wifi on the boat

[Odysseus]

For the live aboards out there, I found a very good wifi router repeater for less than £50 that lives up to it's write up.

I now can stay logged on with 3 devices without a problem. It is powered buy 240v or 12v  and you can put another aerial in it to extend the range. My device is happy at half a mile without the extra aerial.

All the other applications I has looked into have been considerably more costly, up to £400.

Hope this helps
Odysseus bav 38

[livefats]

Are you using this with the Solwise Rocket antenna, Odysseus?

[Odysseus]

Sorry the old  statment is incorrect, I do have an aerial, plugs into the bottom. Why I said I did not is  nonsense,  my apologies, sorry. A senior moment.
Odysseus
Bav 38

[livefats]

Thanks - I had presumed it needed the antenna. I'll order today!

Freebird
Bavaria 30 2006

[Hahser]

Hi

I was looking fro something like this.

Presume you log in to a cafe or other source when in port. The antenna shown in the picture isn't sufficient? Do you need an antenna somewhere up the mast?  Any suggestion fro antenna?

Regards

[Odysseus]

It has a aerial called a rocket mounted on my back frame. I will put a photo up when I go back to france. It boosted the signals so I can get my mail at half a mile away, line of sight.

The kit I purchased is a RPT-3000.

It will run multiple device's at the same time, including streaming UK radio.

I also have satelite TV which works well through a multimo dish and grundig tuner + tv. It works down the Biscay ok, just need to tune it as you go south. We live on the boat through the summer.

Hope this helps

Odysseus
Odysseus
Bav 30

[Hahser]

Maybe a silly question:

I have bought a Rocket antenna so I can use with lap top. The router discussed above - is it a specific router dedicated to a network?

I have a router which I no longer use - would this be able to pick up a signal via the antenna and then give me wif fi for multiple devices on board?

[Yngmar]

The WL-USBWIFIRPT-3000 is basically your standard home router, but it can be powered from 12V with a cigarette lighter adapter accessory (sold separately).

The antenna on it is where your boaty devices (laptop, tablet, phone, etc.) connect to. To get internet into this box, you can hook up a USB 3G dongle or USB wifi adapter, which in turn may have a big honking antenna roosting on your spreaders, or just a little one, that's up to you. There's an appendix at the end of the manual[1] listing compatible USB 3G dongles, and for USB wifi adapters the Solwise page says it works with adapters that have a Ralink RT3070 Chipset or possibly a RT3050 or 8187L. That includes the Rocket antenna (which has a built in USB wifi adapter).

Once that's hooked up, it can do standard home routery things like NAT, making all your devices look (more or less) like just one to the internet provider.

[1] http://www.solwise.co.uk/downloads/files/wl-usbwifirpt-3000-user-manual.pdf

[Nigel]

The WL-USBWIFIRPT-3000 is basically your standard home router, but it can be powered from 12V with a cigarette lighter adapter accessory (sold separately).
...

Link here: http://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-usb-usbwifirpt-3000.html
They also sell them via Amazon with free delivery http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00A9VJ65A/b0404-21

However, Solwise do seem rather confused over terms, they say you connect this to an antenna, whereas you actually need a USB Wi-Fi Adaptor.

[Ziffius]

http://www.motorhomewifi.com/product/iboost-omni-directional/
This is the system I have been using, the aerial is on top of my arch but up in the spreaders might have been better as my stern always seems to point away from the hot spots

[livefats]

Hmm! Thanks for all the info (and the link to the manual, Nigel.)

But now I'm a little confused: I'd presumed that I could connect to the repeater wirelessly using the network card in my laptop / iPad / iPhone, with the Rocket aerial connected via USB to the repeater. Is that not the case?

[Yngmar]

I'd presumed that I could connect to the repeater wirelessly using the network card in my laptop / iPad / iPhone, with the Rocket aerial connected via USB to the repeater. Is that not the case?

Yes, that would work. It's what I was trying to explain above

[livefats]

Thanks, Yngmar. That's reassuring (I have the repeater and Rocket waiting for me at Largs!)