The past week I received a ordered Ultimate kit with WiFi bridge so that I can play. The first experience is good but about the WiFi Bridge I have two questions.
1. With the supplied software WiFi Ethernet Bridge allows you to set the SSID PC-application allowing you to easily connect to the network.
But in applying the FEZ Connect shield I have the commands to set the SSID not found in the documentation. How can you give commands through the Connect shield?
Without this SSID it will succeed to make it work, but it will take considerably longer to make the connection. This I can only if the selected IP number within the range of the network falls.
2. How can you obtain a valid IP number dynamich to the access point so you can always use a correct number.
- This is a network bridge and the only way to set SSID is through the provided software that runs on a PC. As far as the connected device (FEZ, PC, xbox…), this is an Ethernet connection.
- Again, this is just a bridge with no stacks built in. If you set your network to DHCP then things will run DHCP, over wires or over the wireless bridge.
@ Gus. I understand not yet. The PC software has features that let you select a desired network, why can not this functionality be done by an FEZ?
This is probably because the manufacturer of the bridge has not disclosed the commands used to set these options?
I looked into it, and unfortunatly the commands that needs to be sent to the bridge are ethernet frames using ethertype 8888; this is not too difficult to reverse engineer. But, this is NOT IP. Since this is not IP, and that only IP is supported by the Wiznet5100 chip that is used on FezConnect, we have no way to do this configuration from the Fez… :wall:
[quote]@ Gus. I understand not yet. The PC software has features that let you select a desired network, why can not this functionality be done by an FEZ?
L[/quote]
In theory it is possible but too much work for little benefit. You can connect an analyzer and reverse engineer it to run on FEZ maybe. I personally do not recommend it but nothing says you can’t try it.
@ Gus, do you mean that with the actual Wiz5100 class, it is possible to send/receive non-IP frames ?
I thought only TCP/UDP IP sockets were supported with this chip :-[
From Wiznet Datasheet:
[quote]* In case of socket 0, MACRAW and PPPoE mode exist.
Data communication is available through TCP, UDP, IP-Raw and MAC-Raw .[/quote]
But this requires some work in the low level GHI driver, or you can right a light weighted drive in C# independent from GHI driver. This driver only handle this MAC RAW communication for the bridge.
Thank You Joe ! Do you mean a driver talking to the Wiz5100 using SPI talks ? That seem very difficult. It would have to be run before the Wiz5100 GHI driver is initialized, release the CS pins, and then enable() the GHI driver for IP communications. Too bad this bridge doesn’t actualy use any IP based protocol for its configuration (such as telnet…) I would have written a class for that !
Interresting challenge though 
It would require too much work, and since this is a very proprietary protocol, Vonets might change it at any time and nothing will work anymore…
GHI had already a complete C# drivers with no native side of it. This can be used as base to get this started. Yes it is complicated and it is not fun!
Could you share those drivers ? I’ll look at what I can do… 
oh god! I never thought we would need it gain with GHI’s native support. I will try to find it. It has been a while
@ Nicolas3
Vonets used on its installation CD of Windows drivers from CACE Technologies which are also downloadable http://www.winpcap.org/
I think that changing the interface will not soon be done
@ Hinnie,
Winpcap is not a driver related to Vonet equipments, but only an API to be able to send and receive ethernet frames from any program. Even Vonet had problems communicating with their device, so had to use an external program to be able to general MAC RAW frames 
!
Winpcap is the same driver used by most protocol analyser as the good opensource WireShark !
I also made a driver to use that inside an autoit3 script few years ago ! WinPcap Autoit3 UDF
I found the C# based wiznet driver. but probably it is a bad idea to put it on code share since it will be confusing for users. I can send it to you guys by email if you like. Anyone is interested?
Yes ! f1iqf (at) hotmail (dot) com !
Thank You !
Yes
A Fez Panda with Connect shield is the processor of my mobile robot. The Connect shield is connected to a WiFi BRIDGE what I want for network communication with the robot. Unfortunately I have not a smart phone with WiFi but a Nintendo “DSi” which I want to use as a control console from which the robot process variables can be adjusted.
A DSi or a laptop can not connect without an access point, therefore you need a network router. If you apply to a different location to a demonstrate, your robot to change the IP addresses for that network. I have chosen to one additional Linksys WRT120N router to use this (these are cheap in the listing). This possibility have I now been tested and works great. I am satisfied with this solution, the router I can easily take you to other locations so no settings need to be changed.
My original question “FEZ Connect shield with WiFi ethernet bridge” void.
Did you guys get my email with the source code?
Yes, thank you