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can RPi running dump1090 act as own hub/WAP for client web access? is it needed?

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  • can RPi running dump1090 act as own hub/WAP for client web access? is it needed?

    Hi all --

    A couple of years ago I set up a typical Raspberry Pi 3 running dump1090 and web server in an office, so that anyone could browse to the 192.161.x.x address and see the entertaining radar display.

    Now I want to build another, but for a mobile group in the field to see passing aircraft. The key difference is that they aren't on any stable wifi network, so I'm trying to figure out how that should work. They would basically be running this out of a car.

    My imagined setup is as follows:
    • Raspberry Pi + Flightaware stick + antenna, on cigarette lighter power, or generator
    • Dump1090 gathering data, simple web server
    • (possible cellular/wifi hotspot to get maps, but could be ok without map)
    • Clients (within few feet) using iPad or iPhone to browse the served website
    • Open to connecting via wifi / bluetooth, or if necessary, ethernet


    I guess you need to set up Raspberry Pi to act as its own wifi access point so that the clients can connect to it? Isn't that correct? You can't just have a lone Pi accepting connections over the air without a hub/WAP, can you? How do you have the Pi act as the hub, and assign itself a web server IP address at the same time?

    **But also, am I going about this in a needlessly convoluted way that has already been solved by something existing? Are there solutions out there where you can just set up an iPad or laptop to act as the data gathering and displaying terminal, all in one?

    This is in a major metro area, I suppose at that point we could just browse to the Flightradar site and not bother with all this. But it seems more "real-time + reliable" to set up one's own data gathering, and you can customize how the display looks to your liking. (I am not fully convinced though, as you can tell.)

    Thanks!
    Last edited by supernova87a; 2019-01-17, 21:41.

  • #2
    I would recommend using the a phone or tablet with internet access to set up a Hotspot WiFi.
    The mode with which you can provide other devices with internet via WiFi. (Personal Hotspot on Apple and Portable Hotspot on Android)

    First you need to know which device you are gonna use so you have a WiFi name. (on Android you can change that name/SSID and on Apple it's derived from the name of your Iphone)
    (Here is a guide for Apple: https://9to5mac.com/2018/05/14/iphon...nge-passwords/)


    Now that you know which SSID and password to use you configure the RPi to connect to the Hotspot WiFi.
    Others can then just join the WiFi as well.

    Now you need to find out the IP-address of the RPi so you can connect to it.
    I'm not quite sure how to do that to be honest.

    Setting a static IP would work i guess but you would first need to know what IP-address range the Hotspot you create uses so the IP is in the same subnet.

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks. Regarding finding the IP address of a Raspberry Pi on a hotspot network, you would just use ifconfig on the Pi to find the assigned address.

      However, this would be inconvenient for someone to do with every use. (would require monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc, very cumbersome, esp for casual users unfamiliar w/ Pi)

      What I wish is a Raspberry Pi that can just be turned on at any time, spin up all processes and be a consistent IP for people to hit, without any adjustment or user interaction with the Pi.

      If hotspots do assign static IPs that would help.

      However, I can't help the feeling that having 3 devices (hotspot, RPi, client) to gather, serve, and view the flight data is somehow overkill.
      Last edited by supernova87a; 2019-01-17, 22:02.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by supernova87a View Post
        If hotspots do assign static IPs that would help.

        However, I can't help the feeling that having 3 devices (hotspot, RPi, client) to gather, serve, and view the flight data is somehow overkill.
        If you get a dedicated hotspot you know the address range and the address of the hotspot.
        Then you can just configure a static ip on the RPi.

        I was talking using a tablet that has internet to provide WiFi (called Personal Hotspot on the ipad).
        So you would only have two devices because you can just use the local dump1090 map from the tablet.

        Anyway that's the easiest way i can think of. I'm not sure why you would think it's overkill. You could try a USB mobile modem for the Pi, but getting that configured to provide internet on an wifi provided by the pi is not fun. So that's what i would call overkill because it's much more complicated to set up.

        With the personal hotspot you could also check if it works with a static ip if you know beforehand that the phone will use an ip range (192.168.1.1-254 for example)

        Why don't you just try it with your phone?
        Check for the personal hotspot function.
        Configure the pi to use that wifi and check which IP it gets.
        Configure the pi to use a static ip and see if you can reach it from the phone.

        Comment


        • #5
          Oh, I see now, that's an interesting idea -- use the iPad/iPhone client as the hotspot. Ok, will look into that possibility.

          Update, it does not seem that devices sharing a personal hotspot (iPhone) can receive static IPs or see each other../.
          (I'm not allowed to post links with only 3 post history, but there are Apple support forum posts about it)
          Last edited by supernova87a; 2019-01-17, 22:31.

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