Wifi extenders.

[john_morris_uk]

Any opinion on the latest best wifi extender nowadays? I’m thinking of something that picks up a wifi signal from ashore from a greater range than a laptop or phone. It then becomes a router onboard for on boat devices. I guess one that takes a SIM card for 4G or 5G would be advantageous?

My googling only comes up with Digital solutions at over £600 so far. I’m sure I’ve seen other systems at boat shows for cheaper.

 

[robmcg]

Alfa camp pro 3

 

[RedFrog]

Pepwave MAX BR1

It's LTE/4G there are 5G versions available too. Can offload to marina WiFi amongst other things. You control how much signal from the various sources should trigger the switch (4G/WiFi/Lan). We just connect everything on the boat to that. Can also set up VPN if you are inclined and connect remotely to the network.

These are used on coaches and the like to to provide decent connectivity in a moving environment. We ran a Netgear MR1100 for a while, it was not reliable for us. The Pepwave has been up and running for the best part of a year, I can't remember having to touch it. We stream a Google Security Camera over it too. I don't tend to offload onto out marina WiFi as it's pretty dire, we just put an unlimited Vodafone sim in it.

 

[Frank Holden]

I just buy a local SIM and make my iphone the hub. Cost in Ecuador is $US12 for 30days/14gig - which lasts two of us about a week.
Benefit is that it works in remotish - away from marinas - anchorages and also when you catch a bus up into the hinterland.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Tether to your phone and hoist it up the mast in the first instance. This can transform an anchorage from having infuriatingly unusable internet coverage (if the phone is in the cabin) to perfectly fine.

If you're not using tablets and laptops, and you need to keep your phone down below to browse on it then get a cheap 3G / 4G router / hotspot and hoist that up the mast.

Note that the US uses different cellular frequencies from most of the world, but the Caribbean seems to be the same as Europe.

 

[Zing]

I have had a Ubiquiti bullet for years. Highly recommended. However, I mainly use 4g now with a mifi router.

 

[Daydream believer]

Tether to your phone and hoist it up the mast in the first instance. This can transform an anchorage from having infuriatingly unusable internet coverage (if the phone is in the cabin) to perfectly fine.

So with the phone up the mast how do you answer it?
Like this:-

 

[Sandy]

Tether to your phone and hoist it up the mast in the first instance. This can transform an anchorage from having infuriatingly unusable internet coverage (if the phone is in the cabin) to perfectly fine.

Perhaps a solution for the boatyard I am in!

 

[yoda]

Any opinion on the latest best wifi extender nowadays? I’m thinking of something that picks up a wifi signal from ashore from a greater range than a laptop or phone. It then becomes a router onboard for on boat devices. I guess one that takes a SIM card for 4G or 5G would be advantageous?

My googling only comes up with Digital solutions at over £600 so far. I’m sure I’ve seen other systems at boat shows for cheaper.

John, have a look at this.
QK-R041 Marine Wireless 4G LTE Router - Quark-elec - NMEA 2000 & Marine electronics

Neil

 

[Martin_J]

Can that last one (QK-R041) connect to shore based WiFi?

I only skimmed through its spec but it looked like it's WAN connection (to the Internet) is either via a wired router or cellular only.

 

[Martin_J]

Same with the Pepwave BR1, the MiFi devices and phones on hotspot mode.. which of those can repeat the shore based WiFi and fail over to their cellular when out of Wifi Range.

 

[Seven Spades]

There are two different things. There is on-board WIFI created by a router that takes a 3/4/5g sim and I find these work great. They are more problamatic when roaming because data is limited and gets eaten easily. Then there are wifi extendersw where you try to connect to a shore based wifi like a resturant you have visited and use that connection to make a wifi on the boat. Then there are devices that do both, they will route via another wifi if it can connect to one or it will use the sim.

My experience is that few shore based wifi will allow you to share data with a boat based repeater. The MAC address of the extender identifies itself as a repeater and so it gets blocked by default in an awful lot of places. What you find is that you can connect but nothing happens. Then you connect your phone or lamp top to the same network and they work fine. However if you are in Scotland I find that you can connect to the free wifi on the CalMac Ferries which was particularly useful in Barra when my 4g provider did not have any signal.

 

[Robin]

Years ago we had a Maplins little gizmo like a mini satellite dish, worked really well but maplins long gone. problem AIRC is you need 2 way transmission source to receiver and receiver back to source, there must be a similar device out there and most likely even better.,

 

[TSB240]

I have been using a Teketonika RUT 950 this year.
It can have up to two sim cards for mobile data and will connect to shore based WiFi.
I have used them in industrial applications for remote access and control.
Range can be extended considerably by add on antennas. I have found the standard unit is bringing in signals to the boat that my mobile phone never picks up.

Typically available on ebay for less than £100.

 

[Ningaloo]

Another budget option is the GL-X750V2 4G LTE Smart Router which costs around £100. This offers boat network (wifi and wired) and connects to internet via marina wifi (or phone hotspot) with rollover to a 4G SIM if this is not available. Can also accept external aerials although I haven't found the need to do this. 12V power and low current draw. Much the same as the Teketonika but around half the price unless.
I have one and it allows me to monitor my boat instruments and security camera from AU.

 

[Martin_J]

Like TSB240, I also have the Teltonika RUT950 which can use either WiFi or Cellular for its WAN (Internet) connection, as can the GL-X750v2.

The GL-X750v2 looks similar and is perhaps more compact and probably faster on cellular but I can't see what voltage PSU is needed for it. The RUT950 can be powered by anything from 9v to 30v.
(Correction - it looks like the GL-X750v2 uses a 12v PSU so easy to power on board).

How much did the shipping and import taxes come to for the GL-X750v2?

 

[SandyP]

Many business routers will have removable antennae so they can be connected to high gain ones
Directional antennae are also an option and not difficult to make, but not ideal if you're putting it up the top of the mast

Combining wifi with mobile sim, yes, they exist but it means you have a single point of failure

 

[DAVAIS]

Can that last one (QK-R041) connect to shore based WiFi?

I only skimmed through its spec but it looked like it's WAN connection (to the Internet) is either via a wired router or cellular only.

This probobaly help s you : Quark R041 diagram

 

[Martin_J]

I wasn't really asking the question for myself. I just wanted clarification on one of the suggestions.

The original poster asked about a device that would reach the internet using WiFi and then provide WiFi/wired connectivity for devices on board.

The response giving the Quark R401 didn't appear to meet the requirement in that it does not appear (on it's own) to be able to connect to a shore based WiFi, unless I am mistaken.

 

[goeasy123]

My experience is that few shore based wifi will allow you to share data with a boat based repeater. The MAC address of the extender identifies itself as a repeater and so it gets blocked by default in an awful lot of places. What you find is that you can connect but nothing happens.

In which case can you plug the Alfa's USB antenna directly into a laptop without the router and get it to work... I wonder?