Enhancing wifi below decks

[tudorsailor]

I have a wireless aerial that I hoist up to the first spreader. It is certainly important to choose your USB cable with care as not all like to be joined end to end

In answer to the specific question, I have a wireless repeater http://www.faculty-x.net/wl-usbwifirpt-3000.htm It takes the USB from the wireless aerail and then re-transmits it throughout the yacht. Needs power but is not plugged into the laptop. The laptop etc connects to the wireless signal

TudorSailor

 

[MiracleMaud]

Thanks everyone. There's a lot to consider/experiment with here.

 

[VicMallows]

The optimum solution seems to me to be something like:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320929481229?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

The connection is a standard LAN connection via CAT5 cabling and so avoids the limitations of USB. WiFi connectivity is also possible with some such devices. I remember DEMONBOY extolling the merits of such system in the past. A disadvantage is the need to supply POE (power-over-ethernet) which is normally via an AC adapter, but quite possible directly from a DC source.

Does anyone have practical experience ??

 

[MiracleMaud]

So, I have finally bitten the bullet and "invested" in some Alfa kit.

I'm going to set it up and test it at home before heading boatward, and thus far have set up the wireless adaptor, and will do the router and firmware upgrade tomorrow. Are there any critical helpful hints or tips anyone would like to share?

Thanks, in my usual anticipation.

 

[BlueChip]

I have a wireless aerial that I hoist up to the first spreader. It is certainly important to choose your USB cable with care as not all like to be joined end to end

In answer to the specific question, I have a wireless repeater http://www.faculty-x.net/wl-usbwifirpt-3000.htm It takes the USB from the wireless aerail and then re-transmits it throughout the yacht. Needs power but is not plugged into the laptop. The laptop etc connects to the wireless signal

TudorSailor

That's an alfa R36, available on eBay for a lot less.
Perfect solution for the OP though.

 

[baffled9]

This is a topic that I find confusing but in which I am certainly interested - so perhaps I can both contribute and get some useful feedback from those who know. My interest also is in improving or boosting reception of site-provided wi-if inside my motorhome or below decks on my boat. Additionally, I wish to use both laptop and or ipad. I have seen the iBoost system at www.motorhomewifi.com and been impressed by the equipment (seen at a motorhome show) as presented. The system enables the reception of a better signal which is then distributed as a local wifi within the boat or van.

The iBoost is on sale at £160 for the version with a directional aerial (an LED array enables the optimum direction to be selected btw). Interestingly, the omnidirectional version is £40 more but is said to be (a little) less effective.


So, I offer this as a further option to be explored and would welcome any informed comments about this offering versus anything that you believe is similar both in terms of effectiveness and cost.

 

[MiracleMaud]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Doing the firmware upgrade, I was getting along fine, and got the "Upgrading firmware" screen, then I haven't had the "Upgrade Successful", rather the R36 home page is blank (headings but no apparent content).

I tried opening another R36 home page, but no joy.

I would just do a complete reboot and try again, except that Alfa warn that any power interruption "will cause permanent damage".

Does the panel have any wisdom or helpful tips to add?

Muddled Maud of the Midlands.

 

[ianj99]

Good afternoon. I am hoping the collective knowledge of the forum will be able to give me some useful pointers to improving the wifi down below on our boat.

Our boat is a nice sturdy ketch, and without help, we have always had limited success picking up wifi from down below. A few years ago we bought a Digital Yacht WL50 (affectionately known as the light sabre), which transformed the use of the internet below, but this is a USB connection, and therefore available on one laptop. We have tried Connectify to share the connection wirelessly from the connected laptop, but we have found this slows things up dramatically – at best. The wifi available is only c1.5mb, so any slowing up is very noticeable.

Recently, we have invested in a Slingbox in order to enjoy UK tv on the boat (which is outside UK). It works well, but watching at the nav desk, where the light sabre is wired too isn’t wholly convenient.

Are there any things we could do to “collect” and ideally boost the wifi available, and have a wifi signal below? Ordinarily, there is one laptop (with a b/g/n capable wifi card), an iPad and an iphone aboard. When I am there, there are double the gizmos and 50% of the patience.

Thanks in anticipation.

Maud

My solution, which works extremely well and supplies 3 laptops and a Freeview box ( for iPlayer) consists of:

A Ubiquiti Picostation 2HP wifi access point connected to a TP Link wifi router.
The Picostation is a high power long range device to connect the boat to the outside world and the router distributes on board - wifi to the laptops and cable to the Freeview box.

The other advantage of an onboard router is that I can pickup navigation data from the navigation laptop on any of the others so can sit below and monitor things on the saloon laptop.

You could also, for example have a wifi outdoor camera on the pullpit and see the view ahead on the saloon laptop whilst making a cuppa.

 

[MiracleMaud]

Thanks for the alternative, Ian, but do any of our collective have any input responding to my post #27?

M

 

[ianj99]

Thanks for the alternative, Ian, but do any of our collective have any input responding to my post #27?

M

You might be unlucky - failed firmware updates can be fatal, though there is really no reason for that these days when most microcontrollers have a 'boot loader' mode (self programming). Don't know about the R36.

Unplug the R36 and reboot the pc if nothing is happening after 20mins and keep your fingers crossed.

 

[MiracleMaud]

Given confidence by your post, Ian, I did as you suggested. There's good news and less good news!

The router/AP is not "bricked", but the firmware has not upgraded. I have something to do over the next hour or so, but will try again later.

I'm determined to get this sorted asap, so that I'm not trying to do all the initial stuff when I get to the boat, with jet lag. At least here I have a fast internet connection and a whole bunch of web friends to see me through it.

Thanks for your help, Ian. I would still be interested to hear of others' experiences of doing this. As already commented, the instructions everywhere are quite poor.

 

[KellysEye]

In our steel boat there was very little or no Wi-Fi signal, the solution was to buy a high gain antenna 12db, a long extension lead which went out of a deck hatch then the antenna was tied to the top of the boom. If it rained we put a plastic bag over it. Worked very well with a long range. Bear in mind never to use a no password WiFi it's a hackers dream.

 

[MiracleMaud]

OK, I have managed to get this very basically set up, although the firmware upgrade behaved in exactly the same way second time around - albeit the upgrade worked. Integrating the wifi adaptor went according to plan; although the instructions and user guides provided are abysmal.

Now I need to sort out it's security, so that we are not inviting all and sundry to join in on our facilities, so I'll set to that. Also, as things currently stand, the speed achieved here at home (on an 80 mb download/20 mb upload) is not impressive. If anyone knows of any settings which might help me along, please do post.

Thanks again everyone. Any further input or comment would be welcomed.

 

[baffled9]

My solution, which works extremely well and supplies 3 laptops and a Freeview box ( for iPlayer) consists of:

A Ubiquiti Picostation 2HP wifi access point connected to a TP Link wifi router.
The Picostation is a high power long range device to connect the boat to the outside world and the router distributes on board - wifi to the laptops and cable to the Freeview box.

The other advantage of an onboard router is that I can pickup navigation data from the navigation laptop on any of the others so can sit below and monitor things on the saloon laptop.

You could also, for example have a wifi outdoor camera on the pullpit and see the view ahead on the saloon laptop whilst making a cuppa.

Thanks from me also Ian. I am noting the difficulties being encountered in setting up the Alfa kit and note that it is described on one retailer site as 'not consumer friendly'. Was your chosen system straightforward? Did you use the basic TP link router? The fog is clearing a a bit and your further comments will be appreciated. This is clearly a far cheaper option than the one I mentioned in my earlier post.

 

[MiracleMaud]

Baffled - Please don't dismiss these products entirely, based on my comments. You need to have your wits about you when setting them up, as the provided instructions definitely have some missing steps/helpful information, but careful interrogation of the words and pictures can fill in the gaps. The general consensus of many posters here is that the kit is worthwhile persevering with, at the set-up stage, and I expect once one has used it for a short while, it'll be almost second nature.

 

[DipperToo]

I have been following this thread with interest. I went down the Alfa route earlier this year having used very successfully their USB range extender with a notebook PC. The external USB element (whether it be the range extenders or the Tube(N) work OK and present no difficulties. The R36 was another matter, but dogged perseverance prevailed.

Below is a taken from a note I have done for Southerly owners which may be of interest.

To answer a couple of the questions;

1. You can set up your own SSID and WEP password for access - this is relatively straightforward. The Alfa manual in this respect is just about OK.
2. When you do a site survey to find local hotspots, it is ESSENTIAL to select the 'infra structure' option rather than the default 'Ad Hoc' as a connection type.
3. Remember, the R36 is essentially a repeater and operationally is not dissimilar to many other solutions. You have to log onto the R36 at each new location to either select a previously saved configuration, or do a survey and scan for new hotspots and add them to the list before 'activating' them.
4. It can take a few minutes for the system to register a new network connection and sometimes a reboot is required.

I do have a few pdf pages from various websites that helped me to set things up and I will gladly forward via them email if you PM me


Alfa make a router called the R36 which is designed to work with various other Alfa products - all one needs to do is make sure that the correct firmware is loaded. As a bonus, the R36 can also work with a 3G 'Dongle' if required. Power requirements are simplicity as the R36 just needs 12v. I did install a 12v ciggie socket in the aft cabin near where the USB cable comes in and bought a small stabilised power adaptor from Amazon to avoid any issues should the device not like 14.5 volts when the batteries are on charge.

Setting up the system was a bit technical but reasonably straightforward. The instructions supplied by Alfa are virtually useless. For example, when selecting which external network to connect to, they do not tell you that it is an Infrastructure connection and not the default AdHoc selection. One can build profiles of the different networks so that when repeating a visit to anywhere it is a simple case of selecting the correct profile. All these systems need you to log onto the router to select the correct hotspot to connect to, but once you have done it a few times it is pretty straightforward. The R36 then simply 'repeats' the web sites and I have used mine on the Shotley WiFi which requires a password as well as several BT Openzones.

I have been able to pull in signals from networks otherwise not seen at all so am pleased with the result - and up to 4 users can use the system concurrently.

 

[MiracleMaud]

Thanks Dipper, I'll PM you. Like you, I have collected some pdfs along the way, but some are better than others, to say the least. It will be good to collect a bit of "best of breed".

 

[MiracleMaud]

So here we are, onboard, preparing for the next few months' cruising. The Alpha kit is up and running, and so far, so impressed. To date, I have only tested from our home (from home) dock from the home (from home) wifi. There is no diminution of the speed, although the ping is longer through the Alpha, that directly to the shore-side router. For our general use, I doubt this will be an issue. But, the objective of decent wifi throughout the lower deck has been achieved. I can surf as I wish and watch UK tv via the Slingbox from the after cabin - which wasn't routinely possible before.

It will be interesting to see how this goes at anchor - comparing the Digital Yacht WD50 versus the Alfa for hot spot selection, from a distance.

Thanks again for all your input. Another triumph for the YBW Fora.

 

[MiracleMaud]

This is all still working fine, except for a couple of wrinkles.

Firstly, the power supply plug (router end) is a bit flaky, and very easy to disconnect. When next in UK, I'll probably try to buy a replacement.

Secondly, to finesse this, I'd like to be able to re-site the kit, to have the router below, but the wifi card in the cockpit. That way we have access to far more hotspots when we need to connect from afar. I've tried using a USB extension cable between the card and router, but it doesn't seem to like that at all. I also tried another, slightly longer USB cable, which didn't work either. I tried being patient, as it can sometimes take a few moments to settle down aft again changes, but to no avail.

Has anyone had any success using a longer USB cable with the card (to router)?

I know not how I did it, but I also somehow managed to lose all my configuration yesterday when trying these various options, so it was back to square one, integrating the adapter, setting up security, creating profiles etc. It's safe to say, I was a bit grumpy yesterday afternoon!!

Thanks, as ever, in anticipation.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Are you sure you have an active USB extension cable?