Viofo A139 pro // 1ch // Wifi // Wifi Station-mode // Name and Password

[Müller]

Hello.

When using the Viofo-app one has to fill in a camera-SSID and a camera-pasword (combo #1, (01.jpg)). Activating Wifi-station-mode then additionally requires an SSID and a WLAN-password (combo #2, (02.jpg)). Question: Has #2 to be the same as #1 (wouldn´t that be nonsense?) or has it to be a seperate SSID and password specifically for station-mode or is this the name and the password of a router one wants to connect to?

Btw.: a shout-out to Mr. McCoy/Mr.Panzer Platform who suggested to contact the forum administration regarding some registration issues. So now i´m here. Thank you, Mr. McCoy and admins.

Attachments:

01.jpg:



02.jpg:

 

[Panzer Platform]

Welcome to the Forum Muller,
Now you're in for it. lol
Let me see if I can tug on some shirts to scare up some help.
All hands on deck;
@rcg530
@Dashmellow
@kamkar
@Karagandinez
@DAP
@TonyM
@Lothar
@Vortex Radar

 

[kamkar]

I have never messed with this station mode stuff.

I would kind of assume that just like you assign names for wifi on your home router, you give a name that is broadcast and then a PW of course so no one can use it.
But network and wifi are not favorite disciplines of mine, which are funny when i run Network cameras as my home CCTV.

Seeing Kfz on the screen grabs made me smile, and remember the few German classes i attended back in the day.

Kfz is German short for motor vehicle or Kraftfahrzeug if my very poor German spelling dont forsake me.

 

[Müller]

Hello Kamkar.

Your German spelling is correct. Kraftfahrzeug. Kraft = power, -fahr- = drive, -zeug(ding) = thing. So: Power(ed)drivething, which actually sounds a bit stupid, ... like a child building words by just adding up descriptions of what the child observes ...

Hope some Wifi-WLAN guru chimes in and enlights me (us). I want my 139s less to only talk to smartphones but more to my laptop and in a more constant and reliable manner. Regarding reliability: I will make an adapter for the onboard-connector to connect an external WLAN-antenna to the 139 for more range and stability:

 

[SirVival0001]

Hey Müller,
did you get the station mode running?
How good does it work?

When ever the WiFi station is in range, does the ViofoA139 Pro connect automatically to it?
Or do you have to activate it always?

 

[Müller]

Hallo Herr Vival,

aufgrund unklarer bzw. nicht vorhandener Information was genau in diesen beiden Feldern eingetragen werden muß habe ich die Stations-Betriebsart noch nicht aktiviert. Es tut mir leid dass ich Dir deshalb Deine Fragen, welche mich ebenfalls sehr interessieren, nicht beantworten kann.

Lt. Aussage des Viofo-Service sollen nach aktivierter Stations-Betriebsart die Videodaten über z.B. den VLC-player betrachtet werden können. Und hier kommt was ich mir erhoffe. Beim Betrieb von mehreren Kameras in der aktuellen Konfiguration mit der auf einem smartphone laufenden App UND Verwendung von 1-Kanal-A139igern kann immer nur ldgl. eine Kamera per App angezeigt werden. Möchte man das Bild einer anderen Kamera ansehen, so muß man in den Wifi-/WLAN-Einstellungen des smartphones die aktuelle Kamera von der App trennen und die gewünschte verbinden.

Von der Aktivierung der Stations-Betriebsart erhoffe ich mir alle Kamerabilder simultan in jeweils einer Instanz des VLC-players betrachten zu können.

Aber Eins nach dem Anderen: 1.) Antenne! ...

---

Because of vague respectively non existing information on what has to be filled in these both fields, i don´t have activated the station-mode yet. I´m sorry for not being able to answer your questions which also are of great interest for me.

According to the Viofo-service it should be possible to watch the videodata via for example the VLC-player. And here is what i hope for: While using several cameras in the present configuration with the app running on a smartphone AND the usage of 1ch-A139s, it is only possible to watch one camera at a time in the app. If one wants to watch the videodata of another camera, one has to disconnect the present camera in the Wifi-/WLAN-configurations of the smartphone and connect to the new one.

By the activation of the station-mode i hope for being able to watch the videodata of several cameras simultaneously each in a seperate VLC-player-window.

But first things first: 1.) Antenna! ...

 

[SirVival0001]

Hallo Müller!
Vielen Dank für die schnelle Antwort

"SirVival" kommt übrigens von einem deutschen Abenteurer - "Rüdiger Nehberg"! ;-)

> But first things first: 1.) Antenna! ...

Thank you for the Pictures! I think, I will also attach an external antenna.
In my previous car, I had a shark fin antenna with WiFi - this was great. Now I will try somethink else.

I'm looking forward to seeing your results with the external antenna attached to the A139 Pro!

 

[TonyM]

When using the Viofo-app one has to fill in a camera-SSID and a camera-pasword (combo #1, (01.jpg)). Activating Wifi-station-mode then additionally requires an SSID and a WLAN-password (combo #2, (02.jpg)). Question: Has #2 to be the same as #1 (wouldn´t that be nonsense?) or has it to be a seperate SSID and password specifically for station-mode or is this the name and the password of a router one wants to connect to?

This Viofo blog page for using Station Mode on the A139 probably applies to the A139 Pro as well, though I have not tested it on the A139 Pro:

How to Switch A139 Dash Camera to Wi-Fi Station Mode with App - VIOFO Official Website

How to Switch A139 Dash Camera to Wi-Fi Station Mode with App

viofo.com

 

[Müller]

Hello Tony,

i know that instruction. Problem: never being a computer-guy and on top never having used any non-cable device-connections, i´m not familiar with the corresponding terminology around this wireless network stuff. So what do you suggest is meant by `home network Wi-Fi SSID name`? My guess is that this refers to for example an existing Wifi-network someone/a family is running in their house, beginning with a router/mesh-controller, then various relay- and end-devices? This network may have the name `family´s network` and to join this network with a device, in this case an A139 in station-mode, you have to tell the A139 the name of the (this) network it shall connect to and the corresponding password? (But why in God´s name do they use the name `VIOFO-5G-1` then in their example? This (mis-)leads to the assumption that this is the camera´s name (and password) ... oO!?)

If so, then i wouldn´t be able to use the A139 in station mode because at present i do not own a router and thus no network is existing which the A139 could connect to. Which means, the next item to purchase would be a router to create a small one-man network. Right?

The WLAN-functionality of my laptop doesn´t help me much, or? An A139 with activated Wifi is listed in the device-list when activating WLAN on that laptop but, ... without a router this is leading nowhere i guess oO?

 

[Dashcamuser007]

Her Müller, you should talk with Viofo about further development of A139 Pro.

 

[Müller]

Hello Dashcamuser007,

i think there are more competent users on this board regarding this task. I´m more the one who get´s lost in rabbit-holes which would lead to a product which is not sellable (<- an english word oO?) ...

...

 

[TonyM]

So what do you suggest is meant by `home network Wi-Fi SSID name`? My guess is that this refers to for example an existing Wifi-network someone/a family is running in their house, beginning with a router/mesh-controller, then various relay- and end-devices? This network may have the name `family´s network` and to join this network with a device, in this case an A139 in station-mode, you have to tell the A139 the name of the (this) network it shall connect to and the corresponding password?

Yes, I think they mean the SSID of a router in a home network.

But why in God´s name do they use the name `VIOFO-5G-1` then in their example? This (mis-)leads to the assumption that this is the camera´s name (and password) ... oO!?

That is probably the SSID of the WiFi network in Viofo's office, where someone took the screenshot in the example.

 

[Müller]

Hello Tony.

TonyM: That is probably the SSID of the WiFi network in Viofo's office, where someone took the screenshot in the example.

Someone who can think logically! In Germany we have a saying `You cannot see the forrest because of all the trees`. Thank You Tony! Purchasing some router for a test-network makes sense now, i think.

 

[marcusb]

I tried this today. Connected to my 5GHz wifi network. Router identified it as an AMPAK Technology Inc device. I was able to successfully stream the camera to my Android phone with the TinyCam Pro app.

Could be a nice feature if you could turn it on with geofencing or something, but I wouldn't want battery power wasted on searching for my home Wifi when I'm not at home.

 

[Müller]

Hello marcusb,

this is ... great Thank you very much Sir for trying this!

Is the 10min. Wifi-timeout-thing still a thing when the A139 is in station-mode (i hope not?)? While in station-mode, is still possible to connect to the A139 via the app and change settings? If not, how to do that in station-mode or is it nescessary to switch back to, let´s say `app-mode`, to change settings? When in station-mode, does the A139 automatically connect to the base/the router when coming in range like SirVival0001 asked? May i ask which router you are using?

 

[marcusb]

Hello marcusb,

this is ... great Thank you very much Sir for trying this!

Is the 10min. Wifi-timeout-thing still a thing when the A139 is in station-mode (i hope not?)? While in station-mode, is still possible to connect to the A139 via the app and change settings? If not, how to do that in station-mode or is it nescessary to switch back to, let´s say `app-mode`, to change settings? When in station-mode, does the A139 automatically connect to the base/the router when coming in range like SirVival0001 asked? May i ask which router you are using?

I don't think the time out is an issue as long as you are connected. I have not tested what happens if I leave my home yet while in this mode. I also don't know what happens when you return, assuming the wifi station mode stays on while you're away. I really hope they add Geofencing as an option to enable the station mode.

I don't think it's possible to edit settings or stream from the regular app. I was unable to connect while on the same Wifi network. I had to turn off the wifi by holding the wifi button after using station mode, then hold it down again to enable the regular Wifi mode.

I am using an Asus AC1900P with "Merlin" ASUSWRT firmware.

Edit: I tested what happens when leaving my home while connected in wifi station mode. The wifi on the cam turned off after 10 minutes just as it does in regular wifi mode.

 

[Müller]

Hello marcusb,

the Asus-device (or the Asus-brand in general) you have in service seems to be kind of a high-end device. Does the A139 involved streaming-process, when in station-mode, require some special capabilities (data-throughput for example) to establish a stable (multi?)-streaming process so that i have to check possible router candidates for these capabilities? Are there special router-types for media-distribution purposes?

 

[marcusb]

It may have been high end several years ago, but I wouldn't say it is now. However, I have no use for the latest WiFi technologies. I don't think you need anything more than a good 802.11ac router, but I am no expert and there are many variables. I bought the Asus router refurbished from eBay, for less than $50USD.

What is your goal with using this mode? To be honest, I've not found it too useful.

 

[IChugGuinness]

I’ve tried to get Station Mode working with my cam but it doesn’t connect to my wifi for some reason. I wanted to try out this app which should make the mode much more streamlined: https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/guardeye-for-viofo-dash-cams/9PJBB3KLZSJN

Anyone want to test it and report back?

 

[marcusb]

I gave it a shot. I can't get live view to work. Viewing videos is kind of hard to do because the playback is not smooth at all, which is not surprising given that downloads take some time for 4k video:


Might be more suitable for the 2k or 1080p dashcams from Viofo. Also, I have not done anything to optimize my network for the dashcam. I have two routers, but none are exactly close to the garage, so it's possible performance would be better if the router was closer.