[ludu]

Hello,
I’m using two BOOX tablets, but I’m often losing connection between them. First I used Bluetooth, then I read somewhere in this forum that WiFi was more stable. Do you have any advice on how to set up my WiFi connection? For example, is it better to use the modem or my smartphone to establish the link? Should I set a different IP number for each connection? Does this number change when the modem or smartphone restarts? My first attempts are not very conclusive… Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Zubersoft]

WiFi is generally more stable but this does depend on the stability of the network you connect to. As far as your question, you would want to connect everything to the same network, so if everything is connected to your modem (which is acting as the router), then that should work just fine. You can use a phone as a WiFi hotspot if you encounter problems with the modem though. A different IP address should always be assigned by your router using DHCP, so that's generally not something you need to worry about. Most routers try to keep the IP address assignments stable, but if you are finding that the IP addresses switch a lot and this is a problem for you, you can use DHCP reservations in the router settings to ensure your devices always get assigned the same IP addresses. You don't have to keep the IP addresses the same to use the WiFi connection though - that is not a requirement. 

Mike

[Petra-Kathi]

Would it be possible to set the master tablet up as a custom WiFi hotspot of its own? If yes, this would create a network that is always available and (for the ultra-short distance of the connected devices) certainly stable.

It is always questionable to have to rely on the mercy of foreign infrastructure.

(I am quite happy with the BT connection between my two old but well-working Samsung tablets, btw.)

Cheers,
Petra

[Zubersoft]

I'm not sure - someone would have to test that. I don't know if the device acting as the hotspot also participates/communicates on the network it creates.

Mike

[Petra-Kathi]

... I don't know if the device acting as the hotspot also participates/communicates on the network it creates.

Yes, that's a point. But even if not: It might be an interesting idea to complement the tablets with a very small addtional autostart device (like a headless Raspberry Pi, or maybe even an ESP32, running for hours on a small powerbank) that just provides such a net as hotspot. This would make the complete setup self-contained.

Cheers,
Petra

[GraemeJ]

I'm not sure - someone would have to test that. I don't know if the device acting as the hotspot also participates/communicates on the network it creates.

I don't know either. Additionally, not all tablets accept SIM cards.  Looks like the BOOX tablets don't, by a quick scan of their website. 

However since someone is almost certainly (these days) to have a smartphone, that could be used as a hotspot with the tablets linked to it.

[itsme]

A SIM card is not required to set up a WLAN hotspot. It's only required to access the internet. I have e.g. a digital camera or a hifi set that are able to create their own WLAN hotspot.
It would be nice if someone finds the time to investigate that.

[Petra-Kathi]

One of many setup guides to obtain a completely local network might be the following:
https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/rasp...cess-point

Presently I do not have a spare Raspi to check it out, though.    (All my installed ones already serve defined purposes, and I don't want to tear the functionalities down.)

An alternative might even be to use an older, unused internet router, even though such a device is somewhat bulkier than a Raspi with a powerbank. You'd typically need a(nother) power socket to get it going.

Petra

[GraemeJ]

A SIM card is not required to set up a WLAN hotspot. It's only required to access the internet.

I learn something new every day.  The only times I have ever used a hotspot is via my phone, in order to get TV when the internet goes down (not totally uncommon where I live).  Obviously, that does require internet access and I made the (unwarranted) assumption that a SIM was a necessary part of the mix.

Just out of curiosity and using a very old Android tablet (running 4.4) I found I could set up a hotspot.  Now I need to discover whether I actually need it  .

[ludu]

You can use a phone as a WiFi hotspot if you encounter problems with the modem though.
Mike

Even with a hotspot, I regularly have short interruptions. I wonder if this problem is due to my BOOX tablets. Could they have a weak Wi-Fi connection? Has anyone else noticed this?