Can't connect to the WIFI module, even when is on the network

[ardillolambo]

Hi There,

Powering up my Version 7 SDU drop in module for the 1st time. I got the steady LED, the flashing LED and the LED on the WIFI module, I see it (as INVERTER) on my networks as well....but, can't connect to it. Using IP address 192.168.4.1 on both chrome and Edge without success. I get error "SITE CAN'T BE REACHED". I searched the forum but didn't brought anything related to what I'm seeing. Probably I didn't used the right key words on the forum's search. What I'm doing wrong???

Regards,

[johu]

The SDU enclosure shields the wifi signal. If you literally place your laptop on the drive unit, can you then connect?

[royhen99]

If connected by network you need to use the IP address assigned by the router. Mine for example is 192.168.1.80.

No info on the wiki as far as I can see, the info on github for wifi code below.

"Wifi network

There are 2 possibilities:

Either you connect to an Access Point generated by the board. The default name for this access point is 'ESP-xxxxx' but can be customized. In that case, the board will have a fixed IP address of 192.168.4.1 (and will be reachable on http://192.168.4.1/)
Or you can configure the board to join your own WiFi network ; and in that case you may need to tweak your network configuration to provide a fixed address to the board (not necessary)."

[ardillolambo]

The SDU enclosure shields the wifi signal. If you literally place your laptop on the drive unit, can you then connect?

Yeap, the laptop is in front of the inverter....few inches away. I can see the "INVERTER" on my WIFI available networks with 5 bars in the entire house in other devices. Also tried to connect on a different PC, without success

[ardillolambo]

If connected by network you need to use the IP address assigned by the router. Mine for example is 192.168.1.80.

No info on the wiki as far as I can see, the info on github for wifi code below.

"Wifi network

There are 2 possibilities:

Either you connect to an Access Point generated by the board. The default name for this access point is 'ESP-xxxxx' but can be customized. In that case, the board will have a fixed IP address of 192.168.4.1 (and will be reachable on http://192.168.4.1/)
Or you can configure the board to join your own WiFi network ; and in that case you may need to tweak your network configuration to provide a fixed address to the board (not necessary)."

Sorry about the ignorance....not a network guy by any means, I actually disconnected from my house WIFI just in case that is causing any issues, but how do I get the IP address assigned by my router?

[MattsAwesomeStuff]

Hmm, to connect directly...

Yes, disconnect from your home's wifi. And sometimes I tell it to not auto-connect to the home wifi for now (which it will often try to do, abandoning the Inverter wifi because it has no internet access, dumping it, and going right back to your home's wifi). Do tell it to autoconnect to the INVERTER wifi.

Big picture, the little wifi module for your control board is its own wifi router and webserver. You connect to it instead of your home wifi, same as you would when you go over to a friend's house and ask to use their wifi. You connect to it, and it will give your laptop an IP address (doesn't matter). The router's main page is 192.168.4.1, that's where all the settings are. You'll always go there.

Note that this doesn't yet mean that the wifi module is communicating to the control board. You'll know that when, when you connect to 192.168.4.1, under parameters, it shows you several pages worth of parameters. Those are stored on the control board, so the wifi doesn't know of them unless it can talk to the control board. If you just get "Parameters" and basically nothing underneath it, there's a comm error between the wifi and the control board.

The interface on the main wifi page is how you change settings on the control board. You punch stuff in, and it sends those commands to the control board. You can also tell it to overwrite the default settings on the control board, ("write to flash" I think), else everything you do is temporary and will disappear when you reset the control board.

[ardillolambo]

Matt,
Thanks for breaking down for me...yeah thats what I taught, that thing is like a wifi with a password...but what is the password for now theres where I'm stock

[tom91]

https://openinverter.org/wiki/General_Tesla_FAQ

passphrase is inverter123

[mane2]

There are some differences how devices connect to it. Some do it better than other. For example my old Chromebook sees the network quickly and connects to it, where again my new Macbook has way more problems connecting.. Sometimes it won't see the network. It might connect, but sometimes it's not getting ip, and sometimes even when getting IP, I can't connect to web interface.

Also, some devices notice that there are 2 known networks, and once it realize that inverter network does not have internet connectivity, it might switch to the other known network. This is super bad especially when doing firmware update.. As a solution, I suggest turning off "Connect automatically" from your home network, while working with the inverter - if your laptop does that.

[ardillolambo]

Thanks guys
Finally have my laptop talking to the inverter.
After entering the passphrase inverter123, changed my laptop IP address to 192.168.4.11 in the same network as the the inverter WIFI module.

[P.S.Mangelsdorf]

I added some clarifications to the wiki to hopefully help those connecting for the first time.