Author Topic: Loss of connection - PAW Classic  (Read 2282 times)

Smaragd

Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« on: July 17, 2020, 08:43:14 pm »
Flew yesterday - behaviour fine outbound, unable to connect to tablet inbound. Now running at home. Starts up OK, but after a while lose all PAW pages and symbology on my tablet. Lights appear to be flashing as normal, tablet (and IPhone) still say PAW connected, but when I look at 192.168.1.1 pages I get the message "The server could not fulfil your request because the resource specified is unavailable or non-existent."

Yet the audio seems to be working. Is it possible for the WiFi to have a fault where it can connect to my tablet but not transmit information from the PAW?   

exfirepro

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2020, 10:43:52 pm »
Hi Trevor,

I seem to recall you had WiFi connectivity issues before. Are you still using the same Nexus Android Tablet? Do you know what version of PilotAware you are running? I ask because a few users have had issues when using PAW Version 20190621 with some recent versions of Android when they have the PAW ‘Device Connect Setting’ set to ‘Auto’. Current advice when using EasyVFR is to select ‘Use GDL90’ on the PAW Configure Page and set EasyVFR to use the same protocol. (See page 15 of the PAW 20190621 Operating Instructions, here... https://pilotaware.com/Documents/Operating%20Instructions%2020190621.pdf?_t=1561197960

If this doesn’t work, try setting both devices to use ‘PilotAware UDP’ - just not ‘Auto’.

Please let us know how you get on.

Regards

Peter

Admin

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2020, 08:11:02 am »
When you say unable to connect, do you mean

1. Could not establish a connection to the wifi hotspot
2. 1 ok, could not access web pages

Thx
Lee

Smaragd

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2020, 09:33:24 am »
Thanks to both of you for comments. Lee - I thought I knew the answer to your questions, but now I'm not sure; I think I'm getting inconsistent behaviour. It's been running for about 20 minutes this morning, and twice the web pages have frozen (same result on IPhone and Nexus), but by the time I look at the WiFi connection (still showing connected) and turn back to the web pages it's running again.

Oh, now I've got "PAW connected" on both, and frozen web pages - but lights seem to be behaving normally. I have changed the port for the WiFi dongle - no difference. I suspect the dongle and ordered a new one on Friday - will let you know what happens with that. One query: though it was running for 20 min just now, the time code is still showing yesterday afternoon - the previous time I tested it.

And now the web pages are visible again!

Smaragd

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2020, 11:26:52 am »
Further observations:

It's been running for 90 min now, still connected. And the time stamp is now correct. I have moved the WiFi dongle from below the GPS dongle - perhaps that has helped.

On Thursday's second flight, I wasn't able to see the PAW WiFi, let alone connect to it. At 1200' over Beaulieu, though, I was seeing half a dozen ground WiFis.

Smaragd

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2020, 12:13:45 pm »
Flew yesterday; while WiFi connected to the PAW before departure, with web pages visible, within 3 min of flight couldn't see PAW WiFi. Audio functioned perfectly, so PAW clearly running. New WiFi dongle should be with me shortly.

Smaragd

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2020, 07:42:02 am »
New WiFi dongle received from PilotAware Support, but I have the same problem. On outbound flight everything worked normally. At destination PAW was powered off, Nexus 7 tablet left running. For return flight, I could not establish a connection to the WiFi hotspot, though audio traffic messages were being received normally, and the Nexus was detecting other ground-based WiFis, even when airborne. Back at base, after both had been shut down, I tried again after about 30 min - connection established!

So doesn't appear to be anything to do with Device Connect Setting. Is there some connection within the PAW that I should be looking at? I did have it apart before this flight to make sure that the board was pressed fully home.

exfirepro

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2020, 09:46:19 am »
Trevor,

I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but try taking out the black 1090Rx SDR and running without it temporarily, and let us know if that makes any difference.

Regards

Peter

steveu

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2020, 10:32:45 am »
Long shot from someone who probably doesn't know what they are talking about:

Try loading Amped Wireless Wi-fi Analytics on the tablet. It's in the Play Store. It allows you to analyse Wifi signal levels, interference, and other things.

Run it and see if there are any interference problems.

If there are, and it's possible, move the PAW Wifi to a different channel.

Wi-Fi Analytics will also report back on signal strengths, so if you are next to the PAW and you are only getting 60%, then there is a problem with reception or transmission.

This is  along shot, but will show if the problem is non PAW based.


exfirepro

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2020, 11:12:02 am »
Hi Steve,

Thanks for that. I wasn’t aware of that tool, but will certainly give it a try myself.

I suggested removing the SDR as a much ‘blunter’ way of checking if the SDR has gone rogue and is generating RFI - blocking the WiFi (which has happened very occasionally in the past with Realtek dongles used in the Classic) - especially as Trevor experienced WiFi issues on at least one previous occasion a year or more ago, which appeared to be cured by replacing the WiFi dongle, and has already tried a replacement WiFi dongle since his WiFi problem re-appeared.

I await Trevor’s reply.

Regards

Peter

Smaragd

Re: Loss of connection - PAW Classic
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2020, 06:41:51 pm »
Flew again today (before I could act on either suggestion); same behaviour. Fine outbound. Unable to connect to WiFi for the return (IPhone wouldn't connect either). Tried again after landing - the same. Tried again 30 min later - fine!

I'll load WiFi Analytics and try removing the 1090Rx SDR - probably not for a few days. Thanks for the suggestions - keep to get back to normal working as it's been perfect for ages.