Axiom - Internet via Ethernet (Raynet)?

[Freeloader]

Does anyone know whether an Axiom MFD will connect to the internet if it is connected into an ethernet network via the Raynet port? The manual only talks about connecting to the internet via WiFi but it is quite possible to plug the MFD into the ethernet network with a suitable Raynet cable.

The reason I ask is that I am currently considering cabling my Quantum 2 radar directly into my Raymarine Axiom MFD, rather than using the current WiFi option, and this will have a bearing on how I wire it in. I currently have a Raynet cable running down inside the mast from the radar and into the cabin, so I will need a male-to-male Raynet connector cable and then a long cable run from there back to the Axiom in the cockpit. Two choices are available - either a single 20m cable with Raynet connectors at each end or two 10m cables with Raynet connectors at one end and RJ45 connectors at the other, which can both plug into an ethernet network switch midway along the cable run. However, having looked into it, the cables are spectacularly expensive! The network option is more expensive and would add a little complexity into the radar connection but would be worth it if this would also supply an internet connection to the MFD.

 

[RichardS]

If the manual only refers to wifi internet then I very much doubt whether a cable will work.

Richard

 

[PaulRainbow]

Does anyone know whether an Axiom MFD will connect to the internet if it is connected into an ethernet network via the Raynet port?

No, it will not connect to the internet via Raynet.

 

[Freeloader]

Thanks for that - it looks like I may as well just connect the radar directly to the Axiom via a single, long Raynet cable then. Unless there is any other advantage to having them networked? Would NMEA data, for example, become available on the network if I connected them via the network switch?

 

[lustyd]

The best info I found on this was from Victron at Raymarine MFD Integration [Victron Energy] it seems Raymarine have made some surprising choices in their design here. While the MFD can act as a wifi router (good thing) it can't operate as a good citizen on any other network since it has a DHCP which can't be disabled or configured (bad thing) and it won't route out via Ethernet even if you do have a real router on the network (very bad thing). Hopefully they'll change them later since it's all controllable through firmware. I even found a thread suggesting there's no firewall on the Axiom, which is worrying if you'll keep it connected.

In the mean time, it looks as though you can connect it via WiFi and it will share the Internet out to its own network. Presumably if you have two then Raymarine have been smart enough to set one as a slave and turn of the DHCP on that one, otherwise there could be all kinds of issues. They seem to use a 10.x.0.0 range with 255.224.0.0 netmask, which seems innapropriately large for a boat but not a problem as long as you don't overlap with it (just use 192.x.x.x/24). I can only assume they do this because they're using some obscure IP addressing algorithms to segregate things behind the scenes, but who knows

 

[PaulRainbow]

Thanks for that - it looks like I may as well just connect the radar directly to the Axiom via a single, long Raynet cable then. Unless there is any other advantage to having them networked? Would NMEA data, for example, become available on the network if I connected them via the network switch?

Not sure what you're thinking there.

Raynet is for networking multiple MFDs, radar, digital sonar, cameras etc. If you connect two MFDs and the radome to a network switch radar would be available on both MFDs. If one MFD (the master) has a chart card the cartography will be available on the other MFD, as would any date from the STNG network (depth, wind, etc).

 

[lustyd]

On the B&G you can connect a laptop or tablet to the network through either wifi or Ethernet and use that NMEA data for apps, it's a pretty common scenario these days

 

[Freeloader]

Thanks to all for all the helpful responses!

In short, I was just pondering whether to connect the radar directly to the Axiom or go via a network switch. If the Axiom won't connect to the internet via the Raynet port and may also cause complications with the internet router, I think I will just ignore that option and use WiFi to connect the Axiom to the internet and a Raynet cable to connect it to the radar. I do have a second MFD (a Raymarine e95 running Lighthouse II) but I don't expect that this would be compatible to share cartography etc with the Axiom, even if connected via Raynet? I'm pretty sure that it isn't compatible with a Quantum 2 radar anyway!

My question regarding NMEA was simply about whether I could connect a laptop to the network and acquire NMEA data but Lustyd suggests that this may be available when connected via WiFi anyway.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Thanks to all for all the helpful responses!

In short, I was just pondering whether to connect the radar directly to the Axiom or go via a network switch. If the Axiom won't connect to the internet via the Raynet port and may also cause complications with the internet router, I think I will just ignore that option and use WiFi to connect the Axiom to the internet and a Raynet cable to connect it to the radar. I do have a second MFD (a Raymarine e95 running Lighthouse II) but I don't expect that this would be compatible to share cartography etc with the Axiom, even if connected via Raynet? I'm pretty sure that it isn't compatible with a Quantum 2 radar anyway!

My question regarding NMEA was simply about whether I could connect a laptop to the network and acquire NMEA data but Lustyd suggests that this may be available when connected via WiFi anyway.

It is. You can mirror and control the Axiom using the Raycontrol app' on your tablet.

 

[prv]

Being able to use RayControl isn't the same thing as there being NMEA0183 UDP packets on the network.

Pete

 

[jwfrary]

Being able to use RayControl isn't the same thing as there being NMEA0183 UDP packets on the network.

Pete

Yep missed opportunity in my opinion the 'go free' offering from navico is a good implementation, just wish it did n2k data too!

 

[lustyd]

The GoFree isn't necessary any more, the current Vulcan and Zeus 3 and later plotters will happily transmit on whatever network they are connected to, including their own wifi hotspots.

 

[jwfrary]

The GoFree isn't necessary any more, the current Vulcan and Zeus 3 and later plotters will happily transmit on whatever network they are connected to, including their own wifi hotspots.

Good Clarification, yes the inbuilt modules are smart, still need the external one for the B&G Hercules stuff and the Simrad NSO evo3 Black Box though.

 

[lustyd]

The hercules has an Ethernet interface though, I assume it would broadcast on that? If so you could use any wifi router just as with the Zeus and Vulcan

 

[jwfrary]

You would think so!

I’ll try it next time I get near one of the vessels with a NSO onboard damn things keep moving around!