ESP EASY to work as standalone without login to WiFi

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gryzli133
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ESP EASY to work as standalone without login to WiFi

#1 Post by gryzli133 » 29 Apr 2019, 11:01

Dear all,

I would like to have some small timer in the garden with OLED display and few buttons/relay. The problem is, there is no WiFi reception. I would like to be able to connect from my phone to adjust time or script, but the rest of time it would be a standalone device. Is this possible?

Other question on side: once I have changed the WiFi password and all the ESP temperature sensors with OLED display I have in my house was freezing. All the sensors ware death, not even displaying temperature on the OLED display. I think this should not be like this. Is there any option to avoid that situation, that ESP will not freeze, when the configured network has another password?

gryzli133
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Re: ESP EASY to work as standalone without login to WiFi

#2 Post by gryzli133 » 05 May 2019, 10:46

no one can help?

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ThomasB
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Re: ESP EASY to work as standalone without login to WiFi

#3 Post by ThomasB » 06 May 2019, 18:59

I would like to be able to connect from my phone to adjust time or script, but the rest of time it would be a standalone device. Is this possible?
This is not a typical use since ESPEasy is intended to work in a reliable WiFi environment. But I think you can achieve your goal with some experimentation.

I suggest you use a version release BEFORE Mega 20180908. That is because there is a safety mechanism built into newer releases that might disable your plugins after failed WiFi connect attempts, which may trigger reboots. The boot protection feature that disables plugins is discussed here:
1. https://github.com/letscontrolit/ESPEasy/issues/2386
2. viewtopic.php?t=5827

Also, I suggest you start with a fresh install (with full memory erase) that has NEVER been configured to connect to your WiFi router. This will ensure ESPEasy defaults to AP mode for local access from your phone. Never configure it to use WiFi STA mode (router access) so it continues to default to AP mode on each new reboot. And do not use any features or rules that require working wifi access (MQTT, HTTP, NTP, etc).

But my comments are just ideas to try. I don't use AP mode for access and so all I can do is offer best-guess advice. Maybe someone else with deeper knowledge will chime in and offer their suggestions. But I have a feeling that you are alone in what you are trying to achieve.
Is there any option to avoid that situation, that ESP will not freeze, when the configured network has another password?
The plugin disabling mechanism mentioned above may be partially responsible for this. As a workaround, I suggest you change the ESPEasy WiFi password BEFORE you change the router's password. Then reboot ESPEasy after the router is online with this new password.

- Thomas

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EDsteve
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Re: ESP EASY to work as standalone without login to WiFi

#4 Post by EDsteve » 22 Apr 2020, 15:14

But I have a feeling that you are alone in what you are trying to achieve.
Nope. He is not :D

I try to make a mobile air quality sensor with PMS7003 and display using ESPeasy.
I don't use AP mode for access and so all I can do is offer best-guess advice.
Because i can only reach the wifi settings page when i connect to 192.168.4.1. Is there a way to open the web-control-panel to add devices etc in AP mode?

Or did i get the wrong picture?

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Re: ESP EASY to work as standalone without login to WiFi

#5 Post by TD-er » 22 Apr 2020, 20:58

The rules just keep on working even without WiFi.
Only time based actions may be a bit of an issue, if you don't have WiFi available. (no NTP available)
You can use a GPS module to act as a time source, or if the unit sometimes has the option to login to WiFi you can still use NTP.
About a month ago I added a feature where it does keep the current time in RTC memory, so that will survive a (warm) reboot, but with some time error per reboot (roughly 1.5 seconds per reboot)

So those are the options I'm thinking of right now in running the units "offline".

It will keep on starting the AP mode if it cannot find the configured wifi (or no wifi settings are configured), so you can still connect to it via the mobile.

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EDsteve
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Re: ESP EASY to work as standalone without login to WiFi

#6 Post by EDsteve » 23 Apr 2020, 05:39

Thanks for your reply. But my question still remains how am i able to access the web-control-penal to add rules or to add a device? Because in AP mode i can only see the wifi-settings page when i open 192.168.4.1.

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ThomasB
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Re: ESP EASY to work as standalone without login to WiFi

#7 Post by ThomasB » 23 Apr 2020, 06:01

But my question still remains how am i able to access the web-control-penal to add rules or to add a device? Because in AP mode i can only see the wifi-settings page when i open 192.168.4.1.
Try a direct URL to the devices and rules pages. Like these:
http://192.168.4.1/devices
http://192.168.4.1/rules

If that doesn't work then perhaps you have an older version of ESPEasy. The latest builds are found here:
https://github.com/letscontrolit/ESPEasy/releases

- Thomas

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EDsteve
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Re: ESP EASY to work as standalone without login to WiFi

#8 Post by EDsteve » 23 Apr 2020, 06:15

Ohhh yeah. That's what i was looking for.
It can be that easy. Thaaaank you

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