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WiFi on the Boat?

19K views 42 replies 27 participants last post by  miatapaul 
#1 ·
Hello to all,

I am currently living aboard in Miami. I have a coffee shop near me that has WiFi that I use to check my emails. I have heard that there is equipment that allows you to receive the WiFi signal from long distances. Can anyone advise if they have used or seen anything that allows you to check the emails from the boat.
 
#2 ·
There are some lengthy, knowledgeable threads on this topic at the SSCA Discussion Board in the Communications section - http://ssca.org/sscabb/index.php They are very thorough.

The bottom line is that you can''t expect much more than 1 NM range unless you start getting quite fancy (and $$)...and even then, more than a few miles is unrealistic. Occasionally, a boat will exceed 1 NM but that may well be because of the height of the shoreside wifi system and the boat using a directional vs. omni antenna.

Jack
 
#4 ·
jackmccallin said:
As municipalities install WIFI that will provide universal (and free) Internet access, we must be sure that marinas and state parks will be included.
That was not my experience in the Florida Keys over the Xmas holidays when my wife and I went crusiing. Every marina subscribed to a local Wifi service company that wanted about $29.95/month for access or $1.99/day.
 
#5 ·
I'll defer to the SSCA discussions about very long-range WiFi connections. I moor up in about as urban an environment as you can imagine- Lake Union in Seattle, WA. There are dense office and residential neighborhoods on all sides of the lake.

SeattleWireless has a powerful directional antenna aimed my way from Eastlake Avenue, but I can just barely connect with the tiny antenna in my Linksys WiFi card in my Dell Latitude PC. There is an inexpensive wireless access cooperative in the marina, but I won't always be right here at the marina, and isn't Free so much more fun ?

I just purchased a Hawking HWU8DD USB wireless "dish adapter" from Fry's Electronics for about $70. It's just a USB WiFi adapter with a shiny dish-like antenna attached. It claims 8 dBi gain. It gets power and connection via a simple USB cable. Unfortunately the business end where it plugs into the dish is a mini-USB connector, so I'll need a special extender if I want to put it up on deck while I'm at the nav station.

I am using it from my apartment, in which I can get a handful of neighbor's signals. I am excited to try it out from the marina, and I'll post my results.

I expect a stronger directional "Cantenna" might also do the trick, as would very expensive marine antennas and directional antennas.
 
#6 ·
I met a guy this past fall that had an antenna on his standing rigging that gave him a 5-20 mile range. The system required some software "HIS" and he has a patten on this device. He said he could get up to 20 miles with it. He also was very tight lipped about most of it but he had a few and spilled that much to me. I wish I had a contact for him. I only know the name of his boat so I will try and track him down.
 
#9 ·
You can do many things with WiFi, but what you can do *practically* is much more limited. A couple of ham radio ops have the current world record for something like 125 miles using standard WiFi cards--but in order to get that working, they also use a 12' dish antenna and special software because there are timing issues when standard networking is pushed that way.<G>

As a civilian your practical limit will probably be 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile even if you buy a direction gain antenna, which can be a yagi or parabolic type with 9 to 24db of gain. (More is better.) So what you can do is buy the highest gain antenna you are willing to afford. Know that you will have to hunt & point it directly at the other connection. Height counts, so raising it 20' or so will help establish a clear connection. But the coaxial cables used for WiFi antennas have a great deal of loss in them, so you also need to attach your WiFi *router* to the antenna with the shortest possible antenna cable, and then use a longer USB or ethernet cable to come down from the router to your computer. Sounds convoluted, but that is how all the long-distance WiFi work is down, with the router up at the antenna. Not with a Wifi card in your computer.

Check out the seattlewireless web site, they also list the power output of various models of WiFi router. The more power it has, the more power goes into your antenna, the better chance you have of longer range.

On the bright side, two new forms of wireless are deploying this year and next year, and both will have much larger ranges. "WiMax" is one of them, but right now you probably won't find it.
 
#10 ·
Another option, at least in major metro areas, is a 3G EVDO cellular modem or connection via cell phone. I've used a Bluetooth equipped phone to connect my laptop to the internet. It's not the speediest...but it is available in many areas now.
 
#11 ·
I use the Verizon wireless internet. It will connect where ever my cell can connect, and in Metro areas (most), will get broadband. It's $60 a month for Verizon wireless customers, but seems worth the expense. It uses a PCMIA card in the laptop to connect with ($50 after rebate).
 
#12 ·
In the Pacific Northwest try a company called Broadband Xpress. They supply WiFi exclusively to marinas. Not cheap, but they specialize in hi powered equipment. Google them.

I got their service when I was living at a marina. The card I bought from them was advertised as being 10x as powerful as regular WiFi. Again, their equipment is not cheap - start at C$100 and go from there. But if you cruise their site it may give you some hints or ideas

Richard
S/V Gandalf III
 
#13 ·
They're lying to you...

seamountie said:
I got their service when I was living at a marina. The card I bought from them was advertised as being 10x as powerful as regular WiFi. Again, their equipment is not cheap - start at C$100 and go from there. But if you cruise their site it may give you some hints or ideas
I seriously doubt that their equipment is 10x the power of a standard wifi card. The standard cards are 100 milliwatt, the legal limit AFAIK is 200 milliwatt, and there are a few cards that support the 200 milliwatt transmit power, but NONE that support a full WATT of transmit power.
 
#33 ·
I seriously doubt that their equipment is 10x the power of a standard wifi card. The standard cards are 100 milliwatt, the legal limit AFAIK is 200 milliwatt, and there are a few cards that support the 200 milliwatt transmit power, but NONE that support a full WATT of transmit power.
Actually they don't just sell one that is a FULL WATT, they sell something even bigger, May I introduce you to the wifi hacker's best friend, the 2 watt Alfa wifi N adapter, add that with a 32 Db grid antenna an you have long range links with strong connections.
This is what I use
http://tinyurl.com/2wattwifi
 
#15 ·
The main question is whether you have built-in WiFi or a separate card. Most separate cards will have external antenna connections on them. There are plenty of places online that sell different types of antennas, they are the same as the ones for 900Mhz phone signals. If the signal is in direct sight and you get a directional antenna pointed right at it with enough amplification, you should be able to get a signal. There are also repeaters that you could hook it up to instead of your computer and you could provide a signal for youself and everyone around you.
 
#16 ·
Forget directional antennas on a boat

unless you are on a dock. Boats are usually dynamic state, They move all over the place when not at a dock. Directional antennas have to be aimed at each other. Think of a spotlight vs. a flood light. Whgat works best for a boat is a dipole antenna. Sort of looks like your VHF antenna placed up high in the rigging.

That said contrary to what has been said before most WIFI cards do not come with a jack for an external antenna. The exception is if you have a desktop computer onboard.

I found the Buffalo card with a 9 bd gain antenna will give me an effective working rangs of 1.5 miles max. The cost is about 150.00

Fair Winds
Cap'n Dave
 
#17 ·
A lot of wifi cards are available with mmc-x type antenna jacks for external antenna. I have used Lucent/3Com, Cisco, and several other brands. You really do want a 200 mw capable card for this use.

A panel type patch antenna is fairly directional and should work quite well, better than an omni-directional antenna. Most of the panel type antenna have about a 90 degree area of coverage, and that will give you a fair amount of latitude for the boat swinging.
 
#19 ·
I would avoid anything USB as the drivers are very flaky. I have tried several brands and none are stable. I would suggest the Ubiquiti products. this is a really old discussion, but there are a few that discuss teh NanoStation2. I use the NanoStation2loco it was under $50 and works really well, is weather proof, and is powered by power over ethernet, so there is only one wire leading to the antenna/radio unit. I went from a 1 megabit connection that was in and out to a full 54 megabit connection. It can run for weeks, and likely longer but I do a lot of torrents so that equals hundreds of connections and that seems to bother any wireless device. But for normal use I would imagine it would be stable for years without rebooting. I got mine here:

NanoStation loco - NanoStation loco 802.11B/G 8dbi CPE

No business connection, just a happy customer. Actually had the best customer service I have ever experience. They have a product called a bullit that allows more choice on the antenna, but you don't want anything to directional on a boat, as you are moving and your signal will go in and out with a very directional antenna.
 
#20 ·
Helped a friend install this antenne on his 47' Vagabond's mizzin mast (Looks like a 4' VHF). USBAdapter is a WiFi booster and software. My PC hardly connected, sitting down below, with my Dell built in WiFi, to the Marina's Free WiFi. His new system connected and stayed at 38 - 54 Mbs, plus picked up over a dozen other connectins within the 5000 - 6000 ft range.

Buy Wireless antenna,WiFi Antenna,2.4Ghz 5Ghz Wlan Antenna,RF connector,RF pigtail cable,Lightning Protector,802.11 a/b/g, Omni ,panel ,yagi ,Grid antenna
12 meter cable : 1000mW USB adapter + OMNI 15dBi + Lightning Protector + 12m/40ft
Reference Distance around 5100~6000 feet
Original price was $179.35, now is $167.80
 
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#21 ·
Wireless cards for WIFI

I actually had a Verizon PCMCIA card that allowed the Admiral to surf the web at about 5 nm off of Daytona. I recently upgraded to the MIFI router, so that I can connect both my laptop and hers at the same time, and it also worked off the coast at about the same distance. They may vary in speed, but if you are boating and can get a cell phone signal, it may be worth considering. Since I live aboard, it was the best solution for me.
 
#23 ·
if money is not a problem...

I found some systems when lookin for my RV applications.

SWE-DISH and world leading stabilized platform developer Saab systems have joined forces in developing a high performance SATCOM on-the-move terminal (four-axis antenna system) that enables broadband satellite communications with land vehicles and marine vessels while moving at top speed.

Contact Details
SWE-DISH Satellite Systems AB
P.O. Box 6075, Torggatan 15
171 06 SOLNA
Sweden
Tel: +46 8 728 50 00
Tel: US Phone: +1 703 476 1826
Fax: +46 8 728 50 50
Fax: US Fax: +1 703 476 5423
Email: sales@swe-dish.se
Email: us-sales@swe-dish.com
URL: SWE-DISH » SWE-DISH SATELLITE SYSTEMS - Satellite communications products and services
 
#24 ·
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#26 ·
Unless you have essentially an unlimited budget and a boat large enough to have very reliable electrical power and a very large battery bank, using satellite-based internet is not a great idea.

The satellite-based internet connections require a gyro-stabilized antenna to work properly. On a small sailboat....and small means anything up to 100' or so...the power draw of the gyro-stabilized dish is a bit much for most.

Also, all of the satellite internet plans I know of charge PER MEGABYTE OF DATA. This means that using it for anything other than just the occasional check of e-mail and downloading GRIB files can get very expensive rather quickly.

These suggestions seem to be all about connecting to a land based internet service of some sort.

What about satellite services so that you could ping it from the middle of the
pacific ocean?

Anyone?
 
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