@DJ I'll have a look at that details button when I get home. Why I didn't last night, I don't know. Its the big push to finals at school and I'm having trouble reaching mental "flow states" on this project right now, lol.

vertigo thanks for the info and input. I was reading about the 5GHz deal the other day. Ultimately though, if I can't get this solved by the end of the weekend, it will be time to build that USB hardwire and go that direction.

UPDATE: It didn't disconnect last night. I changed the EZB to channel 6 so that might have helped. If it's disconnected when I get home, I'll know it's more of a "length of time online" issue than a night time issue.

Following is the code in the Details button. I read through it and understood exactly zilch.

See the end of this message for details on invoking just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box. ************** Exception Text ************** System.Net.NetworkInformation.PingException: An exception occurred during a Ping request. ---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The network location cannot be reached. For information about network troubleshooting, see Windows Help at System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping.InternalSend(IPAddress address, Byte[] buffer, Int32 timeout, PingOptions options, Boolean async) at System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping.SendAsync(IPAddress address, Int32 timeout, Byte[] buffer, PingOptions options, Object userToken) --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping.SendAsync(IPAddress address, Int32 timeout, Byte[] buffer, PingOptions options, Object userToken) at System.Net.NetworkInformation.Ping.SendAsync(String hostNameOrAddress, Int32 timeout, Byte[] buffer, PingOptions options, Object userToken) at NetworkWatch.Form1.timer1_Tick(Object sender, EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Timer.OnTick(EventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Timer.TimerNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

************** Loaded Assemblies ************** mscorlib Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3221.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework64/v4.0.30319/mscorlib.dll

NetworkWatch Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0 CodeBase: file:///C:/Users/Mac%20iRobot%20McAvoy/Desktop/NetworkWatch.exe

System.Windows.Forms Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3221.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll

System Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3190.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll

System.Drawing Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1 CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll

System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization/v4.0_4.0.0.0__31bf3856ad364e35/System.Windows.Forms.DataVisualization.dll

System.Configuration Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1 CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll

System.Core Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3221.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Core/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Core.dll

System.Xml Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1 CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll

Accessibility Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3056.0 built by: NET472REL1 CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Accessibility/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Accessibility.dll

System.Data Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0 Win32 Version: 4.7.3160.0 built by: NET472REL1LAST_C CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_64/System.Data/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Data.dll

************** JIT Debugging ************** To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this application or computer (machine.config) must have the jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section. The application must also be compiled with debugging enabled. For example: <configuration> <system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" /> </configuration> When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer rather than be handled by this dialog box.

Im not sure if you lost your wifi connection again, or if DJs ICMP app just crashed?

I cant help with the latter, but assuming the former, something else you could try is connecting both your laptop and ezb to an access point/router, rather than directly to each other. Some wifi cards struggle in AP mode (which is what you enable for a direct connection). instructions can be found here (client mode): https://synthiam.com/Community/Questions/5901

If you can put the access point inbetween the laptop and the robot, or close to the robot it will also help improve signal quality. It will probably improve signal quality even if you put it elsewhere, as access points tend to have better antenna's than laptops and certainly embedded wifi modules.

The error in the icmp app is that the network vanished. Here's an update. I handle that exception: NetworkWatch.zip

THanks again, DJ. I'll give it a go tonight.

vertigo, first, I love your handle. Lately I feel like life is making me dizzy, lol.
I have an extra router sitting around here somewhere so I'll gave that a try. But ultimately the EZB (inside iRobot's head) will be about a meter from the Surface Pro 2 (inside the pedestal). The router can be, at most, 40 centimeters away from the Surface Pro.

DJ, I don't suppose you sell all the necessary parts for the USB hardwire job it's looking like I'll need to make? I saw in the link you gave me earlier that some of the pieces are outside the US.

hmm, if they are going to be that close, I see no reason not to hardwire either (other than satisfying our curiosity and see if a router does help).

You can buy the needed parts anywhere they sell electronics. Including amazon. For instance: https://www.amazon.com/DSD-TECH-Converter-Compatible-Windows/dp/B072K3Z3TL/

Or search for "FTDI TTL" or "USB TTL".

Do buy from a trusted source. There are many counterfeit FTDI adapters. FTDI is a brand that makes the chip. Their windows drivers used to work with the fakes, but no longer do. Alternatively buy a TTL convertor based on a siliconlabs chip like the one I linked, and use their drivers.

The cables are standard dupont cables, and anyone with an arduino or breadboard will have some. You can buy them anywhere, including ezr webshop.

Thanks for the info and links, vertigo. It seems straightforward enough. However, I just realized that the USB adapter will be using the camera port on the EZB. I remember DJ saying I could do the same thing with the camera; hook directly to the computer but the Surface has but a single USB port. So now we're talking about adding a USB hub. The more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to stop it up, as they say. I'm going to try the router addition this weekend. Thanks for the link to the walkthrough video but I didn't find it easy to follow. I know there are instructions on this site somewhere for changing to client mode.

Like here ...

https://synthiam.com/Community/Tutorials/102/1