TABLE OF CONTENTS



This article is designed to assist you with troubleshooting any Network Connection issues you may be having with your DAKboard OS device.



WiFi 101:


When a DAKboard OS device has loading or connection issues, the most common reason is the WiFi Signal Strength. To understand WiFi better and how it works, especially when it comes to Signal Strength, we have included this section as a brief tutorial before we begin the troubleshooting. We hope this is informative and helpful.



What is WiFi?:


WiFi is a wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed Internet access. A common misconception is that the term WiFi is short for "wireless fidelity"; however, WiFi is a trademarked phrase that refers to IEEE 802.11x standards.


Wi-Fi originated in Hawaii in 1971, where a wireless UHF packet network called ALOHAnet was used to connect the islands. Later protocols developed in 1991 by NCR and AT&T, called WaveLAN, became the precursor to the IEEE 802.11 standards we use today.



How Does it Work?:


Wi-Fi works by transmitting data using radio waves between a wireless router and your devices, like phones or laptops, allowing them to connect to the internet through a signal that is picked up by the device's internal antenna; essentially, the router sends out a radio signal carrying data, which is then received and decoded by your device to access the internet. 



Why is Signal Strength Important?:


The Signal Strength determines if your Device can even see your network. Unlike Network Speed, it is not about how fast the Data is being transferred; it's about finding a network you can connect to and then using its speed to transfer data. If the Signal Strength to the device you are trying to connect is low, it will cause loading and connection issues. The only way to fix this would be to improve the signal strength.


Signal Strength can be affected by several factors, including but not limited to the number of devices connected to a single network, the number of WiFi signals in an area, construction of the walls in your home, the number of devices polling your network, and so on. Any stray radio signal in the WiFi band can cause your network to lose its signal strength.



How do I Measure Signal Strength?


You can measure WiFi signal strength using a device's WiFi symbol, an app, or a physical signal strength meter. With the DAKboard OS, we include the ability to see the last reported Signal Strength your device recorded when it last connected. You can see this by opening your Displays & Devices tab, clicking on the three dots to the right of your Display, clicking the Settings button, and then mouse over the WiFi signal symbol to see its strength. See below:



WiFi signal strength is measured in decibel milliwatts (dBm). The measurements are displayed as negative numbers on a scale from 0 dBm to -90 dBm. The good range is between 0 and -67 dBm, with values closer to 0 being the stronger Signal Strength. With DAKboard OS devices, Signal Strengths lower than -50 dBm may have loading or connection issues, and anything lower than -60 dBm will have the issues. Knowing your Signal Strength where you have your device connected will help you when determining the cause of the failure to load or connect.


The rest of this article will help you with connecting to your Display and troubleshooting the most common reason for these issues.




DAKboard Hotspot:


Both screens displayed indicate that the device is disconnected

NOTE: The DAKboard Hotspot and the URL http://10.0.0.5 will only be available when the DAKboard is not connected to the internet or your account. If the DAKboard is connected to your account, access the settings page from the Displays & Devices page. See our article How to Access Your DAKboard OS Settings Page under the Manual Access section to see how to do this.


When you first set up your DAKboard OS device, when the DAKboard reports it is offline or has no Internet connection, or when it cannot join the network, the DAKboard will create a local Hotspot. You can use this Hotspot to make changes to your home's WiFi credentials. The network's name and Password are below:


Name/SSID: DAKboard-<Your Serial Number> (or on versions newer than 3.0, it will be just DAKboard)
Password: dakb5142


Connect to it using the Name/SSID and Password as above with any WiFi-enabled device (Like a Smartphone, Tablet, or Laptop), and once connected, open a browser on the connected device, type http://10.0.0.5 into the URL bar to access the settings page to update the wireless network configuration. See our article How to Access Your DAKboard OS Settings Page for more details and options.

NOTE:  Your Computer/Tablet/Phone may indicate that this connection has no internet. This is normal, and make sure to stay on the DAKboard Hotspot until the configuration is completed.



Basic Troubleshooting:


Typically, issues with WiFi connectivity indicate a local networking issue between the DAKboard OS device and your WiFi router. Please see the most common steps to resolve this:


  • No Internet Connection: If your Display rebooted and you are now seeing this message, it could indicate a weak WiFi signal where you have your Display. Your device may have been working for years in this location, but over time, other WiFi devices in your house may be robbing the signal strength. Try rebooting the Display by unplugging it and plugging it back in or moving it closer to your router.
  • Network/SSID: For OS Version 3.20 and below, ensure that your network is not hidden. Post version 3.21 (RPi) and 103.24 (OPi), you can now use Hidden Network/SSID as well. On these versions, if you Copy & Paste or use Autofill to add your Network Name/SSID, check for hidden spaces at the end of the Network Name/SSID.
  • WiFi Password: Double-check that your WiFi password is correctly configured on the DAKboard OS device. If you Copy & Paste or use Autofill to add your password, check for hidden spaces at the end of the Password.
  • Reboots: 
    1. Reboot your WiFi router. This will clear the network list and make it easier for the DAKboard to connect.
    2. Reboot your DAKboard OS device AFTER the WiFi router has FULLY rebooted (the internet activity light is blinking if present).
  • Move the Device: Temporarily move the DAKboard OS device as close to the WiFi router as possible and reboot. Allow several hours to test if the issue persists, but typically, you should see the device immediately connect. As of version 3.21 (RPi) and 103.24 (OPi) of our OS and above, we now have improved handling and will work with most Mesh and WiFi network extenders. If you are on one of these versions or later, you can move a Mesh node or Extender closer to the DAKboard to get the same effect. 
  • Unable to join the network: If your connecting device (your Smartphone, tablet, or Laptop) displays "Unable to join the network" like below, please reboot your device and the DAKboard OS device, and this should resolve automatically.
  • What's Next? Proceed to Advanced Troubleshooting if you are still unable to connect.



Advanced Troubleshooting:


If you are continuing to have difficulty joining your network or staying connected, some of the advanced steps below may help:


  • 2.4GHz WiFi Network: We recommend using a 2.4GHz WiFi network. 2.4GHz networks have a longer range than 5GHz signals, and DAKboard OS does not need much in terms of bandwidth or speed, so 5GHz is not needed.
  • Guest Network: We do not recommend connecting to "Guest" networks, as this can cause problems during the initial setup and remote access later. If you have to use these networks, to get around the issues with remote access later, connect your WiFi-enabled device to that same network to be able to access the DAKboard Display.
  • Disable Band Steering: Some newer routers use a technology called Band Steering, which will often put DAKboard hardware on the 5GHz band and result in connection loss.  For this reason, we recommend disabling Band Steering when possible.  Some routers cannot disable band steering, such as Netgear Orbi routers, and need the 5GHz network shut down or the device plugged in via ethernet in some cases to connect. This does not mean that these routers do not work with DAKboard; it just means that additional steps may be needed when using them. 
  • Disable Mesh Roaming: Certain Mesh routing solutions will have roaming settings called 'Mesh Roaming' or similar, which will move devices from one access point to another, resulting in a loss of connection. This may result in the DAKboard OS device losing network connection over time. Since DAKboard typically remains stationary, this should be disabled. Version 3.21 (RPi) and 103.24 (OPi) of our OS and above now have improved handling and will work with most Mesh networks. 
  • Firewall Settings For Version 3.55 and Below:
    1. Ping 8.8.8.8 - DAKboard hardware and DAKboard OS need to be allowed to use the Ping protocol to 8.8.8.8 to verify it has a connection to the internet.
    2. Port 443 - Ensure the device is allowed to reach the dakboard.com domain via 443.
    3. MAC Address Filtering - If this is configured on your WiFi router, we recommend verifying that the DAKboard hardware or DAKboard OS is not being blocked.

NOTE: As of version 4.02 of the DAKboard OS, a ping is no longer required to connect to the internet. If you wish to disable ping and still use a DAKboard on your Raspberry Pi device, we recommend upgrading to this version or higher. See our article Raspberry Pi - Download and Install the DAKboard OS to see how to do this.

  • No Networks in the Dropdown List: Older versions of DAKboard OS (v2.25 and older) may not always display available networks in the dropdown list.  You will need to refresh the page to correct this issue. To identify which release your device has, please see here.
  • Upgrade your Device to the Latest OS: Most issues above can be corrected simply by upgrading to the latest version of the OS. You can do this for free by following the steps in our articles Raspberry Pi - Download and Install the DAKboard OS and Orange Pi - Download and Install DAKboard OS