Network Settings
Everything you need to know about WiFi, ports and network settings on PiFi
1. WAN Connection
You may have noticed that Raspberry Pi has one ethernet connection allowing a single wired connection — wondering if this can be customised or more can be added? Here's everything you need to know 👇
Default: WAN Mode (Recommended)
By default the port on the Raspberry Pi acts as a WAN port (this means when you connect it between the port on the Pi and the LAN port of your home broadband router - Pi gets its internet connection from your router). This provides the fastest internet on PiFi so it's what we we recommend.
LAN Mode
If you prefer to pair wirelessly with your broadband router and use the single ethernet port to give wired internet access to another device (such as a set top box) you can do this by opening the PiFi app and tapping Settings > Network Settings > and tapping Port (WAN/LAN) so that it now shows LAN (rather than the default WAN). Now all devices connected via cable will get the internet connection from Pi.
2. Network Name (SSID) & Password
- The default wireless password for PiFi is Raspberry314
- If using the PiFi USB Adapter, the network should show as PiFi 4 or PiFi 5 in WiFi Settings of your phone/laptop etc
- If using the internal Raspberry Pi wireless, it should show as PiFi 4 Setup or PiFi 5 Setup
- After first install, it is recommended to update the SSID/password - you can do this by tapping ‘Update Default Network’ on the home section of the PiFi app or by navigating to Settings > Network Settings > SSID
3. Pair Wirelessly (AP+STA)
- As above, it’s recommended to hard-wire your Raspberry Pi to your router using the built-in ethernet port for best speeds (WAN on Raspberry Pi to LAN on your router)
- If you are PiFi using in another room from your router so can’t create a wired connection, see here for tips
- A limitation of Raspberry Pi hardware is that the internal wireless can only be used to either broadcast a wireless network or to pair wirelessly with a network to get online.
- If using the PiFi Kit AC1300 USB adapter, this introduces another wireless radio that is used for broadcasting allowing you to use the internal Raspberry Pi wireless radio to join a wireless network to get online. To do so, open the PiFi app > Settings > WiFi and connect to your desired network. Pro tip: this is great for times when you can’t connect via cable, but cable is always better performing.
4. 2.4Ghz Support and Other Options
- If using the PiFi Kit AC1300 USB adapter, you can create a second 2.4Ghz network (in addition to the 5Ghz default wireless network).
- To enable, open the app go to Settings > Network Settings > tap 2.4G Network
- Not recommended: You can change the LAN / Gateway IP (default 192.168.3.14) at App > Settings > More Settings > LAN IP
- If you visit App > Settings > More Settings > Dual-Band Scan - you can filter networks that are scanned for wireless pairing by 2.4Ghz (if off) or Dual-Band 2.4Ghz + 5Ghz when turned on.
5. Add More Ports
If you want the speed of a WAN connection, but still want a wired connection with other devices you can do that too.
This works by using the built-in ethernet port for LAN, and then a USB Ethernet Adapter (preferably a USB 3.0 adapter connected to the spare Blue USB port on PiFi) to share a wired connection with another device (such as a set-top box).
These options all work in our testing (if you're trying a different one - make sure it is USB-A to fit the ports on the Pi and not USB-C). Here’s some we’ve tested:
- UGREEN USB Ethernet Adapter, USB 3.0
- USB Ethernet Adapter, TeckNet USB 3.0
- WALNEW USB 3.0 Ethernet Adapter
6. Extending Wired Connection
If you, for some reason can't plug PiFi into your router, or maybe you want to place PiFi in another room, then Pi won't reach it's full speed potential when it's paired wirelessly with your router.
If you want to place it in another room and still max out its top speed, then we'd suggest a Powerline adapter - a Powerline adapter is a device used to extend a wired internet connection through the electrical wiring in a home so you get most of the speed as being in the same room.
They’re available from around $30 (£25) on Amazon and should provide better quality and wired internet connectivity when in a room away from your router
7. Third-Party USB WiFi Adapter Support
PiFi firmware is based on OpenWRT and is both free and open-source, so you are free to use any accessories you choose.
However, support for third-party USB wireless products to improve the wireless performance of your Raspberry Pi, is exceptionally limited.
In developing this project, I tested dozens of wireless adapters (pictured) - but the only truly linux-supported USB WiFi products tend to be 2.4Ghz USB 2.0 150mbps adapters which offer far less speed improvements than the AC1300 USB adapter which has bundled drivers in PiFi firmware. So there aren’t a lot of great options out there besides the official PiFi kit.
At the moment, only the PiFi kit is the only wireless accessory supported in the app but if you find an adapter, or have an old one lying around, that is compatible with OpenWRT then you should be able to use it just fine within the traditional OpenWRT environment (SSH / LuCI).
8. Troubleshooting
If you can’t get online:
- Confirm that you are connected via cable and your port is set to WAN in Settings > Network Settings > Port (LAN/WAN)
- Double check your VPN connection is not turned on but unable to connect
- Ensure your timezone is correct (to re-sync tap Settings > More Settings > Refresh Timezone)
- See troubleshooting for more or ask a question in the PiFi community if you’re still stuck