Sonoff WiFi relay switch connection problem (and some questions)

[Asheekay]

So I got a sonoff smart WiFi switch (RE5V1EC) to safely initiate all my potentially lethal chemical ignitions (methane balloons, chlorate powered rockets, enclosed butane vapors and all other cheap pyrotechnics you can imagine).

I quickly realized that:

1- it's a headache configuring this sonoff switch and successfully connecting it to my phone.

2- it was built for this type of rare use, but for a permanently powered type scenarios (smart home and all).

Here I discuss the first issue. After I was able to put the device in connection mode (after much frustration and googling), I was finally able to connect to it as a WiFi router.

Now comes the puzzling part. It's about the app eWeLink.

I select Quick Pairing (because the device supports eWeLink) and I get this:

This takes me to my phone settings and no matter what I click or select, it never successfully finds an "access point for device sharing" (whatever that means).

Any help in this regard will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Ot you can do the exact same thing using the stock Sonoff firmware as I have shown, tested, demonstrated and proven already. The only limitation is the Sonoff must be set up on a home wifi network, and the phone's hotspot set to the same SSID and password.

Except it's nothing like the same thing, as you need a home wifi network, I'm talking about using the ESP8266 as it's own WiFi network, so only that, and a phone, are required. This is how they are commonly used to intitially set them up, you connect your phone to their network, and then access a local webpage to select your main WiFi to then connect to.

BTW, I believe that some Sonoff modules use other than the ESP8266 now.

Quite possibly?, it's getting old, however the low cost of the ESP8266 means it may well still be used? - except perhaps for some higher spec. unit that requires more memory and I/O than the ESP8266 provides?.

 

[For The Popcorn]

Except it's nothing like the same thing, as you need a home wifi network, I'm talking about using the ESP8266 as it's own WiFi network, so only that, and a phone, are required.

No, I demonstrated the Sonoff working with only a wifi network provided by a phone set up as a hotspot. The only limitation, as I stated above, is that the Sonoff needs to be configured initially connected to a home wifi network.

Really, I tried this in the car, a mile away from home, using only the network provided by my phone and a low voltage Sonoff mobile powered from USB.

Touch [on]

CLICK

Touch [off]

CLICK

 

[Reloadron]

Been AWOL. For some reason I stopped getting my email notifications.

I assume your WiFi relay card looks like this example:

Just to make sure we are on the same channel.

Ron

 

[For The Popcorn]

OMG. Will this discussion never stop.

The SONOFF module I used, purchased directly from Seeed Studios, is a

Model: RE5V1C, Input: DC 5V


I believe I have some of the model in your picture. I can go test one of those if you like, or any other type I have as there is an inverter in the car. Maybe a mile from home was too close to my network. I'll go further away if you think that was too close.

Want me to dig up my old phone so I can video me pressing the button in the Ewelink app and the relay operating? That would be geo-tagged so you could see I'm far from my home network.

 

[For The Popcorn]

I miss-spoke. Purchased directly from iTead Studios, not Seeed. iTead is the home of Sonoff.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

OMG. Will this discussion never stop.

The SONOFF module I used, purchased directly from Seeed Studios, is a

Model: RE5V1C, Input: DC 5V


I believe I have some of the model in your picture. I can go test one of those if you like, or any other type I have as there is an inverter in the car. Maybe a mile from home was too close to my network. I'll go further away if you think that was too close.

Want me to dig up my old phone so I can video me pressing the button in the Ewelink app and the relay operating? That would be geo-tagged so you could see I'm far from my home network.

What's your problem?, people are just offering 'better' solutions - no one is suggesting yours doesn't work.

I made my suggestion because I'd much rather have a local connection from the phone to the ESP8266, eliminating all the extraneous delays and possible errors in between - phone to local mast, connection to China, processed in server in China, connection from China back to local mast, connection back to phone, then finally connection from phone to ESP8266.

Just phone directly to ESP8266 seems a lot simpler?, and faster. The simple RF relay above is even simpler, but if someone already has a phone, and an ESP8266 (or similar) module, there's not much point in buying anything else.

Personally I'd probably have done it using HC12 modules and a couple of PIC's, which would give substantially greater range than WiFi, or the cheap crude RF modules.

 

[For The Popcorn]

Not, if you read, Ron has repeatedly challenged that the method I tested and proved works.

I'm not saying it's the best method. I am saying it's a method that works if you have a phone that has the hotspot feature. And it's a method that the OP can use without buying anything else.

Also, not everyone has the desire and/or ability, even with examples, to write code or even load example code to an ESP8266 or ESP32. If you haven't set up the Arduino environment and added ESP8266 support, it's not a trivial task.

 

[Reloadron]

OMG. Will this discussion never stop.

The SONOFF module I used, purchased directly from Seeed Studios, is a

Model: RE5V1C, Input: DC 5V


I believe I have some of the model in your picture. I can go test one of those if you like, or any other type I have as there is an inverter in the car. Maybe a mile from home was too close to my network. I'll go further away if you think that was too close.

Want me to dig up my old phone so I can video me pressing the button in the Ewelink app and the relay operating? That would be geo-tagged so you could see I'm far from my home network.

Uh, I was asking the thread starter. Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough.

Ron

 

[Reloadron]

Not, if you read, Ron has repeatedly challenged that the method I tested and proved works.

I haven't challenged anything, all I did was provide a few reference links. Let's be clear.

Ron