Wifi Boosters

[Monterey385]

Any recommendations on Wifi boosters. The family loves their Netflix on personal devices and our marina's wifi is just a bit weak. Would also like to use when on guest moorings when traveling.

Best brands and best mounting locations appreciated.

Thoughts??

 

[McIntoshUSA]

I just read this article yesterday. Not sure exactly how good it is but it's cheap but only works on one device at a time.
http://justillin.hubpages.com/hub/best-long-range-wifi-antenna-26793

 

[woodster]

there is a WiFi booster that most seem to like on here called Island-time or something like that it has gotten good revues a little pricey but they have said the customer support is great

 

[Maine Sail]

Be wary of review sites like the link above. Those are nothing more than affiliate sites driving traffic to a reseller, like Amazon, in order to grab a commission. Many review sites like that have zero experience with the product and they often get their info from Amazon reviews or the questions section then create an official looking web page with a quasi legit review to drive traffic to the store..

That said you'll need to create an onboard wifi hot spot with external antenna for range and the linked product won't do that.. Also streaming movies over "free" wifi is usually not going to work because these networks are throttled. Dalton at wififorboats.com is a great guy but there are others out there too. Most are using the Ubiquiti bullet antenna or two and then pairing it with a 12V router. Dalton's kit comes 100% complete and ready to install but there are also others..

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Unfortunately WiFi boosters are becoming a bit obsolete. There are less and less open access points and the ones you do find have far too little bandwidth to be usable for things like Netflix. I would suggest you first take the time to bring a device closer to the access point and see if you have enough bandwidth to justify the investment. We generally stay at 8-15 different marinas/mooring fields in a given year and have not found one with enough bandwidth for streaming video in two years. Anchoring out you will general find nothing within range.

Another problem is many internet access points are cutting off high bandwidth programs like Netflix. Being liveaboards we do our laundry at laundry mats around our home port. I am now on my 3rd different laundry mat that blocks Netflix. Again the bandwidth problem is that if there are two people watching Netflix in the laundry mat then the rest of the people have the slowest internet ever.

If you do find you have good bandwidth at your marina and the issue is just getting a better signal, I would recommend you look into the Rogue Wave. This antenna claims to have a 7 mile range. I think that is a bit of an exaggeration but I do know plenty of people that have made good connections from a couple of miles away. You can plug this directly into an Ethernet ready device or a WiFi router on your boat. But keep in mind that if you are on the hook or a ball that will likely need to be a 12volt device and there are only a few options and they are very pricey.

If you really want to go down this rabbit hole, read the 7 part article done by Jeff, the owner of Active Captain. These are done by someone with a very high degree of technical knowledge and someone who lives aboard and makes his living from the internet.

Our experience is that the only decent answer is a good data plan. Since you can't get unlimited plans too easy any more, I would suggest you look into something like Ting. Get a device that could be used as a hot spot for other devices. Watch the HD settings. We made a mistake one month and didn't have the HD turned off. We went through 30 GB of data in 3 days And that was only day 10 of the billing month.

Good luck and fair winds,

Jesse

 

[wahoo42]

We bought the bullet setup from Bob at Island Time. We purchased in 2009 and he still gives me great service. We have it permanently installed at the top of our mast and connected to our Time Capsule for whole boat connectivity.

It's has helped us to get wifi aboard in most of the places we have lived, both stateside and the Caribbean.

Now days there is often a harbour wifi, meant for cruisers, that you can buy into. But even with the booster it is slow and streaming movies is, at best, a chance to practicing your ability to handle frustration.

Saying that it allows the luxury of using Viber, our preferred VoiP, to stay in contact with home as well as email and web all from the boat. To us this is much better than taking a devise ashore, where, what you really want to be doing is socialising!

Dale Ross
SV Wahoo (in Grenada)

 

[Bob 04 H260]

We use a Bullet on our boat with a wifi router to generate our own hot spot. It was a grunt to setup, buy a preconfigured kit if you can. It works very well over quite long distances. Even in marinas where we pay for wifi we find our speeds are so slow and connections dropped when going direct from the laptop, turn on the Bullet and we can watch a movie.

In an anchorage it can often hook onto a restaurant or Homedepot etc. a couple of miles away and allow a good email connection, posting cruise pictures etc. we have it mounted beside the bimini using a mast I made out of white plastic pipe.

Bob

 

[dc78212]

As stated WiFi may not work out for you. What you have to consider is everyone else is doing the same thing. Bandwidth is not a real high priority for it's customers and insuring that everyone has what they want is even less.
Marinas that have "Free WiFi" really don't care that you can't stream movies or not... They offer it mostly so you can email, browse the web and communicate with loved ones... not watch the latest movie netflix has out.
Commercial internet connections are not cheap. Either you get reasonable priced marinas, or you pay a premium so they can pay for more bandwidth.
"Free WiFi" is not "FREE" for the ones paying for it. And quite frankly, if the marina really cared about your signal strength, they would have put repeaters out on the docks so you wouldn't have to worry about it. The fact that they don't/didn't proves they really don't care about have much bandwidth you get.
The other problem you have to consider is the booster is getting the same signal you do... it doesn't "magically" get a better signal. If you look at boosters and read the reviews you'll pick up on what I mean.
The ONLY way you may get a better signal is to put an antenna up on the mast (or other high point on the boat) but you are still stuck with the fact that the booster is only as good as the signal that IT gets.
If you really want to try this, AVOID cheap extenders (read ; wal-mart) I'll guarantee when a company sets up repeaters (same basic idea as an extender) they don't buy them at wal-mart...

Will I recommend equipment? NO.
No one piece of tech is going to do what you want. And anything labeled "Marine" or "Sail" is going to be pricey for no reason. All their equipment is avail separately and cheaper, but you will have to install it.

 

[seadaddler]

wifi

Netgar AC1200 Model EX 6150 this is what I use in my motor home up in NY,we live in our motor home on my step sons property and his wifi is very weak into the motor and he even got a better high power wifi router for us but no good.
We plug this model into 110 outlet and works great for all our computer and cell phones and great for netflex too.
We tried some cheaper ones but no good and went back to best buy told them what model
wifi router my stepson had and they recommended this model and super great for sure and yes it was about $110.00 I think but works great and maybe would get one on the internet but wanted some thing easy to return if no good.
We love it and no longer use up our cellphone hotspot data.
Nick

 

[robertsapp]

A wifi amplifier, worldwide 3G/4G data modem, and wireless router all in one easy to install package.

http://www.thewirie.com/

It's about the best you can do short of putting a dish onboard and subscribing to a satellite service.

I agree though that if you intend to go traveling, expect to do without Netflix and other streaming services.

I believe we currently live in the worst of all times when it comes to internet access. Ten years ago we wanted it while cruising, but didn't expect it, and certainly didn't expect broadband. Today we've come to depend on web access for everything from weather reports to chart updates, and it's a real inconvenience if it's not available. Unfortunately, the days of finding open wifi hot spots while cruising is pretty much over. Ten years from now, companies like SpaceX will have orbited hundreds of small satellites that will offer worldwide anytime/anywhere internet access, hopefully at a fairly reasonable price. I can't wait!

 

[WyattK]

http://www.bitstorm.com/ is the booster that we use on our boat. Kind of pricey, but we have had great luck in getting a wifi signal in a mooring field and at the dock. If you choose the wireless option, you will have access everyplace on the boat. We chose the smaller power and it is fine. Once it is installed properly you will connect to it, then use your browser to go in and find the wifi you want; you can then add the passcode and it will remember it.

 

[Mike D]

We purchased the Bitstorm Badboy for our boat. It is a powered antenna that both receives and broadcasts your device back to the source. I purchased it with their router which facilitates wireless broadcasts on the boat. This allows the use of multiple devices so your boat will be just like your house with a password protected wireless signal.

It has a limited range but it is helped by mounting it higher up. I would estimate we used it up to a mile away from the source with very good success. We traveled up and down the Atlantic Intracoastal, the Florida Keys and in the Bahamas.

I would recommend it as a serious candidate. An understanding of routers and setup is helpful. The instructions are good. It seems to me that more and more folks are password protecting their wifi source but there are still some that share it. How many times does a marina have wifi but it doesn't work in our boat? This will definitely change this situation plus more.

You can do lots to boost reception for wifi but it does not do anything unless your computer's signal is also boosted back to the source. You can check it out online. Its a bit pricey.

Good Luck,

Mike DiMario
Serenity
Media, PA

Any recommendations on Wifi boosters. The family loves their Netflix on personal devices and our marina's wifi is just a bit weak. Would also like to use when on guest moorings when traveling.

Best brands and best mounting locations appreciated.

Thoughts??

 

[zubenubi]

Any recommendations on Wifi boosters. The family loves their Netflix on personal devices and our marina's wifi is just a bit weak. Would also like to use when on guest moorings when traveling.

Best brands and best mounting locations appreciated.

Thoughts??

Check out NautiCloud. Details, reviews, and specs on amazon.

Like another post says, the best you can do is another unlimited data plan from your carrier. Unfortunately those are not always available and very expensive when they are. We have used our NautiCloud to stream multiple simultaneous netflix sessions to devices belowdecks from a standard access point more than 1/2 mile away. It mounts using a RAM mount, so you can figure out how to put it in the besty location on your boat and its powered over 12 VDC or 110-240VAC using an accessory cable (sold separately).

 

[DHaranSailor]

I would have to do some digging, but I think it was two years ago Sailing had a big article on a do-it-yourself way to get a good WiFi jump on your on-board router. It involved removing one of the antennas on the router and replacing it with wire and running it up the mast.

A booster itself isn't so much what you need versus a better receiver for the signal. Some things to consider the better you LOS is to the source of the WiFi the better. Signal passing through other boats, masts, and rigging is going to degrade the signal so getting your receiving point as high as possible will made a large difference. The larger your receiver's (routers) antenna the more signal you can pick up and transmit which will improve your performance as well.

Once you have that sorted you would want to receive the WiFi to the enhanced router and have your family connected to the router for their internet.

My $0.02.

 

[Grouperhound]

I have the Bullet Titanium(sealed metal version as opposed to the regular plastic) connected to a WIFI Router. As others have said it is not without challenges getting it up and running, but once going it is a real improvement. I blamed low bandwidth on my marina, but now I realize it was the signal strength.

One drawback is that when I move around as a transient and change which WIFI I am connected to it doesn't retain the previous one. So even though I set it up for my home marina, I have to go back in and do it again.

On the Chesapeake there are also Xfinity (comcast) hotspots. If you have a Comcast Internet account at home you can take advantage of these hotspots. Keep in mind some of them are really overburdened.

I personally would not be without it now. It is in my mind a necessity.

 

[Hello Below]

Any recommendations on Wifi boosters. The family loves their Netflix on personal devices and our marina's wifi is just a bit weak. Would also like to use when on guest moorings when traveling.

Best brands and best mounting locations appreciated.

Thoughts??

I am able to pull in weak signals that my devices normally cannot with a simple and cheap non-marinized booster such as this:

http://www.amazon.com/Alfa-AWUS036H...d=1438008401&sr=1-9&keywords=usb+wifi+booster

I rig it only as required; however, the effective range of it would probably be measured in feet rather than the miles that you are looking for. I also use a free little utility on my netbook called "MyPublicWifi" that allows multiple users to connect to the booster. There are many other solutions. This is just one that fills my needs at low, low price.

http://mypublicwifi.com/publicwifi/en/index.html

 

[Leeward Rail]

Sumner has a detailed page dedicated to his setup:
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-navigation/WiFi-Index.html


If you mainly use your marina's router, you should test to see if the marina's wifi has enough bandwidth to handle Netflix, by walking closer to it until you have a solid signal, and testing.

As for other marinas or piggybacking on someones open router:
1) Good luck on ever finding an open wifi router.
2) If you find a open router, the bandwidth will most likely be limited. (anyone with any brains would limit it or it simply becomes slow because a bunch of people are hogging bandwidth with netflix)
3) The major internet providers in Canada have hotspots that you pay to access, and those are usually fast enough. In some lucky cases you may be able to connect to one from a marina. (not sure if that's the case in USA)
4) best option, if a pay for use wifi hotspot service isn't available on your areas, is a wireless plan and be near fast cell service.
5) worst case store the videos on the device and watch them offline, or simply don't use Netflix.

FWIW: My experience is non existent in the USA, because I've never sailed there.
I've used wifi in marinas in Canada and the Caribbean and having enough bandwidth is getting to be more of a problem. In some cases even using Skype on it's lowest is a problem, sitting within 5 feet of the router in the bar, or marina office.

 

[Capt Gary175]

I am able to pull in weak signals that my devices normally cannot with a simple and cheap non-marinized booster such as this:

http://www.amazon.com/Alfa-AWUS036H...d=1438008401&sr=1-9&keywords=usb+wifi+booster

I rig it only as required; however, the effective range of it would probably be measured in feet rather than the miles that you are looking for. I also use a free little utility on my netbook called "MyPublicWifi" that allows multiple users to connect to the booster. There are many other solutions. This is just one that fills my needs at low, low price.

http://mypublicwifi.com/publicwifi/en/index.html

I am living aboard at a marina for the summer with questionable WiFi. I installed the PDQ system and am very happy with it. On a quiet night I am able to stream netflicks, and it is great for Facebook and emails. I recently travelled to a different marina for the week in RI and as soon as I connected the PDQ to their WiFi, I had no problems.

It isn't a cure all, but it works pretty good enough without using up data on my plan.

One curious thing happened when I first set it up (connected on my backstay above the dodger) is that my GPS went whacky. Said I was sailing 17 kts through a parking lot. It only happened once though. I have since read an article about two wat antennae interfering with GPS if they are close and in line of sight.

 

[bpappas]

Any recommendations on Wifi boosters. The family loves their Netflix on personal devices and our marina's wifi is just a bit weak. Would also like to use when on guest moorings when traveling.

Best brands and best mounting locations appreciated.

Thoughts??

Panbo.com recently did an article on Wifi options. I really like his posts:
http://www.panbo.com
http://www.panbo.com/archives/2015/06/coastal_marine_wifi_a_winner.html

As you can see, he recommends Coastal Marine Wifi:
http://www.coastalmarinewifi.com/default.aspx

No personal experience yet, but hope to enhance my wifi soon.

-Bruce, 1982 Ta-Shing Panda 40 PH "Whisper", Duluth, MN

 

[stevemac]

Any recommendations on Wifi boosters. The family loves their Netflix on personal devices and our marina's wifi is just a bit weak. Would also like to use when on guest moorings when traveling.

Best brands and best mounting locations appreciated.

Thoughts??

I changed jobs and my new employers laptop would not pick up the signal from the marina clubhouse, my previous employers laptop and my personal (all older) worked and still work just fine. Newer wireless devices are using lower power radios so they can boost the operational battery time. That presented a problem for me for days when I wanted to work from the boat rather than work from home. I looked at several and studied my slip neighbors "Bad Boy" by Bit Storm. As someone else mentioned they all use the Ubitqui Bullet as the radio. Bit Storm I think is the only one that offers a self contained wifi access point, they call it 'Unleashed". Bit Storm has done a good job at putting together a good system with the "Unleashed". After studying the Bit Storm system I decided to build my own using the Ubitiqui Bullet Titanium (Metal case rather than the plastic case). I ordered Bit Storms power injector as it is small and provides power (connects to AC with supplied adapter or directly to 12VDC for the power over Ethernet (POE) devices. I also purchased Bit Storms Ethernet cable and antenna for the bullet. I found that the "Unleashed" was nothing but the Ubitqui Pico Station. The Ubitiqui Bullet and the Pico station were both ordered from Amazon. If you do not need a hard wire connection the pico station is all you need for an access point, small, easy to conceal out of sight and requires no additional power. I had fun building this and figuring out how to make everything work together, I saved maybe $100 building it myself, however for those that are not technically inclined, the firmware that Bit Storm installs on their radios is very good and easy to use for setting up, searching and locking onto a signal. It takes me maybe 3 additional mouse clicks to do the same. As far as where to mount, the higher the better. My purpose was to pull in a weak signal from the marina, for my purpose this system works just fine stored below, works well if I am anchored in the creek of my marina for that cooler breeze. My new employers laptop works fine now and I can stream NetFlix or "Sling" using the Roku mini adapter that plugs in the back of the TV. Most external mounts I have seen people generally attach to the frame of their bimini extending just above the bimini. If I were cruising I would mount the antenna up the mast along side the VHF antenna. Next haul out I am thinking about pulling the mast and installing the antenna up the mast.