If you're experiencing WiFi connection problems or other random communication issues, check if the problem might be caused by USB 3.0 devices.

I recently added a Pegasus UPB v2 to my astrophotography build, and started experiencing weird WiFI connectivity problems. I tracked the issue down to a USB 3.0 connection between the UPB and my Sony A7III camera. Plugging the Sony A7III directly into the Stellarmate resolved my problem. I suspect that this might have also caused other random communication problems in my setup, including issues with my GPS dongle and the ZWO guide cam.

Switching to 5GHz WiFI should address the problem. Using USB 2.0 cables instead of USB 3.0 cables avoids the issue, but it reduces image transfer speeds from the camera. I tried multiple USB 3.0 cables, and none of them helped. I don't believe this is specific to my Sony camera, but I don't really have other devices to test with.

I was able to identify the specific device by running a ping command from my desktop to the Stellarmate over the WiFI connection. When I plugged in the problematic device, I started seeing dropped packets.

If you're experiencing similar issues, try testing your devices one at a time to see if you can track down the culprit.

Be sure to test your wifi connection at home. I did the setup via the LAN, and then hauled my gear out to the field to shoot. Big mistake to change anything without back-yard testing it.

Intel has a white paper on USB3/wifi interference: www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products...erference-paper.html