Wifi range extender coupled to a router help please

At the risk of confusing...

My method, above allows you to leave the whole system plugged together, you just login to the wifi type in http://192.168.1.20 to access the pico station when you want to find an available wif network, and log on from there.

Ian's system is simpler to set up, but requires you to plug the pico into your laptop each time.

Up to you which you do, My set-up is probably more complex initially but then very simple, and has the benefit that I can find login and find a suitable external wifi network via an ipad without having to connect an ethernet cable. Ian's is simpler initially but then more faff!

Your call, but both methods work very well. I've never used the Alfa system, but hear great reports, particularly if all you want to do is connect a laptop. less good for multiple tablets / kids ipods etc (although the solution of not allowing these on the boat would seem to be the most sensible!)
 
Tempus said:
Hi Simon

As Ian hasn't replied I will. I have a ubiquiti bullet, which is identical to the Pico station, but has a seperate antenna, linked into a standard domestic router, in my case a Cisco, but the TP link is also good.

The thing to realise is that you have 2 routers, the Pico Station/Bullet and the domestic router. The first connects to the external wifi. The second is actually just a switch, but you are using the wifi of this to broacast a separate wifi network around the boat, just as your router does at home.

Set up is fine and should be within most patient peoples capablilities, but worth doing at home. Things to note are:
1 - The Pico/Bullet needs to be set as DHCP, so this hands out IP addresses etc. If you don't do this you won't be able to get onto these devices later to select your network
2 - Both routers need to be on the same subnet. Usually 255.255.255.0,
3 - I set the bullet to hand out IP addresses in the range 192.168.1.21-192.168.1.99, with the bullet as 192.168.1.20 and the local router as 192.168.1.1
4 - The bullet/pico needs to be powered via a POE injector, but they are really cheap.
5 - The bullet /pico needs to be plugged into the LAN port of the router NOT the WLAN port.

Then you should be ready to go.

You'll need to get onto the bullet/pico to configure it first, which is a bit of a pain as it has a static IP address. There is a great step by step guide to how to do all of this here:
http://www.boatinghowto.com/content...o-ubiquiti-bullet-2hp-installation-setup-202/

You'll also need to log into your router to turn DHCP off, check the subnet is the same as the pico's and set your own ssid/password

It sounds daunting but is very easy, I get a btopenzone hotspot from any marina in the Uk I've ever visited for free, and you can connect multiple devices, so even if you are paying (in France for instance) you only pay once as the system only "sees" the pico.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

My setup is not the same as yours.

I use mine in trasnparent bridge mode so you don't need dhcp nor security settting - the router does all this.

Network mode = bridge
Wireless mode = station
DHCP is off and set to 192.168.1.1 (not 20 as I said previously) for managing the Picostation only.

In this mode, the Picostation is transparent - the router 'sees' the shore side wifi access point directly and it is this that allocates the IP address to the router, not the Picostation.

Ian
 
Tempus said:
At the risk of confusing...

My method, above allows you to leave the whole system plugged together, you just login to the wifi type in http://192.168.1.20 to access the pico station when you want to find an available wif network, and log on from there.

Ian's system is simpler to set up, but requires you to plug the pico into your laptop each time.

Up to you which you do, My set-up is probably more complex initially but then very simple, and has the benefit that I can find login and find a suitable external wifi network via an ipad without having to connect an ethernet cable. Ian's is simpler initially but then more faff!

Your call, but both methods work very well. I've never used the Alfa system, but hear great reports, particularly if all you want to do is connect a laptop. less good for multiple tablets / kids ipods etc (although the solution of not allowing these on the boat would seem to be the most sensible!)
Click to expand...

Yes, you are right in that you do need to disconnect the Picostation from the router and connect to a laptop to acess its setup so it depends on whether you mostly use it with the same shore side wifi AP or want to be able to chose from numerous ones, as to which method to use.
 
Unless there is a big cost saving going 'Pico' I would still recommend the Alfa system.

Alfa set-up is straightforward as per the supplied instructions. You plug the USB from the antenna booster (36H) into the wifi router (R36), give the router 12V from the ship's battery (which also powers the booster via the USB lead), connect the router to the laptop using an ethernet cable and follow the instructions to identify the router (SSID = xxx), set the wifi password, select the required wifi access point from those detected and away you go. Any wifi enabled device (laptop, tablet or phone) within range can then see the new SSID you have chosen, enter the new wifi password and be connected. No messing with modes, DHCP or anything else complicated (although there is lots of scope for tweaking if you know what you are doing).

Once the R36 is set up, future choice of access point can be achieved from any wifi connected laptop, tablet or phone; you don't have to use the ethernet cable.

There is even an option on some R36 models to connect a 3G phone as the internet source (maybe if a wifi access point is not available) and then share the connection over the wifi but I haven't tried that.
 
Last edited:
Playtime said:
Unless there is a big cost saving going 'Pico' I would still recommend the Alfa system.

Alfa set-up is straightforward as per the supplied instructions. You plug the USB from the antenna booster (36H) into the wifi router (R36), give the router 12V from the ship's battery (which also powers the booster via the USB lead), connect the router to the laptop using an ethernet cable and follow the instructions to identify the router (SSID = xxx), set the wifi password, select the required wifi access point from those detected and away you go. Any wifi enabled device (laptop, tablet or phone) within range can then see the new SSID you have chosen, enter the new wifi password and be connected. No messing with modes, DHCP or anything else complicated (although there is lots of scope for tweaking if you know what you are doing).

Once the R36 is set up, future choice of access point can be achieved from any wifi connected laptop, tablet or phone; you don't have to use the ethernet cable.

There is even an option on some R36 models to connect a 3G phone as the internet source (maybe if a wifi access point is not available) and then share the connection over the wifi but I haven't tried that.
Click to expand...

The Picostation is suitable for outdoor mounting (powered over ethernet so just one cable to it), although a remote high gain antenna (eg masthead) can be fitted (as is the case with the R36). However I've found the standard antenna works well for me.
 
Just looked up the Alfa system as recommended by Dippertoo. I'm a big fan of my Bullet / Pico type system, but the Alfa looks very simple and straightforward, certainly simpler than any of the solutions either I or Ian have outlined. If you can I'd go for that. Just be careful as USB doesn't like long cable runs, standard max is 5m due to timing issues on the signal. Hence I suspect the reason that DipperToo has his R36 in the aftt cabin.
 
Tempus said:
... Just be careful as USB doesn't like long cable runs, standard max is 5m due to timing issues on the signal...
Click to expand...
I've got one of the Alfa devices from the guide I wrote: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...rs-from-one-wifi-signal&p=4088870#post4088870

This is connected to the PC via 7m of USB leads, part of which is an Active Repeater cable, like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008EGY698/dolcetto-21

You can get 5, 10, 20 and 30m AR cables, so there are no limits on a boat.
 
Tempus said:
Just looked up the Alfa system as recommended by Dippertoo. I'm a big fan of my Bullet / Pico type system, but the Alfa looks very simple and straightforward, certainly simpler than any of the solutions either I or Ian have outlined. If you can I'd go for that. Just be careful as USB doesn't like long cable runs, standard max is 5m due to timing issues on the signal. Hence I suspect the reason that DipperToo has his R36 in the aftt cabin.
Click to expand...

It would be interesting to compare the weak signal peformance of Alfa versus Picostation to see whether the extra cost and more involved setting up is worth paying for. (In build quality terms the Picostation wins hands down)
Ian
 
nigelmercier said:
. . . . from the guide I wrote: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...rs-from-one-wifi-signal&p=4088870#post4088870
Click to expand...

Nigel

I have been playing around with a W7 Netbook as a Virtual Router, as per your guide above. The new network works between the Netbook and a tablet but, although the Netbook is connected to the internet (over wifi), the tablet isn't connected to the internet. I have been into Network and Sharing Center and this shows the 2 networks, as per the TechyLabs paper, but shows the new network Access Type as "No network access".

Can you share the single wireless adapter in a Netbook for internet connection and virtual router connection or do you need a second wireless adapter (eg my Alfa aerial)? Any other thoughts on why this isn't working properly|?

If I can get it to work I might have a spare Alfa R36 for sale!
 
ianj99 said:
Briefly, you plug the Picostation into a laptop or pc to configure it first. (I can pm you the settings I use if you go down this route). Its default management IP is 192.168.1.20 so you need to make sure the laptop or pc's ethernet port is on the same 192.168.1.x subnet.
After setting the wifi and lan modes, you then do a site survery which will list the SSIDs of the APs in range and then lock it to the one you want.
Then you connect the Picostation to the wan input on the router.

Next, plug the laptop into one of the router's lan ports to configure it. You will need to reconfigure the laptop's IP to the routers subnet range 192.168.0.x
You need to set the lan and wifi to a different subnet to the wan port (I use the routers default address of 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.10x for the onboard lan and wifi devices)
On the wan page of the router setup, set the wan connection type to dynamic and let it detect a connection. It will then ask the shore side dhcp server for an IP address (hence the router 'see the shore side AP directly - the Picostation being transparent) and show the default gateway.

You should now be online.

If the shoreside connection is your own, you can fit a Picostation at this end of the link as well for even better performance.

Ian
Click to expand...

Have sent PM (or attempted to, twice) asking for settings as very kindly offered - but the do not show up as having been sent in my YBW sent box, hence this note. Any advice on a suitable POE injector?
Thanks.
Simon
 
nigelmercier said:
Did you do the test in my guide to check your adaptor supported WHN?
Click to expand...

Yes and the virtual router is working, now with 2 tablets connected, but not connected to the internet. Everything looks good in Network and Sharing Center except for the "No internet access" message for that network.

The other (original) Netbook network is still connected to the internet.
 
nigelmercier said:
Try turning the virtual network off and in again. Or perhaps rebooting? No idea otherwise, it has always worked first time for me. Time for Google I think.
Click to expand...

Done all that but still the same problem - the new network does not connect to the internet even though the original network is connected.

I expect it is something to do with sharing the internet between computers but I can't find any screen that gives me the option to set/enable this.

Google is failing me so far. :(
 
SimonJ said:
Have sent PM (or attempted to, twice) asking for settings as very kindly offered - but the do not show up as having been sent in my YBW sent box, hence this note. Any advice on a suitable POE injector?
Thanks.
Simon
Click to expand...
Hi Simon, Sorry to jump in.

The Pico can take a voltage from 10.5v to 24v, so any POE injector other han a 48v one would be fine and it will cope very well with the "dirty" voltage direct from the ship's batteries/alternator.

I use a really simple one like this (I actually took an almost identical one from a TP link wifi access point)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solwise-Bas...&qid=1383250303&sr=8-14&keywords=poe+injector

And just split the power supply from my router, which in my case is 12V using one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/5-5x2-1mm-Female-Splitter-Length-Camera/dp/B0050H9A18

If your router is 12V this will be fine so long as the ethernet cable run is less than around 20m. If longer than this you may need a higher voltage as voltage drop over ethernet at this ampage is around 0.5v/m

Hope this helps and good luck.
 
SimonJ said:
Have sent PM (or attempted to, twice) asking for settings as very kindly offered - but the do not show up as having been sent in my YBW sent box, hence this note. Any advice on a suitable POE injector?
Thanks.
Simon
Click to expand...

Received and replied to. The Pico comes with a POE injector built into the mains psu, but I am currently using the one that came with the router and has a 12v power socket so could be run from the battery as can the router.
Ian
 
nigelmercier said:
Looks like you missed a step in my guide
Click to expand...

No - I followed it carefully including para 3. It doesn't cover sharing the internet connection though.

Googling has revealed that lots of others have hit similar problems when trying to get virtual router to work, with no simple solution identified.

For now I'll stick with the Alfa R36, thanks.
 
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