RISC OS internet via a mobile phone
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
I’m typing this at the Southampton RISC OS User Group meeting, on my Iyonix, which is connected to the internet via a D-Link DWL-2100AP configured as an Access Point Client, with a mobile phone set up as a wi-fi hotspot. So it can be done, but… it’s hard work, principally because the mobile phone tells you none of the information about the hotspot that you need to know, i.e. the IP address range, netmask and gateway address. Once you’ve got another device connected, one that is helpful enough to give you the information, you can set up the AP client and the wired devices appropriately. If anyone knows an easier way, I would be delighted to know! |
patric aristide (434) 418 posts |
I’ve used this MiFi with great success on my RPi, easy enough to setup using Firefox initially. http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/tp-link-3g-wireless-mobile-wi-fi-n62qq |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
I already have a mobile phone with a monthly account that gives me unlimited 4G data with 4GB allowance for tethering. I don’t want another account for a MiFi, which only replicates the functionality I have from the phone – except the phone is 4G and the MiFi is only 3G. The wifi AP (the mobile phone) is the easy part. Even connecting the AP Client to the AP is easy. The difficulty I’ve encountered is to know what settings to put into the wired part of the AP Client to allow the other wired devices to connect through to the Internet. We had to have another device that was also connected, which told us its IP address and gateway. Neither the phone nor the DWL-2100AP does that AFAICS. |
Raik (463) 2029 posts |
Other way ;-). I can connect my RISC OS Computers (Pandora, Beagle, Pande, RPi…) with a cable connected mobile phone (not a smartphone) to the internet. I use ComCentre. |
Rick Murray (539) 13422 posts |
Never hooked RISC OS to a phone, but I have shared an old SonyEricsson Xperia Mini Pro acting as an AP with Bouygues (they’ll allow tethering from a PAYG credit, unlike Orange who want to be paid extra, even though I’m on a contract with them) and connecting to the internet using an iPad Mini. It was all done via DHCP. I suppose it complicates matters in that there is a third link in the chain, although my Vonets AP client uses DHCP as well and that works as expected with RISC OS. |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
Yes, but that’s one device only, isn’t it? I am looking for a solution that can connect a network of several RISC OS devices. |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
Do you mean that it doesn’t need to be a smartphone, or that it must NOT be a smartphone? |
Steve Drain (222) 1620 posts |
That clarifies what I thought you wanted. For the last two London shows I have had single Pis connected through separate Vonets adaptors to my Android phone. It was very simple to set up. I also thought it should be possible to use just one with a switch instead, but had no joy, so I am interestd to see if you find a relatively easy solution. Indeed, I would like a blow-by-blow method, even an unhelpful one. ;-) |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
Let me confirm: you mean the Vonets adaptor worked for one client device, but not for more than one? |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
Did the Vonets adaptor work through a switch at all, even if only a single client device was connected? |
Rick Murray (539) 13422 posts |
I’d be surprised. The Vonets is supposed to be transparent; to the point of it providing the MAC address of the connected machine. Additionally, a WiFi AP will expect one client per device. You would need to investigate bridge mode, and if your AP can even do that (many cannot). The work around is stuff like XP’s connection sharing. I’m not an expert, I’d just like to hook my bedroom to my Livebox via WiFi and keep hitting obstacles (some of them the crappy Livebox firmware…). |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
My reason for asking is that I can foresee a possible problem. The Vonets device is intended to plug straight into a client device, so its wiring must look like that of a switch and is probably fixed. Switches normally do not have auto Tx/Rx swap, as all the clients have that. So it’s perfectly possible that a Vonets device will work when connected directly but won’t work at all when connected via a switch. If that’s the case, a crossover cable might be all that’s required. This is just a possibility, remember – hence my question. |
Steve Drain (222) 1620 posts |
A bit late in the day, I can confirm that it worked with one Vonets to one Pi only, and not at all when there was a switch. I think I was being ambitious, because there is no indication that this is a mode it should work in. As an aside, has anyone else been fazed using a Vonets with a B+? I have previously powered the V from USB on the Pi, but the new power protection does not put power on the USB until the Boot is (nearly) ended. Consequently, the V has not itself booted when RISC OS needs to find it. I do not know how to force RO to go back to ethernet when everything is ok. |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
I’m typing this on my Iyonix, whose internet connection right now is going through an LB-LINK AP client and my mobile phone set up as an AP. I used Firefox on Ubuntu to set the LB-LINK thing up. There’s too much Javascript for Netsurf to cope. However, the indications so far are that the settings are non-volatile. |
h0bby1 (2567) 480 posts |
aaaaa |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
I also have to say that, coincident with my attempts to reconfigure its network settings for use with the LB-LINK thing – and coincident with nothing else – the BBxM now claims “No network interfaces were detected” when I click on Internet Configuration → Interfaces, even though I can set EtherJ up just fine from the command line or an Obey file and it works afterwards. The message comes from InetSetup (it’s in the Messages file), but unfortunately it’s a compiled app so I’ll have to delve into the RISC OS sources to find how it’s triggered – unless some kind and knowledgable soul already knows how can EtherJ not be detected and yet work? |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
Yes. It’s been done. In my case, though, when I want to use the phone, I have three devices on the LAN that might want to use the internet. I don’t think we have internet connection sharing. The LB-LINK thing only cost me about a tenner off eBay including postage. If anyone else is thinking of getting one: make very sure that you check with the supplier that it really is a later model where the AP Client functionality is rolled in with Repeater. There are (at least) two versions out there that look identical, but only one works as an AP Client. |
h0bby1 (2567) 480 posts |
aaaaa |
h0bby1 (2567) 480 posts |
aaaaa |
Sprow (202) 1120 posts |
Most likely you’ve an old or missing AutoSense file for EtherUSB in !InetSetup.AutoSense. InetSetup has a small table of ye olde podule NICs it knows how to find, but anything post 1997ish is found via system variables set by the corresponding AutoSense file – this scheme allows third parties to augment the NICs known about without having to get Acorn to issue yet another InetSetup. |
Dave Higton (1515) 3409 posts |
Spot on, Sprow, thank you. Why the file had reverted to an earlier version will, I suspect, for ever remain a mystery. |
Rebecca (1663) 107 posts |
I have my Vonets working with a Dynamode 8 port hub. At the moment I have a PC running Win XP and a Raspberry Pi 2 running Risc OS. Both are able to connect to the internet at the same time. Cheers, |
Chris Evans (457) 1614 posts |
Rebecca: which model Vonets are you using? |
Rebecca (1663) 107 posts |
Hi Chris, I’m using the mini300 model. Cheers. |