How to have a FlashAir Access Point over WiFi while still reach out internet via Cellular Data on an iOS app that uses AFNetworking?

Question

IMPORTANT: I don’t need simultaneous transfers, I mean, I don’t need to transfer over WiFi while still transferring over 4G at the same time, I just want to be connected over Wifi to my Access Point, transfer some files and finally not having to turn off the WiFi for the iPhone to use 4G.

The problem: As long as I’m connected to the Access Point (FlashAir technology), my iPhone doesn’t care to use 4G to reach out for internet, it is like it says: Oh, I have a WiFi connection I’ll direct all HTTP GET Requests over this network, which is bad for me as this Access Point is used to read/write files from/to it.

What I’ve done so far without success is the following two things:

1. Add the nogatewaymode=1 variable to the conf file of my FlashAir device which makes the iOS platform to know that this Access Point is not intended to provide internet, so, when I connect via WiFi to the FlashAir, the iPhone uses 4G to reach internet, which is cool, the problem here is that in this mode I cannot read/write files to the FlashAir device, which makes a useless WiFi connection.


2. Configure the FlashAir device to Internet Pass-Thru mode which allows it to behave as an Access Point and as Router basically, this requieres to add an APPMODE=6 to the conf file and also add a couple of variables to give a secondary or parent network (SSID and Pass). This actually works, but on a WiFi only scenario, I don’t have to switch between WiFi connections to get files from the Access Point and then upload them using internet as in the latter it just uses its secondary network to reach internet. The problem is that if we are away from the secondary network, you get the Access Point functionality but when trying to get internet the iPhone only cares to try to reach the internet over this WiFi connection which is not possible because we are away from the secondary network, and it just reports a No Internet Connection error, it doesn't even try to use 4G which is there ON all the time.

Some additional information is that I’m supporting iOS 8+, I’m using Obj-C for this project and I’m using AFNetworking to perform requests to either internet web services and the FlashAir device as is supports it, it has a built-in web server which listens for HTTP GET requests (cgi) with parameters.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance

Answer 1

My app requires that the Flashair deliver a webpage to the phone using Wifi. That page requires internet (4G) to upload data from the Flashair to my site.

Flashair claimed it wasn't possible, this config works for me. That "NOGATEWAYMODE=1" is critical. And I have to access the Flashair via the browser using 192.168.0.1, you can't use the Netbios/Bonjour name.

[Vendor]

CIPATH=/SD_WLAN/WifiStatus.jpg
APPMODE=4
APPNETWORKKEY=********
VERSION=FA9CAW3AW3.00.01
CID=02544d535731364740d36e0a79010b01
PRODUCT=FlashAir
VENDOR=TOSHIBA
MASTERCODE=A1234567890Z
APPSSID=F751ENG4
APPNAME=F751ENG4
LOCK=1
WEBDAV=2
TIMEZONE=-28
DNSMODE=1
APPAUTOTIME=0
REDIRECT=1
NOGATEWAYMODE=1