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I am using a WIU. Did not know about other thing.

Z 4000 into older TIU with correct cable. WIU light shows TIU connection. How does transformer and TIU effect my lack of Wi Fi issue? Would not just switch set to MTH and power cord plugged in light up Wi Fi

App is not reading WiFi per pop up

Switch is on MTH and reset has been pressed.

Last edited by F&G RY

Sadly this is a known issue due to how the system is built. Both the WIU and the DCS WIFI explorer use similar off the shelf radio modules based on the RT5350F chipset. Researching that specific module, understand that what you know as the WIU or Explorer is software code running on top of an underlying OS and framework. So what appears to happen is during a boot cycle, if power is interrupted at the wrong point in time, a table of data is corrupted and the WIFI portion of the module defaults to OFF. Since these do not have Ethernet or the serial data terminal interface, the typical user has no way of going into this module at the low level console level and enabling the wifi. Since you cannot connect to it, you have no way of "fixing" it without some serious hacking in most cases.

The DCS explorer unit does have a USB interface. That interface will accept certain USB to Ethernet adapters. If you get it to come up and see that interface, and then plug that into your home internet router cabled, you may then be able to get to the LUCI interface.

I personally have at least 2 of these modules in this state where they do not at the moment transmit wifi. I know for a fact it is not a true hardware failure, however, I need a test platform with all IO exposed of the motherboard module, and then be able to connect to the low level interfaces and resolve the settings issue.

Another fact- the motherboard in the WIU and DCS obviously is different, but the sockets to the module are compatible. You can load in the LUCI interface either the WIU or DCS explorer firmware, and then the module is that type of module- but again catch22. You cannot make a DCS explorer motherboard USB port be the USB host port (important difference) for the connection to a TIU. Again, the problem is, the tiny radio module has a bunch of different IO. The firmware/software loaded is hardwired (configured might be more correct) to use certain ports. The motherboards and USB ports don't connect to the same ports of the module.

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Sorry, many replies while I was typing the long answer.

Given this is a WIU and it has a hardware Ethernet port, suggest you plug into your router via an Ethernet cable, and see using a computer on the same network if you can hit the LUCI interface, his would allow you to reflash the firmware.

Note, if doing this, the DHCP of your home router would land the WIU on a different IP address scheme, and thus the LUCI interface may not be at the IP address listed in the manual.

The Full WIU manual

https://mthtrains.com/sites/de...ction/50as13515i.pdf

Again, here is what I know. I have seen this exact problem where you get no wireless LED indicator and searching for the expected WIFI network SSID is not found. This is because at a low level, the tiny off the shelf module lost or corrupted the configuration and wireless defaults to off. The WIU has a hardware interface for Ethernet, and this could allow you to use it wired or possibly get into the LUCI interface and potentially correct the configuration.

Instead messing with the Ethernet port and all that other stuff, just factory reset the WIU with a paper clip via the reset button on top. Reset the WIU by giving it power and then using a paper clip to hold in the Reset button (in its hole) for a 10 count and then removing the paper clip. Simple fix.

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Last edited by H1000
@H1000 posted:

Instead messing with the Ethernet port and all that other stuff, just factory reset the WIU with a paper clip via the reset button on top. Reset the WIU by giving it power and then using a paper clip to hold in the Reset button (in its hole) for a 10 count and then removing the paper clip. Simple fix.

Don't see how that updated the firmware which may be the issue here.

Don't see how that updated the firmware which may be the issue here.

It doesn't but one problem at a time. Verison 1.0 of the WIU firmware had it's issues but spontaneously turning off the WiFi wasn't one of them.

FYI Jim there is any easy way to tell if you have the updated firmware without logging into the LuCi web GUI. Go to the login page and look to find the firmware version below the login fields:

WIU Firmware check

This WIU has the update version 1.1 firmware already installed.

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Last edited by H1000

I forgot the obvious, is the TIU at the current 6.1 version?

The TIU light on the WIU will blink if it's on any older version than 5 but he definitely wants to make sure 6.1 is installed. Version 5 has limited abilities with the WIU and 6.0 has bugs.

Anyways, the WIU doesn't need the TIU for the wifi to work properly. I've booted up plenty of WIUs without a TIU connection and the wifi works just fine.

Last edited by H1000
@F&G RY posted:

running 6.1 TIU

1.0 for WIU big sticker on back

A lot of the WIUs have that sticker, doesn't mean it hasn't been previously upgraded by a dealer. Best to double check. Like I said earlier, the the WiFi on version 1.0 worked good. The version 1.1 upgraded addressed problems with TIU interface & DCS App, it had nothing to do with the WiFi functionality on WIU.

Last edited by H1000

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