Longer RAY5 20W WiFi and Lightburn

LightBurn Hardware Compatibility GRBL
1

Hi all, I try to get some help with Longer, but I also try help with you.
I tried many times to connect my PC with WiFi to my engraver, I can’t, lightburn have always the message in the console : Waiting for connection…
I can connect with USB, no problem, but my main computer isn’t in the same room. I need wifi, that’s why I bought this engraver because it has WiFi.
I can connect the engraver with the ip on my browser, it’s working, I have an IP of the engraver in my Network 2.4Ghz.
But if I use a software Lightburn, LaserGRBL, or the app Laserburn of Longer, I can’t connect the engraver … :frowning: :frowning:

If someone have tips ? I always tried tuto who explain how to connect with WIFI.

I tried with 2 computers (laptop and pc) and 2 different android phones.

Thanks for the precious help ! <3

2

Another information, I already know it wasn’t the problem, but I have wifi 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz at home (like most of people in the world now).
I tried of course to use WIFI 2.4Ghz on computers like the Longer is on the 2.4Ghz Wifi, still same issues.

3

Did you make sure that the laser supports wireless LightBurn connection? This is a different thing than just providing wireless connection. This usually means you can control it via a web interface and transfer files to the internal memory. If LightBurn should talk to it, it needs to support wireless gcode streaming which is not available on most firmwares.

You can save your files as gcode and transfer them wirelessly to the laser, maybe.

Though, in general: it is NOT a good idea to have the control PC in a different room. Just buy a spare Laptop (any $100 laptop will do) and directly connect it to the laser. And make sure you stay close to it until it’s finished. NEVER EVER leave a laser unattended while operating.

4

Hello, thanks for your answer.

Did you check before answering me ?

Yes there is video on longer3d website about lightburn and wifi, when I contact them they don’t tell me lightburn can’t work in wifi with my engraver, it should work.

If you read entirely my message you will notice I already have a laptop, so I don’t know why you tell me to buy one ?

I want to engrave the way I want by the way :slight_smile:
My question isn’t about how to engrave, way of life, stay in front of the engraver or not, my question is can some people help me to connect lightburn in wifi to my engraver.

And to stay healthy, I prefer just check the beginning of the engraving and NOT STAY IN THE ROOM where I engrave, also 3D printing SLA and FDM.
Smoke, particules, many invisible things in the air not healthy. I have a camera in this room for all the machines, So I always keep an eye on what can happend in this room. Camera have also night vision for working during night (not engraving, I will never do that, but for 3D printing).
I also have air purifier in the room, always ON.

And I need to use my main computer with WIFI for all my machines, I don’t like to have a computer in this room. I work in another room and want to stay like that for better space working.
Of course for testing, I have the laptop with USB connected to the engraver, but it’s not the way I work.

And I enter with protective mask and now also protective glasses for Laser even if it’s well protected by manufacturer and the enclosure too, to check if everything is ok, things like that.
Same for 3D printing, all machines have enclosure and air filter inside.

5

Foreword: my post was meant to help you, in no way it was meant offensive.

No, you asked in a LightBurn forum, not a Longer forum, so I don’t know your laser, and it’s not up to me to do research on it. I just gave basic advice for your type of laser.

I was not referring on your work PC, I just gave the recommendation to attach one directly, which I would consider is the state of the art to control a laser.

Sure, you can. I only gave ADVICE. You can do whatever you like. If you ask in a forum, be prepared to get answers of this type because many users do not know what they are doing. Lasers are extremely dangerous, and many people are not aware of it. If you are, that’s fine.

1 Like
6

Thanks again

But you did not answer me just give advices yes, you didn’t answer my question, what is the need ?

In the lightburn forum there is sections like hardware compatibility, of course we must consider lightburn AND the material/hardware, there is many subsection about different controllers of engravers, so yes, it’s lightburn forum but also lightburn with hardware, that’s why I ask in this forum.
And tells which hardware I have (Longer Ray5 20w).

Lasers can be dangerous yes, like 3D printing, lot of people think even PLA, that there is no danger … They are wrong.

But we are in a section about “lightburn hardware compatibility”, I think there is other sections about healthy way to engrave.
It’s out of context here.

7

This is how helping people works.

If you carefully read again, my initial post was about curing the cause, not the symptoms. If you wouldn’t control your laser wirelessly (which is highly discouraged throughout the community) then all the following problems disappear.

Since you didn’t provide any information about what you did (how did you set up your laser? You mentioned a video, which steps in that video didn’t work? Does the connection to Wi-Fi fail, or the connection to the laser via Wi-Fi? Can you reach the laser via web interface? Did you make sure that you don’t have any special characters in the Wi-Fi password? Lasers usually can’t handle them. Use a simple, short password, create a dedicated Wi-Fi if security is of interest.

8

I need to control my laser wirelessly, if it’s dangerous why many manufacturers gives WIFI to their engraver (same for 3D printing) and let people use smartphone, things like that.
But it’s another debate :slight_smile:

I should give more informations yes !

My engraver is connected to the WIFI (no problem with password, I have special one for working room LAN that works well in 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and have simple password because sometimes having high protected password with special characters don’t work with machines (I think it’s stupid and they should fix that).
My engraver doesn’t accept strong password with special characters, good for me, I have good password , not so strong for machines in the working room.
So WIFI connexion : OK
One thing the WIFI quality signal is low.
BUT !
Even low Wifi I can perfectly reach my engraver in a browser, by entering the ip address.

So it’s working fine.

I also tried some android apps like
Engraver : doesn’t work.
MKSLaser : work (I think it’s like browser interface in android app).

I follow tuto like that : Lightburn WiFi Bridge - Longer Ray5 – LONGER

As you can see , there is lightburn use, and my engraver should connect to lightburn :frowning:

I think I do things well, I have different materials in WIFI, never problems (camera, plugs, machines, many things).
But humans can do mistakes too, so maybe I do something wrong, I don’t know.

What I know is that it should work, and it doesn’t work.

I also tried the AP mode in the engraver, but I can’t connect lightburn to the engraver this way. I can reach the engraver by entering IP, but for now never worked in lightburn.

I have latest version of lightburn (test version for now, but if it work I will buy this software).

Feel free to ask more informations !

Thanks again

9

That’s really weird. I think all of the apps use the same connection protocol (might by telnet if I remember correctly) to connect wirelessly. So if MKS tool works, I don’t see any reason why the others don’t. Did you try to move the Laptop close to the laser just for setup? It’s mentioned in the guide to stay close (though I don’t think that should make a real difference).
Did you check the firmware version? Many manufacturers have bugs in their firmwares, so they might have provided an update.

This is a description of another firmware (FluidNC is an open source firmware, superior to most manufacturers versions and can also be put on your laser (all ESP32-based boards) but this will open another door and requires some configuration etc.), the underlying software is the same though (all firmwares base on grblESP32, which is the precessor of FluidNC. Websockets | Wiki.js You might check if another tool is blocking those ports (though I don’t think that should be cause here).
I only know that in earlier days, Cura automatically blocked all available usb-serial ports while running, which also lead to problems using LightBurn. But I don’t know if that’s still the case. But since you are using printers as well, there might be interference. Though, again, that shouldn’t cause issues.

10

I think I found the problem, think also I’m stupid, but I read nowhere this information.
I did a try with the browser interface, because I can connect to it !
So I was thinking to use lightburn “offline”, then export gcode and put it to the engraver via the browser interface.
To do that I insert the TFcard in the engraver.
Then upload from browser the file to engrave it.
It’s working , logic for now.
Then I came back to lightburn and see options, things like that, because I’m new with this software, and by chance, I see the arrows control for the engraver, to move the laser.
Arrows I didn’t see before.
I checked in console mode, and no message saying it was trying to connect !

Incredible !
In fact to connect lightburn with the engraver, the engraver need a TF card inserted inside.
To connect via Browser no need !

I have differents machines (3D printers and other things) they don’t need a SD card to work with WIFI !

I think now its working, I have to check (but now time to eat, will try later).

Guess I’m stupid ! But to connect with USB no TF card needed, I did some tries with USB connect and no TF card in the engraver, it’s so strange, but it looks like the problem was that.

I’ll come back to review that information, but I think it’s that !

11

PS : I still got an issue when I launch a graving test with lightburn telling me the printer maybe busy, but I think it’s because I was connected with browser interface, I’ll have a better look in the afternoon and see if it works well with lightburn, but I may have found a solution
Capture d'écran 2024-08-15 130831
As you can see, I can contact the printer.
For now lightburn tells me the laser is disconnected, but I think because of the engrave running right now.
But first time I have other messages than : waiting for connexion … :slight_smile:

12

It was too good to be true … :slight_smile:

I still have the control area in lightburn on my PC, I don’t have that on my laptop for exemple.

Capture d'écran 2024-08-15 133010
Capture d'écran 2024-08-15 133010443×565 11.5 KB

But now I keep having same message like before try to connect.
Capture d'écran 2024-08-15 132409

I upload files to the printer with browser interface still working, but nothing written in lightburn …
Laser is : disconnected

13

I doubt it. I see your interest in this.

The IP address may become different occasionally on your network if it’s assigned ‘Dynamically’ from the switch (also occasionally called router or firewall). This can make the device have a new IP address in your network every time it’s restarted.

You may need to close the browser to connect with LightBurn. LightBurn doesn’t offer file transfer (although it is in progress). LightBurn streams the code and It leaved the controller as each GCode command is executed.

14

The laptop is close to the engraver yes, even laptop and PC can’t connect to the engraver with WIFI, only in USB.
The firmware is : V2.20(8M, H35, 20230626) I think it’s the latest
Board is : MKS DLC32 V2,1

15

No, because I have some machines (NAS and many others things) I need to contact whereever I am, so I have all my ip never change, because I use port forwarding, same for my IP and for my NAS I have secure access if my online IP change (but it’s not the subject haha)

But it could be that ! :slight_smile: but not in my case …

That’s why I really don’t understand what happend, Longer after sale told me they contact R&D department about my problem, I hope they can also help me

16

I have this board and I have connected it wirelessly.

You will need to give access to your home network to the device by inputting the name of your network and the password to connect securely.

After the engraver is connected to your network, Look at the screen again and note the IP address of the engraver on your network.

Edit the device profile in LightBurn, select Ethernet/TCP and enter the IP address in the profile in LightBurn. Save this - you should connect right away.

Note again that the address can change when things are activated and deactivated on your network. The connections are most often Dynamic. You may be able to assign a Static IP on your network to prevent this.

17

I tried closing my browser, close lightburn, turn off the engraver.
Then start lightburn, turn on engraver.

Still not working, I also try to add a new engraver, and writing my ip like that (fake ip for the exemple) : 182.142.001.205 beforce I was writing like that : 182.142.1.205, of course it changes nothing, but I try many things :slight_smile: who knows !

18

I already did this many times.

Don’t work, only WebUI with browser or KLSLaser android app.
These works with WIFI.
I also can ping the engraver ip from my computer, works perfectly with few ms.

But I don’t know lightburn just don’t want ! Maybe I’ll install it again, who knows

19

Ok, got it with longer support (long time for them to give me the tip).

I’m stupid to not think about that also, I reach the engraver on browser, no port indicated in the ip, no information in the engraver too.
But mostly http port is 80, 8080.

In lightburn setting, port was 23.

I switch 23 to 8080, and lightburn could conact the engraver using WIFI …

Crazy ! And it was so obvious !

I should definitely think about that :slight_smile:

So for all people who can’t contact their engraver with lightburn, but they can contact the engraver with HTTP web browser, then think about the port in lightburn and maybe change it to 8080 or other port that after sale of the brand can give to you !

Thanks Melvin and John Johnson who tried to help me ! <3 <3

2 Likes
20

Thank you for sharing this information here.

I have an earlier version of the firmware on mine.

2024-08-16 MKS 2.1 Connection - earlier firmware

Port 8080 for me too.

2024-08-16 Device Settings Network Port 8080
2024-08-16 Device Settings Network Port 80801060×816 60.4 KB

This took me a few minutes to find.

There is a comment about changing the network port in the TroubleShooting Guide.