Connection to Adhoc wifi device [Solved]

[FlyBy]

Hi, I need to connect via WiFi to a USB print server in order to configure it. The print server intially broadcasts an adhoc connection with an ip address of 168.192.0.10
I can see the servers SSID in the list of available connections but selecting Connect fails after a few seconds. Could some kind soul point me in the right direction with this please?

[agnivo007]

Do you have a wifi enabled smartphone? Using it to connect to the print server config ssid would be fast and easier.

Still, if you want to use your computer to do it, I guess there's some incompatibility between your PC wifi card and the embedded card of the server.

[FlyBy]

hi agnivo007, I do have a smartphone, unfortunately it's stock android so adhoc connections aren't possible. I also have a rooted android tablet but thus far I haven't found a way with that either. Last night I recalled how puppy linux with it's multiple network configurators was often handy in these situations so I created a bootable usb. I configured puppy to use a fixed ip of 168.192.0.11 and sure enough it connected right away but.. when i typed 168.192.0.10 into the browser expecting to see the print server's configuration screen it didn't come up. I'm inclined to think you maybe right about my laptop's wifi chipset.

[agnivo007]

Can you post the model number or link to the print server product you're using?

The modus operandi should be like this (whether from smartphone/computer):
1. Check if your print server is broadcasting it's SSD by a wifi networks search on the device.
2. Connect to that SSID (use manufacturer supplied password if its a protected network)
3. Access the config page http://168.192.0.10 (as supplied by manufacturer) through a web browser on the device.
4. Make your changes and save.

Am I getting something wrong? Rooted/non-rooted android device doesn't matter. You're not going to broadcast/create adhoc network, but connect to a wifi SSID!
Posting product details will always help to guide further.

[FlyBy]

I purchased a USB wifi adapter on Amazon for £5 ($7 US) with a realtek chipset pre dating 2015 to get around the issue of adhoc Wifi SSID's (IBSS type) either not showing up in any Wifi managers at all, or showing up but refusing to connect, sometimes accompanied by an error message or not showing any error message at all. Using the ancient adapter I was able to connect to the adhoc WiFi broadcast by the USB print server and quickly configure it to use any infrastructure WiFi and printer upon reboot. Following this test, I ordered 38 more old Realtek adapters and posted these out with instructions to our customers with old (pre 2015) wifi to USB print servers. At £5 a piece this is not only an inexpensive solution to the connection issue but also saved junking 39 perfectly usable printers as suggested by Dell.

To agnivo007 "Am I getting something wrong? Rooted/non-rooted android device doesn't matter. You're not going to broadcast/create adhoc network, but connect to a wifi SSID!"

Please forgive me if you believe I was unclear about wishing to connect to an ad-hoc network as opposed to creating one. Although I see I had stated this at the very beginning of my initial request for assistance, I appreciate that sometimes text might be missing from a readers viewpoint.
Regarding android, it matters very much as to the root state of the device it's installed in. Google persists to this day in preventing any connection to Adhoc(IBSS type) networks even though most all devices (phones, tablets, etc) have the hardware capability. Some might display the SSID of an ad-hoc network, some might not, but none can connect without in some way circumventing Googles restriction. Rooted devices can have a simple patch applied which allows connections to Adhoc networks.

My colleague says that Apple 3rd gen or older devices running IOS 13 or earlier can connect without modification. Our customers are spread throughout the UK, only nine of them own such an Apple device so it was decided unfeasible to go down that route.

Problem solved.

[agnivo007]

I see, learnt something new and that's tested on field. So, you found out that post 2015 wifi chipsets seem to have support for these kind of networks and solve the issue?