Looking to improve my wifi experiences on the boat. Looking for a wireless 12V power-over-Ethernet router. Oh ya. Inexpensive. Suggestions?
Wifi router
- Thread starter Mark Maulden
- Start date
Island Time PC puts together a nice package at a good price based on the ubiqiti bullet. We've had ours at least 4 years. Works well
We use a...
Cisco - Linksys WRT54GL Wireless - G Broadband Router
.... that runs on 12 volts direct. We also use the Bullet radio for wifi and are very happy with it....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-navigation/WiFi-Index.html
... but if I was buying I'd also go with Island Time,
Sum
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Cisco - Linksys WRT54GL Wireless - G Broadband Router
.... that runs on 12 volts direct. We also use the Bullet radio for wifi and are very happy with it....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-navigation/WiFi-Index.html
... but if I was buying I'd also go with Island Time,
Sum
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]
Our Endeavour 37
Our MacGregor 26-S Pages
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links[FONT=Arial, sans-serif][/FONT]
looking for a router that is POE. Maybe I'm not going to get it....I am going with the bullet but I'm piecing my own system together.
Power over the internet is a "wired" type of "solution". To my knowledge there is no such thing as wireless power except the pads you put your specially designed device on (like a toothbrush charging station). All these have to be in VERY close proximity to the pad. There is no device that can charge your cell phone while it is in your pocket.
Now Mr. Tesla had some ideas along this line but they were poo-pooed by the power companies because you can't put a meter on those loads (and get paid for supplying the power).
Now Mr. Tesla had some ideas along this line but they were poo-pooed by the power companies because you can't put a meter on those loads (and get paid for supplying the power).
Yep the POE (power over ethernet) is to inject a voltage (12 volts or higher) into the Ethernet cable going to the Bullet radio as it needs power. It has nothing to do with the router. If you get a router like we have you just need to find the appropriate plug for the router and wire it to 12 volts. You could cut the plug/wire off of the 110 volt to 12 volt brick that came with the router and use that.
We spent a little more for a POE that converts the 12 volts into a higher voltage...
http://www.wirelessnetworkproducts.com/search.aspx?find=TP-DCDC-1218
... 18 volts in our case to make sure the radio was operating at an efficient voltage although most people use a less expensive POE that injects the battery voltage into the Ethernet cable going to the radio. The nice thing about the one we are using is that it will work with voltages down to 9 volts which can occur possibly during engine cranking or if you run the batteries down under 12 volts and it uses very, very little power for itself.
We have been really happy with our setup and have received and sent to hotspots up to 5 miles away (slowly) and can have wireless like speeds up to 1 mile with a good hotspot.
If you aren't a computer/electrical person I'd sure go with a ready to run system like the one from Island Time. I put the parts together and maybe saved $50 but there was a learning curve to this approach and I have some computer/electrical background.
If you followed the link I gave you...
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-navigation/Compter-Nav-index.html
...the parts and suppliers we used are listed if you do tackle the 'put the parts together approach',
Sum
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Our Endeavour 37
Our MacGregor 26-S Pages
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links
You won't find a cheap wifi router that provides (or runs from) POE.
But as Sunmer says it's easy enough to adapt the garden-variety wifi routers that run from 12v wall-warts to run from boat 12v.
It's also easy to fabricate an Ethernet cable with wire tails that you can put the 'P' (power) onto, to power a 12v POE device like a Bullet. Here's some details.
I'm curious, do you really want a router? That would be a "at the slip" solution only. I'd think you would want something that connects to a wireless source on shore so you could use it when away from the dock. That usually means some sort of booster or antenna to get the weak signals. I'd opt for a better antenna
Bill, exactly. An antenna with a WiFi radio hooked to it (the bullet). Ethernet comes from the radio to your computer. Except, I want to put it to a router so I can access via iphone etc. You have to power the radio and that can be done with the ethernet cable. But, you have inject power to the right wires somehow. They make injectors but Im looking to simplify. And you have to watch the antenna specs. The more gain, the less beamwidth. True for any antenna design.
The injectors are 'the simple way'. 12 volt hot and ground to it and plug the Ethernet cable from the radio in one side and the Ethernet cable on to the router in the other side and you are done. If you don't want to use one like we did that also raises the voltage you can get the plain Jane ones for under $10 if I remember right. As mentioned you can take the Ethernet cable apart and inject straight into it, but for $10 or less why bother.
We put a couple hundred into our wifi but that was it. In the yard and on the water we have used it for over 8 months almost daily so the total expense has been quite a bit less that what we pay for monthly wifi at home in the same period of time and will go down on a monthly basis the longer we use it
,Sum
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Our Endeavour 37
Our MacGregor 26-S Pages
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links
Anytime you can eliminate components, that is simplified. Was looking for the router to supply POE so I don't need injectors. The router that Island PC has looks like it can do it but not enough power for the bullet 2......
The injectors are 'the simple way'. 12 volt hot and ground to it and plug the Ethernet cable from the radio in one side and the Ethernet cable on to the router in the other side and you are done. If you don't want to use one like we did that also raises the voltage you can get the plain Jane ones for under $10 if I remember right. As mentioned you can take the Ethernet cable apart and inject straight into it, but for $10 or less why bother.
We put a couple hundred into our wifi but that was it. In the yard and on the water we have used it for over 8 months almost daily so the total expense has been quite a bit less that what we pay for monthly wifi at home in the same period of time and will go down on a monthly basis the longer we use it,
Sum
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]
Our Endeavour 37
Our MacGregor 26-S Pages
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links[/quote]
The injectors are 'the simple way'. 12 volt hot and ground to it and plug the Ethernet cable from the radio in one side and the Ethernet cable on to the router in the other side and you are done. If you don't want to use one like we did that also raises the voltage you can get the plain Jane ones for under $10 if I remember right. As mentioned you can take the Ethernet cable apart and inject straight into it, but for $10 or less why bother.
We put a couple hundred into our wifi but that was it. In the yard and on the water we have used it for over 8 months almost daily so the total expense has been quite a bit less that what we pay for monthly wifi at home in the same period of time and will go down on a monthly basis the longer we use it
,Sum
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]
Our Endeavour 37
Our MacGregor 26-S Pages
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links[/quote]
Most of all of that is on the link I gave to my site above. I'd still recommend Island Time if most of that doesn't make much sense as you get the right equipment and instructions in one package for not much more than piecing it together.
You don't need a different system for dock/anchor. Get the one that will work on the hook and it wiill work at the dock,
Sum
Just as Sumner says. These vendors have done all the selection and geeky stuff, and their systems can be installed without requiring specialized knowledge.
Island Time
Bitstorm
I've helped install 2 Bitstorm systems now. They are simple to put in and get working.
Another great candidate to consider:
NautiCloud (http://store.nauticloud.com)
It uses the best (ubiquiti) radios and the only installation you need to do is clamp it to the pushpit and plug it in to 12 VDC.
That's it!
NautiCloud (http://store.nauticloud.com)
It uses the best (ubiquiti) radios and the only installation you need to do is clamp it to the pushpit and plug it in to 12 VDC.
That's it!
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If you want on-board wifi with or without wires why not just use your phone as a hotspot? Connect your laptop or tablet as required. Plug into your 12V socket with an $10 adapter and you've got internet and all your navigation apps at the dock or on the water. Simple is better.
ggrizzard: You would be surprised at how many of us EE's do not know that much about operational configuration. Many of us hate to operate this stuff but just ask us how it works: bore you to death! ha Chief