If you already have a Raspberry Pi in your hardware plan, you can configure it to be a wireless access point for very little additional cost, zero additional cost if your RPi model has built-in WiFi. If you don’t have a built-in WiFi adapter you can add a USB based one for less than $15 US. There are many guides on the internet that show how to do this. It’s not very difficult.
Note that many of the available guides actually describe setting up a WiFi router rather than an AP even though they are advertised as a “wireless AP”. While the former will work correctly for this application, it’s more complicated compared to setting up just an AP.
Yes, I can enable WIFI in RPI 3B PLUS, it’s easy. But using if possible a wired communication it’s a plan and concept, but also if no other good way to do this, I will use WIFI. But I still hope in next few weeks something happening and a new IoTaWatt product will available with WIRED communication.
I really don’t know why problem the Ethernet shield connection to this device, but it not possible or so hard, why not other wired communication, like serial port or USB, or something else WIRED? I prefer a wired communication what also a Raspberry Pi supporting, but I can also add any Shield for special communication like CAN Shield or something else.
Should be solution to work IoTaWatt with wired communication.
If you go back and look at a few previous posts around this topic of adding Ethernet to the IoTaWatt you will see that the difficulty is not simply adding ethernet physically. You could easily do this with your own homebuilt IoTaWatt device if you wanted to.
However, the difficult aspect is that the product, as is, went though certification ensuring it is safe and meets specific requirements, CE for example. This certification process take time and money which is not often freely available for an open source project like this one. Changing or adding any item to the certified device voids the certification. If people were willing to assist to pay for recertifying such a device, I bet @overeasy would be more than happy to add it in the future; not speaking for him.
Hi, thank you for answer. It’s a valid aspect and I forgot this way. True, I understand this. So no chance in 1-2 months to Ethernet version will available about IoTaWatt project. Seems like I should use the currently available version.
Also, I do not want problems, like adding Ethernet Shield and this product will burn or die. I want to use energy metering as safe as possible, this is why I choose CT version of sensors.
Certification issues notwithstanding, it’s just not a technically feasible. There is no support that I’m aware of for the ESP8266, and the support provided in the ESP32 is mutually exclusive with other critical functions or requires more GPIO pins than are available.
It is a WiFi power monitor. There are other products out there that use alternative communication. If Ethernet is your prime consideration, you should start your search with products that support your prime consideration.
As we say in the opensource world: if you want a feature that bad, you can do it yourself. Or as the Greybeards would say: don’t complain about a missing feature unless you’re prepared to do a pull request.
Also, are people hitting blockers with Wifi? Is there a bug / Issue on Github? If there were some technical problem with Wifi, then the convo would be different.
My only issue – and it is a small one, not a blocker – is the use of mdns / Avahi for Wifi initialization. (I block such nasty things on my WAP and switch, but had to enable it for IoTaWatt. Did I prefer to do that? No, but there have been no issues after enabling Avahi.) So if there are no blockers with using Wifi, then there are probably more important features that overeasy or whoever to focus on.
I think Ethernet is a good option for long runs, but for the average home it shouldn’t be necessary. For an unattached garage, then probably would want to use Ethernet.
True… however it is very simple to add a WiFi-to-Ethernet Bridge, or an extra WiFi Access Point, if you already have hardwired Ethernet cabling available. This would provide a very strong WiFi signal for the IoTaWatt in a remote location.
Personally, I prefer WiFi as none of my WiFi devices have ever been lost due to lightning strikes nearby. Whereas I’ve lost many devices that were hardwired Ethernet devices over the past few years due to two nearby lightning strikes.
Just my +1 that I could have 100% bought a ethernet version if it was available. In a dual-tower apartment building, the 2.4ghz space is VERY congested so I try to keep as much wired as possible, with very large real world performance improvements since I put in the effort. Even though I’ve only just got mine, I would pretty strongly consider buying the ESP32 version if it was to come out with ethernet to replace mine (and “donate” my existing to someone with less congestion to keep it in use) just to contribute to making it financially worthwhile to have developed.
The other plus of it being ethernetted (is that a word?) in would be to have POE coming along and having a small splitter to provide the USB power, one less power point. I might be a tad unique in that I already have a few ESP-based devices running in that network+power combo, but for low powered stuff like this, why not?
Hi,
I’m happy to join your community.
Hope I received my order soon. 3 weeks from now
Yes, you can count on me for the future of the ethernet device for my office, it will be nice.
Great job.
Best regards
pverro
It hasn’t been mentioned in this thread for some time, so for the record, there are absolutely no plans to add wired ethernet capability to IoTaWatt. There quite simply are nowhere near the resources necessary to accomplish that in either the current ESP8266 or the developing ESP32 version.
This thread was started by others and was presumably intended to apply pressure to consider wired ethernet. That worked. I have looked into it in great detail but unfortunately with discouraging results.
For the relatively small number of users with unique requirements that might be better served with wired ethernet, I continue to suggest wiring to the IoTaWatt and then using a $25 AP to go the final distance.
I realize that doesn’t resolve everyone’s concern - congested 2.4GHz, enclosure issues, foreign spies - but trust me when I say it can’t be done.
In case there’s folks out there who think that PoE is possible and might want to have a go themselves, could you elaborate a little on why it can’t be done? I’m assuming on ESP8266, it’s because you’re flat out reading all the samples from the SPI bus.
What stops it being possible on ESP32? Is it mostly the number of pins lost by adding a PHY?
I’m not even talking about PoE, just Ethernet. Yes, it’s because it requires way more GPio pins than I have available. Also, the SPI method is not possible because there is no available SPI, I have used them all for other thing like SDMMC and continuous ADC sampling.
This product seems very good, would likely suit my needs/wants well, I like that it does not involve a cloud, doesn’t try to lock me into an ecosystem (looking at you, Smart Leviton Load Center) EXCEPT that it does not support ethernet.
I understand why - limited I/O with ethernet on ESP32 - and in fact ran into the exact same issue myself. However, I simply couldn’t live with myself having used wireless for a device that is not meant to be mobile, for anything more than a proof-of-concept.
I appreciate the creator of iotawatt and in no way do I mean disrespect, just to add to the voices of those that would appreciate a hard-wired solution. This product seems near-perfect in every other way.
I prefer a wired communication what also a Raspberry Pi supporting, but I can also add any Shield for special communication like CAN Shield or something else. 
Or as the Greybeards would say: don’t complain about a missing feature unless you’re prepared to do a pull request. 
from me.