Has anyone fitted one of these?
- Thread starter steve_cronin
- Start date
Nick_Pam
Member
No but I'm fascinated!!
May have the opportunity to work from my boat in Spain for a few months this summer/autumn, but it would be dependant upon a seriously stable Wi-Fi connection on board.
May have the opportunity to work from my boat in Spain for a few months this summer/autumn, but it would be dependant upon a seriously stable Wi-Fi connection on board.
Norman_E
Well-known member
I have not seen that before, but I have a laptop that uses a Netgear wireless card that plugs in to a slot in the computer. This is not always very effective inside the boat if the marina signal is weak. I also have a Belkin wireless adapter on a USB cable and find that if I use that instead, and pass it out through a hatch I can often work with it when the Netgear card would require me to take the laptop outside. I suggest that before buying an expensive adapter you try any USB wireless LAN adapter with a USB extension cable.
As an aside, the real enemy of good Marina WIFI is Skype, which is a bandwidth hog. Skype users who leave it on its default settings are using up bandwidth even when not using it. For this reason Skype needs to be turned off by right clicking its system tray icon then turnig it off after every use. Ideally Skype should not be set up to run automatically when the computer boots up, which is unfortunately its default setting.
As an aside, the real enemy of good Marina WIFI is Skype, which is a bandwidth hog. Skype users who leave it on its default settings are using up bandwidth even when not using it. For this reason Skype needs to be turned off by right clicking its system tray icon then turnig it off after every use. Ideally Skype should not be set up to run automatically when the computer boots up, which is unfortunately its default setting.
jimbaerselman
New member
No, but I'm presently communicating over 1km with a 'repeatit' directional antenna/card/amplifier, which has a sector of about 40 degrees. Same idea, except your link looks as though it's omnidirectional, which leaves an awful lot of people seeing your signal! repeatit
gandy
Active member
Probably not legal in UK or Europe, unless they do an ETSI version. As well as different limits on power output, ETSI channel assignments are different from FCC.
raquet
New member
[ QUOTE ]
No, but I'm presently communicating over 1km with a 'repeatit' directional antenna/card/amplifier, which has a sector of about 40 degrees. Same idea, except your link looks as though it's omnidirectional, which leaves an awful lot of people seeing your signal! <a href="www.repeatit.se/ " target="_blank">repeatit</a>
[/ QUOTE ]I am interested in this as my current set up is a bit weak and weather dependent. Unfortunately your link doesn't work. I followed the link manually but still can't see which product you are referring to - and the English on the site is unintelligible! I’d be deeply grateful for an exact reference. I’m guessing that it is the Repeatit Hotspot Booster SU2410 but I’m not sure.
No, but I'm presently communicating over 1km with a 'repeatit' directional antenna/card/amplifier, which has a sector of about 40 degrees. Same idea, except your link looks as though it's omnidirectional, which leaves an awful lot of people seeing your signal! <a href="www.repeatit.se/ " target="_blank">repeatit</a>
[/ QUOTE ]I am interested in this as my current set up is a bit weak and weather dependent. Unfortunately your link doesn't work. I followed the link manually but still can't see which product you are referring to - and the English on the site is unintelligible! I’d be deeply grateful for an exact reference. I’m guessing that it is the Repeatit Hotspot Booster SU2410 but I’m not sure.
ccscott49
Active member
Legal or not, are you saying it wont work?
tritonofnor
New member
I'm around a kilometer as the crow flies from the marina office here, and get a fairly stable connection using an Airbridge Indoor adapter, coupled to a 24dbi flat panel antenna mounted half way up the mast. this has 180 degree coverage, and gives a strong signal. not a cheap set up - the panel was around 30 quid on ebay, and the adaptor 150 quid (from square mile when they ran the system - but we won't go there! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif) but I find it works well.
gandy
Active member
[ QUOTE ]
Legal or not, are you saying it wont work?
[/ QUOTE ]
It looks likely that it will. The 802.11b wireless standard includes 14 channels, of which the US uses only 1-11, and Europe 1-13. That suggests there's a small chance that a facility in Europe will use a channel that US kit won't tune to. I would check before buying that the equipment can use all the channels, and not just the FCC ones.
Legal or not, are you saying it wont work?
[/ QUOTE ]
It looks likely that it will. The 802.11b wireless standard includes 14 channels, of which the US uses only 1-11, and Europe 1-13. That suggests there's a small chance that a facility in Europe will use a channel that US kit won't tune to. I would check before buying that the equipment can use all the channels, and not just the FCC ones.
ccscott49
Active member
Thanks Tony, I have done just that and asked them.
This unit could solve all my problems, I am not the sharpest chisel in the woodbox when it comes to WiFi or computers, but want a better signal strength on my computer. To be able to use the multitude of WiFi around me, just need good reception. Mainly the telefonica one available in the marina, which is barely 500 meters away. But also when at anchor in the ballearics, there is WiFi around, just too weak to be useable.
This unit could solve all my problems, I am not the sharpest chisel in the woodbox when it comes to WiFi or computers, but want a better signal strength on my computer. To be able to use the multitude of WiFi around me, just need good reception. Mainly the telefonica one available in the marina, which is barely 500 meters away. But also when at anchor in the ballearics, there is WiFi around, just too weak to be useable.
jimbaerselman
New member
Sorry, I didn't check the link properly! The product is actually called:
repeatit hot-spot booster
Hope that one works!
repeatit hot-spot booster
Hope that one works!
ccscott49
Active member
That unit looks, really good Jim, but what about at anchor, swinging around, I guess you would have to keep movng it to point at your source? I suppose thats OK, if you want to work for a while and then switch off, could just have it on a cobbled up rotating base. Hmmm, wonder what could be achived, an omni directional one would be better, but is it a problem, other folk seeing your signal, can they see your data, even if it's encrypted? I dunno these things, willing to learn though.
rickp
Active member
If you are concerned about that (and I can understand why you would be) - perhaps look at using a VPN hosting service. There aren't many offering it at the moment but there are a few companies doing it (an example).
You would then connect to the hotspot then fire up the VPN and all traffic would be encrypted between you and the VPN host. At that point it is decrypted and sent on normally - but at least the 'airlink' would be protected.
This is essentially what I do when using an unknown and untrusted hotspot - it just happens that the VPN provider is my employer or my one of my boxes at home.
Rick
You would then connect to the hotspot then fire up the VPN and all traffic would be encrypted between you and the VPN host. At that point it is decrypted and sent on normally - but at least the 'airlink' would be protected.
This is essentially what I do when using an unknown and untrusted hotspot - it just happens that the VPN provider is my employer or my one of my boxes at home.
Rick
ccscott49
Active member
No that is clever! That's what I will do!
rickp
Active member
That example one I found is in India - so maybe not ideal. The principle remains though and there are providers around. I suspect they will become more popular too as more people want to do the same thing.
Rick
Rick
jimbaerselman
New member
Not suitable if you're swinging more than 20 degrees. I'm usually line ashore, so no problem.
Alyssa
Member
Yes. have been using one very successfully for approx 3 months on S. Coast, Brittany, NW Spain and Portugal.
It's very superior to the internal wifi aerial on my laptop and might typically pick up 8 or 9 signals when the internal aerial might pick up just 2 or 3. Even when signal strength is apparently "weak" I can get good internet reception of Radio 4 and/or Skype.
It comes with a fairly long USB cable but I have extended it by 3 metres. I can fix it to the pushpit but I normally hoist it up the topping lift using the main halyard.
Overall I am very pleased with it...but am not in a position to compare it with any other external aerials since I have not tried any others!
It's very superior to the internal wifi aerial on my laptop and might typically pick up 8 or 9 signals when the internal aerial might pick up just 2 or 3. Even when signal strength is apparently "weak" I can get good internet reception of Radio 4 and/or Skype.
It comes with a fairly long USB cable but I have extended it by 3 metres. I can fix it to the pushpit but I normally hoist it up the topping lift using the main halyard.
Overall I am very pleased with it...but am not in a position to compare it with any other external aerials since I have not tried any others!
ccscott49
Active member
I've ordered one, we will see when it gets here! Solves a lot of my problems it it works.
Grehan
Well-known member
Repeatit wifi booster
see my posting - wirelesspro company is taking money for these but has not had them in stock for months . . .
last message on Liveaboard forum at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1492393/an/0/page/0#1492393
see my posting - wirelesspro company is taking money for these but has not had them in stock for months . . .
last message on Liveaboard forum at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1492393/an/0/page/0#1492393
