Built in Wi-Fi vs Regular Wi-Fi

[Joey Ritter]

Hello all,

I’m connecting my IPad to the CQ 18T with the built in Wi-Fi.

Music Apps and web browsers don’t seem to work on the IPad with the built in Wi-Fi signal.

I was really hoping to stream music via Bluetooth while controlling the board with the iPad.

Is this flat out not possible? Or only possible if I have music stored locally?

I’m going to be bringing this to random venues and it’s not practical to bring a Wi-Fi router with me.

Please let me know if there’s something I’m not thinking of!
Thank you

[gabo]

Only possible if you have music stored locally or if you use your phone network for data, not wifi.

When you connect your phone to the wifi, you lose your old wifi connection. So unless you are getting internet via your phone network, you just lost your internet. Most phones, if connected to wifi, stop using data over the phone network because they prefer the wifi. But in this case the wifi doesn’t have access to the internet.

This is why I supported the feature addition of having your CQ wifi be a client. Then your CQ could connect to the same wifi your phone is connected to and you could do both.

[Lee7]

The way I do it is to connect my phone to the CQ via Bluetooth and either use 4 or 5g and/or the venues Wifi if it has any. But not possible the way you’re looking to do it.

You would have to use an external router otherwise.

[Mike C]

If you would use an external that router / WIFI would need to be connected to an active internet source to do what Joey wants to do.

[Lee7]

@Mike C,

I should have said that.

[Chienmort]

Could you tether your CQ to the phone? I have only just got mine so I have not looked into it yet.

[Mike C]

With my QU’s I need to take a WIFI router everywhere I go, so an external WIFI is easily down. ( actually I take four routers with me, each set to a different 5g operating channel)

That said you should think about getting a WIFI channel scanner app so you can see what is in use where you are setting up so you can stay clean of channel conflicts. I tend to stay in the lower 5g channels, even with my preset routers sometimes I still need to go in and change a channel. “WIFI Man” for Android is the one I use most.

At one off venues I would not connect to the venues network, I have set up a few installs
where the mixer is on the buildings network.

[Gerski]

I personally download all the songs I need for background music and play it to my CQ18T via Bluetooth from my Android tablet which is also being used for Mixpad. It’s worked fine so far and has never dropped out. I have had issues streaming music using house wi-fi at the venue, so this method has been far more reliable than it has been previously before with other setups I hae had.

[Brian]

You have lots of options when it comes to wifi. You can create your own wifi network using the built in AP in the CQ, use your phone as a wifi “hotspot” to create your own wireless network, use a wifi router to create your own wifi network, or connect to the facility’s wifi. If you create your own wifi network using the CQ’s built in wifi, you will not have any internet access. If you use your phone as a mobile “hotspot” you will create your own wifi network that the CQ (and other devices) can connect to and it will have internet access to the extent that your phone as a stable cellular connection. That may not work well in ever venue. You can connect to the facility’s wifi network which should give you internet access, but also allow anyone else on the facility’s wifi access to your console and other devices. Finally, you can create your own wifi network using a wifi router that you bring to shows. This is by far the best solution.

I would suggest using a travel router from GL.iNet. I have a GL-SFT1200 (Opal) travel router that works really well. It’s usually less than $40 on Amazon. They have more expensive models that offer more options, but I doubt you would need to use them given your situation. The coolest feature of these devices is that you can connect to a facilities Wi-Fi network with the device, while also establishing your own private Wi-Fi network as well. The devices on your private Wi-Fi network will have access to the internet through the facility’s Wi-Fi network (assuming the facility has internet access), but devices on the facility’s wifi network will not have access to your private wifi network. In other words, it is the best of both worlds. You create your own private and secure wifi network while still being able to connect to the factilities network for internet access.

[Joey Ritter]

Thanks all – tons of insight here. I think for now I will roll with local files.

[Author]

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