AsyncLabs Forums

[Frankenspank]

Is it possible to have the YellowJacket function as a wireless access point (WAP) instead of an Ad-Hoc network? The reason I am asking is when i tried connecting to the network with my Android based phone, the phone did not see the device. The ad-hoc network is up and running as I was able to connect to it using other devices.

Frank

[spidermonkey04]

I didn't realize this before, but apparently stock Android does NOT support ad-hoc mode. Seems a bit silly, but I'm sure there's a reason. However, if you have root access on your phone then you could modifiy a couple files to enable it. There are plenty of guides around the web for rooting and this ad-hoc fix.

---Jared

[Frankenspank]

Jared,

Thanks for your reply. While as you state it probably is possible to enable Ad-Hoc networking on the Android handset as you state, this is not a possibility for my application. An "unrooted" handset needs to be able to connect to the Yellowjacket w/out modifications. Likey, the user would be violating the provider's TOS so I cannot ask them to do this.

Additionally, the device should function independent of existing WiFi networks: IE as a standalone WAP. Suffice to say, I need to to make the Yellojacket function as a WAP.

Frank

[GregEigsti]

Or get rid of the Android I'm no expert on what it takes to run an AP but I'm thinking it might be a stretch to get it all onto an Arduino/AVR.

[Frankenspank]

Greg,

The root of my question is this: Can the ZeroG/Microchip module itself function as a WAP? I took a look at the data sheet, and it doesn't cover actually USING the device once you have it hooked up, which makes it about as useful as a third tit. Next, I dug into the source for the module provided my Microchip. From what I can tell, it can either connect to an existing network or run in Ad-Hoc mode. This begs the question, from a WiFi clients perspective (phone, computer, whatever), why should it care weather the device is Ad-Hoc or WAP? Is there a way to trick the ZeroG module into broacasting WAP instead of Ad-Hoc? I have also posed this question on the Microchip forum to see if I can get a definitive answer from a rep over there.

Frank

[GregEigsti]

The ZeroG is only a WiFi radio - completely controlled by your code. So making it work as an AP - yep, probably can be done if the ZeroG has the proper "backing" code. That said (as you have found) theres nobody to a very few people doing this so finding sample code / help is going to be tough. What I imagine will be even tougher is getting your code plus any WiFi AP code all onto the Arduino's wee little AVR processor.

Maybe you could take a look at DD-WRT/Tomato source to conceptualize what needs to happen to make an AP an AP. Of course those bits of software have lots of extra bits that would need to be stripped away.

Greg

[Frankenspank]

I've actually taken a look at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HostAP drivers for the Intel and Prism chipsets. These are Linux drivers that allow you to run your wireless LAN hardware in Host mode. The codebase is big, ~1mb uncompressed, but there is a good deal of unneeded code in there. Security/authentication, crptography, etc.

[SirPoonga]

The other alternative is to do what I did. Get a fonera router. The best part is they run on 5v instead of 12v like other wifi routers. Also they are small since they are wifi only. I am running my project all off of an Energizer XP8000 battery. I hacked a usb cable to power the fonera from the battery's usb port. The arduino is powered off of the 12v port of the battery - yeah, I know. It's still in prototyping phase and it is the easiest way to get everything working right now. I will power everything off of the usb port later.