Ad-Hoc / Direct Connection to Laptop or Computer

[Stitch10925]

Hey everyone,

Been a while since I posted here, but I found something that might be interesting for some of you
(for example the Eye-Fi Home users).

This software is for Windows 7, but allows you to set up your laptop as access point, this should allow
you to transfer images without the use of a router. The free software is called "connectify" and
can be found here:

http://www.connectify.me

Please note: This software works only with certain WLAN cards, a list can be found here:

http://www.connectify.me/docs/supportedcards.html#

Information on how to use this software can be found here:

http://www.connectify.me/docs/index.html

If I recall correctly someone here had a post that promised a free eye-Fi card to someone who could
find a solution for the adhoc problem (this was before the pro cards came out that supported the
adhoc feature), I hope that he keeps that promise if this works

Greets,

stitch10925

[webvan]

Is the PRO card the only one that still supports Ad-Hoc networks ?

I recently got a Sony A500 DSLR and was looking at getting an Eye-Fi card to upload cards directly from the field with my iPhone 3GS. I have it "jailbroken" and running a nifty software called MyWy that turns it into an Ad-Hoc access point.

Does the eye-fi card just need an internet connection to "do its stuff" and upload pictures to Picasa or Twitter or does something need to happen on a host PC ? I take it the pics get uploaded at full resolution ?

[hyachts]

Is the PRO card the only one that still supports Ad-Hoc networks ?

I recently got a Sony A500 DSLR and was looking at getting an Eye-Fi card to upload cards directly from the field with my iPhone 3GS. I have it "jailbroken" and running a nifty software called MyWy that turns it into an Ad-Hoc access point.

Does the eye-fi card just need an internet connection to "do its stuff" and upload pictures to Picasa or Twitter or does something need to happen on a host PC ? I take it the pics get uploaded at full resolution ?

Yes, only the Pro versions (the Pro and upcoming Pro X2) support adhoc conenctions, so you'd need one to do what you describe. The card will just use the phone's data connection to upload straight to the web (assuming you've got either a web destination configured or relayed upload enabled). No computer required...

[webvan]

Thanks, I'll look into the PRO then and you have me intrigued with the Pro x2 I'm not sure what "relayed upload" stands for exactly ?

[hyachts]

Thanks, I'll look into the PRO then and you have me intrigued with the Pro x2 I'm not sure what "relayed upload" stands for exactly ?

It's a feature that lets people who only want to transfer to their computer still transfer photos from networks that their home computer isn't on. It basically allows the card to use the internet and the Eye-Fi servers as an intermediary to get to the home computer.

[webvan]

Thanks, sounds like a neat feature.

That's beyond the scope of this topic, but after looking at the FAQs on the Eye-Fi site I realized that you couldn't deactivate uploads manually. So if you're within range of your WiFi network or a hotspot your photos would get uploaded "live", which could be a problem if they're going a sharing site. A "switch" on the card would be nice, methinks.

[hyachts]

Thanks, sounds like a neat feature.

That's beyond the scope of this topic, but after looking at the FAQs on the Eye-Fi site I realized that you couldn't deactivate uploads manually. So if you're within range of your WiFi network or a hotspot your photos would get uploaded "live", which could be a problem if they're going a sharing site. A "switch" on the card would be nice, methinks.

You can do what you want by enabling "selective upload". With this feature enabled, only photos that you "protect" with the camera will be transferred.

[webvan]

Thanks, that's clever! Too bad my new Sony Alpha 500 doesn't appear to be supported It's not listed specifically but since the other Alpha's are not compatible...

Another neat feature would be allowing the transfer of a picture to an iPhone where it could be resized from xxMP to 1MP to save on bandwith.

[sst45jeff]

Is the PRO card the only one that still supports Ad-Hoc networks ?

I recently got a Sony A500 DSLR and was looking at getting an Eye-Fi card to upload cards directly from the field with my iPhone 3GS. I have it "jailbroken" and running a nifty software called MyWy that turns it into an Ad-Hoc access point.

Does the eye-fi card just need an internet connection to "do its stuff" and upload pictures to Picasa or Twitter or does something need to happen on a host PC ? I take it the pics get uploaded at full resolution ?

Yes, only the Pro versions (the Pro and upcoming Pro X2) support adhoc conenctions, so you'd need one to do what you describe. The card will just use the phone's data connection to upload straight to the web (assuming you've got either a web destination configured or relayed upload enabled). No computer required...

I am trying to set up a connection from my eye fi to the phones wireless tether and it keeps timing out trying get a network address?
I am using a 4gb pro card.
Can someone tell me how they got this to work.
"The card will just use the phone's data connection to upload straight to the web."

[hyachts]

What kind of phone, what wireless tethering program? Some details would help...

Have you used the instructions here:
http://support.eye.fi/how-to-set-up-an- ... ctions.pdf

[sst45jeff]

What kind of phone, what wireless tethering program? Some details would help...

Have you used the instructions here:
http://support.eye.fi/how-to-set-up-an- ... ctions.pdf

Motorola droid - rooted
Barnacle wifi app

that guide doesn't work since it is a mobile phone.

[hyachts]

What kind of phone, what wireless tethering program? Some details would help...

Have you used the instructions here:
http://support.eye.fi/how-to-set-up-an- ... ctions.pdf

Motorola droid - rooted
Barnacle wifi app

that guide doesn't work since it is a mobile phone.

Well, the basic principle is the same, and the process is identical from the standpoint of configuring the card. You need to establish an ad-hoc network on the phone, which is what Barnacle appears to do. If it's timing out waiting for a network address, perhaps you need to configure DHCP on the phone? After looking at the Barnacle info for a few minutes it does not appear that that level of config is available... I thought the card would fall back to a default IP eventually if it didn't get assigned an address by a DHCP server. Maybe that has changed. Are you using security on the connection?

[sst45jeff]

What kind of phone, what wireless tethering program? Some details would help...

Have you used the instructions here:
http://support.eye.fi/how-to-set-up-an- ... ctions.pdf

Motorola droid - rooted
Barnacle wifi app

that guide doesn't work since it is a mobile phone.

Well, the basic principle is the same, and the process is identical from the standpoint of configuring the card. You need to establish an ad-hoc network on the phone, which is what Barnacle appears to do. If it's timing out waiting for a network address, perhaps you need to configure DHCP on the phone? After looking at the Barnacle info for a few minutes it does not appear that that level of config is available... I thought the card would fall back to a default IP eventually if it didn't get assigned an address by a DHCP server. Maybe that has changed. Are you using security on the connection?

I have tried it both ways with & without security.
I also tried extending the time it takes before it DHCP times out but it didn't seem to help.

[MikeV]

Most DHCP clients, if they do not receive an IP address, will automatically (and randomly) assign a "link local" address... 169.254.x.x. As long as all hosts on a network are using this same address scheme, they should all be able to communicate with each other, but internet access wouldn't be possible since a default gateway isn't set.

If the phone is acting as a router, but just doesn't act as a DHCP server, then you may be out of luck, since the Eye-Fi card does not have a way to specify IP address, default gateway, DNS, and other TCP/IP information.

[hyachts]

What MikeV says is absolutely correct. I'm surprised that the card isn't falling back to a local link address (it always did that with my XP PC whan I didn't have DHCP configured on the PC side) but even if it did that it would fail to connect to the internet because it wouldn't have the gateway info.

When you say you extended the DHCP timeout info, where was that? In the phone's network settings somewhere? That sounds like the setting for the phone to wait to be assigned an IP by a DHCP server, not an option to control how the phone serves IP addresses. Unless Barnacle configures a DHCP server, you're out of luck...

[sst45jeff]

What MikeV says is absolutely correct. I'm surprised that the card isn't falling back to a local link address (it always did that with my XP PC whan I didn't have DHCP configured on the PC side) but even if it did that it would fail to connect to the internet because it wouldn't have the gateway info.

When you say you extended the DHCP timeout info, where was that? In the phone's network settings somewhere? That sounds like the setting for the phone to wait to be assigned an IP by a DHCP server, not an option to control how the phone serves IP addresses. Unless Barnacle configures a DHCP server, you're out of luck...

The DHCP timeout info is in the settings for barnacle.
In the settings to barnacle it has the following options. Which since I am not that familiar with networks I am not sure which need to be adjusted and how.

Wireless Lan category has these options under it:
Gateway - you can specify what gateway. currently it is 192.168.5.1
Netmask - you can specify. currently it is 255.255.255.0
SSID - name you specify for network
BSSID- this one lets you put in a unique mac address
Wireless security - WEP key
Channel- changeable currently on 1-2412 MHz

Interfaces category has these options under it:
WAN - ppp0
LAN - tiwlan

Advanced category has these options under it:
DHCP - LAN host configuration with the following options for it:
First host
Number of host
Lease time (seconds)
DNS 1(optional) can be configured.
DNS 2 (optional ) can be configured.

NAT - Network address Translation has the following options for it:
First port - changeable
Number of ports - currently 300
Queue length- currently 100 and Changeable.
Timeout (seconds) currently 30 -Changeable
Timeout TCP ( seconds) currently 90 - Changeable

Any of this make sense and usable to get things configured right.

[berend]

Most DHCP clients, if they do not receive an IP address, will automatically (and randomly) assign a "link local" address... 169.254.x.x. As long as all hosts on a network are using this same address scheme, they should all be able to communicate with each other, but internet access wouldn't be possible since a default gateway isn't set.

Eye-Fi Cards with ad hoc capability resort to link local addressing when connected to an ad hoc network and a DHCP server is detected to not be available (after a 10-second timeout beyond wireless association).

Berend

[sst45jeff]

Most DHCP clients, if they do not receive an IP address, will automatically (and randomly) assign a "link local" address... 169.254.x.x. As long as all hosts on a network are using this same address scheme, they should all be able to communicate with each other, but internet access wouldn't be possible since a default gateway isn't set.

Eye-Fi Cards with ad hoc capability resort to link local addressing when connected to an ad hoc network and a DHCP server is detected to not be available (after a 10-second timeout beyond wireless association).

Berend

Then it should hook up but it doesnt.
It sees the network But will not get a network address !!!!!!!

[hyachts]

Most DHCP clients, if they do not receive an IP address, will automatically (and randomly) assign a "link local" address... 169.254.x.x. As long as all hosts on a network are using this same address scheme, they should all be able to communicate with each other, but internet access wouldn't be possible since a default gateway isn't set.

Eye-Fi Cards with ad hoc capability resort to link local addressing when connected to an ad hoc network and a DHCP server is detected to not be available (after a 10-second timeout beyond wireless association).

Berend

Then it should hook up but it doesnt.
It sees the network But will not get a network address !!!!!!!

I don't understand why it's not defaulting to local link, but even if it did it wouldn't be able to upload to the web, I don't believe. I'm pretty sure to get through to the phone's WAN connection it has to have an assigned address on the same subnet as the gateway, etc...

[MikeV]

Yes, it sounds like there's something about the app that you're using to turn your phone into a router that isn't working right. It's not providing the Eye-Fi card an IP address and other information that the card would need to connect to the internet.

Can you take a laptop or other WiFi device, connect to your phone's network, and get to the internet?

[jboyde]

I've done everything that was explained here but a new problem popped up. I can log on to the ad hoc network and it does shift from "waiting for users" to "connected" after I take a shot. But the network staus hangs on "identifying" and no picture and transferred. Its kind of weird that it knows to connect when I press the shutter but seems to be looking for the network at the same time. What is it identifying? Is there a proceedure Im missing?

Oh, and Im using Windows 7

[hyachts]

I've done everything that was explained here but a new problem popped up. I can log on to the ad hoc network and it does shift from "waiting for users" to "connected" after I take a shot. But the network staus hangs on "identifying" and no picture and transferred. Its kind of weird that it knows to connect when I press the shutter but seems to be looking for the network at the same time. What is it identifying? Is there a proceedure Im missing?

Oh, and Im using Windows 7

Sounds like it's having a hard time getting an IP address. The card starts looking for a connection when it has a picture to transfer, which is why you see the network status change, but if it can't get on the network for some reason (DHCP fails, wrong password, etc.) it will not identify on the network. (Or at least not until after a timeout, where DHCP is concerned). First thing I'd try is to remove and re-add the network on your card. If you can't get that to succeed, see if you can disable any firewalls or AV you have running and try again.

[jboyde]

I've done everything that was explained here but a new problem popped up. I can log on to the ad hoc network and it does shift from "waiting for users" to "connected" after I take a shot. But the network staus hangs on "identifying" and no picture and transferred. Its kind of weird that it knows to connect when I press the shutter but seems to be looking for the network at the same time. What is it identifying? Is there a proceedure Im missing?

Oh, and Im using Windows 7

Sounds like it's having a hard time getting an IP address. The card starts looking for a connection when it has a picture to transfer, which is why you see the network status change, but if it can't get on the network for some reason (DHCP fails, wrong password, etc.) it will not identify on the network. (Or at least not until after a timeout, where DHCP is concerned). First thing I'd try is to remove and re-add the network on your card. If you can't get that to succeed, see if you can disable any firewalls or AV you have running and try again.

I have the USB wireless adapter on its own IP so it wouldn't timeout. Its pretty much only for the Eye-fi since its a wireless-N and my laptop only does G. But would a firewall be an issue on an ad-hoc connection? This is the first time I ever used one.

[elsielefe]

Thank you for sharing such wonderful information posted here. It is really helpful.

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[ClarkG]

I have been reading this and being somewhat computer literate, I have followed about half of it. The guy at Best Buy said the Eye-fi will go directly to my computer. Reading this, that is not the case. I Use my camera at a booth at trade shows in various locations, many of which do not have wi fi. I take pictures of attendees & families, print it with information about our museum. I have worn out the SD reader on my camera swapping SD cards ($200 to fix). I had hoped this would solve my problem.

Unfortunately, the Eye-Fi I have is not the "pro". However, I do have an old router. If I connect the router to my net book, can I get Eye-Fi to go to my computer (Win XP) via the router. It talks to the router, so does my computer.

Thanks,
Clark Gregory,
Columbia, SC

[MikeV]

If you plug your laptop/netbook into the router (try not to use it wireless, as that will cut the speed between the Eye-Fi card and the computer in half), set up the network on your Eye-Fi card, and your laptop is set as the computer to receive pictures, then the Eye-Fi card will talk to the computer through the router and your pictures will transfer without an internet connection.

Geotagging won't occur if you got a card with that capability though, as it needs an internet connection to resolve the WiFi MAC addresses into lat/lon data.

[ClarkG]

After a lot of playing around, I think I did get it to work.

I had originally installed it on my big machine to test the concept. Once it worked, I got the old router and re-installed eye-fi on my netbook with the old router. Using it at trade shows, I will have power, but not wi-fi.

There are several problems in the eye-fi center software that made this more difficult than it should have been such as:
The eye-fi card wanted to use my real internet connection instead of the old one for eye-fi, so I finally removed it on the card.
The eye-fi center will not connect unless the real connection (not my old router) is up before starting it, but if the old router is plugged in it tries to use that instead. So I had to shut down (exit) eye-fi unplug the old router, turn on the regular wireless, then restart eye-fi center (from <Start>).
It also sometimes had trouble finding the card in the USB port.
Sometimes, I would click on eye-fi center in the icon tray, it would pop-up, then a msg from the icon would say "Click here to start eye-fi center" (after it was up).
Etc.
However, after working through this, I finally got it to work with my internal wi-fi turned off, so I am sure it is really going from the camera to the net book without internet connection.

I think there is a way to use the internal wi-fi as an access point, but for now, I continue to use the old router

Thanks for the reply,
Clark

[ClarkG]

P.S. I also want to give credit to and thank modemmike for his posting under "Using a notebook (adhoc sort-of).
Thanks,Clark

[gibbopool2003]

http://www.connectify.me/about.html

[bollingar]

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