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[on:]

Hey all,
I'm new here, only recently discovered these amazing devices, and just got mine in the mail a few days ago! I got the mega
I wasn't sure where to post this, so i am sorry if this is in the wrong forum.

I am interested in sending commands to the arduino via wifi, which could also send back information if required.

Now here is the problem:
These wifi modules are so expensive! I saw a wifi usb dongle on ebay for $5, so i didn't think that
the module for the arduino would be really expensive. The reason as to why i want to go for wifi is the high bandwidth.
Why are the modules so expensive? I saw a module for $90. Unless, i am looking in the wrong places then lol?
So please, point me in the right direction if i am, and also other alternatives, (hacks etc on a wifi usb dongle perhaps?) to accomplish my task.

Thanks!

[Reply #1 on:]

These wifi modules are so expensive!

But, they come ready to use.

I saw a wifi usb dongle on ebay for $5

Do yourself a favor. Just tear the $5 up and throw the pieces away. You'll be money ahead.

so i didn't think that the module for the arduino would be really expensive.

That's like saying LEDs are so cheap. Why does an Arduino that only uses 3 of them cost so much. The wifi chip is a small part of the hardware required.

Those USB dongles expect the PC to do 99% of the work. The WiFi shields do not expect the Arduino to do 99% of the work.

You can use a USB wifi dongle with a USB Host shield (oops, they cost money) and more programming than I suspect you are capable of. Don't expect it to be fast, though. Doing things in software that hardware should perform is almost always slower.

[Reply #2 on:]

These wifi modules are so expensive!

But, they come ready to use.

I saw a wifi usb dongle on ebay for $5

Do yourself a favor. Just tear the $5 up and throw the pieces away. You'll be money ahead.

so i didn't think that the module for the arduino would be really expensive.

That's like saying LEDs are so cheap. Why does an Arduino that only uses 3 of them cost so much. The wifi chip is a small part of the hardware required.

Those USB dongles expect the PC to do 99% of the work. The WiFi shields do not expect the Arduino to do 99% of the work.

You can use a USB wifi dongle with a USB Host shield (oops, they cost money) and more programming than I suspect you are capable of. Don't expect it to be fast, though. Doing things in software that hardware should perform is almost always slower.

Why are you bent up on me thinking they were cheaper than what they are? So what if i did, everyone has expectations sometimes, be it realistic of not

[Reply #3 on:]

Why are you bent up on me thinking they were cheaper than what they are?

Your whole post was a whine about how expensive the WiFi shields are, with the insinuation that because some of the parts can be had for less, the whole thing should be cheaper. Welcome to reality.