Wifi Booster Recommendations

[fishfoxey]

Hi Can anyone recommend a Wi-Fi booster, My marina has Wi-Fi and I am not too far away from a post, however the Wi-Fi dips in ands out on my boat, is there anything out there that I can plug in on my boat to boost the signal from the marina Wi-Fi to make the signal stronger and more stable, thx

 

[jrudge]

Just get a MiFi.

Your marina might be different, but I have never once come across decent marina wifi .

 

[Switch]

Motor Boat and Yachting have a feature running now.

Best boat Wi-Fi systems: Essential tech from range extenders to signal boosters

 

[BruceK]

Whoever wrote that has a vague understanding of the actual tech and a greater understanding of flogging tier 3 hardware. The bottom line is

• reflection,
• absorption
• refraction,
• diffraction, and
• Scattering

Marina's are little bottomless hell holes of each and every one of them. There is no wireless architect worth his salt who would ever design a WiFi infrastructure in a marina and sign his name to it. It's called proffessional suicide.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Just get a MiFi.

Your marina might be different, but I have never once come across decent marina wifi .

Couldn't agree more!

 

[markc]

Agree with J's recco of mi-fi. I have one of these in the boat with a data only sim card - works really well https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07S7DMY3H/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_XWJVFbZHXYP66?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[BruceK]

Agree with J's recco of mi-fi. I have one of these in the boat with a data only sim card - works really well https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07S7DMY3H/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_XWJVFbZHXYP66?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

TP-Link makes some really nice kit at very affordable prices. Much more than just cheap and cheerful. If you have kids and you want to set access controls etc this unit gives similar functions to the latest BT ADSL broadband routers.

 

[vas]

any opinions on this:
MikroTik

Main job will be wired connection to a Victron display pumping info to Victron's VRM site and the domotic system sending email if somethings wrong.
Would rather have low energy consumption and decent antenna coverage (GSM/LTE/whatever I mean not the wifi!)
Will probably be changing data plan in the summer and use that for our zoom/skype meetings as well (rather than tethering from our mobiles - which works fine tbh)

happy to also go TP-LINK, like the webinterface as I also have it at home, good kit, too bulky for the boat, mikrotik much nicer (but maybe crap signal etc, dunno!)

V.

 

[BruceK]

EE are currently doing an unlimited data SIM for £30 a month and I think there is a Black Friday deal on it. Having tried data limited SIMs up to 100GB a month I found that some months you didn't use a fraction if any data and some the kids will kill that before two weekends are done (FB, tik tok and u-tube are data killers). The top up then get horrendous. Unlimited data is like fitting solar panels. One less thing to worry about and at 30 quid a month actually works out cheaper anually if you cant stay within limits.

 

[BruceK]

any opinions on this:
MikroTik



V.

That is a wireless AP with LTE fall back (modem extra and not included). I'm not sure why you'd want that unless you had a seperate wireless router on board and wanted resiliency.

 

[vas]

That is a wireless AP with LTE fall back (modem extra and not included). I'm not sure why you'd want that unless you had a seperate wireless router on board and wanted resiliency.

doh, probably put the wrong link, the one I saw definitely had a SIM slot (not PCMCIA whatever mini/micro)
this maybe Bruce?

MikroTik

cheers

V.

 

[mparrish]

I've started using one of these this year (replacing a MiFi box) - fantastic piece of kit - mains and 12v supply - 2 sim slots - GPS antenna, etc. And not stupid money to buy.

 

[vas]

I've started using one of these this year (replacing a MiFi box) - fantastic piece of kit - mains and 12v supply - 2 sim slots - GPS antenna, etc. And not stupid money to buy.

confused? you mean the MikroTik?
if so you probably mean external GSM antenna, no gps? else i'm missing something!

 

[Clancy Moped]

We used one of these, great for on the move to other countries.

​

 

[markc]

I used to have a travel mi-fi on the boat, but it had a crap signal in the marina and zero signal at most anchorages, hence the swap to the TP link unit. Plus I have that plugged into a small inverter so we have wi-fi when off the 240v

 

[TonyR123]

I have a Huawei equiv of the TP Link unit. Is on all the time as we are either in port or if at anchor have the geny on due to the seakeeper. I may look at changing it as can switch off when it gets too hot. TBH it is only used for TV, security camera and updating any software on various devices on the boat (raymarine, fusion, etc).

 

[mil1194]

I must be very lucky as I have nothing to complain about with marina wi-fi in Swansea. It really has been good (and I’m an IT geek so I’m not easily impressed) and I am very often disappointed with hotels, etc so much so that sometimes I won’t even bother to connect and just use 3/4/5G thought phones etc,

 

[hinch]

doh, probably put the wrong link, the one I saw definitely had a SIM slot (not PCMCIA whatever mini/micro)
this maybe Bruce?

MikroTik

cheers

V.

this is the correct microtik hotspot .

MikroTik

 

[BruceK]

doh, probably put the wrong link, the one I saw definitely had a SIM slot (not PCMCIA whatever mini/micro)
this maybe Bruce?

MikroTik

cheers

V.

I'm not familiar with the hardware or OS on that device. The hardware standards are suitable for a boat and the OS will certainly do all you ask of it with some nice features on it as well such as basic QOS and VPN which could be useful. It's more a functional router and firewall than the family orientated TP=Link and if you need those features then sure, it's a more suitable device.

 

[BruceK]

this is the correct microtik hotspot .

MikroTik

That one is very interesting with GPS tracking. You could have an anchorwatch feature (potentially) configured to text you which is useful and unfortunately all the Google Playstore Apps have had to remove this feature on Google's conditions.