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What kind of technology does the Google Home and Amazon Echo/Dot use when you set up the device for the first time and their respective apps "scan for device" before they're connected to Wifi?

I'm trying to implement a similar flow with my device, is it simply bluetooth? What would be the best way to implement this?

afryingpan
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1 Answers1

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Assuming it is Bluetooth (a fair guess as this is the only other radio that is regularly available in mobile phones/tablets), then it will be Bluetooth 4 which will be advertising a BLE Service that has a known set of Characteristics.

  • The app running on the phone/tablet will connect to the BLE Service, query a Characteristic for what WiFi SSIDs the device can see.
  • It presents this list to the user and ask them to pick one and supply the password required to connect.
  • The password and SSID are then sent back to another Characteristic in order to trigger the device to connect to WifI.
  • Once connected the Service can then publish it's IP address on yet another Characteristic.

A PoC implementation of all this (and a Web Bluetooth client) can be found on my GitHub page here: https://github.com/hardillb/wifi-provision

hardillb
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