This section highlights how the AccessPopup script behaves in certain situations. So a good place to familiarise yourself with how to get the best out of the setup.
ACPU_Device = is the device the AccessPopup script is installed on.
The Access Point disconnects every 2 minutes.
If a WiFi network profile is setup but the password is not correct, then the connection will fail. Once there is an attempt to connect to a WiFi network, it is added to the list of known networks by Network Manager even if the connection fails.
When an Access Point is active and no devices are connected to it then every 2 minutes it will detect that the bad wifi network is in range and deactivate the Access Point to connect to the bad WiFi network.
The Access Point will be re-enabled once the connection to the Wifi network has failed again.
If you experience this, then correct the password with option 5 or the Desktop gui WiFi option. Otherwise delete the bad Wifi network entry.
The Access Point is in use but does not switch to a known Wifi Network that is in range.
If the Access Point is active and a WiFi device is connected to it; when a known WiFi network is in range, it will not switch from the Access Point to keep the connection with the connected WiFi device and not interrupt anything you may be doing. Once the WiFi device disconnects from the Access Point and the 2 minutes are up, the AccessPopup script will switch to the known wifi network.
Ethernet connection to the ACPU_Device
If an Ethernet cable is connected to the ACPU_Devices Eth0 port and the Access Point is available, any device connected to the Access Point can ssh/vnc/ping etc the other devices also connected to the access point and the network the Ethernet is connected to. This includes the internet, if it is available.
This does not work the other way. No device on the Ethernet’s network can connect ssh/vnc/ping etc to the devices connected to the access point. The Ethernet network can access the ACPU_device, as it is on both networks.
This animation illustrates the connections available when an Ethernet network is connected.
Visibility of the Access Point connected devices
All devices connected to the Access point can ping and connect to each other using their IP address as well as the device running the AccessPopup script (ACPU_Device).
If an Ethernet connection to the internet is available on the ACPU_Device then all devices connected to the Access Point will have internet access and can also ping and connect to the devices on the Ethernet network. Unless Firewall restrictions are in place.
The devices on the Ethernet network can ping and connect to the ACPU_Device itself but they cannot ping or connect to the devices connected to the Access Point.
If you wish to connect in this way then connect to the ACPU_Device first via ssh or VNC and then connect to the required device via the IP address.
Using a Second WiFi Device
When a second Wifi device is connected to the ACPU_device such as a USB Wifi dongle, no device connected to the access point can ssh/vnc/ping etc the network that the second Wifi device is connected to. Devices connected to the Access Point can only access the internet or other networks through a connected Ethernet cable on Eth0.
To do this through a second wifi device requires additional configuration which is not in the scope of this setup.
Loss of Connection when a Switch happens
Any connection to the ACPU_Device from a Wifi device will be disconnected when the ACPU_Device switches from a Wifi Network connection to an Access Point and back. This will be when a Wifi Network goes out of range or when a switch is manually selected from the Web App or Installer script.
If you are using SSH, then programs such as TMUX will keep your session running while a connection from the connected Wifi Device and the ACPU_Device is made on the new network.
VNC will reconnect if you are using a Hostname as the server connection. If you have connected with an IP address, then you will need the new IP address from the wifi network the ACPU_Device has connected to.
Loss of the Wifi Connection:
If there is a situation where the AccessPoint is not avilable and there is no Connection to a WiFi Network, then wait a couple of minutes and the Access Point will be created or a re-connection to a known Wifi network will be made.
Hostapd not compatible
If hostapd is active on the ACPU_Device then the Network Manager Access Point will fail as there will be a conflict. Either disable hostapd with:
sudo systemctl stop hostapd
and
sudo systemctl disable hostapd
or uninstall hostapd
Multiple Devices with AccessPopup installed:
If you have more then one device with AccessPopup installed then change the SSID with option 2. This is so you can tell which device has the Access Point active. Otherwise they will all be called “AccessPopup” and you won’t know which device to connect to. The IP address does not need to be changed as they will each be independent connections.