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Wi-Fi setup

Wi-Fi setup

Deneb replaces the stock WiFi setup (AP captive portal) with a simple file-based approach: create a wifi.txt file on a USB drive, insert it into the printer, and import via the touchscreen.

Related: Ethernet setup, UI README, and the wifi.txt example template.

Quick Start

  1. Create a file called wifi.txt on a USB drive (FAT32 formatted)
  2. Add at minimum your network name:
ssid=MyHomeNetwork
password=MyPassword
  1. Insert USB drive into the printer
  2. On the touchscreen: Settings > Network > Load WiFi Settings from USB
  3. Wait for confirmation. WiFi will connect automatically.

Supported Fields

All fields use key=value format, one per line. Keys are case-insensitive. Lines starting with # are comments. Blank lines are ignored.

Required

FieldDescriptionExample
ssidWiFi network name (case-sensitive)ssid=MyNetwork

Optional — Authentication

FieldDescriptionValuesDefault
passwordWiFi passwordAny string(empty)
encryptionAuthentication typeSee Encryption Typespsk2 with password, otherwise none
country2-letter country codeUS (United States), or your country’s codeUS

Optional — IP Configuration

If omitted, DHCP is used (the default for most networks).

FieldDescriptionExampleDefault
ipStatic IP addressip=192.168.1.100(DHCP)
netmaskSubnet masknetmask=255.255.255.0255.255.255.0
gatewayDefault gatewaygateway=192.168.1.1(empty)
dnsDNS server(s)dns=8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4(from DHCP)

Optional — Device Identity

FieldDescriptionExampleDefault
hostnameDevice network namehostname=MyPrinterUltimaker-2C

The hostname appears on the network and in DHCP leases. It is set on both the WAN interface (network.wwan.hostname) and the system hostname (system.@system[0].hostname). Only alphanumeric characters, hyphens, and dots are recommended.

Optional — Time

The examples use the US NTP pool. Leaving out ntp keeps the existing time-server list; it does not reset it. This setting is shared by Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Importing an ntp line saves the new list and restarts the time service so sync uses it (same apply step as change time servers over SSH).

FieldDescriptionExampleDefault
ntpNTP time server(s)ntp=0.us.pool.ntp.orgExisting system setting (unchanged)

Multiple NTP servers can be space-separated: ntp=0.us.pool.ntp.org 1.us.pool.ntp.org

Encryption Types

Value in wifi.txtAlias forDescription
psk2—WPA2-Personal (most common)
wpa2psk2WPA2-Personal
wpa2-pskpsk2WPA2-Personal
wpa-pskpskWPA-Personal
psk—WPA-Personal (older)
wpapskWPA-Personal
wpa1pskWPA-Personal
sae—WPA3-Personal
wpa3saeWPA3-Personal
wpa3-saesaeWPA3-Personal
wep—WEP (legacy, not recommended)
none—Open network (no password)
opennoneOpen network

If encryption is omitted and a password is set, WPA2 (psk2) is assumed. If encryption is omitted and no password is set, open (none) is assumed.

Field Name Aliases

For convenience, several field names are accepted for the same setting:

SettingAccepted keys
SSIDssid
Passwordpassword, pass, key, psk
Encryptionencryption, encr, auth, security
IP addressip, ip_address, ipaddress, static_ip
Netmasknetmask, mask, subnet
Gatewaygateway, gw, router
DNSdns, nameserver, dns_server
NTP serverntp, ntp_server, ntpserver, timeserver, time_server
Hostnamehostname, host, name, device_name, printer_name
Countrycountry, country_code, region

Examples

Simple WPA2 network (most common) 

ssid=MyHomeWiFi
password=MySecretPassword

Open network (no password) 

ssid=GuestNetwork
encryption=none

Static IP with custom DNS, NTP, and hostname 

ssid=OfficeNetwork
password=OfficePass123
hostname=Printer-3D-01
ip=10.0.0.50
netmask=255.255.255.0
gateway=10.0.0.1
dns=10.0.0.1 8.8.8.8
ntp=0.us.pool.ntp.org 1.us.pool.ntp.org
country=US

WPA3 network with DHCP 

ssid=SecureNetwork
password=WPA3Passphrase
encryption=sae
country=US

WEP legacy network (not recommended) 

ssid=OldRouter
password=abcde
encryption=wep

Behavior Notes

  • Boot behavior: WiFi station mode is disabled until a successful wifi.txt import. The legacy AP/captive-portal setup path is disabled and hidden from the live filesystem view, including AP-side DHCP/DNS and IPv6 router-advertisement services and the AP DHCP scope. The stock service binaries remain in the read-only base image, but they are not run by Deneb. Once configured, WiFi auto-connects on subsequent boots as a client.

  • Changing WiFi: Create a new wifi.txt and import again. The old config is overwritten.

  • Disconnecting WiFi: Use Settings > Network > Disconnect WiFi on the touchscreen. This clears the saved config and disables the radio.

  • USB drive: Any FAT32-formatted USB drive works. The system checks /mnt/sda1, /mnt/usb, and /media/usb for the file.

  • File name: Must be exactly wifi.txt (case-sensitive on Linux).

  • Encoding: Use plain ASCII or UTF-8. No BOM. Use Unix or Windows line endings (both work).

  • NTP: Importing an ntp line replaces the saved time-server list and restarts the time service. Leaving that line out keeps the existing list; it does not restore defaults. This setting is shared by Wi-Fi and Ethernet.

Advanced: change time servers over SSH

You can set US time servers directly instead of importing an ntp line. Connect to the printer as root over SSH (see the technical installation guide). Run these commands on the printer, one line at a time:

uci -q delete system.ntp.server
uci add_list system.ntp.server='0.us.pool.ntp.org'
uci add_list system.ntp.server='1.us.pool.ntp.org'
uci add_list system.ntp.server='2.us.pool.ntp.org'
uci add_list system.ntp.server='3.us.pool.ntp.org'
uci commit system
/etc/init.d/sysntpd restart
uci get system.ntp.server

The delete command removes the previous list; it can report no change if no list was saved. The commit command saves the new list, and restarting the time service applies it. The final command should display all four US server names above. This confirms the saved configuration; time synchronization also requires a working internet connection and may take a little time.

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