More softAPs at once

[Jan Kijonka]

Hello,

I would like to activate more ESP8266 to softAP mode at once. I found out, only the first activated softAP ESP8266 can be visible in a wirelless connection list. The others get error during switching to SoftAP mode. Maybe they detect the 192.168.4.1 IP address is already occupied. What is the best way to avoid it? I thought I can try to increase the IP address in some range e.g. from 192.168.4.1 to 192.168.104.1 and try to switch to SoftAP mode until get no error for each device.

Thanky you,
Jan

[pratik]

I'm not sure I understand your network configuration. You want 1 ESP to act as multiple softAPs?
Or do you want to have 2 softAP+STA mode ESPs connected to each other?

[Jan Kijonka]

I have more ESP trying to change from station to softAP mode. I would like to see all of these ESP on my Avalilable wireless networks list. Then I would like to chose one of them and conenct to it with a laptop or mobile phone with a password. But I have some problem to switch more of ESPs to softAP mode.

[Jan Kijonka]

When I switched the second ESP device to softAP mode, it resets automatically. Maybe I have solved it. Now I enable DHCP in softAP mode with the "AT+CIPAP" empty. When I connect to ESP with my laptop, I can read IP address assigned for the laptop: "48.55.55.52" and mask "255.255.255.0", gateway stays empty. I can connect with the ip address "48.55.55.51" and port 333, but... is the ip addres of the ESP8266 in softAP mode always the same ? I must only assume the ip address of the ESP is "48.55.55.51", because the gateway is missing and I can´t see this entry anywhere.

[Jan Kijonka]

Please help, I have spent a lot of time by SoftAP configurations to test if more SoftAP can work in one area (one room).

Although I can see all the ESP in SoftAP mode in the Wi-Fi Network Connection List in my laptop, it's not possible to connect all of them. Sometimes incorrect password is reported, sometimes I can connect only one of them. Now I test 6 ESPs:

- each ESP has unique SSID, unique password, unique Wi-Fi channel (I use 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12)
- I have tried different encryptions, multiple connection enabled/disabled, server enabled/disabled

Results:one ESP in SoftAP mode is no problem. The more units the greater the problem to connect each of them.

In my application, more people in the same area could change to SoftAP mode and try to connect to their ESP. How to solve this problem ?

[pratik]

Are you using the latest SDK? I think there is a bug in the program or something?
I can set >10 ESPs to softAP mode in the same room.

[Jan Kijonka]

I use SDK 2.1.0 AT commands. Now I use this method for checking a free channel for solve more APs at once:

1) wi-fi CHANNEL= 1
2) AT+CWMODE_CUR=2 (softAP mode)
3) If automatic reset caused by ESP module is captured within two seconds => CHANNEL++, AT+CWMODE_CUR=3, AT+CWSAP_CUR="SSID","PSWD","CHANNEL","3"
else CHANNEL is OK

Do you have any better solution than waiting for automatic ESP reset in case the channel is occupied ?