How often is the wifi antenna breaking?

So this morning my printer has a 0.0.0.0 ip. Tried creating a new network, resetting to factory default and all kind of things. I have not changed anything in the network in the last weeks, so it should be a printer issue.

What I am assuming right now is broken wifi antenna. (based on that the login fails with “invalid password”, and the wiki aludes to that might be a problem).

This is a highly vibrating device with heat development, the printer has 1600h of printing on it, so i can imagine a cable breaking.

But i wanted to check if anyone else had a broken wifi antenna experience? The part is around ~5 euro, so it’s not a devasting replacement cost - just curious if that is something that happened to others before.

Frank

Can you see any access points when you try to pair? If you can, then Wi-Fi is working.

To answer your question, it is incredibly rare for an antenna to fail. Think about all the laptops, tablets, and cell phones that endure much more shock and vibration than the printer. How often do these devices fail? Sure, it happens, but usually, the device has to sustain significant abuse, and even then, it’s still very rare.

Have you tried connecting in Lan-Only mode as a diagnostic step and see if you are able to view access points? It’s a possible workaround and or diagnostic step although you won’t be able to use Handy in Lan-Only mode, you’ll have to use your desktop slicer.

The antennas used in these printers and lots of other wifi enabled devices is a circuit board with an etched strip of proper dimension. The circuit board antenna would take a lot of abuse before it fails.

The weak points are where the antenna wire connects to the circuit board and the connector and connection the Bambu board with the wifi circuitry.

The antenna wire is thin and fairly delicate. If it isn’t properly secured, vibration could weaken and damage the connection since stresses concentrate at rigid solder joints. You’d need to look close to see if it’s broken or breaking. All it would take is a worker not properly securing the wire to make it susceptible to vibration.

The connection to the Bambu circuit board should be plenty sturdy. Where those connectors fail is after multiple connection/disconnection operations. They are good for 10-30 make/break connections IIRC.

I’ve not looked close at the wifi antenna in mine but it looks something like this and you can see the attachment to the antenna board and why it doesn’t like much flexing. The connector at the other end is probably machine assembled and not the issue if it is the antenna.

Other things to consider would be any new sources of interference. Wifi is right in there with microwave ovens, baby monitors, garage door openers, etc. Some are intermittent so likely not the issue but others can be full time. If you recently moved or replaced your router that can also cause new/different dead spots.

You do recall correctly, but I suspect that spec is when they are inserted/removed with the tool (looks like a sort of forked pry bar, except it doesn’t pry, it presses).

1 Like

It was not the antenna. When i came back from work, i check it with a different router, and that worked. So, i went into my routers setup, figured out it autoupdated a few days ago, and guess what, there is an emergency patch for connectivity issues. Noticed nothing with any other of the 30+ devices i have in my household, but the bambu wifi implementation is rudimentary.

Anyhow, applied the patch, now everything is fine again.

Tx for the infos though. One note though. Comparing a laptop and it’s wear and tear and antenna design to what we have here in a 3d printer really is not a good argument.

Frank

I looked back through and the only mention of laptops was Olias saying laptops get jostled and vibrated and their antennas don’t usually fail. And he is correct.

You are the one who posited it was a failed antenna in the OP so it’s reasonable to discuss comparable installations. It’s why I posted the link to a typical antenna and discussed the solder joint as a weakness if the wire wasn’t properly supported. I also mentioned it might have to do with your router though I didn’t specifically mention a firmware update.

I probably would have focussed more on other aspects though, had you not focussed on your antenna being broken/defective and specifically asked about comparable antenna installations.

That’s the only question in your post and was what we both addressed.

People seeking help can help or hurt that process of getting help by how you post. Come out convinced the problem is in your printer antenna and that’s what people who try to help you will focus on. We can’t see your printer. We don’t know what might have happened to it. We’ve only got what you tell us.

If you had confined the OP to just discussing the actual symptoms, I’d bet neither of us would have addressed antennas right off the bat because as both of us noted, antennas are usually not the issue. They can be but usually aren’t.

Not trying to be critical but the answers you got were because of the way you posted. To then criticize because we addressed what you discussed and indicated was your communications issue is bad form.

2 Likes

I am a very experienced network/software engineer. I did not need help in debugging software issues, i was just curious to “how often does the antenna actually break” - as i saw there is a ~5 Euro replacement part. It created a level of curiosity which is why i came here.

I don’t want to dive further in the laptop or phone situation. They are completely different and that comparison was not a good one. But i get your point. And i hope you understand mine now better.

Frank

I would think they rarely break once installed. According to the wiki replacement article.

1. The WIFI antenna cable or connector is damaged.

2. The WIFI signal is unstable or weak, and the Bambu Lab service team confirmed through log analysis that it is a problem with the WIFI antenna.

The connector at the end of the antenna cable that connects to its mate on the circuit board with the wifi bits is probably why they are even offered as a spare. It’s amazingly sturdy for how small and delicate it is but it has a limited lifetime for connects/disconnects. Maybe even just a few if ham-handed with it like @krellboy alluded to.

The rest of the assembly is pretty robust depending on strain relief, etc.

1 Like

The failures I have seen reported were due to some one inadvertently (usually unknowingly) unplugging it (which probably takes like .01N if not glued) or damaging it.

I’d imagine sometimes they are just unplugged/defective to start with but people don’t notice till they move their printer to an area with weaker wifi, then they think the antenna spontaneously went bad.

1 Like