RaspberryConnect.com This installer script and the autohotspot & autohotspotN scripts can be shared and modified but all references to RaspberryConnect.com must be kept in place.

For use with PiOS 11 Bullseye and lower. Not compatible with PiOS 12 Bookworm. The Bookworm version is currently available at https://www.raspberryconnect.com/projects/65-raspberrypi-hotspot-accesspoints/203-automated-switching-accesspoint-wifi-network

AutoHotspot Setups

This script is for installing a Raspberry Pi WiFi setup where the Pi will connect to a previously configured Wifi network when the Pi is in range of the router or Automatically setup a Raspberry Pi access point when a known wifi network is not in range. This can also be run manually or with a timer to switch between a WiFi network or a WifI access point without a reboot.

There are two setups available:

• Network/Internet access available for connected devices when an ethernet cable is connected for the Raspberry Pi's 3A,3B,3B+ & 4. For Rapberry Pi's A,B, B+,& 2 if an usb Wifi adapter is used.
• No internet access for connected devices. Designed for the Raspberry Pi Zero W or other Raspberry PI's where only a direct connection to the PI from a phone, tablet or Laptop is required.

There is also a setup for permanent access point with network/internet access from eth0 for WiFi connected devices.

For more information and for the manual setup's see:

• https://www.raspberryconnect.com/projects/65-raspberrypi-hotspot-accesspoints/157-raspberry-pi-auto-wifi-hotspot-switch-internet
• https://www.raspberryconnect.com/projects/65-raspberrypi-hotspot-accesspoints/158-raspberry-pi-auto-wifi-hotspot-switch-direct-connection
• https://www.raspberryconnect.com/projects/65-raspberrypi-hotspot-accesspoints/168-raspberry-pi-hotspot-access-point-dhcpcd-method

This script will install any of these three setups or allow you to change between setup types. In additionm the Access Point SSID and Password can be changed, new WiFi networks can be added to the Raspberry PI while in access point mode. The Pi can be forced between WiFi Network mode and Access Point mode without a reboot. Also there is an uninstaller.

Using the installer

Download the AutoHotspot-Setup.tar.xz archive from

curl "https://www.raspberryconnect.com/images/hsinstaller/Autohotspot-Setup.tar.xz" -o AutoHotspot-Setup.tar.xz

Unarchive the file to the curent folder using the command

tar -xzvf AutoHotspot-Setup.tar.xz

If you are using the Desktop then right click on the AutoHotspot-Setup.tar.xz and select Extract Here

open a terminal window and navigate to the Autohotspot folder. If this is in your home directory then use

cd Autohotspot

if this is your desktop then use

cd ./Desktop/Autohotspot

Run the script with the command

sudo ./autohotspot-setup.sh

This script will fail if sudo is not used.

You will presented with a menu with these options

 1 = Install Autohotspot with eth0 access for Connected Devices
 2 = Install Autohotspot with No eth0 for connected devices
 3 = Install a Permanent Access Point with eth0 access for connected devices
 4 = Uninstall Autohotspot or permanent access point
 5 = Add a new wifi network to the Pi (SSID) or update the password for an existing one.
 6 = Autohotspot: Force to an access point or connect to WiFi network if a known SSID is in range
 7 = Change the access points SSID and password
 8 = Exit

In these options, Options 1-4 determine the overall type of your installation. Options 5-7 allow changing of passwords and testing.

Main installation options

The main installation options are Options 1-4.

Option 1: Install Autohotspot with eth0 access for Connected Devices

Once installed and after a reboot the Raspberry Pi will connect to a router that has previously been connected to and is listed in /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf. If no router is in range then it will generate a WiFi access point.

• This will have an SSID of RPiHotspot and password of 1234567890.
• Use option 7 to change the access point password and also the SSID if required. If an ethernet cable is connected to the Pi with access to the internet then it will allow devices connected to the access point to connect to the internet or local network. Once a connection to the access point has been made you can access the Raspberry Pi via ssh & VNC with
• ssh pi@192.168.50.5
• vnc: 192.168.50.5::5900
• for webservers use http://192.168.50.5/

The option installs

/usr/bin/autohotspotN

As noted above, this setup provides network/Internet access for connected devices

• when an ethernet cable is connected for the Raspberry Pi's 3A,3B,3B+ & 4,
• Or, for Rapberry Pi's A,B, B+,& 2, if a usb Wifi adapter is used.

Option 2: Install Autohotspot with No eth0 for connected devices

This option is similar to option 1 but connected devices have no network/internet connection if an ethernet cable is connected. The Pi itself can use the eth0 connection and also be accessed from a device on the etho network.

• This has been designed so you can access only the Pi from a Laptop, tablet or phone.
• The access point SSID will be RPiHotspot with a password of 1234567890 Once a connection to the access point has been made you can access the Raspberry Pi via ssh & VNC with
• ssh pi@10.0.0.5
• vnc: 10.0.0.5::5900
• for webservers use http://10.0.0.5/

The option installs

/usr/bin/autohotspot

As noted above, this provides no internet access for connected devices. The mode is designed for the Raspberry Pi Zero W or other Raspberry PI's where only a direct connection to the PI from a phone, tablet or Laptop is required.

Option 3: Install a Permanent Access Point with eth0 access for connected devices

This is for a permanent WiFi access point with network/internet access for connected devices. The Raspberry Pi will only have network and internet access when an ethernet cable is connected. Once a connection to the access point has been made, you can access the Raspberry Pi via ssh & VNC with

• ssh pi@192.168.50.10
• vnc: 192.168.50.10::5900
• for webservers use http://192.168.50.10/

Additional setup is required if you wanted to use a second WiFi device to connect to a network or internet rather than a ethernet conection. This requires changing the references in the iptables or fftables files from eth0 to wlan1

• /etc/iptables-hs (PiOS version 10 or lower , Buster)
• /etc/nftables/nft-stat-ap.nft (PiOS version 11 or higher, Bullseye)

Option 4: Uninstall Autohotspot or Permanent Access Point

This will disable the setup of any of the three setups and return the Raspberry Pi to default Wifi settings. Hostapd & dnsmasq will not be uninstalled just disabled.

Configuration options

Options 5 and 7 allow changing of passwords. Option 6 allows 'force switch' between hotspot and WiFi network, useful for testing.

Option 5: Add a new wifi network to the Pi (SSID) or update the password for an existing one.

If you are using either of the autohotspot setups in access point mode and wish to connect to a local WiFi network. You will be unable to scan for any networks as the desktop wifi option will be disabled, shown as red crosses. You can manually add the details to /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf if you know them. This option will allow you to scan for local WiFi networks and update the Pi. If you then reboot or use the Force... option 6 ,see below. This option only works for WiFi networks where only a password is required. If a username is required this will not work.

Option 6: Autohotspot: Force to an access point or Force to WiFi network if a known SSID is in range

This option is only for the Autohotspot setups. If you are at home and connected to your home network but would like to use the hotspot. This option will force the pi to access point mode and will ignore your home network untill the next reboot. If you use this option again while in access point mode, it will attempt to connect to a known WiFi network. This will go back to the access point if no valid WiFi network is found or there is a connection issue.

Option 7: Change the Pi's access point SSID and Password

By default the access point SSID is RPiHotSpot with a password of 1234567890. Use this option to change either or both SSID and Password. You will be prompted to change both but if you make no entry and press enter the existing setting will be kept. The password must be at least 8 characters.

Option 8: Exit

Exit the script.

Note

Regarding /etc/network/interfaces file

Many older access points and network setup guides online add entries to the /etc/network/interfaces file. This file is depreciated in Raspbian & PiOS. Any entry in this file is not compatible with these setups. This installer backup and remove any entries found in this file. They will be restored if the uninstall option is used.

The service is just for automatic start at boot time.

The system service just facilitates automatic start at boot time. It doesn't do any checking while the configuration is running. Note that, unfortunately, a systemd timer doesn't work with the script so it can't be repeated with that. Therefore, another script or cron is the best way to rerun the script at intervals.

For running a timer you simply add /usr/bin/autohotspot or /usr/bin/autohotspotN to the root crontab. E.g. to run every 5 minutes:

*/5 * * * * sudo /usr/bin/autohotspot >/dev/null 2>&1

For more detailed instructions, see here: https://www.raspberryconnect.com/projects/65-raspberrypi-hotspot-accesspoints/158-raspberry-pi-auto-wifi-hotspot-switch-direct-connection.

Suppose I wanted the script, but without running it at boot time?

In other words, only run the script as needed. Would the correct process be to install the script (e.g. Options 1 or 2, as required), and then disable the service?

To do this install and disable the service. Though wpa_supplicant will be disabled in /etc/dhcpcd.conf so you will get no wifi network connection. To reactivate it comment out the line nohook wpa_supplicant. If you re-enable the service then that needs to be un-commented.

This process will stop the script running at boot. You can then manually run sudo /usr/bin/autohotspotN (Option 1) / sudo /usr/bin/autohotspot (Option 2). You can run the service sudo systemctl start autohotspot as this will also run the autohotspot script once on demand.

Can I use ifup and ifdown?

ifup and ifdown use the /network/interfaces file i believe which is depreciated on the PiOS so you will need to use ip link set dev wlan0 down and ip link set dev wlan0 up.

However if you bring wlan0 down while the access point is running, you will need to bring wlan0 up and then run the autohotspot straight after as hostapd will not restart on it's own.

You can bring wlan0 down and up while connected to a wifi network ok with ip link set dev wlan0 down / up

if it does not come back up properly then rebind dhcpcd with sudo dhcpcd -n wlan0 which will do the trick.

RaspberryConnect.com

Jan 29th 2022, with updates 26 July 2023