[ReeferJon]

Useful link posted on rec.boats.electronics, with advice on maximising Wi-Fi reception on board.

http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_on_a_Boat

[seabird51]

I have been trying to get some wifi access aboard for some time. Quickertek got some bad press c/o cost and not working very well. Other solution were complex and/or expensive. Well I am now using the QUICKY by Quickertek. Small metal box the size if half a cigaret pack with 4" antenna on top and usb cable from bottom. Load driver and plug into usb port. About $200!
I am at end of dock about 1000yds from hotel and I could only get one sporadic and useless signal if I held powerbook up high on bow. Now PB is back in cabinet and QUICKY is hanging in companionway pulling in 12 local wifi signals with great quality and strength. Apple Airport is about 50 MW and QUICKY is 500MW. Works better than I expected. See Quickertek.com

[clark+9ah]

We just started using the iQuicky & are pleased with its performance also. At first I tested it inside a house without its own wi-fi to see if it could "see" any networks. I was ready to send it back when it showed no more networks than what the built-in Airport showed on my iBook. But when we got to the boat, which is anchored out in the harbor about 300 yards from shore, the iQuicky was able to see many networks, more than Airport by far. We do not know where the wi-fi network we use most often originates, but the iQuicky can grab it, hang onto it, & reconnect when it fades away due to movement of the boat in the wind. We were even able to see video call on Skype with its 7" antenna hanging in front of a closed portlight!

We've ordered a higher gain antenna & ten-foot cable in order to get the antenna higher & outside the boat. We are looking forward to even more ability to use wi-fi from the boat.

[jagasail]

Did either of you have any difficulties getting your Quicky to work? I just got one and couldn't get it to work with either my ibook or Macbook. Got a connection OK but neither Safari or Firefox would recognize the connection. So far they've been responsive and I'm sending it back for them to check out, but I'm a bit disappointed right now. Otherwise it looks like an ideal solution.

Scot

[seabird51]

The obvious solutions are to make sure the Airport is turned off and I found that the Quicky likes its own private usb port. Mine had to go back for some tweaking but I think the problem was mainly not getting the antenna up and out far enough. Safari works well but I can even use my aol settings from home and bore into the hotel wireless system directly. Keep us posted.
Lou

[jagasail]

The obvious solutions are to make sure the Airport is turned off and I found that the Quicky likes its own private usb port.

Tried all that - actually was simply trying to connect to a local open wireless network that was coming in strongly on Airport. The Quicky utility showed a good connection and the Network Status window in the System Preferences showed a good connection but no software would recognize it. Originally sounded like I had some software setting wrong but the Quicky people thought it was the hardware. I sent it off Monday so I'll keep you posted.

Scot

[jagasail]

OK, got it back and now works fine. Have to admit the service was quick - sent it off on Monday and had it back Friday, though there wasn't any enclosure to indicate they did anything. Also, since Lou had to send his back for 'tweaking' I'm left thinking they could use a bit better quality control on the front end. In the end, however, it works as advertised.

Scot

[seabird51]

Scott,
I am glad to hear that your unit is ok and "as advertised".
They never told me what they did to mine either. Mine seemed ok at first then went south. The lady in tech support was very nice but the barcuda that usually answers the phone was not exactly "Mr Helpful" . Weird company but seemingly a good product. Less complex than others and better priced than most now. Good luck.
Lou

[jagasail]

OK, after having to use my not-so-Quickertek for the summer I'm about to throw it overboard. The connections are frequently dropped, some open hotspots it will connect but won't give me internet access (even though I can do so sitting in the same place with the built-in Airport on my Macbook), and it's usually markedly slower than my airport (again measured from the same place). Anyone else having this experience? Anybody have a good portable USB option?

Scot

[Jim Innes]

Hi Scott,

I have been watching http://www.panbo.com/archives/cat_wireless.html for updates... interesting the latest article.

Also I have been in touch with http://www.radiolabs.com/products/wirele...ntenna.php they assure me that their product works with Mac.

I also contacted http://www.bbxpress.net/ , they also have Mac solutions.

The biggest issue for me is that the MacBook/MacBook Pro do require a USB solution. PC Cardbus systems won't work.

Maybe some one else has more info they can share?

[jagasail]

Jim,

Thanks for your comments. I'll try bbxpress first since I'm using them these days. I'm currently anchored in Friday Harbor after a summer cruise to the Charlottes & back via the west coast. I can't seem to get Jaga to turn back to Port Townsend so I think she's telling me I now living aboard full time; thus a better solution is a bit more essential. I hear Princess Louisa is gorgeous in January...

Any other's find a good solution?

Scot

[Quentin]

I have just bought an Engenius 3220 EXT which I spotted from http://www.panbo.com/archives/cat_wireless.html. I have got it to work on land at home and I am about to transfer it to the boat and there I plan to do some "range trials" I will let you know how it goes.... trials will be on 17/18 Sept.... watch this space!

[Jim Innes]

Quentin I look forward to your report. Best of luck.

What made you buy the one with the external antenna versus the internal antenna?

Jim

[Quentin]

The external antenna socket lets you add a higher gain antenna and if the system works I was thinking of mounting the box just below the masthead with a higher gain antenna up top with the VHF aerial.

[Jim Innes]

Ahso... I look forward to your report.

[jagasail]

Quentin,
The Engenious website doesn't mention support for Mac's, but obviously you have it running, as does the guy on the Panbo site. Did you get a driver from Engenious or a third party (or did it not need one)? From Panbo's site it looks like the management interface is web based so no problem there. Also, I note it uses 120 - how did you wire it in? Having 120 going up the mast would concern me a bit...or is it an external power supply that stays below deck?

BTW - ran some clean-up utilities the other day (been a bit negligent there...) and my Quickertek is running better, but not what I had expected.

Scot

[Jim Innes]

As previously posted back in November...

I have ordered a 5Ghz/2.4Ghz Atheros 300mW 802.11a/b/g Cardbus Card (DT-RWU-SRC) and 4GHz 7dBi Omni / Vertical with 6' cable, MMCX and Mag Mount (DT-AN-24-OV-7-MMCX).

The driver is from Orange Ware.

On the MacBook / MacBook Pro apple switched from the PCI card slot to the ExpressCard. Well I just ordered this little unit...

http://www.synchrotech.com/products-expc...er_01.html

I will let you all know if it works with my Atheros card.

Fingers crossed.

[jagasail]

On the MacBook / MacBook Pro apple switched from the PCI card slot to the ExpressCard

Unfortunately, not on the MacBook; only the Pro. MacBook has neither, unless they hid it somewhere.

[Quentin]

Hi Scot,

No drivers needed, you access it via a web interface that is very simple, but you do need to create an "Engenius" location in your preferences to get your Mac to talk to the Engenius radio, the instructions in the manual are quite clear on how to do this. Be warned however, there is no reset button in the radio, so don't copy me and tell it to go into DHCP client mode or you will spend some time scratching your head as I did!

I have yet to understand some of the other settings available that may mimic "interference robustness" but this will take time and practice.

It is powered by 48vDC (power over ethernet), it is supplied with a 110vAC power brick that delivers 48vDC to a POE injector. I bought my unit in the USA while working there and found that the AC power brick takes 110 - 240vAC. While in the USA I also bought a 12vDC - 48vDC power supply from:

http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/12v_to_...verter.php

I have not used it yet but eventually plan to inject 48v into the ethernet cable from behind the bulkhead at the chart table taking 12vDC from the main distribution board. The Hyperlinktech sales team were VERY good and very responsive.

I have only used it from home so far and it did see access points invisible to my portable mac. I have bought some weatherproof ethernet cable to run up the mast and have tested the unit at home over 10 metres of POE. So far so good, now for a field test!

[xymotic]

Hi Quentin, Aaron Here...

glad to hear you had some success with the engenius. Please CC me when you test it. I've yet to decide if I should put mine at the masthead.

[Quentin]

So far so good, this post is brought to you via an Engenius 3220 EXT with an omnidirectional high gain antenna, hoisted 4 metres up the courtesy flag halyard, I am probably insulting an entire nation by hoisting such an ungainly mess but hey ho it was worth it to test the system.

I have no idea where the access point is located, it is a commercial alltelecom.fr access point.

The power over ethernet box is being fed by a 12v dc - 48 v dc converter plugged into a 12v socket on board. This means that the next test will be done underway to see just how far from the marina we can sail before losing signal.

We shall also do some comparison tests by hauling it up to the top of the mast (15 metres).

[Quentin]

The plot thickens!..... from my last posting

So I have been trying things out while on a berth (in France):

Test 1: small antenna (as supplied with the wireless bridge) hoisted up the courtesy flag halyard.... we had a reasonable range of APs to access and were able to log on to Alltelecom.fr

Test 2: as above but with high gain antenna ( http://www.kenbotong.com/english/product...2320132%3B )
a load of other APs appeared, but interestingly some of the APs seen on the standard antenna disappeared!

Test 3: small antenna hoisted up spinnaker halyard to masthead (54'), some of the original APs appeared plus a load more

Test 4: high gain antenna up spinnaker halyard to masthead.... the list of APs went over 2 pages!.... but..... interestingly some of the APs visible with the standard antenna were still invisible. Most important is that signal strength from Alltelecom and other APs was MUCH better and more stable.

So I am afraid that this is hopelessly unscientific and subjective, but my advice is to get a big aerial and stick it at the masthead!

Why do we always end up stating the obvious?

Happy sailing

[Coomkeen]

Very interesting.
Thanks for all the tests, even if it comes back to the obvious :o

But... maybe, just maybe, the high gain antenna has a narrower vertical 'beam width' so that really local access points get 'overlooked' as it were. As they might be quite low down, from your mast height you'd need to be looking down at an angle to see them.

Just a thought.

Ron

[Coomkeen]

Just one other thing...
I'm very interested in all this, but I need a unit that either has an ethernet connection or a USB.

Ron

[Quentin]

the high gain antenna has a narrower vertical 'beam width' so that really local access points get 'overlooked' as it were. As they might be quite low down

I too think that this may be the case and I may get to see the access points that I am "overlooking" as I move out of the marina........ we shall see!

The Engenius bridge is connected via ethernet.

Happy sailing