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Smart Cities Group Project

WiFi Manager

Overview

The WifiManager class provides a simplified interface for WiFi operations on the ESP32. It handles connecting, disconnecting, and automatic reconnection to a specified WiFi network using stored credentials. The class includes timeout handling for connection attempts and provides debug logging for connection status.

Features

  • Automatic Connection Management: Establishes and maintains WiFi connections
  • Connection Timeout Handling: Uses a timeout for connection attempts to avoid indefinite blocking
  • Reconnection Support: Provides automatic reconnection capabilities
  • Power Management: Powers down WiFi radio when disconnecting to save energy
  • Debug Logging: Uses "DEBUG.h" for detailed connection status output during development

Dependencies

  • "WiFi.h": WiFi functionality for ESP32
  • "DEBUG.h": Custom debug logging (optional but recommended)

Class Definition

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// WiFi connection manager for ESP32 devices.
//
// This class provides a simplified interface for WiFi operations on ESP32,
// including connection management, disconnection, and automatic reconnection.
class WifiManager
{
public:
    // Constructs a WiFi manager with network credentials.
    WifiManager(const String &ssid, const String &password);

    // Establishes connection to the configured WiFi network.
    void Connect();

    // Disconnects from WiFi network and powers down WiFi module.
    void Disconnect();

    // Attempts to reconnect to the configured WiFi network.
    void Reconnect();

private:
    const String ssid_;
    const String password_;

    const int connection_timeout_ = 10000; // 10 seconds timeout for connection attempts
};

Constructor

WifiManager(const String& ssid, const String& password)

Creates a new WifiManager instance with the specified network credentials.

Parameters:

  • ssid: WiFi network name to connect to
  • password: WiFi network password for authentication

Example:

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constexpr char kSsid[] = "network_name";
constexpr char kPassword[] = "network_password";

WifiManager network(kSsid, kPassword);

Public Methods

void Connect()

Establishes a connection to the configured WiFi network.

Behavior:

  • Initiates WiFi connection using stored credentials
  • Implements timeout for connection attempts
  • Logs connection progress with dots (.) during attempt
  • Displays network information upon successful connection
  • Returns immediately if connection fails after timeout

Example:

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void setup()
{
    // Establish initial WiFi connection
    network.Connect();
}

void Disconnect()

Gracefully disconnects from the WiFi network and powers down the WiFi radio.

Behavior:

  • Closes existing WiFi connection
  • Sets WiFi mode to WIFI_OFF to save power

Example:

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wifi.Disconnect();

void Reconnect()

Attempts to reconnect to the configured WiFi network.

Behavior:

  • Equivalent to calling Connect() when disconnected
  • Implements same 10-second timeout as Connect()
  • Used for recovering from connection loss
  • Logs reconnection attempts and results

Usage:

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if (!WiFi.isConnected())
{
    wifi.Reconnect();
}

Error Handling

The WifiManager implements several error handling strategies:

Connection Timeout

  • Timeout Duration: 10 seconds
  • Behavior: Returns without connection if timeout exceeded
  • Recovery: Call Connect() or Reconnect() again

Network Unavailable

  • Detection: Connection fails within timeout period
  • Logging: Logs "Failed to connect to WiFi" or "Failed to reconnect to network"
  • Recovery: Retry connection after delay

Debug Information

The WifiManager provides detailed debug output when DEBUG.h is included:

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Connecting to WiFi........
Network Status: Connected, Local IP: 192.168.1.100, Gateway IP: 192.168.1.1

Connection lost, attempting to reconnect.......
Successfully reconnected to network

Disconnected from WiFi network