Research OPi Zero - Hybrid wifi mode or switched mode

[JRD McLAREN]

Hello,

 

I'm try to setup my OPiZero as mediaplyer, and I need to use it sometimes as WiFi Client - Managed mode and sometimes as WiFi AP - Master mode.

 

Scenario 1

Work in "dual mode", I mean, when my wifi network within reach, then OPiZ start as "client", and connect to my preferred wifi network

when wifi network not in range, it start as AP+DHCP (hostapd and dnsmasq)

 

Scenario 2

Switched mode, Make any push button on gpio, and then make scripts "to do the job" ..

disconnect from wifi, stop wpa_supplicant, run hostapd an dnsmasq.

 

Has anybody something like "scenrio1" or "scenario2" .. ??

 

(or my ideas are totally bad ... )

[xwiggen]

plug in additional wifi dongle; one for ap one for client

[Werner]

I'd say depends. If you like the challenge of scripting this which for sure should be possible then do that.

On the other hand though the easier setup is by following @xwiggen's advice, not lastly because WiFi dongles have become very cheap...

 

 

[JRD McLAREN]

So ... for some time ...

 

Here is my python script, for switching one wifi intreface  ...

It is first "one-way" version ...

The OPi.GPIO library for python is needed.   https://opi-gpio.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html

 

#!/usr/bin/env python

import os
#import sys
import OPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time
# Set your pins
button = (7)
led = (26)

cmd_dnsmasq_stop = "systemctl stop dnsmasq.service"
cmd_dnsmasq_start = "systemctl start dnsmasq.service"
cmd_wpa_supplicant_stop = "systemctl stop wpa_supplicant.service"
cmd_wpa_supplicant_start = "systemctl start wpa_supplicant.service"
cmd_wifi_off = "nmcli con down WiFi"
cmd_wifi_on = "nmcli con up WiFi"
cmd_hostap = "hostapd /etc/hostapd.conf -B"
cmd_bridge_on = "nmcli con up Bridge"
cmd_bridge_off = "nmcli con down Bridge"
cmd_dnsmasq_ap = "dnsmasq -C /etc/dnsmasq_ap.conf"


# Placeholder variable
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BOARD)
GPIO.setup(led, GPIO.OUT, initial=GPIO.LOW, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_DOWN)
GPIO.setup(button, GPIO.IN, initial=GPIO.LOW, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_DOWN)

#def my_callback():
#    print('This is a edge event callback function!')
#    print('Edge detected on channel %s'%button)
#    print('This is run in a different thread to your main program')

#GPIO.add_event_detect(button, GPIO.RISING, callback=my_callback, bouncetime=200)
#GPIO.add_event_callback(button, my_callback)
GPIO.wait_for_edge(button, GPIO.RISING)  # add rising edge detection on a channel
print('Button pressed')

print('Wifi Off')
os.system(cmd_wifi_off)
time.sleep(2)
print('Stop DNSMASQ')
os.system(cmd_dnsmasq_stop)
time.sleep(5)
print('Stop WPA Supplicant')
os.system(cmd_wpa_supplicant_stop)
time.sleep(2)
print('Start Bridge')
os.system(cmd_bridge_on)
time.sleep(2)
print('Start DNSMASQ AP')
os.system(cmd_dnsmasq_ap)
time.sleep(5)
print('Start HostAP')
os.system(cmd_hostap)
time.sleep(5)

GPIO.output(led, GPIO.HIGH)

#GPIO.cleanup()

 

[JRD McLAREN]

Final version.....

 

Anybody can use their own commands for start-stop processes or for bring up-down interfaces...

#!/usr/bin/env python3

# Set your pins
button = (5)
led = (26)

#Set your commands
cmd_dnsmasq_stop = "systemctl stop dnsmasq.service"
cmd_dnsmasq_start = "systemctl start dnsmasq.service"
cmd_wpa_supplicant_stop = "systemctl stop wpa_supplicant.service"
cmd_wpa_supplicant_start = "systemctl start wpa_supplicant.service"
cmd_wifi_off = "nmcli con down WiFi"
cmd_wifi_on = "nmcli con up WiFi"
cmd_hostap_on = "hostapd /etc/hostapd.conf -B"
cmd_hostap_off = "killall hostapd"
cmd_bridge_on = "nmcli con up Bridge"
cmd_bridge_off = "nmcli con down Bridge"
cmd_dnsmasq_ap_on = "dnsmasq -C /etc/dnsmasq_ap.conf"
cmd_dnsmasq_ap_off = "killall dnsmasq"

# Main script
import os
import sys
import OPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time

client = 0
ap = 1

# Placeholder variable
GPIO.setwarnings(False) # Ignore warning for now
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BOARD)
GPIO.setup(led, GPIO.OUT, initial=GPIO.LOW, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_DOWN)
GPIO.setup(button, GPIO.IN, initial=GPIO.LOW, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_DOWN)

state = client
while True:
   GPIO.wait_for_edge(button, GPIO.RISING) # This is a function
   os.system(cmd_wifi_off)
   time.sleep(3)
   os.system(cmd_dnsmasq_stop)
   time.sleep(5)
   os.system(cmd_wpa_supplicant_stop)
   time.sleep(5)
   os.system(cmd_bridge_on)
   time.sleep(15)
   os.system(cmd_dnsmasq_ap_on)
   time.sleep(10)
   os.system(cmd_hostap_on)
   time.sleep(5)
   GPIO.output(led, GPIO.HIGH)
   print("AP mode is started")
   state = ap
   time.sleep(5)

   if state == ap:
      GPIO.wait_for_edge(button, GPIO.RISING) # This is a function
      os.system(cmd_hostap_off)
      time.sleep(3)
      os.system(cmd_dnsmasq_ap_off)
      time.sleep(3)
      os.system(cmd_bridge_off)
      time.sleep(5)
      os.system(cmd_wpa_supplicant_start)
      time.sleep(5)
      os.system(cmd_dnsmasq_start)
      time.sleep(7)
      os.system(cmd_wifi_on)
      time.sleep(3)
      GPIO.output(led, GPIO.LOW)
      print("Client mode is strted")
      state = client
      time.sleep(5)

 

[chwe]

put 2 wifi dongles in cause xradio 819 on opi zero (if it's the original zero) is prob. the worst onboard wifi you can have prone to hang the kernel with it when it fails (I don't think that everybody ever took an effort to fix that)..

[JRD McLAREN]

OK ..

but, if you can use another board ... (OPIZero Plus or OPIZero Plus2 or anything else)

this is useful ...