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Wi-Fi

4K views 25 replies 10 participants last post by  remetau 
#1 ·
Hey guys/gals,

I need to buy a Wi-Fi extender for the boat. I can mount it on my solar arch.

I don't really want to run it up th mast if I can help it. I also considered putting it on the end of a pole, much lik a SSB antenae or VHF Antenae that can be raised and lowered.

I have had the Bullet 2hp reccomended to me by a knowledgeable sailor with it. It is on the short list. Has anyone used 5 mile Wifi or one of the others mentiond in this PS article:

http://www.bitstorm.com/downloads/PS0410_WiFi_Article.pdf

Thoughts? Need to get one quick or I will not be able to get on easily and we will have to make Smackdaddy a moderator. Place will go down hill quickly. Can you say Mayday??

J/K, but serious about getting one very soon. Thanks for the ideas.

Brian
 
#2 ·
Any of the Ubiquiti Bullet solutions are excellent. You can do your own or buy a kit from islandtimepc.com or wififorboats.com or any number of other vendors.

My experience with the Alfa based solutions is not nearly so good, although I do carry an Alfa in my go bag on trips.
 
#6 ·
I just installed a Wirie AP last week, mounted on the stern pulpit, this one has a hotspot built in so you just need a 12 volt connection, not USB, then you have your own wireless network on the boat.
I've only tried it in the marina but before I could only see 5 networks and none were strong enough to connect. Now there's hundreds but I just connected to the nearby Marina Inn.
Install was comparatively easy, just run the power cable thru transom and up to the panel with a 2 amp fuse.
You could put one together yourself no doubt, but when I started pricing out components it didn't seem too bad.
 
#7 ·
Brian, depending on how technologically impaired you feel and how fat the budget is...

That Alfa sells for $35 on Amazon then all you need is a longer USB cord to get it out of the cabin. Yes, the USB cord length limits position but for $35 versus 250+, I'd try it first.

Which also means you'll need to use the Wifi tools that come with your computer, to choose and connect to a network. Which isn't such a big deal these days.

The many folks who repackage it...OK, they're entitled to a profit if they make life easier but really, how badly can you lose by trying the $35 solution first? And at that price, you can carry a spare and sell it to the next hapless cruiser. :)
 
#9 ·
So $35 for parts, a 15 foot USB cable and a roll of duct tape and you got WiFi for 1 laptop, tape it to your forehead and you can have WiFi all over the boat.
Just thought of a new product, mount the whole shebang in a straw hat with a solar panel and you are a mobile extended range hotspot.:)
 
#12 ·
Brian,
Where are you using it? Are you trying to reach your marina's wifi from the end of the dock or a mooring? Are you cruising the FLA coast and trying to hit open wifi connections from anchor?

I had played around with re-configuring a router as a repeater and using a larger antenna with mixed results (this was two years ago)

I ended up getting a MiFi unit that uses the cellular network. Basically I can get online anywhere I can get a cell signal. When I first got it speed was good enough to stream NetFlix to my 12v TV when anchored out. But Comcast started making an orphan out of these units and throughput fell through the floor - Comcast assures me this is a coincidence.

They're also going to stop supporting them in August. I hate Comcast :hothead

I'm going to get a new SIM card and convert it over to the Sprint network. If that doesn't work I'll pick one up from Verizon. Current cost is $40 a month, but it's reliable anywhere I can pick up a cell signal. It's a third smaller than a Blackberry. Best of all up to five people can share the connection. So far I've never even come close to the 5GB monthly limit.

YMMV depending on where you're cruising.

 
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#13 ·
Use will be US, Bahamas, and other destinations. We have the ATT Wifi card which is awesome!! Used it a lot of the last few week, even anchored out at cabbage key. However, I am limited to 5 gig/month before I start getting charged.

Kids need homeschooling and we need internet connections for office and personal stuff. Let's not even discuss Sailnet!!! So we are trying to minimize our time on the wifi card. BTW, the 4glte is as fast as broadband.

Brian
 
#21 ·
Auspicious, you're right, I'm not. The support and configuration issues may be real, depending on what WiFi software is already on Brian's system. Recent ( 5 years?) systems tend to make WiFi configuration pretty simply, select network, click, goodbye. If someone needs more support, that's a decision to be made but often it will be like buying the extended warranty from an auto salesman: A big piece of your money gone for no reason. So I'm ignoring that discussion. And not totally surprised when you say the Alfa drivers are a pain.

Ditto on the waterproofing. As some of the reviews note, an RJ-45 socket ain't good enough, but then again, neither is a 90-day warranty. As one comedienne has said, "Never sleep with something that only has a 90-day warranty." If someone can't figure out tupperware and butyl tape...as I suspect Brian can...

It is still gambling $35 versus paying out what, ten times the price?

Some of the packaging is nice, some of the support has been mentioned online as outstanding. Still, at a tenfold price difference...

What OS are you using, that the Alfa drivers are a pain how?
 
#23 ·
Some of the packaging is nice, some of the support has been mentioned online as outstanding. Still, at a tenfold price difference...

What OS are you using, that the Alfa drivers are a pain how?
For my roll-your-own I spent nearly as much on mounts and brackets and hardware as on the electronics.

I've used the Alfa on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and RH Linux. The Linux drivers have been pretty stable. The Windows stuff gets bolluxed (sp?) with nearly every Microsoft upgrade.
 
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