Electronics > Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff
How do users connect IOT device to WiFi?
Kasper:
--- Quote from: cyberfish on September 30, 2019, 02:10:15 pm ---There's really no need to have a manual way to enter configuration mode. Just try to connect with stored SSID/password, and enter configuration mode (AP mode) if connection is unsuccessful (or non-existent on first boot).
Most common reason why users need to change SSID/password is if they upgrade their router, or move somewhere else. In both those cases, the connection will fail, and the user can put in a new one.
If a power user wants to switch the device from one router to another, she can just turn the old router off for a moment and restart the device.
This only doesn't work if the neighbour decides to set up a network with your old SSID/password that you can't power off, but this is rare enough that it's probably not worth worrying about.
This is what the Chromecast does.
--- End quote ---
That sounds like a nice addition. Thank you.
Kasper:
--- Quote from: antintedo on September 29, 2019, 01:26:06 am ---For initial configuration: implement a captive portal. Good OS support and easy to use, users don't have to type in the IP.
For device discovery in LAN: mDNS and/or SSDP. ESP SDK seems to support mDNS and there are libraries for the other. Obviously both will be able to differentiate between multiple devices of the same model.
For access outside LAN: reverse proxy server on the internet that each ESP connects to. MQTT is used in many IoT devices but it does not fit the use case with the webpage.
--- End quote ---
mDNS was very easy to add to my arduino code. Worked right away on my windows PC and iPad but does not work on android.
Bonjour app: saw this recommended on various forums for mDNS on android but didn't work. Wouldn't discover anything, just gave spinning dots.
Fing app: this works for android. Lists IPs for everything on my network. Android users must take IP from there and type it into browser.
And with that, I have an MVP (minimum viable product). Not very smooth on android but it is easier than setup for my sonos speaker.
Thanks again for the help. I think I will stick with this and make my initial goal be a product that works only on LAN and have stretch goal of remote access. That way I can have a low initial goal and hopefully get some of these out there before I need to commit to a server which I really don't want to do if I only sell 10 of these.
TomS_:
--- Quote from: bitseeker on August 08, 2019, 02:53:35 am ---I'm so tired of the prevalence of apps and companies insisting that you must install their app to do rudimentary (and often, duplicate) things.\
--- End quote ---
Apps can do things that web pages cant.
For example, as long as the device is connected to the same network as your phone, you can simply open up the app, let it discover the things on your network, and you can then do stuff with them. That is convenient for most people who dont even know what an IP address is.
What are you going to do, tell your users to save a list of bookmarks to IP addresses for their things, that might change each time their router reboots because most of them also dont know what static DHCP leases are; or
Have an app that can talk to the device "by magic" (as far as the user is concerned)?
Personally I am all for the latter.
You have to consider who the target market is and what their skills and knowledge are. If your audience is purely technical, sure, forego the app and let them configure it via serial console or USB thumdrive or whatever. If your audience is consumer, you have to get a bit smarter or your product will probably be considered clunky in this day.
sokoloff:
The other thing to consider is that almost any customer contact or question is going to kill your profit on that sale. Maybe something you choose to ignore in a learning or Kickstarter phase of the product, but at scale, you’ve got to drive customer contacts to near zero for most IoT type of products.
Kasper:
Ive been the one taking the phone calls and handelling returns, I am familiar with what a nightmare it can become and I want none of that. Hoping simple operation and a good user guide will minimize it.
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