Flashair help requested can't connect

[SusanWink]

Hello,   I am not an expert, but reasonably computer savvy, but this one seems to be beyond me.   I have read innumerable posts and can't seem to make any progress getting my Flashair card correctly configured.   I've tried to go back to "like new" on the card, but the links to the Toshiba tools lead to SSD drives only and I tried doing a search on the site, but I'm not sure enough to try what I found there.

I followed examples I found on this board, but FlashPap cannot find the card when it's in my computer which is well within reach of the router.

This is my second try ... got the card when I first went on CPAP before they were discontinued. Thought I'd try again with a better computer and router, but no luck so far.

I'm surrendering to the experts here :-). 

Any help will be greatly appreciated!



Below is everything I can think of to tell you beforehand. (I deleted anything I thought could potentially be used to identify the machine, which was probably overkill, but just in case ...   Feel free to yell at me if I left anything showing that I shouldn't have)

Device name    DESKTOP-xxxxx
Processor    11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 @ 2.80GHz   2.80 GHz
Installed RAM    16.0 GB (15.7 GB usable)
Device ID    xxxx
Product ID    xxxx
System type    64-bit operating system, x64-based processor
Pen and touch    Pen and touch support with 10 touch points



Edition    Windows 10 Home
Version    20H2
Installed on    ‎1/‎7/‎2021
OS build    19042.1165
Experience    Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.3530.0

FlashAir W04 16gb


Current Flashair config:


[WLANSD]

 

DHCP_Enabled=NO

IP_Address=192.168.1.150

Subnet_Mask=255.255.255.0

null

null

null

null

null

null

null

null

null

null

 

[Vendor]

 

 
 
 
 
COMMAND=fat cp /SD_WLAN/BCONFIG 1:/BCONFIG

MASTERCODE=00223f032dca

PRODUCT=FlashAir

VENDOR=TOSHIBA

STA_RETRY_CT=0

APPMODE=5

APPSSID=Maltese

APPNETWORKKEY=om5154ajac95

APPNAME=FlashAir

LOCK=1

DNSMODE=1

APPAUTOTIME=0

MASTERCODE=00223f032dca

UPLOAD=1

NOISE_CANCEL=2

[Crimson Nape]

OK, let's see what we can do.  I promise not to yell.  It hurts my fingers when I try to type loud.  I'm going to ask some stupid questions because they have happened before.

First, You are sure that you're on a 192.168.1 network.  Check your PC's IP to make sure.   If all is good up to this point, check to make sure no other device is using the 192.168.1.150 address?  To test this, first issue a "ping 192.168.1.150" from a command prompt (cmd.exe).   Make sure it comes back as "Unreachable".

Please verify that your Wireless access is using a 2.4 GHz signal (FlashAir's will not work with 5 GHz) with an SSID of: Maltese and a password of, "om5154ajac95".  If your wireless access point (router) offers a setting for a 20 MHz channel spread, or a 20/40 MHz Coexistence, select it.

Your Current Flashair config: (Looks good, but needs some cleanup)
[WLANSD]
DHCP_Enabled=NO
IP_Address=192.168.1.150
Subnet_Mask=255.255.255.0
*** delete all the nulls  ***
[Vendor]
COMMAND=fat cp /SD_WLAN/BCONFIG 1:/BCONFIG
MASTERCODE=00223f032dca
PRODUCT=FlashAir
VENDOR=TOSHIBA
STA_RETRY_CT=0
APPMODE=5
APPSSID=Maltese
APPNETWORKKEY=om5154ajac95
APPNAME=FlashAir
LOCK=1
DNSMODE=1
APPAUTOTIME=0
MASTERCODE=00223f032dca
UPLOAD=1
NOISE_CANCEL=2

Make sure the above contents are in a file named exactly, "CONFIG" (uppercase only & no file extension)
After you have saved the config file with a good IP, eject the card from your PC by only using either use the "Safely  Remove Hardware and Eject Media" (located in the SysTray - Lower right of monitor where the clock is) or while in Windows Explorer, right-click on the drive letter assigned to the FlashAir and select, "Eject".   The reason for this ejection method is that Windows will only write data to a device when there is enough data in the buffer to warrant this operation.  By using one of these eject methods, causes Windows to issue a write command regardless of buffer size to the device and then disconnect from it.

Remove the FlashAir from your PC and then re-insert it.  Give it a few moments to establish a connection, then in a web browser, enter the FlashAir's IP.  It should come up with a web page if it connects.

We will worry about the CPAP stuff after you get the FlashAir talking to your network.


For now, go play and advise me of your results.
- Red

[SusanWink]

Oh dear God :-(   Time to change the password... Likely long overdue

It was actually 192.168.0 (not 192.168.1) so I changed CONFIG.    No other devices are using 192.168.0.150

Ping came back with unreachable

Yes, I'm using 2.4 ghz.   It's dual band.  Should I change CONFIG to force it to 2.4ghz?    As far as I can tell I cannot use a 20 ghz spread.   My choices are auto, 20, or 40.  

CONFIG changes made ... figured the NULLs were unnecessary ...

Ejected, reinserted, waited, tried to connect to 192.168.0.150 and got connection timed out :-(

Many thanks for your patience and for not yelling at the STUPIDEST mistake.

[Crimson Nape]

First, don't worry about FlashPAP.  We first need to get your FlashAir connected to the network and nothing else matters.  There will be time to address that later.  Also, I wouldn't worry about your password, it's not like we are all going to rush over to your house and wardrive off your network.

The FlashAir will only announce itself to the network at bootup.  If you changed the IP you will need to remount the card to reboot it. Also, if you edited the CONFIG file, it will replace your password with asterisks (*).  Each time you are editing this file, you will need to replace the asterisks with the password, or else you will literally be supplying "*******" as your password.  From experience, I can guarantee you it will never connect. Another thought; you are saving the CONFIG file in the SD_WLAN subdirectory on the card?

Besides ping, you can try this, type the command "arp -a" in the command prompt.  It should show all devices connected to your network.

Go Get'em!

[SusanWink]

Actually it is not replacing the password with asterisks, and yes, I am ejecting it properly.  I had ejected then reinserted when I changed the IP.    When I did arp-a, the card did not show up on the list of devices.   If I see anybody lurking in the alley, I'll know who's getting into my network :-)

UGH.

Thank you for helping!

[GuyScharf]

If the password is not being changed to asterisks, I think it is likely that the FlashAir software on the card has been damaged. What version card do you have? Hopefully W-03 or W-04?

Never mind, I see you have a W-04 card.  That's good.

Is your CONFIG file in the SD-WLAN directory?  Have you reformatted or repartitioned the card, or done anything else trying to return an "as new" condition?

[Crimson Nape]

Like Guy said, if the password is not changing is NOT a good sign. Besides the W-0 number, what size card is it?

[GuyScharf]

She said it was 16GB in first post, so no problem with card size.

[SusanWink]

Yes to the SD-WLAN folder

No to partitioning or formatting.   All I've tried is changing CONFIG--both three years ago and now.   Never could find anything that I trusted to format it.

[Crimson Nape]

Now I see the 16Gb W-04 designator. Here is the link for a zipped file containing the 2 FlashAir Utilities for the W-04 card.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yfhntkc02fcaas...4.zip?dl=0