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I did a lot of brain-storming about this, and couldn't reach a solution.

I am posting this as i can get some ideas.

I have developed a WiFi-IoT based device with sensor, which shows up in AP mode. A mobile phone connects to this AP and then the device starts sending sensor data to the mobile phone. A mobile application plots and displays this data.

Now, i want to send this data from mobile to internet. Connecting my mobile to another AP with internet is not an option, as i don't want to break the continuous data transmission.

Using internet of data provider is one option, but that brings constraint of have mobile data.

What other options do i have to send my data from mobile to internet ??

Edit:-

I worked on the suggestions, and came to this point:-

1) WiFi-IoT device (in station mode) and mobile phone connect to same Internet-enabled WiFi access point. WiFi-IoT device has the IP address of the mobile phone for current network, and sends data to a TCP port (eg. 9801) of this IP address. The application in mobile phone reads the data from the port no. 9801 and stores it and hosts it on the internet.

This works fine.

2)WiFi-IoT device comes up in Access Point mode, and the mobile phone connects to this Access Point. Now there is one-to-one connection between WiFi-IoT device and mobile phone.

My question is, in the second scenario, without breaking this one-to-one connection, is there way to host data to internet:-

1) without using mobile internet provided by mobile data service provider ?

2) without using a second mobile phone ?

I may be wrong, but i am just asking this to make be sure whether my requirement can be achieved or not !!

Sandrocottus
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1 Answers1

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I don't think you can connect to two APs at the same time.

Maybe use Bluetooth as device to phone link?

Or have the device connect directly to internet after some config done in AP mode and then send a copy of the data to your phone app (either via WAN or locally to the private IP your phone gets from the Internet gateway AP)?

--Edit-- Let me explain about the second one:

What I mean is basically have your IoT device directly connect to Internet and send data to a server (your phone has also to be connected to Internet). Then make the server send a data copy back to your phone. It's two step process: 1) while the IoT device is in AP mode, use your phone to login and configure which Internet-connected AP it should be connected to. This serves as UI for your IoT device. 2) start sending data.

Or a bit ugly, just let the IoT device talk to your phone in the same WiFi network via private IP.

I brought up this way because you mentioned anyway your device has to send data to Internet(I assume it's a server) and have phone talk to a known location server is more portable and scalable once you have more than one IoT device.

--Further Edit-- I don't think there is a way to do what you described. At least from my experience:

1) on the link layer, the wireless NIC has to be able to connect to two APs at the same time. This is not a feature currently available. 2) on the network layer, there has to be two IP address attached to the same NIC, which I don't think is available in current OS for wireless NICs. Though there is a way to do this for Ethernet card, I.e. via Aliasing.

Wei Shen
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