Hello,
I have an NL241 operating in bridge mode with a CR1000 at a field site with WiFi infrastructure. The network administrator has given me a static IP address and password for the network.
When I connect to the NL241 via USB and Device Config, I show that the NL241 is connected to the network and the IP info - which we have checked over and over - that I entered in the datalogger (via, Device Config) is displayed. Again, in bridge mode so I configured in the CR1000 according to the NL241 docs.
Despite what Device Config reports, my network administrator says he cannot find the NL241 connected to the network and has tested and reset the access point and brought a Raspberry Pi device out to my logger box and set it on top and is able to find that device on the network. So the connectivity problem points to my NL241/CR1000, at least in his opinion.
When I search for a network within the NL241, the SSID I am connecting to has a signal strength of -60 dBm (closer to -70 with the logger box door closed), not great, but I think it should be working.
Currently, the antenna being used is 0 dBm whip - (Campbell model 16005) inside the logger box. The WiFi access point is in the same field, perhaps 50 meters away maximum.
Signal strength is one thing I would like to try to improve in troubleshooting this connection, and I have some older omni -directional antennas that were used with RF401 radios, but I'm unsure yet if the cables are ok and are compatible with the NL241.
Has anyone else had similar issues with connecting to a secured WiFi network with this signal stregth? The site is not nearby my lab (4 hours) so being armed with information really helps!
Thanks,
-Wes
When the NL241 is operating in bridge mode, the IP connection to the network is made from the datalogger's IP stack. Because of this, the place you will need to configure the address is in the CR1000's settings. Look for these settings when connected to the CR1000 with datalogger in the "CS I/O IP" subtab of the "Deployment" tab. Assuming that the NL241 has been configured at its default value, you will need to modify the controls in the "CS I/O IP #1" group box.
I was given a static IP address and that (from your description above) is, essentially, the datalogger configuration I performed - following step 3. on page 24 of the instruction manual for the NL241.
What's confusing to me now though, based on the manual: it says the default CS I/O IP interface is #2, so that is where I made the modifications. Should I actually have changed interface #1 as you say above? Both?
Thanks,
-Wes
I had forgotten that the default setting for the NL241 is to use CS I/O #2 and the NL201 uses CS I/O #1 so I believe that you changed the right one.
That makes sense. I will verify the CS I/O settings are correct and troubleshoot from there. Thanks!
I've been troubleshooting with the NL241 again today with some limited results. I switched to DHCP on advice of my network admin, yet still have connectivity issues. I have verified the IP info in my CS1000 when running the NL241 in bridge mode with DHCP - the CS I/O settings for the default (#2) CS I/O is populated with the correct IP info when the NL241 is connected.
My network admin can see my NL241 connecting to the network, but he reports a low signal strength of -71 dBm and says that the device is connecting then disconnecting every approx. 20-40 seconds. Could the signal strength and the disconnect/reconnect issue be related? These condtions are basically the same as those I've been encountering since I set it up (and in my original post) and I have yet to connect to the logger over the internet. I DID get a response to a couple of pings with RT times of 1 to 1.5 sec in a whole afternoon of trying however. Packet loss for the two "successful" pings was 75%.
Thanks for any ideas or tips.