Comms: WiFi Configuration

[mitra42]

How to get the WiFi configured - ?

I've seen several libraries ...
https://github.com/Juerd/ESP-WiFiSettings - looks ok - WiFi portal if can't connect to previous can collect other variables (e.g. MQTT) - also see OTA example here
https://github.com/tabahi/ESP-Wifi-Config - not as sophisticated as Juerd's uses local memory rather than SPIFF
https://github.com/snakeye/WifiConfig - simple, builds UI with javascript but note it MIGHT require net connectivity to fetch those dependencies ?
Either may do what is needed in terms of a captive portal, but that may not be the right solution for field deployment

Note some examples at https://github.com/snakeye/WifiConfig/blob/master/src/WiFiConfig.cpp of WiFi parms to EEPROM

[mitra42]

Design thinking ..... (independent of looking at what others have done)

• If device has been configured it should try and connect to prior WiFi & MQTT while also offering config options
• If hit reset button (unclear if this is same as power cycling) it should offer config options for a short while.

Config options

• It should be able to be reached by BLE - but what goes on the phone side of that, and note that not all LMIC smart phones have BLE. This needs research as haven't worked with BLE before.
• It should offer a WiFi page, this should allow setting WiFi SSID & passwd & MQTT host (& node id?)
• it might want to try and connect to a few specific WiFi SSIDs and then a specific MQTT host.

More thoughts

• Should combine this with setting ID of the node
• Start with Juerd's library - if its too heavyweight then strip down for a later version

[mitra42]

First attempts with Juerd's library

• POC
  • Test example from ESP-WiFiSettings on ESP8266
    • test edited example on ESP32
    • Submit fixes to example to library ESP-WiFiSettings
    • Open issue regarding clearing settings.
    • Open issue regarding language settings at compile time
  • Copy/adapt to new system_wifi.cpp
  • Test minimal
  • Add mqtt config
  • Try with ESP32
  • Move WiFi from system_mqtt to system_wifi
  • Check other WiFi issues posted
  • Make sure can reconnect e.g. if WiFi off temporarily
  • Obtain client id and pass to MQTT and poss WiFi client
• MVP
  • Add Indonesian as a language and document how to do this - may require library fork - and maybe compile-time language selection to reduce space
  • Add link to html portal (maybe presume on same machine as mqtt on known port) and allow configuration
  • Probably some of the items in previous comment.
  • Need way to initiate clearing settings - a call to WiFiSettings.portal does it, but need way to trigger that. Maybe two resets without connecting
• More
  • Think about displaying retained topics simply (blind topic:value) or clever (e.g. bars) via some javascript (probably by forking library)

[mitra42]

Made the WiFi portal time out - it only does this if it has enough information to attempt a connect, in which case after (configurable) 2 minutes it will reset and try wifi again.

Tested a bit - e.g. turn off WiFi - watch portal come on - turn WiFi back on, see portal timeout and reconnect to WiFi.

Note - its dumb, there is no data etc being collected while WiFi is down.