Drobotics | Drone Network Management Guide

Introduction

Managing your drone's companion computer requires mastery of various network commands. This comprehensive guide covers essential commands for monitoring, troubleshooting, and maintaining your drone's network connectivity in both client and access point modes.

System & Service Management

systemctl status hostapd
systemctl status dnsmasq
systemctl status rpanion-server

sudo systemctl start hostapd
sudo systemctl stop hostapd
sudo systemctl restart hostapd

sudo systemctl enable hostapd
sudo systemctl disable hostapd

Network Monitoring

ip -br a
ip addr show uap0
iw dev wlan0 info

sudo iwlist wlan0 scan
iwgetid -r

arp -a
iw dev uap0 station dump

Troubleshooting & Diagnostics

sudo journalctl -u hostapd -f
sudo journalctl -u dnsmasq -n 50
journalctl -u autohotspot --since "5m ago"

sudo lsof -i -P -n | grep LISTEN
sudo lsof -i:3001

ping 10.42.0.1
curl http://10.42.0.1:3001

Access Point Management

sudo /usr/bin/autohotspot
sudo ip addr add 10.42.0.1/24 dev uap0

sudo dnsmasq --log-queries
sudo dnsmasq --test

Security & Firewall

sudo ufw status
sudo ufw allow 3001
sudo ufw allow 22

systemctl status ModemManager
sudo apt remove modemmanager

System Monitoring

htop
free -h
df -h

vcgencmd measure_temp

Maintenance & Updates

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

df -h /
lsblk

sudo reboot
sudo shutdown -h now

Advanced One-Liners

echo "Services: $(systemctl is-active hostapd) $(systemctl is-active dnsmasq) | IP: $(hostname -I) | Temp: $(vcgencmd measure_temp)"

sudo journalctl -f -u hostapd -u dnsmasq -u rpanion-server

Conclusion

Mastering these commands will give you complete control over your drone's companion computer network. Whether you're troubleshooting connection issues, monitoring performance, or maintaining your system, these commands provide the foundation for effective drone network management.