Wifi setup

[vo5tr0]

Re-entering Configuration Mode

After accidentally entering an incorrect MAC address (BSSID) during setup, I struggled to get the sensor back into configuration mode. Here’s the solution:

1. Unplug the battery.
2. Press and hold the calibration button.
3. While holding the button, plug the battery back in.
4. Release the button after 5 seconds.

(Note: PricelessToolkit has already updated their README to include this information. Kudos to them for the quick update!)

The Wi-Fi Connection Issue

The main issue I faced was a failed Wi-Fi connection due to an incorrect MAC address (BSSID). As mentioned in the README, you need to provide the MAC address of your Wi-Fi access point.

I use a Mesh Wi-Fi system from AVM, and the only access point in range was a mesh repeater. Naturally, I assumed I should use the MAC address of the repeater. However, it turns out that even though my main router (Mesh Master) was out of range, I still needed to use its MAC address for the sensor to connect successfully.

I hope this helps anyone facing similar problems.

[PricelessToolkit]

Thank you for sharing!

[mafsgraz]

thanks for sharing Julian!
i already needed these instructions several times now, but unfortunately i could not connect my sensor to my wifi network until now,
after saving my configuration the green led keeps shining and the sensor does not connect.

i'm not sure which mac address is the correct one, so let me describe my setup and i hope somebody can give me advice:

i am using a 5G Modem to establish internet connection that is also working as dhcp server for my network. i have reserved a range of IP addresses for some of my smart home devices that get assigned static IP's.

for wifi, i am using a unifi UAP AC Pro access point, also with static IP. (no mesh, just this one access point)

i tried several variants without success and am hoping for advice - here is my current configuration:

Local IP:

Gateway: IP address of the 5G modem

MAC address: mac address of the unifi access point

Wifi Channel: channel of the 2.4 Ghz Network (the Gateway operates 2 networks in 2.4 and 5 GHz.

did anyone have similar issues and has an idea what the correct configuration should be?

[PricelessToolkit]

Hi, when the green LED stays on, it can mean:

1. Out of range.
2. Wi-Fi or MQTT credentials issue, so it can't connect to Wi-Fi or the MQTT server.

If you briefly push the RST button, does the green LED continue to stay on?

[mafsgraz]

hi, my guess are a misconfiguration of the credentials - i am testing 3m away from the access point so that shouldn't be a problem.

pushing the RST button doesn't make a change on the green LED.

[PricelessToolkit]

Yep
Gateway of your network, channel, and MAC of your AC Pro, and one more important thing: the sensor name needs to be without spaces, or Home Assistant will not autodiscover it.

[mafsgraz]

thank you for the feedback! unfortunately, i had no success so far. :-(
even tried configuring from different browsers and OS's, but the result is always the same.

thank you for your support, will try again next week.

[Mr-Basie]

I have trouble connecting to wifi.

Do the sensor have trouble with ssid with "å,æ,ø and a space"?

And what is the Local ip supposed to be?

Thanks! cool product anyway.

[PricelessToolkit]

That's right, no spaces! I can’t speak for other characters, though. For local IPs like the ones your phone or PC gets when connecting to Wi-Fi via DHCP (e.g., '192.168.1.50-192.168.1.254') you’ll need to assign an IP address outside the DHCP range. For example, you could use '192.168.1.49'. You can check your Wi-Fi router to find the DHCP range. Thanks

[Focusinger]

I can't get them to work. Maybe you can told exactly which IP Adress I have to enter and which Mac Adress and which MQTT Adress. I tried everything but nothing worked. The YouTube Video to set them up is not very helpful, also the explanation of the Web Configuration for Wifi Mode on GitHub.

[PricelessToolkit]

That is not the correct IP address. The IP address shown in your screenshot is the one assigned by the sensor to your phone. You need to assign an IP address outside the DHCP range but within the same subnet as the one your router assigns to your phone or computer. When you connect to your home router, what IP address do you get?

[Focusinger]

I don't understand what IP is required. The Router IP, my Phone IP? which IP do you mean? Where can i see it? I Connect to my Router with ssid and password. i don't get an IP Adress.

[PricelessToolkit]

When your router's DHCP assigns IP addresses to connected devices, it usually assigns them within the range of 192.168.178.X up to 192.168.178.254. Think of the subnet as the last part of the IP address, which can range from 1 to 254. Normally, DHCP servers do not assign IPs starting from 1 or up to 254, so you usually have free IP addresses that won't be automatically assigned to any connected device. You need to choose an IP from this free range. You can check the DHCP range in your access point settings.

So:

IP: 192.168.178.X (a free one that is not assigned to any other device and will not be!)
Gateway: 192.168.178.1
Subnet: 255.255.255.0

[Focusinger]

Okay, i tried it out tomorrow. thanks for your help.

[Focusinger]

I can't get them to work. I renamed my ssid without spaces. Which Mac Adress do I use? This one?

or this one:

And which MQTT Server? This one?

or this one?

And is there any Change after correct Settings in the LED on the Sensor? It only lights green after Configuration Saved. Should it blink or go off?

[PricelessToolkit]

2.4Ghz Mac .......58:39
If you installed the MQTT server (Mosquitto broker) in Home Assistant, use the IP address of your Home Assistant as MQTT SERVER.
PS: I made a mistake in the manual regarding SSIDs. You can have spaces in the SSID, but you cannot have spaces in the sensor name. I will update the manual accordingly Sorry.

[Focusinger]

It works now, but I have much Trouble with all my Network Devices, Cameras, etc. because i renamed my ssid without spaces. 😞

[PricelessToolkit]

Sorry for that!! You can have spaces in the SSID, but you cannot have spaces in the sensor name because it uses a sensor name for MQTT topic too.

[muradsam5555]

Please help after entering all the data the wi-fi mode on my Serial Port gives this message in cycles

[PricelessToolkit]

when programming with Arduino check "erase memory before programming"

[PricelessToolkit]

plus in the log, you can see "invalid IP Configuration"

[norfolkmustard]

Having trouble getting this working also unfortunately. The config requirements seem overly complex - why can't it be auto-assigned an IP address by DHCP and get subnet/gateway etc that way? If the wifi network is only 2.4GHz, does it still need the wifi MAC ?

If the green light stays on, is there a way to pinpoint why - which config field needs changing?

[PricelessToolkit]

1. If you are on Windows you can check the IP subnet, by taping in the terminal "ifconfig /all"
   or If you don't have 255 wifi connected devices you can use "192.168.x.254"

2. I think you know the HA IP address and MQTT credentials

3. For Mac address and channel use "wifianalyzer" app "For android" if you don't have access to the access point menu.

Mac address is essential for fast connect.

probably you are inserting MAC and channel incorrectly.

[muradsam5555]

1. Why am I getting this error, and how can I fix it?
2. Could someone provide a detailed step-by-step guide on what exactly to enter in the web interface when the ESP32 goes into Configuration Mode and I press Wi-Fi?

[PricelessToolkit]

1. "broker.hivemq.com" is the address of your MQTT server?
2. https://github.com/PricelessToolkit/SOILSENS-V5W?tab=readme-ov-file#1-configuration

[PricelessToolkit]

Address of the MQTT Server needs to be in IP format "not DNS name"

[muradsam5555]

Please help me I have not been able to finish this device for 4 months

[muradsam5555]

invalid input range, min== max is normal?
No, it is not publishing its data on MQTT.
I should subscribe to Topic homeassistant/sensor/ right?

[PricelessToolkit]

homeassistant/sensor/YourNodeName/

[muradsam5555]

Can you explain to me why this error occurs and how to solve it?
invalid input range, min== max

[PricelessToolkit]

If you don't want to answer my questions to understand why, the only option is "not calibrated!"

[PricelessToolkit]

https://github.com/PricelessToolkit/SOILSENS-V5W?tab=readme-ov-file#2-calibrating-the-soil-moisture-sensor