet to see.

If I drive my truck 30 miles to a store with WiFi (locked by the way, I don't have the password) and park in their lot, the 536 will start in AP mode.

For the others who also experience this problem and don't want/have hotspot mode on their phone to turn on during the AP mode setup, I can report the HooToo Tripmate nano ($18) works perfectly. Plug into cell phone charger in car. Wait 10 seconds. No need even to set it up. 536 then starts in AP mode when it would not before. Added bonus I've got a small media server my wife and kids can use on road trips with their tablets.

 

[JamesO]

That would be a 3rd party vendor for the wifi firmware

Not quite. So you see there is "firmware" for the wifi dongle, but how the dongle is used and how the radio connects to networks was likely worked out in software/firmware by Uniden unless Uniden turned over 100% of the networking and network connection instructions to the dongle vendor which I doubt would be the case.

If this is an issue of the dongle searching for active Wifi channels and does not time out and default to a wifi channel when you are in the middle of the desert hundreds of miles from any wifi hotspot or router, this would likely be a Uniden issue to resolve directly inside the 536 instruction set.

 

[buddrousa]

The hold up for wifi was the 3rd party vendor as documented by upman here in the forums

 

[JamesO]

The hold up for wifi was the 3rd party vendor as documented by upman here in the forums

I know all about the firmware hold up from the dongle vendor, but you have to realize there are different levels of control and I expect the firmware issue with the dongle vendor was at a totally different level than channel scanning, IP addressing and so forth which is probably all handled via the scanner firmware.

There is a lot of communication that goes between the scanner and the dongle, the dongle does not likely have the smarts to control channels and scanning. The dongle needs to be told how is connects in either Infrastructure or AdHoc/AP mode. If you were to plug the dongle into a 5 Volt phone charger USB port or a laptop, you would find the dongle would not connect to a network on its own because there is not enough smarts in the dongle.

No different than a wifi card in a laptop, the OS performs the higher level of control like SSID, encryption type/password and other features as well as settings and other configurable items. The wifi card is fairly dumb and only does some very basic control.

 

[JStemann]

just an update for everyone. Since I put the "sim less" mifi jetpack in the truck, I have had no problems starting ap mode & using a tablet as a remote display. I do occasionally have to close & restart the android app, but other than that it's worked fine.


Jeff.

 

[JamesO]

just an update for everyone. Since I put the "sim less" mifi jetpack in the truck, I have had no problems starting ap mode & using a tablet as a remote display. I do occasionally have to close & restart the android app, but other than that it's worked fine.


Jeff.

While a solution, this is really not a "solution" just a bandaid for poor software/firmware.

How about it Uniden, time for a FIX!

 

[JStemann]

While a solution, this is really not a "solution" just a bandaid for poor software/firmware.

How about it Uniden, time for a FIX!

I agree completely. Would much rather it work without needing the jetpack to restart an ap session.

Jeff.

 

[ofd8001]

I guess I must not be tech-savvy enough. I've never had an issue with connecting my iPhone to the scanner in Access Point mode whether or not their is a wifi signal in the area.

The only thing I have to be mindful of is my iPhone connecting to a wifi network that I have previously "remembered". If the iPhone does connect to that network, I just have to re-point it back to the scanner.

Because I'm simple minded, I'm not using any type of security. The "reach" of the dongle in Access Point mode is so limited I doubt anyone is going to be hacking the scanner.