Stoker setup


 
S

Scott

Guest
I purchased a stoker in July and have used it several times on my Stumps smoker. I am beginning to feel fairly comfortable with the Stoker and now am ready to start moving on to using more of the great features it has.
I am trying to set it up to use wireless with my laptop. I have an extra Linksys router that will be used solely for the stoker. I made my connections last night on the dining room table just to try it but could not get a connection. Here is how I have it connected. I would appreciate if someone could point out my error or errors.
The router is connected to the stoker with an ethernet cable. I have the blower and a couple of temp probes hooked to the stoker. Plugged everything in to the electrical outlet. Turned on the stoker and let it power up. Then turned on the router and allowed it to power up. Took a reading of the stoker IP address. On my laptop I looked to see what wireless connections were available and found the new router. I logged into the router and opened the web browser. I typed in the IP address that was on the stoker and after a long search it said it was unable to find web address.
What did I miss? Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
 
Scott,

I too had a spare wireless router when I got my stoker. I read somewhere that you can convert the router to work, but it was beyond my techie comfort level. You can't just use it plug and play.

Instead, I purchased a wireless bridge on craigslist for $30. I just plug the stoker into the bridge and it connects everything to the network.

I'm not saying what you are trying to do won't work, but it takes some router configuration that I wasn't comfortable with spending time on.
 
Scott,

Welcome to the board!

Like Pat, I tried to convert an old wireless router but decided to get a wireless bridge... easier to set up and it works well. (I understand it is no longer available but it works for me.)

In your configuration, the router has an IP address and the Stoker has its own IP address but your computer can only "see" the router's IP. You need the wireless piece to be transparent so that the Stoker's IP address is "visible" to the wireless network. This is what the bridge does natively.

There may be a way to configure your router to a wireless bridge but I don't know how to do that. Look through the router's menus for bridged mode or something like that and mess around with the IP addressing. I think the bridge should have the same IP address as the Stoker but it has been a little while since I set mine up.
 
What type of wireless bridge are you using? There are so many available on ebay. I would like to get one that someone else is also using to make sure I get one that is compatible with the stoker. Some selling for as little as $2.00
 
I am using this one but it is not available at the moment (the company is in a lawsuit).

edit: I don't think the Stoker has special requirements... most any contemporary wireless Ethernet bridge should work with the Stoker. Like Pat said, look on craigslist (or eBay) for a used or older model that still works.
 
I have a D-Link DWL-810+ and it works fine. I think pretty much any of them would work. You can also search for a wireless gaming adapter, which is essentially the same thing.
 
Yes, if you have an existing Wireless N network to connect to. If you don't have a Wireless N network you would need 2 of these. 1 connected to your network and the other connected to the stoker.

Do you currently have a wireless network setup? If so, post whether it is an 802.11B, 802.11G or the N and we can guide you as to what will work.
 
I do have a N network. I just installed a new Belkin N wireless router a couple weeks ago.

Now let me show my computer ignorance. If I purchase a wireless bridge (shown in my previous post)how will it be connected?

Thank you.
 
"Normal" wireless networks work at 2.4 GHz. This one is at 5 GHz. I am not sure it would work with run-of-the-mill wireless setups (like that of your laptop). You'd need to check your whether your network can handle the 5 GHz signal.

Also this unit is 802.11n "draft" specification. I would be cautious of any draft specification, cause you don't know which draft version it is or whether it is compatible with the current N standard. I cannot say it won't work with your laptop or network, but I would rather get a more standard bridge to avoid the hassles of troubleshooting. (Did you check your old router to see if it will run in bridge mode?)
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I do have a N network. I just installed a new Belkin N wireless router a couple weeks ago. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

A. Vale had a good question. What is your Belkin N wireless router model number?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Now let me show my computer ignorance. If I purchase a wireless bridge (shown in my previous post)how will it be connected? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just plug the bridge into the Stoker with an ethernet cable and it connects as if the Stoker itself is wireless (assuming you have the IP addresses and subnet mask numbers correctly configured).
 
My Router is a Belkin N wireless F5D8236-4. This is the router that is hooked to my desk top computer so that I can get to the internet with my laptop.
I also have an extra router (D-Link DIR-625) that I was going to use just for connecting to my Stoker but, because it sounds like it might take some configuring to use it I thought I would just purchase a wireless bridge hopeing to just connect the bridge to my stoker and then log into it from my lap top. So, I guess I am trying to find the simpliest way to view and run the stoker wirelessly from my lap top.
Would it be simplier to purchase a Linksys WET 11 Like Larry above and connect it to my Stoker?
What suggestions do you have?
Thank you.
 
When you have a router connected to the internet it's designed to block ports(so outside users cannot attack your computer). If you designate the Stoker as the DMZ host, the data will be able to pass through.

Whatever IP is assigned to the stoker, you need to tell the router that that IP is the one to let all traffic through(web traffic). It is described briefly here - Stoker internet configuration guide

Look in your router documentation on how to make a DMZ.
 
Scott,

Russell's posting made me question my assumptions... are you trying to connect your Stoker to your home wireless network or do you want to be able to see and control your Stoker from anywhere in the world (literally) using the internet? The difference between these two options is significant in terms of what you have to do to get it all working and I didn't want to continue to assume! :)

I was assuming that you wanted to simply make your Stoker visible on your home network (so you could monitor using your laptop or desktop computer, locally)... If that is the case, then the configuration is fairly simple. You really don't expose your computer or network to the internet this way and you wouldn't need the DMZ info that Russell posted.

If you wish to see the Stoker from anywhere in the world, it is a little more difficult and possibly more risky endeavor but then Russell's info applies. It can certainly be made pretty safe if you are careful of your settings.

Either way, you will need a bridge to make your Stoker visible on your wireless network. I just converted an old Belkin wireless router to a bridge but it was a real PITA; requiring me to install new, after-market firmware (dd-wrt). After having converted the Belkin, I would recommend obtaining a dedicated bridge instead of wasting your time trying to convert a router unless you like configuring arcane network settings for hours!
 
Tom,
Thank you for your reply. You assumption is correct. I just want to be able to monitor my stoker from my home network. And no I do not want to mess with a lot of configurations. So, what would you recommend for a dedicated bridge that would work with my network? There are a lot of wireless bridges available on E-Bay for less than $50. I just want to make sure I get one that is compatible with my system and is easy to set up.
Thank you all for your time and information. I feel like we are getting close to an end result here.
 
Scott,

I don't have experience with different bridges so I can't really offer an educated recommendation on a model but here's what I would do. I would try to find a LinkSys, D-Link, NetGear, Belkin, or Buffalo bridge (a.k.a gaming adapter) that is generally standard (802.11g is a standard.) Once I found a reasonably priced model that met that criteria, I would download the user manual from the company's website and see how easy or difficult it looks to set up. I might also compare it with the features and specs of WET11, WET54G, DWL-810+, WLI-TX4-G54 or other bridge on this forum. I would Google the model number for any reviews and to see what others have to say about it (but take those random opinions with a big grain of non-iodized salt!)

Check your laptop's wireless specs as well as the specs on your F5D8236-4 to make sure the bridge is compatible with your network. Then make the purchase and don't look back! You will need a short piece of Ethernet cabling to connect the Stoker to the bridge.

If you aren't comfortable with all the networking jargon, Google and Wiki are wonderful tools for learning! These forums are also a great place to learn as well. Good luck!
 
Hey Tom,

Assuming that the Linksys wireless bridge is compatible with my router and laptop, how is this all connected? Do I connect the wireless bridge to the stoker out by the smoker and then log onto the internet with my laptop and type in the IP address in the web browser? If everything is configured right it should bring up a screen showing my stoker information. Does that sound right?
Thanks.
 
ffi .... I just purchased a Linksys WGA600N to use as a wireless bridge for my stoker. I already had a wireless network set up, so I opened the box and installed the software on my computer. Then following the instructions plugged the unit into my computer and the software linked it to my network. Then hooked it up to the stoker and began reading my stoker on my computer. Couldn’t have been easier.

Best Buy has these units for $99, I purchased used for $45 on ebay.
 

 

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