Download ((NEW)) Wifi Access Point
Daryl Kowal
To ensure that your devices can connect securely and reliably to your network, apply these settings consistently to each Wi-Fi router and access point, and to each band of a dual-band, tri-band, or other multiband router. Before changing the settings, you should take these steps:
Settings that turn off security, such as None, Open, or Unsecured, are also strongly discouraged. Turning off security disables authentication and encryption and allows anyone to join your network, access its shared resources (including printers, computers, and smart devices), use your internet connection, and monitor the websites you visit and other data transmitted over your network or internet connection. This is a risk even if security is turned off temporarily or for a guest network.
Hiding the network name doesn't conceal the network from detection or secure it against unauthorized access. And because of the way that devices search for and connect to Wi-Fi networks, using a hidden network might expose information that can be used to identify you and the hidden networks you use, such as your home network. When connected to a hidden network, your device might show a privacy warning because of this privacy risk.
When this feature is enabled, your router can be set up to allow only devices that have specified MAC (media access control) addresses to join the network. You shouldn't rely on this feature to prevent unauthorized access to your network, for these reasons:
I've been using one ORBI RBR50 and two RBS50 satellites in my current home. Internet comes in via coaxial cable connected to the ISP router, from there it connects to the RBK50 via ethernet cable, and the RBK50 talks to the RBS satellites using wifi. (provider router has wifi disabled and it's not doing anything other than taling to the RBK unit, all routing, DHCP and so on, is being handled by the RBK Orbi talking to network clients and satellites).
On my new home there will also be a router from the ISP. I will probably want to use it for routing, DHCP, and everything else (maybe even its own wifi network)... it will be connected to the central switch unit that distributes ethernet LAN around the house.
To keep things simple in terms of networking (bridging and NAT and other stuff when there are two routers) my first idea was to stop using the Orbi as a router, and make all 3 units work as WiFi/Lan access points, connecting the RBK main unit to the ethernet wired network (at a different location from the ISP router). Would that work? Would it still be mesh wifi? Certainly no mesh between ORBI and the ISP router wifi, but the Orbi 3 piece system should work right?
Thank you very much for any help you can provide
I figured I would post it here just in case someone else is having issues setting up / connecting to the WiFi Access Point using Celestron Sky Portal. I just spoke to Celestron Tech Support and was informed that a change in the firmware was made resulting in a modification to the set up process. You must connect to your scope via the SKYPORTAL APP in Direct Access mode prior to configuring the access point.
Celestron's WiFi solution supports two modes, you may try switching from the default Direct Connect Mode to Access Point Mode, although this rarely fixes disconnect problems:
Direct Connect Mode - presents a Celestron-xx or SkyQLink-xx network to which your tablet/smartphone must connect. This is the default mode.
Access Point Mode (called infrastructure mode in some of the manuals) - the WiFi module in the scope connects to another WiFi network, typically your home WiFi router. Your tablet/smartphone are also connected to this WiFi network and accesses the telescope via that network. Some owners have had better success with Access Point Mode.
But, the main reason I'm commenting is I don't have access to a SkyPortal WiFi module right now to confirm this change. A few concerns come to mind and I'm not sure Celestron understood your question. First off, I think they may have thought you were not connecting to the Celestron-XX WiFi network at all so when they said "you must connect to the scope in Direct Connect mode before you can change this setting", I think they just meant that. Where as in my instructions I am pointing out that after starting the SkyPortal/SkySafari app, you should not tap the Connect or Connect and Align buttons but rather go right to Settings. It is possible a change in SkyPortal/SkySafari requires this, but not a change in the mount or WiFi module firmware. And when I last tested this, I was using SkyPortal based on SkySafari 5 so the recent updates to version 6 may have indeed changed this.
The default remains Direct mode. If you want to switch to Access Point mode you need to connect and go into the APP to change the settings (and vice versa). Where I suspect people get confused is they assume that having previously connected to a network in Access Point mode this will be remembered (e.g. like with tablet/phone) and hence they expect to be able to simply toggle between the modes by flicking the tiny switch on the SkyPortal external WiFi accessory. This can be frustrating. But there is an important point.
They changed the process, you have to push the Connect button in the Skyportal APP prior to going into the settings and changing the access hub settings. This worked right away I was off the phone with Celestron and my mount was connected to my home network.
I have had nothing but failure trying to connect my SkyPortal wifi module using access point mode. I can successfully send the settings to the module but when I try to connect it always fails. The strange thing is I can connect directly to the module from my iPad but not my Windows 10 laptop. I can also run CPWI or SkyPortal using the module in Direct connect but not Access Point. Strangely I can connect my laptop directly to the old built in wifi on my 1st generation Evo. Any ideas?
I'm assuming if you can directly connect the access point mode will work too. I'm *pretty sure* it was the firmware update that caused it because of the timing of when I did that, combined with when I noticed the problem. But it could be something else. That was the only big change that I'm aware of.
I have the reverse problem with mine. I managed to set it up for my local wifi fine, and can communicate with it via my PC or laptop over wifi, but the skyportal and skysafari apps on my google pixel 3 never once successfully connect to it in that mode. I managed to update the firmware over wifi from my PC. I can even ping the wifi module IP from my phone, but the phone app never once connects to it.
In my case, I still can't connect using Skyportal on my tablet or phone, however CPWI on my laptop does connect wirelessly, even though the laptop doesn't report seeing the mount's network. It doesn't matter if I have the mount in direct connect or access point mode, CPWI just finds it (I suspect they hardcoded the mount's IP and Port number in the software). So now I just leave the mount in Direct Connect mode, and my laptop stays on my home Wi-Fi network and I control it using CPWI.
Its biggest flaw is that its in a tug of war with the HC as to who's controlling the alignment. Where as all the other companies' wifi/bluetooth interfaces act as simple wireless replacements for wired RS232 connections between devices.
I have a Netgear router which has been used as an access point for past few years, I remember I had a bit of trouble setting up at the time. Anyway its worked fine for past 2 years but last night data just dropped off and internet stopped working, devices can contact to the wifi but pages won't load because no data coming through.
to get to the settings most likely you'll have to do a hard reset by pressing the reset button for 30 seconds with a paper clip and re-do the setup you had as an access point if you decide to update the firmware. Did you try restarting your router and maybe plugging the ethernet cord on a different port on the router to see if maybe you have one of the ports go bad?
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