- Joined
- Mar 1, 2014
- Messages
- 112
- Reaction score
- 217
- Location
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- VCDS Serial number
- C?ID=96924
OK, I have been doing some playing (testing) with my Hex-Net interface and I have learned a few interesting things. First, what I have been doing - I went out to my garage with 3 computers, my HEX-CAN interface cable, a USB cable, and my HEX-NET interface. My 3 computers are:
1) An Acer Aspire One 533 netbook running Windows 7 Starter (my usual VCDS computer).
2) An Android Tablet (a rooted Kindle Fire HD 8.9).
3) An iPad4 (company issued - I didn't buy it).
I had no problems using the configuration program to set up the HEX-NET to join my home Wi-Fi network. Unfortunately, none of these devices have internet connectivity when not in infrastructure mode. Therefore, it took me a little while to figure out how to get the HEX-NET to update its firmware, but I got it done.
Anyway, my first issue (and question) has to do with switching back and forth between Access Point mode and infrastructure mode. I know that this can be done with the Java configuration program over the USB connection. I have not seen this in any of the introduction videos, but it appears that you can also switch back and forth by briefly pressing the red button. This makes the lights change so that it appears to change modes. I say "appears" on purpose, because this does not seem to work very reliably. Perhaps the device should re-boot whenever you do this (assuming that changing modes is supposed to work by pressing that button). I have had much better luck by using the configuration program to change the default operating mode.
If I have the device configured (w/ Java program) for Access point mode (profile 1), pressing the button to switch to infrastructure mode often does not work right. The LEDs show that it is connected to my home wi-fi network and it shows up on my router, but entering its IP address in a browser does not work. I get timeouts trying to connect. To get infrastructure mode to work reliably, I have to use the config (Java) program to set profile 2 as active. Then the device boots in infrastructure mode and I can access VCDS-Mobile from all 3 devices
In infrastructure mode I have gotten VCDS-Mobile working with all three computers. The only problem I have had is that the HEX-NET interface does not appear to like it when you change computers. The VCDS-Mobile program does not appear to have a Quit or Exit option, so when I change computers, it gets confused and the "new" computer cannot find the HEX-NET interface. Every time I want to change computers, I have to unplug the HEX-NET device from the car and then plug it back in to force it to re-boot - then another computer can successfully find the interface and run the VCDS-Mobile program. This is probably not a serious problem because most people will not be trying to change computers while using the interface.
Access point mode has been slightly more problematic. I have gotten it to work on 2 of 3 computers. The Windows computer and the iPad connect to the access point network (HN1-000xxx) and then the VCDS-Mobile program work fine. However my Android Tablet will not connect. It seems to get stuck saying either "authenticating" or "obtaining IP address". I realize that my Kindle Fire HD is not exactly standard Android, so I am assuming that the problem might be with that device (at least somewhat). However, it has successfully connected to every other network I have tried. As stated above, I usually have to unplug the device to force a reboot before another computer will connect correctly. A reset or exit command might fix this issue.
My main question is: Is that red button supposed to switch the HEX-NET interface between AP and Infrastructure modes? If yes, it still needs a little work. My second question would be why does my Android tablet not connect in AP mode? And my third question is: Are there any plans to add security to the AP mode (WEP, WPA2, etc.)? ...or did I miss that - I was so busy testing different configurations and different computers that I didn't look to closely at the network options.
Have Fun!
Don
1) An Acer Aspire One 533 netbook running Windows 7 Starter (my usual VCDS computer).
2) An Android Tablet (a rooted Kindle Fire HD 8.9).
3) An iPad4 (company issued - I didn't buy it).
I had no problems using the configuration program to set up the HEX-NET to join my home Wi-Fi network. Unfortunately, none of these devices have internet connectivity when not in infrastructure mode. Therefore, it took me a little while to figure out how to get the HEX-NET to update its firmware, but I got it done.
Anyway, my first issue (and question) has to do with switching back and forth between Access Point mode and infrastructure mode. I know that this can be done with the Java configuration program over the USB connection. I have not seen this in any of the introduction videos, but it appears that you can also switch back and forth by briefly pressing the red button. This makes the lights change so that it appears to change modes. I say "appears" on purpose, because this does not seem to work very reliably. Perhaps the device should re-boot whenever you do this (assuming that changing modes is supposed to work by pressing that button). I have had much better luck by using the configuration program to change the default operating mode.
If I have the device configured (w/ Java program) for Access point mode (profile 1), pressing the button to switch to infrastructure mode often does not work right. The LEDs show that it is connected to my home wi-fi network and it shows up on my router, but entering its IP address in a browser does not work. I get timeouts trying to connect. To get infrastructure mode to work reliably, I have to use the config (Java) program to set profile 2 as active. Then the device boots in infrastructure mode and I can access VCDS-Mobile from all 3 devices
In infrastructure mode I have gotten VCDS-Mobile working with all three computers. The only problem I have had is that the HEX-NET interface does not appear to like it when you change computers. The VCDS-Mobile program does not appear to have a Quit or Exit option, so when I change computers, it gets confused and the "new" computer cannot find the HEX-NET interface. Every time I want to change computers, I have to unplug the HEX-NET device from the car and then plug it back in to force it to re-boot - then another computer can successfully find the interface and run the VCDS-Mobile program. This is probably not a serious problem because most people will not be trying to change computers while using the interface.
Access point mode has been slightly more problematic. I have gotten it to work on 2 of 3 computers. The Windows computer and the iPad connect to the access point network (HN1-000xxx) and then the VCDS-Mobile program work fine. However my Android Tablet will not connect. It seems to get stuck saying either "authenticating" or "obtaining IP address". I realize that my Kindle Fire HD is not exactly standard Android, so I am assuming that the problem might be with that device (at least somewhat). However, it has successfully connected to every other network I have tried. As stated above, I usually have to unplug the device to force a reboot before another computer will connect correctly. A reset or exit command might fix this issue.
My main question is: Is that red button supposed to switch the HEX-NET interface between AP and Infrastructure modes? If yes, it still needs a little work. My second question would be why does my Android tablet not connect in AP mode? And my third question is: Are there any plans to add security to the AP mode (WEP, WPA2, etc.)? ...or did I miss that - I was so busy testing different configurations and different computers that I didn't look to closely at the network options.
Have Fun!
Don
