WIFI provisioning vs. Edgent (maybe?)

I am wondering if WIFI Provisioning is something that has to be coded onto your microcontroller before it can be moved to another wifi location, or is it default when the “ssid” and “password” are not inserted? Is this something that Edgent is responsible for , or is provisioning the more direct way of doing things?

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Hello,
As per knowledge, WiFi provisioning means setting up your microcontroller to connect to a WiFi network. You have to include the network name (SSID) and password in the microcontroller’s code. If you don’t, it won’t connect to any network by default.

Edgent, an IoT platform, can help with WiFi provisioning by providing tools and APIs to simplify the process. Alternatively, you can manually configure the microcontroller with the WiFi details.

So, to connect your microcontroller to WiFi, you need to code the network details or use a platform like Edgent to help you do it.

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This process of providing the WiFi credentials is known as Provisioning.
If the credentials are hard-coded into the sketch this is called Static Provisioning, if they can be added/changed by the end user without the need to re-flash the device with a new sketch then this is called Dynamic Provisioning.

If you wish to avoid hard-coding your WiFi credentials into your sketch (avoid static static provisioning) then you need to pre-load your device with a sketch that will facilitate dynamic provisioning.

In the case of Blynk, it’s not just WiFi credentials that need to be provisioned, it’s the Auth Token as well, but this doesn’t need to change to simply use the device in a different location.

Blynk Edgent handles the provisioning of the WiFi credentials and a dynamic Auth Token via the app, provided that the device to be provisioned is running an Edgent sketch.

There are alternatives to Edgent, such as WiFiManager, but once again the WiFiManager sketch needs to be running on the device before it can be provisioned via a web page.

BTW, Wife provisioning (as you’ve said in your topic title) is something very different and far more complex (and expensive!) :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Pete.

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Good one :rofl:

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Yes I have noticed my typo and am loving my autocorrect right about now.

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Thank you for all the responses to my question. I am hoping to be able to pre-load a sketch onto my device and then allow for the WIFI credentials to be changed/added dynamically as I go from location to location and use their WIFI.

If I understand your response, I would have to add the Edgent sketch to my existing sketch in order for it to work via the app when I reach a new location? At that point I would be able to sign in with the locations WIFI credentials and monitor via the Blynk app as per usual?

That’s correct.

Pete.

I’m not next to my PC but , if I recall right, there’s a way to set up a button under settings to erase your credentials and force the code to search for a new wifi when you’re changing locations.

The Edgent example sketch provides several ways of clearing the current dynamically provisioned credentials so that the device can be re-provisioned via the app.

If it’s currently connected to WiFi then the credentials can be cleared from the app or web console. Otherwise it can be reset by physical switch connected to a pin defined in Settings.h

However, going back to the OPs original question, all of this requires the Edgent software to be installed on the device first.

Pete.

Hi ,
What is the message sequence to blynk cloud/console while trying provisioning through Edgent library ?
Like which commands are being sent after getting connected to wifi

Turn on Blynk debug and you’ll see the message exchange.

Pete.

Thanks :slightly_smiling_face: