wifi range extender

lanerboy said:
has anyone tried a wifi range extender to help with poor marina wifi signal I have been told to try one of these Netgear EX6100 range extender


http://www.netgear.co.uk/home/products/networking/wifi-range-extenders/EX6100.aspx

so anyone got any experience of using this type of devise with good or bad results

thanks again
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Issue here is that this is designed to be placed BETWEEN you and your router / access point. So say you're at A and the router/access point is at C, you want this gizmo at B.

If internet access is important, I highly suggest buying a 3G/4G router, an antenna extension lead and a waterproof omni-directional antenna, along with a 3G/4G data plan SIM.

Might seem extreme but I did it on my boat as I require internet access to be able to work and i've never looked back.
 
lanerboy said:
no its not mega important so don't want to spend a fortune just maybe stream a movie on a dark wet night in the winter every now and then and just surfing the net on the odd occasion
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If you DIY, you can get a router / cable / antenna for about £120
Get a PAYG SIM card so you only pay for the months you use it - I pay 20 euro per month (summer months only so PAYG better than contract)

Good luck trying to stream a movie on shared marina WiFi. It's probably basic ADSL and how many could you be sharing with? 50? 100?
Also, you'll have coverage everywhere you go (well, depending on your network provider) rather than just marinas with WiFi.

In the grand scheme of things, it's not a big expense. Infact, mine pays dividends as I often get given a nice bottle of wine to allow my neighbours to connect to my WiFi to check their e-mails etc. :D
 
I have a 3mobile router, costs a bit over £8 a month, you switch on and within about 30 seconds its like being at home. Great device for 50 quid, was bought on recommendation by a friend, coverage is good round uk too.
 
Shawn, you could try tethering to your mobile phone? Another solution for films is to download at home, then view on board. You don't need the bandwidth on board to do this.
 
alt said:
If internet access is important, I highly suggest buying a 3G/4G router, an antenna extension lead and a waterproof omni-directional antenna, along with a 3G/4G data plan SIM.
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I recently bought one of these http://www.e5172.co.uk from http://www.wifionboard.co.uk with a 10GB EE SIM card. I've used it extensively on the boat this year and it seems to work well. It also has either a 12V cigar lighter type supply or mains supply so no need to run the genny. The problem with tethering your phone to your puter is that the phone battery gets a kicking. The router is a better solution as well as giving a better signal
 
Deleted User said:
I recently bought one of these http://www.e5172.co.uk from http://www.wifionboard.co.uk with a 10GB EE SIM card. I've used it extensively on the boat this year and it seems to work well. It also has either a 12V cigar lighter type supply or mains supply so no need to run the genny. The problem with tethering your phone to your puter is that the phone battery gets a kicking. The router is a better solution as well as giving a better signal
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Yup, very nice, mike! Well worth the few ££.

On a side note, almost all of these are either 5v or 12v. If possible, get a 12v one as you can just cut the power cord (which will have a transformer) and hook straight into your 12v. If it's a 5v you will have to get another transformer (easily available online for a few £)
 
IPad users -any ideas anybody to extend range on free marina WIFI .?
is there something out there I can plug into a I Pad to stop the thing loosing its signal ?
Apologies for any seemingly thread drift - I,am a techno phobe
 
Portofino said:
IPad users -any ideas anybody to extend range on free marina WIFI .?
is there something out there I can plug into a I Pad to stop the thing loosing its signal ?
Apologies for any seemingly thread drift - I,am a techno phobe
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not a thread drift Portofino as this is exactly my problem which I should have mentioned in my 1st post I want the same as you something that will boost the free marina wifi signal which I can get but keeps dropping out so same problem as you but using android not ipad system I think I am going to try the extender I mentioned or even a better / quicker model and if it don't work I will return for a refund at argos
 
aquapower said:
I have a 3mobile router, costs a bit over £8 a month, you switch on and within about 30 seconds its like being at home. Great device for 50 quid, was bought on recommendation by a friend, coverage is good round uk too.
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Yup
I lived on board for 6 months this year and would have been lost without Three...unlimited data, (I was averaging around 20gb per week), and I was an early subscriber so benefit from unlimited tethering which the wife and stepmonster latch on to like leeches to a stigmata.
If you can get your phone across to a provider on an unlimited data deal with a decent tethering allowance I would look at that. You can always use an HDMI out from your phone to the TV if that's the deal breaker....
 
Take a look at http://www.motorhomewifi.com/ - the iBoost is recommended by many MH owners - you can get Omni directional or directional antenna.

These are good where you are out of range of the wifi signal - the device connects to the weak signal and provides your own hotspot to connect to.

I haven't got one, it's tempting, but I don't think I'd get the use out of it. Instead I use kit I've already bought to boost a signal and/or create my own hotspot.
I have a Sky Wifi booster - it was given away by Sky for their broadband customers - it's quick enough to configure to repeat a wifi signal - I can then place that somewhere there is a stronger signal and get online with my iDevices. I can also connect that through to an Apple Airport Express - which provides my own wifi access point details - but does have the issue of double NAT which can impact on some services.
 
Portofino said:
IPad users -any ideas anybody to extend range on free marina WIFI .?
is there something out there I can plug into a I Pad to stop the thing loosing its signal ?
Apologies for any seemingly thread drift - I,am a techno phobe
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This generates a wifi hotspot of your own.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-R36-...osters_Extenders_Antennas&hash=item58ae3cd99c

This boosts the wifi signal to it
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Netw...SB_Wi_Fi_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item58b078754c

Then anybody who has your password can connect to your own hotspot (with ipads, phones, laptops) and share the marina's boosted wifi signal.
Not easy to set up but once it's done you just switch it on and use it. I can talk you through it if you get stuck.
It uses 12v so you can hard wire it if you want to.
 
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Yes, if you have a USB socket to plug it into. Of course, I-stuff doesn't so you have to use the R36 as well (unless you use a laptop as a hotspot, but that's a faf).
For £20 you should try it.
 
I have a Samsung internet tv on the boat this has a usb socket on it so would I just plug the item into the usb on my tv and this will improve the free wifi that the marina provide ??????????

I have read the spec but it may as well be in Russian as it means nothing to me :(
 
rafiki_ said:
Shawn, you could try tethering to your mobile phone? Another solution for films is to download at home, then view on board. You don't need the bandwidth on board to do this.
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Raf I have tethered to my phone but as stated it hammers the battery and I don't have unlimited usage my wife has unlimited but is with gifgaf and they don't allow tethering
 
Marina wifi is probably not the answer

We started boating this year and have stayed in 5 different marinas and every single one has failed to provide us with adequate wifi. There are two problems with marina Wifi services: poor quality connectivity between the device on your boat and the nearest Wifi transmitter/receiver; and poor quality connectivity between the marina base station and their ISP. In both cases the quality can be affected by physical problems like obstructions or poor installation, or by contention (too many people trying to use the bandwidth all at the same time). I had already decided that the solution for me is to forget about marina wifi and find other ways of connecting. I haven't made my mind up what to do yet but I met an interesting chap at METS last week and I might be considering his firm's kit: Yachtspot - unfortunately it's expensive and all the boats pictured in their brochure look like superyachts to me!
 
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