Internet on the boat

[Maine Sail]

Maine, send me the info on that. My mast is down and would be the perfect time to add this.

This is what I have:


# 811210 Signal Boost Cellular/PCS Amplifier

# 301130 - Marine Mount Antenna

# 952350 - 50 Ft of LMR400 Antenna Wire (you'll want longer depending upon where you mount the amp)

# 971108 - Amp to antenna connector

# 971107 - Cable to amp connector

That's everything you'd need. About $400.00 clams if I recall..

 

[RonRelyea]

This is what I have:


# 811210 Signal Boost Cellular/PCS Amplifier

# 301130 - Marine Mount Antenna

# 952350 - 50 Ft of LMR400 Antenna Wire (you'll want longer depending upon where you mount the amp)

# 971108 - Amp to antenna connector

# 971107 - Cable to amp connector

That's everything you'd need. About $400.00 clams if I recall..

What????? No Pictures????? (just kidding --- thanks again Maine Sail!)

 

[jimmcgee]

He's right. The only computer that's safe from a network perspective is one that is completely disconnected. (-:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I don't have Chinese hackers trying to get military secrets off my boat's laptop. Heck my only weapons system is a fly swatter to keep the green heads at bay!

Keeping things in perspective, if you're accessing hot spots in marinas you're likely OK with a properly configured router firewall. Even picking up the odd open router from anchor you're probably OK.

If you're a crook looking to set up a honey pot and draw in unsuspecting users you'd do it near a popular spot in the city where people are looking for a signal. More traffic means more victims. You're not going to bother with an anchorage where the occasional sailboat wanders by and might want to access the Internet. Possible yes. Probable no.

That said I stand ready to repel all electronic boarders!

 

[Sumner]

If you want a plug N play WiFi booster with good tech support this is the way to go.

http://www.islandtimepc.com/

The owner is an ex-cruiser. I installed the system this summer and it works great. Easy to do, boosted my signal significantly.

I second going to them if you want long distance WiFi and great support. I have the same system, but bought the parts myself and saved maybe $30-$40. That savings is not worth it unless you really know your way around this stuff. I have a fairly extensive computer past (owned a computer store for 6 years) and had problems. Buy if from Islandtimepc and it is pretty much a plug and play. A couple times I wish I would of bought from them.

The Bullet radio is a great way to go if you want the max distance. I've been playing with the Alpha USB radio for a couple days now at home and I could pick up more networks by our house with the Bullet and the antenna on its ...

...side (arrows above) while the boat was in the shop than I can pick up with the Alpha. Still I'm impressed with the Alpha and if you are dealing with distances under 1/2 to 1 mile it is easier to install and use right out of the box.

I've got less than $200 in our system including getting the antenna up in the air and I figured that it would pay for itself vs. us getting WiFi via a phone line. We don't use a cell phone except on the road and then use Net10 and for $15 a month it gives us all the call time we need. We only need WiFi on the boat for 1-3 months out of the year and don't want to sign up for a monthly plan. If someone needs 12 month a year coverage anyway then the phone is probably the way to go.

On the security thing, we don't have any personal info on the ship's computer only SeaClear, NOAA charts, web publishing and graphic editing software and word processing, so there isn't anything on the computer that would help someone.

The stuff they need is only on one of our laptops and that would only be hooked up to a very secure (we know them) network on shore.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[wonkodsane]

only problem with linux is you have to be able to understand and use code. i have to remove linux from a lappy i have as it will no longer function.

You don't need any coding skills for Ubuntu linux, and it is pretty darned safe, just because the market share of consumer-level linux boxes is so low that it is not worth the bad guys' time to develop exploits. It used to be like that for Macs, but times change.

The next big money for black hats right now is in compromising mobile phones.

 

[Snotter]

He's right. The only computer that's safe from a network perspective is one that is completely disconnected. (-:

The computers that the Iranian government was using associated with their nuclear program weren't protected even though they were diconnected from the internet. Let's hope that the technology used to target those machines remain out of the hands of hackers.

 

[Gary_H]

I use a Verizon USB UM175 modem on my laptop it works well (on it right now actually) I get internet any place I can get Cell phone. I pay about 49.00 a month for 5GB and have never gone over that. I have also tethered my HC Incredible to my laptop using a free app I downloaded called PdaNet. It works good but you have to have the unlimited data plan on your phone. The 3g hotspot feature for the droid is there as an app but you have to pay $20.00 extra a month for it. It allows you to use the phone as a a wireless hotspot without having to tether it.

 

[wonkodsane]

Let's hope that the technology used to target those machines remain out of the hands of hackers.

That particular technology is known as SneakerNet.

Stuxnet was so effective because it was vectored for a very specific piece of equipment, and showed virtually no footprint or effects outside of that equipment. They didn't protect against it on their desktop and engineering computers because they didn't even know it was there.

 

[Bill Roosa]

level of effort

"they" estimate that stuxnet took several hundred man-years to write. And some naferious folks to deliver the initial payload.
Not much chance of a normal hacker doing all that just to get into your computer.
I know I sleep well at night knowing the Irianians have enemys like that!

 

[kloudie1]

Long Range WiFi

The Wi-Fi extender that I put together based (copied) from one posted in Practical Sailor consists of ;
An Alfa A WUS36H 1000mw Wireless WiFi adapter
Antenna 8.5 db Omni 2.4 Ghz
Active USB extension cable, 16 feet long ..

Housing is 4” PVC .. a cap, a short piece of pipe, and a clean out fitting.
The bridge in the housing is a piece of scrap plastic, Gorilla glued in.
About 1/8” was milled off the top of the cap to get a flat where the antenna would sit.
5200 was used to seal the antenna and to glue the old antenna mount into the base of the clean-out fitting. I had to enlarge the hole in the old antenna mount to get the mini-USB connector through. It will be on the back pulpit where the old LORAN antenna was, with cable leading inside.
Total cost was about $75.00

 

[Zaphro]

The Wi-Fi extender that I put together based (copied) from one posted in Practical Sailor consists of ;
An Alfa A WUS36H 1000mw Wireless WiFi adapter
Antenna 8.5 db Omni 2.4 Ghz
Active USB extension cable, 16 feet long ..

Housing is 4” PVC .. a cap, a short piece of pipe, and a clean out fitting.
The bridge in the housing is a piece of scrap plastic, Gorilla glued in.
About 1/8” was milled off the top of the cap to get a flat where the antenna would sit.
5200 was used to seal the antenna and to glue the old antenna mount into the base of the clean-out fitting. I had to enlarge the hole in the old antenna mount to get the mini-USB connector through. It will be on the back pulpit where the old LORAN antenna was, with cable leading inside.
Total cost was about $75.00

Love it, want to rig something similar on my boat, but I've one question. I'm a pretty competent tech, but never had much experience with RF / antenna wiring. Is there a reason the wireless adapter is mounted so close to the antenna, rather than running the antenna coax cable below decks to the adapter? Just curious.

 

[kloudie1]

Yes it is to minimize signal loss in the cabling.. The Alfa talks to the computer through the USB port.. No loss through the active USB extension cable .. I saw the article in Practical Sailor so non of it is my idea.. but I thought it an interesting little project to play with ..

 

[Sumner]

Yes it is to minimize signal loss in the cabling.. The Alfa talks to the computer through the USB port.. No loss through the active USB extension cable .. I saw the article in Practical Sailor so non of it is my idea.. but I thought it an interesting little project to play with ..

Are you just going 15-16 feet with the active cable or using another one with it? How far can you go with a USB cable? How far is it from where you are going to have the alpha/antenna to your computer? Also have you used the alpha and the active cable together and does one USB port on the computer supply enough power for both or are you connected to two USB ports on the computer?

I'm interested to see when I take the alpha back to the boat how it compares to the Bullet running them at the same time at the same location.

The Bullet is $80 and uses the same antenna, so I see about $50 more using the Bullet when you consider what an alpha costs. The cat 5 Ethernet cable is somewhat more expensive than USB cable, but you can do longer runs and it will hold up to the weather better.

Thanks for any additional info,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Chuckbear]

The Wi-Fi extender that I put together based (copied) from one posted in Practical Sailor consists of ;
An Alfa A WUS36H 1000mw Wireless WiFi adapter
Antenna 8.5 db Omni 2.4 Ghz
Active USB extension cable, 16 feet long ..

Housing is 4” PVC .. a cap, a short piece of pipe, and a clean out fitting.
The bridge in the housing is a piece of scrap plastic, Gorilla glued in.
About 1/8” was milled off the top of the cap to get a flat where the antenna would sit.
5200 was used to seal the antenna and to glue the old antenna mount into the base of the clean-out fitting. I had to enlarge the hole in the old antenna mount to get the mini-USB connector through. It will be on the back pulpit where the old LORAN antenna was, with cable leading inside.
Total cost was about $75.00

Wow, that looks amazingly similar to our unit that I built a few years ago and we still use. I posted the links in an earlier post. Chuck

 

[druid]

only problem with linux is you have to be able to understand and use code. i have to remove linux from a lappy i have as it will no longer function.

Yikes, that's about 10 years out of date. Back then, yes, most Linux users compiled their own OS and apps (although even then you didn't need to UNDERSTAND code, just run "make install" and watch the msgs go by...). It was actually an advantage to compile on your own machine because it guaranteed your libraries, drivers, etc. were correct.

But since about 2000, installing Linux or a Linux app is just as easy as Microsoft stuff. And it's WAY better for troubleshooting network problems, especially wifi.

As for using it on the boat, however, it's hard to find decent navigation software that runs on Linux, so you're probably better off with WinXP.

druid

 

[kloudie1]

Hey, Sum.. As I understand it, the active cables can be chained together for up to 80 feet. The whole thing communicates and powers through one USB port. The Alfa comes with a 6 foot cable (mini usb on one end, std usb on the other) so that plus the 5 meter cable I added will get it where I need.. Chuckbear, the parts list I had came from Practical Sailor, .. the guy who wrote it into the magazine may have seen your post. I had no idea this stuff was available at so low a price.

 

[Craig Smith]

A few folks have asked for this so I will post it here:

Setting up a wireless hotspot with your droid:

This requires rooting(unlocking) your phone. I believe this will void your warranty if you are still in the one year period. I have never done this because I already have the Mifi from work but I understand it works pretty well. Procede at your own risk ;-)

It doesn't, since Android 2.2. It works out of the box and is trivially easy.

I use a Verizon USB UM175 modem on my laptop it works well (on it right now actually) I get internet any place I can get Cell phone. I pay about 49.00 a month for 5GB and have never gone over that. I have also tethered my HC Incredible to my laptop using a free app I downloaded called PdaNet. It works good but you have to have the unlimited data plan on your phone. The 3g hotspot feature for the droid is there as an app but you have to pay $20.00 extra a month for it. It allows you to use the phone as a a wireless hotspot without having to tether it.

That doesn't make any sense. If your network has crippled the phone in such a way, rooting it as Tim R has covered should allow you to fix it.

 

[Tim R.]

It doesn't, since Android 2.2. It works out of the box and is trivially easy.

Craig, can you elaborate? I have the HTC Incredible and Android 2.2 but still require rooting to enable the mobile hotspot.

 

[Craig Smith]

Well a brief Google will show you it should be there.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Vp92et6z0

I guess your network has crippled your version and you'd have to root it to fix it. That seems to be the case with the networks that were silly enough to offer unlimited plans and were subsequently surprised when people expected them to actually be unlimited - they don't want users connecting PCs.

 

[Tim R.]

Yup, Verizon wants more money for that feature.