Raspberry Pi – FAQs

Making IT Fun!

1) Cannot connect to wifi:
The Raspberry Pi has a wifi chip + antenna built into it, and it should be active on first startup. The Raspberry Pi 3 b+ and newer models are able to run both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless networks (where 5GHz is typically preferred). When an issue comes up where it cannot connect to wifi, make sure to double check that you’re connecting to the right wifi network, and that your password is correct. If the problem persists it is typically a network issue where we recommend contacting your schools IT support team, or contacting your local ISP for assistance.

2) SSH/VPN/FileZilla not connecting:
SSH and VPN issues typically get linked back to networking problems within the home or school. There are a couple of situations that can be the cause of this error:

Situation 1 – First time ever connecting to SSH, VPN, Filezilla.
1. Make sure both the computer you’re connecting from AND the Raspberry Pi are connected to the internet
2. Both the computer and the Raspberry Pi need to be connecting to the internet through the same wifi connection
3. Verify you are using the correct IP Address on the Raspberry Pi, in the Pi terminal type:
hostname -I
hostname -I will print out either one, or two addresses depending on your network setup. Use the IP address that follows the patter of x.x.x.x that is 4 sets of digits and 3 dots. If you see something that follows a x:x:x::x pattern with semicolons, you can ignore the numbers/letters & semicolons associated with it because that is a second type of IP address we are not using.

Situation 2 – Have connected to SSH or VPN previous, no longer working.
1. Make sure both the computer you’re connecting from AND the Raspberry Pi are connected to the internet
2. Both the computer and the Raspberry Pi need to be connecting to the internet through the same wifi connection
3. Verify you are using the correct IP Address on the Raspberry Pi. Hook a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to your Raspberry Pi, boot it up and in the Pi terminal type:
hostname -I
The IP address can periodically change as new devices are added to the network while the Rapsberry Pi is powered off. If this happens, you will need to record the new IP address, and if it continues to happen frequently then you may want to either talk to your schools IT support team for a static IP address, or just plan on connecting a monitor, keyboard, and mouse when you boot up the Pi each time.

3) aiohttp error:
aiohttp errors occurs for one of two reasons:
Reason 1pipenv shell was not activated in the ~/sphero folder. Make sure you are in the first sphero folder and run pipenv shell

Reason 2 – there is a dependency issue within pipenv, in order to correct this we need to remove it and rebuild it.
Close current terminal, open a new one and type the following in the terminal:
cd sphero
pipenv --rm
pipenv --python /usr/bin/python3.7
pipenv install --skip-lock
pipenv shell

4) Other Raspberry Pi & Sphero RVR communication issues:
1. Save your work and restart the Raspberry Pi and the Sphero RVR (Always try this first).
2. Verify good power to the Raspberry Pi – Connect the Micro-USB or USB-C to the wall outlet supplied with the originally supplied Raspberry Pi kit.
3. Verify Sphero RVR has a charged battery.
4. Verify your 3 GPIO wires from the Raspberry Pi to the Sphero RVR aren’t loose, and are connected in the right order with the right pins.
5. Attempt to reinstall dependencies, following the instructions given in 3) aiohttp error Reason 2