After WiFi lost OpenDTU can not reconnect

[PaluZoli]

Hello,
I use OpenDTU since a week. I have installed it to its final place in the basement. I have there a secondary WiFi access point.
2200 to 0600 it switches itself off. It seems that the OpenDTU after looses connection is not able to reconnect when the WiFi is again available. After a reset it preforms fine whole day long. I will leave the WiFi active for the night to prove my theory.
As a reference my Tasmota based devices are able to handle this situation.
Are there any settings which could improve the behavior?
What can I do to debug the behavior so that it could be corrected?

[PaluZoli]

Hi,
Through last night I have left the access point on. There was no problem with OpenDTU. So it has definitely a re-connection issue.
The HW seems to run. The TX pin connected Red led on the dev bord blinks each 30s which is my poll interval. But it is not answering on its IP address.
HW is:

• AZ-Delivery ESP32 NodeMCU Module
• AZ-Delivery RF24L01+ with external antenna
  SW is:
• SDK Version: v4.4.2
• Config Version: 0.1.23
  WiFi:
• Quality: 96 %
• RSI: -52

[PaluZoli]

Hi,
I have updated the SW to the latest stand. With Wifi off through the night on the morning I could not reach the OpenDTU.
Is there a way to debug / log what is happening?
Please respond and help if you have ideas.

[koerri]

My test showed that once the Wifi network "disappears", OpenDTU will switch to AP mode, i.e. it opens up its own Wifi network (OpenDTU-xxxxxxx), just like during basic setup. After a few minutes that AP will be closed and if by then the original Wifi is back on, OpenDTU will reconnect.
I did not test a multi-hour Wifi interruption though.

Issue #404 has an example of some kind of software reset based on Wifi connection state, maybe that could be used in your situation?

[PaluZoli]

Thanks,
At least it seems not to be an unique problem. Any suggestions how to debug it?
Shell I search in code the reconnect counter? With tasmota there is a setting wificonfig which after loosing the wifi either starts the web server or simply waits for wifi reappearing.

Since I have seen many discussion in German, what is the preferred language? I can speak both.

[koerri]

Sorry, I've got no idea about the code, I'm totally new to all this.
Regarding the language I'm just as puzzled as you are. :-)

[PaluZoli]

Hi,
Meanwhile I have checked the source code of OpenDTU. I have found only one instance where the WiFi.reconnect() function is called.
// in NetworkSettings.cpp line 74. //
I have checked the ESP32 WiFi.reconnect() examples. In each example there is a WiFi.disconnect() function call before WiFi.reconnect() call. https://randomnerdtutorials.com/solved-reconnect-esp32-to-wifi/
The way of handling differs from OpenDTU realization where only WiFi.reconnect() is called but without WiFi.disconnect() before.
/ NetworkSettings.cpp line 74.
It could be the reason of my reconnecting issue.
Could someone recompile the code with the above suggested enhancement? Does it makes sense to include it in main release?

[PaluZoli]

Hi,
I have compiled the code with the above discussed change. Now I have no reconnect issues.
I would suggest to include this change in main branch too.

[tbnobody]

Thats interessting, because reconnect calls disconnect internally....

/**
 * will force a disconnect and then start reconnecting to AP
 * @return true when successful
 */
bool WiFiSTAClass::reconnect()
{
    if(WiFi.getMode() & WIFI_MODE_STA) {
        if(esp_wifi_disconnect() == ESP_OK) {
            return esp_wifi_connect() == ESP_OK;
        }
    }
    return false;
}

/**
 * Disconnect from the network.
 * @param wifioff `true` to turn the Wi-Fi radio off.
 * @param eraseap `true` to erase the AP configuration from the NVS memory.
 * @return `true` when successful.
 */
bool WiFiSTAClass::disconnect(bool wifioff, bool eraseap)
{
    wifi_config_t conf;
    wifi_sta_config(&conf);

    if(WiFi.getMode() & WIFI_MODE_STA){
        if(eraseap){
            if(esp_wifi_set_config((wifi_interface_t)ESP_IF_WIFI_STA, &conf)){
                log_e("clear config failed!");
            }
        }
        if(esp_wifi_disconnect()){
            log_e("disconnect failed!");
            return false;
        }
        if(wifioff) {
             return WiFi.enableSTA(false);
        }
        return true;
    }

    return false;
}

[PaluZoli]

Hallo,
Ich muss zugeben, ich habe mich nicht so tief ins code eingegraben. Ich habe die oben genannte Beispiel mit die reconnect vorgang in NetworkSettings.cpp vergleicht.
Tatsache ist aber dass basiert auf letzte Nacht, mit die obere Erweiterung morgen war die OpenDTU problemlos erreichbar.

[SebStaeubert]

Das Problem scheint mit der aktuellen Firmware nicht behoben zu sein.
Erst nach einem Neustart kommt wieder eine Verbindung zustande.

[mhin76]

Ja. Ist bei mir leider genau auch so. Bei mir läuft 24.9.30. mein WLAN schaltet sich in der Nacht aus. Am Morgen muss ich den OpenDTU jeweils neu starten.

[SebStaeubert]

Update: Bei mir ist die Verbindung nun stabil und wird auch nach einer Unterbrechung wieder hergestellt!

Ich hab die neuste Version 24.10.6 installiert.

Ich habe aber auch die WLan-Verbindung verbessert, d.h. der bisherige Repeater hat eine neue Position. Das lief eine Woche gut. Aus anderen Gründen hab ich ihn heute zudem durch ein Outdoor Repeater ersetzt. Auch damit scheint es keine Probleme zu geben.

[mhin76]

I updated to latest version but still it does not reconnect anymore after wifi gets available again. Very strange. no idea why. We did switch router, but it is the same brand at the same location and I think even uses the same band. I am a bit puzzled. will try to reproduce it during the day by switching wifi off and on again. will post any findings here.