Connecting RISC OS Pi to Wifi

Hi

Never used RISC before yesterday.

Went to Wakefield yesterday and bought RISC OS Pi SD and Nut Pi SD. Having great fun learning about the OS but cannot get Wifi connection to the internet. I have tried many options in the configuration/network but no connection.

Current settings are AUN not set
Access not set
Internet set
interfaces USB 0 is ticked
manually is selected
IP address is 192.168.1.11
netmask is 255.255.255.0
routing is 192.168.1.1
host names
name is myhost
local domain is domain
primary name server is 192.168.1.1

When I try to access the internet I get 2Resolving timed out after 30000 milliseconds" or "couldnot resolve host: (Could not contact DNS servers)

Is there a step by step guide for a novice or perhaps a list of common mistakes?

My Raspberry Pi works fine on Wifi when running Linux Debian but so slow.

Any ideas?

Unfortunately RISC OS currently has no WiFi support. Also, in the configuration you have listed you’re attempting to connect via the Ethernet socket on the Pi.

Hopefully we’ll get WiFi support soon but if you really need to be wireless, you’re stuck with Linux for the time being.

My Pi is a long way from my wireless hub, so I bought a set of the Powerline adaptors. It works really well with my Pi, even though I have them plugged into a long extension.

Powerline adaptors on Ebuyer

if you really need to be wireless, you’re stuck with Linux for the time being.

Not at all, but not as conveniently as a USB WiFi dongle.

You need an wireless access point connected to the ethernet socket. There are quite a few to chose from, but the Vonets VAP11G is popular and I have been using it for well over a year. Aim for a price of around £15. However, you do have to set up the network on another machine, say a PC, before transfering it to the Pi.

You need an wireless access point connected to the ethernet socket.

No, an Access Point is the other way round, providing a point of access for wireless clients. What you need is a “Wireless client”. However, some access points can be operated in “client mode”. Alternatively, there are some wireless devices capable of “bridging mode”, which basically connect two networks via wireless.

Wrong term – right item. ;-)

It’s sold as a WiFi bridge.

I use something like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300Mbps-Wireless-Wifi-N-802-11-AP-Router-Repeater-Range-Extender-Booster-UK-Plug-/251512974857

Plugs straight into the Ethernet port on the Pi and RISC OS quite happily talks to the device, including the web-admin system with NetSurf.

I use a Netgear WNCE2001 device which gives me wireless access. It’s smallest than the pi so doesn’t look too conspicuous lying next to it on the carpet. Works a treat!

ps. Good luck with your RISC OS adventures!

_{£40 from Amazon? I’ll keep on using a cable to my router… 8})

I have just bought one of these at around £9:

It can be set up in RO with Firefox, but not NetSurf. If you get an older one with “Repeater” rather than “Client” label it still works the same.

Chris Evans might be interested, because it has a low profile RJ45 socket and lead. ;-)

@Steve – Looks interesting. Does it “remember” several WiFi hotspots, so you can move it around between different wireless networks without having to reconfigure it, or does it have just one configuration at a time? I’ve had a similar-shaped, but differently branded one in the past that didn’t have a memory. The vonets device I have does remember up to about 5 hotspots, I think, but I don’t like the hoops I have to jump through to configure it!

There’s a hint in the manual that it stores up to 6, but mine does not explicitly mention being a client and I have not tested it at all.

Okay, thanks anyway. Let us know how you get on with it.

Steve: It’s low but no socket that can take an RJ45 can be that low:-(
WPB: Asus used to do a nano router that could store up to 20 networks. But they discontinued it, over a year ago:-(

We are looking into an alternative: Setting up with NetSurf and being able store multiple networks are key specs. we are trying to confirm!

It is well known we (CJE/4D) have a Tardis or two (shop and car) but now I need a time machine to be able to do all the projects in hand before we’re beaten to the market/they are outdated.

The one I linked to above can be set up absolutely fine with NetSurf, and I’m pretty sure it supports multiple keys. In any case, it’s not too painful to change via the web interface.

I’ve already taken my device apart so I can mount a Pi and the WiFi PCB into a single box and run it all from one mains plug. There will be a powered USB hub in there too.

Now that sounds like my sort of thing. What put me off was the mains plug package, and I supposed it was too tightly linked in.

Thanks for the info, Richard. Any pictures of the guts? Any idea how much power it draws?

The board inside the case is smaller than a Pi board, so it should be trivial to mount inside a case. I was planning in sticking an ammeter in the DC power cable so I can find out the consumption, but have yet to do so. To be honest, I can’t see me getting any of this done any time soon – it’s all vaporware in my head!

I have been looking for a Pi case which contains a USB hub, real-time clock and space for my WiFi module (as well as tidying up the messy Pi cabling arrangements). It’s strange that I can’t find one, and now the whole marketplace will be busy coming up with new ‘Compute’ based cases/boards, so I might be better waiting to see what happens there. I’m in no rush, so I keep pondering!

Thanks Richard. Any idea what the DC voltage is? (Don’t worry if you don’t and haven’t got time to check – I know exatly where you’re coming from!)

My Pi case is a generic orange clip-together case. While I can see a place for a larger case with some stuff built-in, I figure the more that is added, the more it’ll cost.

See here for a picture: http://www.heyrick.co.uk/blog/images/20140421oled1.jpeg

There is space for the CJE RTC+etc, plus the OLED. A hub sticks out the side because it has a bendy half-inch lead, but you can get much smaller hubs these days. It would be trivial to glue¹ a small hub onto the Vonets WiFi adaptor, then glue¹ the Vonets to the Pi case, then cobble together some patch cables of “just the right size” and hold them in place with a few dabs of glue. The only reason I haven’t done so is, frankly, I don’t see a need. So the USB hub sticks out the side. The world isn’t going to end…

¹ Hot-melt glue gun. Useful stuff. My eeePC’s power plug broke (cable worn) so I stripped off the plastic covering, resoldered it, and used hot-melt glue to fashion together a replacement ‘plug’ body. And it holds the wires securely. Also, some hot-melt glue and a thick pair of girl’s tights… http://www.heyrick.co.uk/blog/index.php?diary=20130501

You could use a fairywren by GeekRoo to fix the cabling issues. Though in my experience only ATX power supplies work correctly with the board. ITX supplies just switch off after around 30seconds. Annoying when the board is designed for an ITX sized case.

The fairywren also has a USB hub and RTC module on board along with an IR sensor (mine came with a diode to fit to another part of the case if required though I haven’t tried it with RISC OS yet). My only wish was that a USB SATA controller was integrated too, that would have made the board a perfect host.

Glad you found an alternative for the wireless problem, I will consider buying one of these too if I need to move the Pi elsewhere. Seems a nice intermediary solution until a WiFi stack is added to RISC OS.

TP-Link TL-WR702N also works well (in client mode). At 5.7cm x 5.7cm x 1.8cm it’s about the same width and 2/3 length of an RPi. Takes power via micro-USB, comes with own PS, or power via USB hub.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TL-WR702N-Wireless-Extender-Set-top/dp/B006PYGWG6/

Mike

Unfortunately we(and others) have found that the last batch of TL-WR702N won’t work in client mode with certain Routers:-( We do have an alternative that works fine! We’re also looking at one that reportedly can be set up with NetSurf and store settings of multiple networks:-)

Would a “certain” router be an Airport?

I’ve been experimenting a bit recently connecting various stuff to a WiFi hotspot provided by my phone. Using a D-Link DWL-2100AP in Client mode, I can get it to work, but only when the phone’s hotspot is open. The snag may be that the phone supports WPA2 but the DWL-2100AP client only supports WPA.

I’ve got another AP client on the way from an eBay supplier. If I can get it to work, it will be worth putting up a wiki page here on how to do it.