M300+ and M200+ sometimes lost wifi network

Hello,
Sometimes, my M300+ and my M200+ lost the network. Could fix it or add a periodic ping and auto reconnect (or reset if idle).

Thank you.

Hello @facotl,

Are both printers connected via Wi-Fi or Ethernet? Is the newest firmware version (2.4.4) installed?

Could you please set up a mobile hotspot to see if the same issue occurs?

Best regards,
Karolina

Hello Karolina,
Both are connected via Wifi and use the latest firmware (the issue was already present in older firmwares).
This is difficult to setup a mobile hotspot because the problem occur rarely. Do you have some kind of logs into machines to help catching it ?
Thank you for your help.

Hello,

Thank you for more information. As the issue occurs at random - are you sure there are no problems with your Internet connection or the router? I would not suspect any hardware-related issues for the time being as the same problem occur on both devices. Unfortunately, the logs would not help to verify the root of the problem.

Hello,
It’s not on Internet but directly on local network. After a long period, my Zortrax printers are not accessible with Z suite and I have to reboot them. I have other printers brand on the same wifi spot without any issue.

Hello,
I have checked more carefully and it’s just the M200+, not the M300+ and it appends after it goes idle (strange, my setting is never go idle).

It’s probably the same issue than this: WIFI Disconnection - Support&troubleshooting / Zortrax M200 Plus - Forum Zortrax

I had similar issues, which I suspect has to do with signal strength, and perhaps also interference from the zortax internal electronics (maybe).

My M300+ printer is in my garage, as has quite a few brick walls between itself and the router. I put my USB wifi dongle on a ~2m USB extension cable at some distance away from the printer. No more issues. I could monitor a ~2day print via z-suite without issue. Be sure to use a good quality extension cable as the first one I tried couldn’t handle the current draw and the wifi dongle wouldn’t power up.

Ok but every normal device will reconnect (as your computer). Could Zortrax team fix it please ?

Thank you.

As I said before, after using the USB extension cable, I could monitor the print over two days without issue. Furthermore I’d like to mention that even if I left the printer on for several days after the print, and with the printer in automatic “sleep mode”, I could still access the camera via Z-suite.

Running the latest firmware that came out in April (v2.5.6 I think?).

Also I don’t think this is something Zortrax can necessarily fix in firmware. Sure they can try to make it less fiddly so that it at least tries to reconnect the wifi if connection is lost and not just “give up” (and force you to either restart the printer or re-enter the #@$^ password). But at the same time the M300s run on Android and a lot of those wifi issues are handled at driver or kernel level - which isn’t the easiest thing to modify.

Fundamentally I would think the issue lies with USB wifi dongles and their limited antenna compared to those in laptops and mobile phones - perhaps hindered further in some way by the solid metal chassis of the printer and/or internal electronics. People might be excused to think that if their laptops or phones work well with WIFI from a certain location or distance from their router, the printer would too. This is clearly not the case. Coupled with the bandwidth demands of “streaming” from the camera, signal quality is even more important.

Give the usb extension cable a try, or move your router and printer closer together for a test. If you still struggle, perhaps you have a faulty or bad quality USB WIFI dongle?

Hello Cobus,
I will try extension cable.
Thank you for your help.

Same issue here for my M300 Dual. It’s hard to believe that this is an ongoing issue for three years and still haven’t been resolved yet. Frustrating.

Hello,
I will be fixed in 2028 :sweat_smile:

To follow up with this… The aforementioned extension cable method works in my case for the past several days now. I guess it is a really simple fix on Zortrax side to include an extension cable with their product and call it a day. Yet it is probably too embarrassing to acknowledge the problem this way?

Hello,
Wifi dongle is on side for M300+ but not for M200+. Where can I find it ?

Hi Fabien,

depending on the batch - M200 Plus printers have either internal Wi-Fi module or external one (Wi-Fi dongle plugged on the right side of the printer). It seems you own an older unit.

Hello,
Where is the wifi dongle in old units please ?
To investigate, try a print with Z-HIPS (bed quite hot) and connect camera after hours.

Follow up with the problem again… I was too hasted to draw the conclusion that extension cable works. It doesn’t.

So far I have tried all other solutions I can find online, including fixed IP and MAC address for the printer. None worked. The only reliable connection is wired. I guess I will purchase a wifi extender or a secondary router and connect the printer to it. That might just be the best bet.

Hi,

old Android PCBs have built-in Wi-Fi module. There is no additional Wi-Fi dongle.