Wired or Wireless?
-
With all of the recent complains on AJAX disconnects and such, I'm wondering if I should just purchase the Wired version over the wireless version. However if the problems are caused by Ethernet stealing too many CPU cycles I don't know if this would make any difference???
Any of you using Wired Ethernet seeing the disconnect problems?
Thanks
-
Both the WiFi and the Ethernet versions use a daughter board to run the TCP/IP stack, so there is very little difference in the number of CPU cycles needed.
My general advice is to use the Ethernet version if any of the following are true:
- The 2.4GHz spectrum is very congested where you are (e.g. your smartphone can see a lot of WiFi networks)
- Your router is a long way from where the printer will be, so you can't be sure of getting a good signal
- Your printer will have a metal enclosure so the Duet can't be sure of getting a good signal from the router
- The WiFi router is not under your control
If none of the above apply, the WiFi version usually works well. We have sold a great many Duet WiFis and only a few users experience dropped connections. But I'm still working on improving the WiFi connection reliability, it's just a shame that I can't reproduce the problems that a few users are having, so I'm having to make guesses about what might improve matters.
-
Wifi works for me, but to get amazing performance I bought a cheap mini-router and setup a dedicated wireless network for my printers in the room where they live. No issues.
However since they aren't portable if I could have bought a duet ethernet when the duetwifi first became available I would have bought one, since I can easily run a network cable to the printer, which offers guaranteed connection reliability and security. I bought a second duetwifi later as I have the wifi working already.
The killer-product would be a controller with both options hardwired or a quick swap module for one or the other.
-
On an old 0.6 Duet with Ethernet I also have frequent disconnects, so in my case it cannot have anything to do with wifi. I never really looked into the problem because prints continue as they should and if I click reconnect it just does that. Probably a problem with CPU cycles indeed. Strange though is that often after a controller reboot this problem disappears for days. Also sometimes after clean boot I get a scrambled DWC (only ascii without formatting). This problem too disappears after a powercycle.
-
I'm one of those with the wifi issues.
Im sure the wifi is an amazing option, until it doesn't work then its beyond frustrating.
A wired unit lets you connect it to your network with zero issues and if you need wifi, connect it to a tp-link travel router or other similarly inexpensive option.
