WI-FI LOGIC
Operating Principle
Essentially, our device is built around an additional communication module featuring internal storage where we have hosted a full-fledged web interface. The entire control infrastructure is managed through interaction with this small embedded website.
Primary Difficulties: Why does the phone disconnect?
What are the common initial hurdles for users during the first connection? Specifically, issues occur when you connect to the device while being in range of another Wi-Fi network that has internet access (e.g., your home network).
NETWORK CONFLICT
In this case, your phone may disconnect from our device quite rapidly upon discovering that it lacks access to the global network.
The primary goal of your smartphone is to keep you connected and ensure internet availability; therefore, it automatically switches back to a known network.
Solution: "Forget Network"
For this reason, if you are setting up the device for the first time and are at home near your Wi-Fi router, I recommend temporarily selecting the "FORGET THIS NETWORK" option in your phone's Wi-Fi settings for your home network.
Ensure that the phone cannot automatically connect anywhere except the Wi-Fi network broadcast by our device. This ensures the connection remains stable and won't drop at the moment you've just connected and haven't yet finished the configuration. Connection drops most frequently occur in these scenarios.
Browsers and Captive Portal
What should be done after connecting to the device?
On an iPhone, the management system's main page may open automatically (as a popup window). At the top, you must confirm that you intend to use this network and approve the connection (select "Use Without Internet"). After this, you can open the address device.local in a separate browser window.
It is advisable to avoid using Google Chrome, as it often automatically blocks offline page functions and prevents actions on them — buttons may become inactive, and the interface might appear frozen.
Usually, these difficulties are caused by restrictions in Google Chrome or the built-in Safari, where the browser does not fully understand what is required of it.
How the phone perceives it: It treats the connection as a public Wi-Fi with a welcome page (Captive Portal) — similar to those in hotels where you must enter a room number and name for internet access. We utilize this mechanism so that you are automatically directed to the control system page for convenience.
However, some browsers, perceiving this site as a service offline page, disable script execution and any actions other than data entry and clicking a "Login" button.
Meanwhile, our system's main page is quite advanced: it supports numerous functions, such as constant connection monitoring and real-time data exchange with the device (battery level, signal quality, active modes, etc.).
RECOMMENDATION: No VPN or mobile data is required to use our site. You can even enable "Airplane Mode" while keeping the Wi-Fi module active.
We recommend installing an additional browser and using it exclusively for device management. Be vigilant and ensure the Wi-Fi connection does not drop due to the phone reconnecting to other known networks, as mentioned above.
Client Mode: Device Connects to You
Regarding how to connect the device to an iPhone and change the connection type (setting up communication via your phone's hotspot), you must first go through the stages described: access the Wi-Fi settings page via our web interface menu.
First, navigate from the main menu to the brief instructions page, where a button at the bottom leads to the Wi-Fi settings. There, you can configure the device to connect to your personal mobile hotspot.
Note: if you have never connected other devices (like a laptop or another phone) to your smartphone to share internet, you are about to discover a new side of your device's capabilities.
Your phone is capable of much, including sharing internet with other devices by creating its own Wi-Fi network, just like our device does. By enabling "Personal Hotspot" (modem mode), you create a network where you share your mobile internet.
I won't explain the technical details here, but if you weren't aware of this feature, it might be a surprising discovery. I recommend looking up information on YouTube or Google using these queries:
- How to create a hotspot on iPhone
- How to share internet to another phone
- How to connect a laptop to internet via phone
How it works after setup?
Once you activate this mode and configure our device to connect to your phone, it will detect the active Wi-Fi network created by the smartphone and connect to it very rapidly.
In this case, if you are using an iPhone, you can also easily open the page device.local
The main difference: It will no longer appear as a popup welcome page, and the window will not trigger automatically, as the phone no longer perceives the connection as a login to an external public network. Now, the device itself connects to you, operating as a client on your network.
Conclusion
Be sure to check YouTube if you have never set up a mobile hotspot — there are countless instructions available.
Most importantly — do not worry. We have tested this functionality for many months, verifying connections with a vast range of phones: both old and new, on Android and iPhone.
We have even connected via computers, as you can control the device using a laptop — it has the same browser as a tablet. The system works with any devices on macOS, Windows, and Android that have Wi-Fi. We even successfully tested it using a black-and-white e-reader.