Onboard WiFi Networks

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,090
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
(Creating this discussion to avoid hijacking the "Correct Fusing" discussion.)
@jssailem @Davidasailor26

How are folks making out with onboard WiFi networks? I have three, two of which I can think of now: one from my Vesper XB-8000 AIS transponder, and also a Simrad WiFi-1. I haven't used either one much at all, but I'm curious as to others' experiences.
 
May 17, 2004
6,145
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
My setup is that I have a Raspberry Pi with a WiFi dongle that connects to our Marina wifi. The Pi then connects via Ethernet to a Wifi-1 which acts as a switch and access point. Our Simrad chartplotter also plugs into the Wifi-1. I have the Pi set up as a router and DHCP server, so that devices can connect to the Wifi-1 and be routed out through the pi to the internet. The pi also runs a web server making things like battery voltages and NMEA data available on a webpage on the local network. Generally works quite well but the wifi-1 flakes out periodically and needs to be power cycled. I haven't troubleshot that well enough to see whether it's really an issue with the Wifi-1 or the (admittedly non-marinized) Ethernet cable running to it from the Pi.
 

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
24,519
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I have the Vesper XB8000 providing wifi link to NMEA2000 and AIS data for my laptop and ipad. Connecting to the internet is cell hotspot. Would be interesting to some how connect the cell hotspot to the Vesper gateway then I could have internet to the laptop when using the Vesper gateway. SO far I have found Vesper is a transmitter gateway not a receive transmit system.
Guess you cannot have your cake and eat it too.
 
May 20, 2016
3,015
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
I started to setup a signal-k server late last year then broke the boot disc - right now it’s low priority. I do have netgear router for vnc connections.

I’ll let signal-k do the wireless.
Les
 

DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,786
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
The owner of one of the boats I race on sells Wi-Fi equipment for boats. He has a nice setup on his boat that works quite well networking navigation equipment as well as laptops phones and ipads. He even networks video cameras to record the fun. http://www.bitstorm.com/