Stick the USB in the Pi, see if it works.
You can then move over. Plug and Pray.
It is likely you are just in and awkward position. Tablets, laptops can have multiple antenna around the casing, laptops often have two wires running around the screen. Phones will be in your hand and away from things, lay it on a table or where the Pi is and it may not connect well. (It may have newer WiFi setups though)
The Pi has a small on the board antenna so lot of things can get in the way, if it is at 2.4GHz which it probably is if it's dropping out as 5GHz would have long been dropped, you then get lots of things that can interfere, USB3, microwave, various lights etc.
You could try rotating it, moving it a bit.
If the WiFi is seen and works, you can put it on an extension cable to position where you need it.
Or improve the WiFi AP layout in the rink.
Just some ideas.
You can then move over. Plug and Pray.
It is likely you are just in and awkward position. Tablets, laptops can have multiple antenna around the casing, laptops often have two wires running around the screen. Phones will be in your hand and away from things, lay it on a table or where the Pi is and it may not connect well. (It may have newer WiFi setups though)
The Pi has a small on the board antenna so lot of things can get in the way, if it is at 2.4GHz which it probably is if it's dropping out as 5GHz would have long been dropped, you then get lots of things that can interfere, USB3, microwave, various lights etc.
You could try rotating it, moving it a bit.
If the WiFi is seen and works, you can put it on an extension cable to position where you need it.
Or improve the WiFi AP layout in the rink.
Just some ideas.
Statistics: Posted by bensimmo — Tue Jul 22, 2025 7:30 am