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Long Range WiFi -- Posting right now using "long range" wireless

54K views 203 replies 34 participants last post by  Faster 
#1 · (Edited)
I hooked up my new Ubiquiti Bullet2HP to a 12v source and I am making this post using it right now. Really nice.


Of course, I'm very close to my own wireless access point at home, in fact there's no antenna connected to the Bullet. I'm using a 12v spotlight battery for power. When I get to our boat, I'm going to hook it up to the mystery antenna at the top of my mast. Once that's accomplished, you can be sure I'll have my pick of wireless networks to use.


To hook this up, I got a piece of normal Cat5 cable and carefully stripped off the outer plastic shell, revealing 4 pairs of wires. I hooked +12 volts to the blue pair (solid blue and blue striped), and ground to the brown pair (solid brown and brown striped). The Bullet immediately powered up with the "on" LED lit up. The other 2 pairs of wires remained connected to the plug at the end of the cable. I plugged that plug into my laptop. Then I followed these instructions: http://www.ubnt.com/downloads/Nano_Quick_Set-up.pdf The instructions are for another product, but they are close enough to figure out what to do.

If you aren't comfortable stripping wire (or stripping striped wire), you can get a Power Over Ethernet (POE) device, that breaks-out a power connection for you. There's a simple one that costs about $6 that I saw online, that would be suitable for use on a sailboat. Other POE "injectors" may be starting with 110volts, where you don't have to.

Once you have it setup, you can have it automatically find wireless networks, or you can set it so you can choose which wireless network you want to connect to. The former may connect you to a less-than-optimal network (perhaps a strong signal coming from another boat that is also simply a repeater), while the latter method would have to be done at each new anchorage. I went with the former, but I can easily change it through the web interface that the little device has built into it.

Here's the setup:


When I do install it, I plan to wrap it in electrical tape like the installer did for this one. Actually, I'll wrap the tape lower, since a few (actually, ten) Bullets had leaks under the clear cover that's over the LEDs -- bad glue that they've since fixed. To help it last a long time, I'll probably use electrical tape down to right below the LEDs. White tape would also look better too.


You'll need to get a WiFi (2.4 GHz) antenna with a female "N" type connector. The Bullet attaches right to the antenna at the top of your mast - no antenna cable. You have a Cat5 cable carry the signal (and power) to the unit. This eliminates the signal loss that you usually get from running a coax cable up to the mast. Here's an example:


When you unscrew the lower cover, you can see where the Cat 5 cable attaches. The lower cover has a hole for the cable that has white plastic O-ring. I tore it while removing it, so be careful when taking that grommet off the unit and sliding it over the Cat 5 cable. I plan to tape it up pretty thoroughly with electrical tape, so no harm done.


Choose an antenna that's right for the amount of pitching and heeling/rocking you will be doing when you surf the Internet. Unless you are at a dock or otherwise facing a specific direction all the time, you'll want to get an omnidirectional antenna. These antennas are available in increased gain, but the higher the gain, the narrower the vertical width of the beam. So heeling and pitching will affect a 12db gain antenna much more than a 6db gain antenna. From some cursory research, 6db to 10db ought to work. Since I plan on using the Internet mostly at anchor, if I didn't already have an antenna, I'd go for an even higher-gain omnidirectional antenna, maybe even 15 db or more. The higher the gain the longer the antenna gets, it seems. A 15db omnidirectional antenna will probably be 70 to 90 cm long and pull in signals from pretty far away. We'll see what range I get with my set up, using an unknown antenna that came with our boat.

At home, with no antenna, I pulled in my own wireless network. By holding a 6 inch wire onto the antenna plug, I could see 3 wireless networks. I can only imagine what I see once I get a real antenna connected.

Finally, I may hook a Linksys wireless router to the Bullet, so that I have WiFi in our boat. From what I understand, the Bullet can be setup as a repeater and serve your wireless laptops on your the boat, but I may use a separate device anyway (something about throughput). But initially I'll use a wire to my Bullet. I can get it setup that way quicker and I will be burning less amps (8 Amps, I think).

There is a forum for this product. Some useful threads are there. (Careful, one of the threads linked to an antenna with a female "type N" connector. You will need a male connector.)
marine wifi?? - Ubiquiti Networks Forum
Best Marine Antenna for B2HP Bullet - Ubiquiti Networks Forum

For the techie types - and if you made it this far then you are one - here's the datasheet: http://www.ubnt.com/downloads/b2hp_datasheet.pdf

Here are some places to buy it: bullet2hp - Google Product Search Note that you choose how powerful you want it to be. I got the 800 mW one by accident because I didn't pay close enough attention. I'd go for the 1000 mW one. It costs a bit extra, but considering the effort to get everything in place and buy an antenna, it's worth it.

***EDIT: I'm not affiliated with Ubiquiti, not related to anyone there, don't even know anyone there. I saw the product mentioned in another WiFi thread and thought I'd try it out.***
 
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#153 · (Edited)
I think part of the confusion over the gain of an omnidirectional antenna is that we are really dealing with signal-to-noise ratios, not just signal strength.

The high-gain omni-directional antenna does not have any extra signal bounced back to it by a reflector. But it does have a tight beamwidth where it's expecting signal (perpendicular from the antenna, all 360 degrees around it). All other areas, like above and below the beamwidth, have reduced sensitivity to signals. Since most of the access points and all of the boats are at sea level, (as oppoosed to 1000 feet up), the tight beamwidth works well. The world is a very noisy place, so the narrow beamwidth gives you a much better signal-to-noise ratio.

Regards,
Brad
 
#155 ·
I think part of the confusion over the gain of an omnidirectional antenna is that we are really dealing with signal-to-noise ratios, not just signal strength.
No, it's gain, pure and simple. And since antennas, being passive devices, have no way of discriminating between in-band noise and the desired signal, noise is "amplified," too. The only time a gain antenna improves S/N ratio is when a significant portion of the noise is off-axis to the antenna's gain pattern. This might be true for a unidirectional antenna, but less likely to be so for an omni-directional.

Jim
 
#157 ·
Excerpt from the article referenced a few posts back (here):
"Most antenna manufacturers specify gain as dBi, which is the gain relative to an isotropic source. In other words, dBi is how much the antenna increases the transmitter's power compared to using a fictitious, isotropic antenna. dBi represents the true gain that the antenna provides to the transmitter output."

You'll notice they define gain in terms of increasing transmit power only.

So, anyone have any articles or data that shows that rated gain is bi-directional in an omni? I'm eager for fact.

Mike
 
#159 · (Edited)
So, anyone have any articles or data that shows that rated gain is bi-directional in an omni? I'm eager for fact.
*sigh* So the fact that I used to teach this stuff apparently isn't enough for you?

This is basic antenna and transmission line theory. I don't mean to offend, but anybody that truly understands how antennas work knows this. But, tho it's "basic," it's also very, very complicated. It's not the kind of thing that can reasonably be taught on this site or a simple web page.

Best I can do in a short space is this: Examine the radiation pattern of an isotropic antenna element in free space. It'll be a balloon. Examine the radiation pattern of a half-wave dipole in free space. Notice how it's a big, fat donut-shaped thing--with the hole along the axis of the antenna. (This dipole has 3dB gain over the isotropic source, btw, at right angles to the element.) Now examine the radiation pattern of an omni-directional "gain antenna" in free space. You'll notice it's a flattened along the antenna's axis and elongated at right angles to the antenna, as compared to the simple dipole. Now, in any of the two latter instances: Imagine an RF source that's outside the previous antenna's radiation patterns. E.g.: A source that's outside the isotropic antenna's pattern, but w/in the dipole's. A receiver connected to the lower-gain antenna would not be able to "hear" that RF source.

The power, or "value," of a signal is in its S/N ratio. A signal theoretically never truly disappears, it just becomes so weak (dissipated--in every sense of the word) its S/N ratio at the receiver has it buried in the noise. A gain antenna improves the energy received (more technically: The energy density), in a given direction, or, in the case of an omni-directional antenna, along a given plane (kind of--it's not really a "plane," per se). (In this respect, Bene505 was correct: It's all about S/N ratio.)

That's the best I can do. (And the most I'm willing to do.) I've forgotten more than I remember about this stuff. Like I said: I used to teach it. I could post my CV, but, if you don't believe me now, that probably wouldn't do any good, either.

Jim
 
#158 ·
When I queried the real range of the Bullet2 and Bullet 2 high power it was because I wanted to know in the real world with a typical masthead omnidirectional aerial what I could expect to pick up and from what distance.Assuming I would be in a harbour with wifi available within a mile or so from my position.
I am not in the world of just popping up my mast to change the aerial or directing it towards a particular transmitter. Neither do I expect to receive at most 2 mb broadband reception.
Problem with discussion now as is is that its about aerials in the purist world.
Its a bit the same with Ham radio.At home no problem playing with my home brewed roller coaster ATU and trying out different aerials but on my boat at sea all I want is something that delivers the best signal and sends out the best signal with minimum standing wave etc.
All I want is to arrive in a harbour switch on my laptop and be able to get useful stuff like local weather reports or over here the Met office isobaric charts etc. and perhaps watch a bit of online TV in a part of the world where medium and long range wireless communicatios are difficult.
 
#160 ·
When I queried the real range of the Bullet2 and Bullet 2 high power it was because I wanted to know in the real world with a typical masthead omnidirectional aerial what I could expect to pick up and from what distance.
You're not going to get a definitive answer because there is no such thing. There are too many variables.

Problem with discussion now as is is that its about aerials in the purist world.
That's because the only way to intelligently discuss such things is to remove extraneous variables. Thus we discuss the theoretical behaviour of radiators in free space, which is an impossibility to achieve in reality, even if we were in free space, because the theoretical models don't even account for the presence of a feed line :).

It has to be that way. It's the only way it can be.

Jim
 
#161 ·
This technical area is all laid out in pretty plain English in the ARRL Antenna Handbook I referenced above. Sure there are yet more technical references but I'm not aware of anyone who takes issue with the ARRL publication.

If Mike, who asks for references, won't follow up then this isn't a discussion - it's an argument and I won't play.

Auspicious out.
 
#163 ·
This technical area is all laid out in pretty plain English in the ARRL Antenna Handbook I referenced above. Sure there are yet more technical references but I'm not aware of anyone who takes issue with the ARRL publication.
Nor am I. I never read it, but that's because I got all my antenna, transmission line and propagation theory, and a good deal of practical application, long before I obtained my Amateur Radio license. Hell, I was teaching it long before then.

If Mike, who asks for references, won't follow up then this isn't a discussion - it's an argument and I won't play.

Auspicious out.
Same here.

Jim
 
#162 ·
With all due respect to all particpants: This thread was originally suggesting (from my reading) that a 12dBi antenna was going to be superior to, say, a 6dbi because it had more range.

Max power allowed is 36dBm for Wi-Fi (for Point-To-Multipoint). That's a full power Bullet2HP and a 6dBi antenna. Staying within the 36dBm limit, a 12dBi antenna coupled to a Bullet would need it's output power derated to 24dBm (250mW). It would seem the benefit of increasing the antenna gain is significantly reduced, if not eliminated, by the decrease in power output of the radio. What you end up with is about the same range and a pancake of a radiation pattern. Why not just stay with the 6dBi and enjoy a fuller 'donut'?

Of course, there are those that would (whether intentionally or not) couple a full power Bullet2HP to a 12dBi omni (42dBm, 16W output). The result is overdriving of the input of the hotspot receiver if in close enough and polluting the airwaves for everyone at an anchorage or marina. Tests we've run and from what I've already read in this thread suggest this is happening. Now at distance: The problem is that the hotspot is probably running only at 36dBm (4W) and may hear a distant 12dBi system, but the distant 12dBi system can't hear back because the hotspot is putting out 4x less power. My arguement (from our tests) is that the Bullet (with stated sensitivities) having a 12dBi antenna stuck on it does not increase its ability to receive to the same order of magnitude as its ability to transmit. Ergo: different effective real world transmit and receive gains. We have successfully connected in excess of 5sm using a 6dBi omni and Bullet2HP mounted on a radar arch (with a clear line of sight and a properly powered and located hotspot of course).

If you want a reliable connection to those distant hotspots that seem flakey, increase the sensitivity by selecting B mode where the spec for the Bullet2HP says that sensitivity and output power are highest. There is also the benefit with lower data rates to receive more reliably since each bit slice time is longer thus giving the receiver a greater opportunity to properly detect it.

This is not about believing/disbelieving anyone. It's about being a good netizen (net citizen) and sharing a Wi-Fi resource that should be available to be enjoyed by all in a marina or anchorage.

Again, if anyone has any real world experience that suggests any of what I've stated above is faulty, I'm alway open to listen and potentially change my viewpoint.

Mike
 
#177 ·
With all due respect to all particpants: This thread was originally suggesting (from my reading) that a 12dBi antenna was going to be superior to, say, a 6dbi because it had more range.

Max power allowed is 36dBm for Wi-Fi (for Point-To-Multipoint). That's a full power Bullet2HP and a 6dBi antenna. Staying within the 36dBm limit, a 12dBi antenna coupled to a Bullet would need it's output power derated to 24dBm (250mW). It would seem the benefit of increasing the antenna gain is significantly reduced, if not eliminated, by the decrease in power output of the radio. What you end up with is about the same range and a pancake of a radiation pattern. Why not just stay with the 6dBi and enjoy a fuller 'donut'?

Of course, there are those that would (whether intentionally or not) couple a full power Bullet2HP to a 12dBi omni (42dBm, 16W output). The result is overdriving of the input of the hotspot receiver if in close enough and polluting the airwaves for everyone at an anchorage or marina. Tests we've run and from what I've already read in this thread suggest this is happening. Now at distance: The problem is that the hotspot is probably running only at 36dBm (4W) and may hear a distant 12dBi system, but the distant 12dBi system can't hear back because the hotspot is putting out 4x less power. My arguement (from our tests) is that the Bullet (with stated sensitivities) having a 12dBi antenna stuck on it does not increase its ability to receive to the same order of magnitude as its ability to transmit. Ergo: different effective real world transmit and receive gains. We have successfully connected in excess of 5sm using a 6dBi omni and Bullet2HP mounted on a radar arch (with a clear line of sight and a properly powered and located hotspot of course).

If you want a reliable connection to those distant hotspots that seem flakey, increase the sensitivity by selecting B mode where the spec for the Bullet2HP says that sensitivity and output power are highest. There is also the benefit with lower data rates to receive more reliably since each bit slice time is longer thus giving the receiver a greater opportunity to properly detect it.

This is not about believing/disbelieving anyone. It's about being a good netizen (net citizen) and sharing a Wi-Fi resource that should be available to be enjoyed by all in a marina or anchorage.

Again, if anyone has any real world experience that suggests any of what I've stated above is faulty, I'm alway open to listen and potentially change my viewpoint.

Mike
(Just re-read this.)

I didn't know this before Mike posted about it. One minor correction I'd make....

Having a high gain antenna will help the receive signal strength, so you'll be able to recieive signals from farther away from the marina or other access point. From what Mike says, after connecting a high gain antenna you would lower the transmit power. And doing so won't matter to you because you are limited by your receive signal strength. And you'll be a good netizen too.

This means that with a high gain antenna you could buy a cheaper bullet that doesn't have 1000mw (1 watt) of transmit power. If I recall correctly, the 250mw ones are much cheaper. Even the 800mw ones are cheaper.

As for me, since I like to experiment, and I don't mind making the setting changes, I'll keep the higher power one that I have and lower it's power output. Some experimantation is in order to find the sweet spot of lowest power without affecting performance.

WiFi is designed to serve multiple poeple at once. We don't want sailboats to get a bad reputation by "stepping on" the signals from others. Please transmit responsibly.

Regards,
Brad
 
#165 · (Edited)
Last Sunday was a beautiful day on the Long Island Sound. DavidPM and I headed out and found a complete calm. No wind whatsoever.

So I took advantage of the fact that I had a skilled helper on board. We went to work running the cat-5 cable for the Bullet2HP down the mast. I was a bit reluctant, becuase I haven't done the "height above the water" experiment to see if hoisting the Bullet higher gives better reception. Completing the permanent mounting meant bye-bye to that experiment. But I didn't want to waste the opportunity.

Well, guess what? We couldn't get the wire run. First we tried using a metal pull cord tied to monofilament. It stopped right above the deck. We know because I tide off the end at the top, pulled the line out of the mast, and let it hang on the outside.

With me at the top and David below, we thought that maybe it was caught on something due to the angle of the mast. I jiggled and jiggled -- no luck.

Then David tried running the boat in circles, going over our own wake, while I lifted and dropped the line inside the mast. Lifted and dropped. And jiggled. And jiggled some more. No luck.

(If you were at Sands Point or Glen Cove seeing a couple of crazy guys doing tight figure eights at high speed on a calm day, that was us.)

Next we used an unused antenna cable that was already inside the mast. (It went to the mystery antenna I posted about a couple years ago.) I cut off the end, tied the monofilament to it and wrapped the knots with electrical tape. This was after the boat stopped again so there was less need to hold on tight. David pulled (hard) on the bottom of that cable. The end got down to right above deck height and something in the mast peeled away the monofilament. David got a wire with no messenger line attached. That was a setback. Instead of being plus one cable I'm now minus one cable.

...That and my brand-new Todd 4-step dock stairs disappeared during the (very windy) week. Someone said they saw it floating out the inlet. It was a tough week. I really liked those steps.

The good news is the the wind came up a bit after that and we managed to get short bit of light-wind sailing in. That and I still get to do the "height above the water" test. You may see it posted here after I get some free time to run that test.

Regards,
Brad
 
#166 ·
Brad, thanks for starting this most excellent thread and for the experimentation. I've been following this and the antenna thread since day one. I've got all the parts on order and I should be putting it together in the next month or so. I will post my results and my permanent installation when completed. I'm finally getting this off the ground, I've been humming and hawing for far too long.
 
#167 · (Edited)
Thanks Seaya,

I'm now hooking up a webcam to my long range wifi. You'll be able to control the pan & tilt and see the cam in the salon.

Why did I do this? I did not winterinze the engine this year since I'm using the boat so much. I'm depending on a bilge heater in the engine compartment to keep the engine from freezing. The heater is connected to shore power. I already found the boat not properly connected to shore power after the marina moved her to her winter slip. She's 25 minutes away and it's important that I keep checking on her.

So yesterday I bought a wireless webcam, with pan and tilt! I'm putting it in the salon so I can check that the boat is still plugged into shore power and the heater is working. I have a 120v light bulb on and I'll put a mercury thermometer in plain sight. (I have a heater in the salon too.) It will be easy to see that everything's ok. The camera was about $70, or a fraction of the cost of the engine work needed if the raw water pipes freezes and things burst.

Having the long range wifi gives me some options in using the webcam while on the hook this summer, even though it's an indoor webcam (THere are outdoor webcams for 3x the price. I'm going to walk before running on this one.) And yes, I'll have to share the web address so you can check out the setup. You'll be able to control the up-and-down and side-to-side motion of the camera, and see the interior of the boat.

The web cam is a little like this one, only I bought it from someone in the US. I didn't want to wait for delivery from Hong Kong -- winter is already here in the Northeast US.



Good luck with your long range wifi installation. I found it a little tricky at first. It helped when I powered up the Bullet after the laptop was already powered-up. But others have found this not to be a requirement. If you need any help just holler.

Regards,
Brad
 
#168 ·
Can anyone help me to figure out what's wrong here. :confused: :( First off, everything arrived and it all went together just fine. The Bullet M2, a TP-Link TL-ANT2412DI Antenna and associated gear. I have followed the directions using both of the following sets of instructions.
http://www.ubnt.com/downloads/Nano_Quick_Set-up.pdf
Bullet setup.pdf - 4shared.com - document sharing - download
I have spent 2 days trying different things with no success.

This is my current LAN setup.



At this stage, I get two green lights on the Bullet. From here on in it gets tricky to get into the AirOS setup page. Sometimes I can get in if I disconnect the power wait a while and re-connect and eventually I get in. Once in, I have tried updating the firmware under the system tab many times. I was able to download v 5.3 firmware but during the upload it gives up and I can't get any further.

So I gave up on that and decided to set the network up under the network tab. So I re-power the bullet and start over and I go to the network tab. Here are my settings:





At this stage, the Bullet's two green light are on and I'm still connected. But once I push Change, the upper lights on the Bullet start flashing continuously/randomly and my LAN connection rotating messages between "network cable unplugged" "Identifying" "unidentified network". See image below. Nothing will happen in the AirOS setup page, ie: The "apply" button does not appear at the top of the page.

I've tried everything I can think of including re-setting the Bullet using the button on the bottom of the unit. I have also disabled the firewall. Right now I'm using Windows 7 but I have also tried installation on my other laptop running XP.

Any help would be appreciated.
Steve

 
#169 · (Edited)
READ THIS ARTICLE I WROTE If you still need help after reading it, PM me a phone number I can reach you at, and I'll see if I can walk you through it.
 
#180 · (Edited)
#181 ·
Nice setup estopa!

You haven't lived until you've experimented with a car battery in your house.

Regards,
Brad
 
#182 ·
Just received my Bullet m2hp along with a POE box with a built in 15vdc supply. Had some initial problems getting through to the ubnt site to set the Bullet but that was a minor hold up.

My 15db antenna will be here next week!!!! Anxious to get the system up and operational. There are sooo many public sites (or at least was) over at Vineyard Haven where we plan to spend a couple of weeks. HAPPY, HAPPY I FOUND THIS SITE a year or so ago!!!

Foggy
 
#185 ·
The Wirie is a repackaged Alfa USB wifi adapter. The repackaging includes a waterproof Pelican case, a mount, and a custom higher-gain antenna.

I have an Alfa adapter that I use as a portable range-extender. It works okay--certainly better than the built-in wifi in my laptop.

The Bullet2HP-based system on my boat is a substantial improvement over the Alfa.
 
#186 · (Edited)
One can read my excitement above after receiving my Bullet. Great looking product but............

I am totally disgusted with Ubiquiti Networks support. Ubiquiti site recommends using their forum for technical questions.... Yeah, I posted two questions which received almost immediate responses from folks there providing helpful answers. My third post to communicate with one of the posters is still held up for review by a moderator!!! It along with another attempted post have not made the forum as I type. I have answers to my questions but through no help from Ubiquiti. There was nothing in my posts that would have caused concerns.

I was given a pointer to the user's manual last night in another boating forum. Best to look for technical help outside of Ubiquiti Networks.

EDIT:

UPDATE

I was able to resolve my issues at Ubiquiti. My post got hung up on a technicality, not a moderator that is now resolved. There is valuable information/instructions in this thread though so I will share my progress or lack of it when I get my antenna set up.

Foggy
 
#187 ·
Try the links to documentation on wififorboats.com . Good stuff.

The Bullet2HP is a wonderful product (I'm connected through one now). Send me a note if you continue to have problems and I'll try to help. There are lots and lots of us out there quite happy with them and pleased to have a system that works better than the alternatives.

Sorry you're having problems.
 
#188 ·
Try the links to documentation on wififorboats.com . Good stuff.

The Bullet2HP is a wonderful product (I'm connected through one now). Send me a note if you continue to have problems and I'll try to help. There are lots and lots of us out there quite happy with them and pleased to have a system that works better than the alternatives.

Sorry you're having problems.
Thanks SV---

If I stumble I will take advantage of your offer!! I want to get my antenna (next week for delivery) before I do much more with the system.

Foggy
 
#189 ·
Anything new to add to this thread?

Any interesting experiences?

I'm still messing around with a permanent installation. Just pulled the Cat5 cable out of my mast because it wasn't in the wiring race (conduit) but loose in the mast. I 0lan to redo it properly in the near future.

The "height above water" test is still a possibilty, it's just a matter of finding the time. Until I get the top-of-mast setup completed, I hang the Bullet2HP from the boom and it works well.

Here's a link to the 9db versus 12 db antenna tests. http://www.sailnet.com/forums/electronics/69566-long-range-wifi-antenna-tests.html

Regards,
Brad
 
#190 · (Edited)
I am in an attempt to set this up for a friend of mine that is getting ready to live aboard his Island Packet in the Bahamas. I have read so many threads on the setup that now I am almost more lost than when I started.

I plan to buy one of the Bullets and antenna as well as POE and Cat5.

From what I have read there is little difference between the Bullet M2HP (newer version) and the Bullet 2HP in performance. I have found that they are priced the same. So how do I decide between the two?

Antenna's seem to be a big question in this setup. From what I have read it seems that bigger is not always better in omni directional antennas. So I'm trying to decide between 8/10/12 db antenna. Please help me with that.

The POE and cable is easy enough. But If you guys could point me to a seller that has all of the pieces that would be great. Give me part numbers and I'll buy you a virtual beer. Hell I'll buy the house a round.

Part of my problem deciding on these items is that threads like this one and others discussing the Bullet were started a couple years ago. In electronics that seems to be a long time, things change. So looking for today's suggestions.

Cheers,
Ron
 
#191 ·
Ron-
Bullet 2HP seems to be obsolete technology, it works with 802.11 b/g radios. For about five years now the 802.11 b/g/n standard has replaced that. The /n radios provide for greater speed and range.
If the hot spot you are logged into still uses an old router, there's no difference. If they've been keeping up with the times, the M2HP with the 802.11n ability should give you less interference, more range, faster throughput. Couple or five years down the line from now--the obsolete stuff will really be obsolete, so why buy into it now?
 
#195 ·
I just bought the kit from IslandTimePC and am happy. Bear in mind that most access points you pull in with the bullet will be WEP secured so you'll need a password from the marina to get on. I do NOT regret my purchase but just getting 50 access points to chose from does NOT ensure a fast connection. My marina where I am staging now before our cruise has CRAP internet, I get a great signal of a VERY slow connection. There are two parts to this puzzle.
 
#196 ·
Very unhappy with the overpriced, underpowered "The Wirie". And, if you don't get it back to them very quickly, they will keep your money. Count on zero refund if you fall outside their 10-day return policy.
For a third the price, you can do much better for yourself.
 
#197 ·
This customer wanted to return his unit after 4 weeks of having it. We have only a 10-day return policy (which is flexible, assuming we are contacted by the customer, which in this case, we were not, he simply sent it back after having it for 4 weeks). And the unit was returned damaged.

He is upset we will not give him a refund and is now posting on numerous forums in an attempt to threaten us with bad publicity.

We will not comment further on this issue on this forum.
 
#198 ·
Seller had no complaints about the product returned to him. Then said it was damaged. Then said it had cosmetic issues.
Instead of refunding, he is sending the product back to me and keeping the money. The other forum is CF, where another forum member chimed in right away with a similar complaint.
I am not at all satisfied with the product and less satisfied to discover someone with questionable business practices.
 
#199 ·
I am posting because of the false statement being provided by "thesnort".

As soon as the customer sent us an email (11/26/2012 6pm) stating he returned the product to us, we notified him immediately (11/26/2012 8pm) that we would not accept the return as it was 4 weeks since he received the item, and never contacted us to discuss the situation. We would certainly test the unit and confirm proper functionality when we received it, and then return it to him. This was the first email we ever received from him.

The email we sent him after receiving his returned unit (11/28/2012 7am) is posted on CF. I think it speaks for itself about the situation.

Please don't make up "facts". We have the entire communication thread between you and us, and I don't really think you want me to post that to set the record straight (probably nobody else does either :)).

Our return policy is clearly stated on our site, and is agreed to when you checkout. We are sorry you don't agree with it, but slandering the product, after you have stated "I tried your product for a mere minutes", is a bit unnecessary as you have no idea, positive or negative, on how our product works.

Seller had no complaints about the product returned to him.
 
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