2019 edition: Are you using a mast mounted WiFi or cellular extender?

[LoudMusic]

I think there is a big misunderstanding of this technology. Repeaters and Extenders are NOT WHAT YOU WANT, for cellular or wifi. The superior solution is to create your own local network on the boat and then use equipment to attach that network to terrestrial service when needed. It's somewhat akin to the electric system on board.

The benefit is that all your devices on board, phone/tablet/laptop/chartplotter/whatever, are always connected to the same wifi or network. You don't have to re-associate them to the marina's wifi.

I personally use a Pepwave MAX BR1 MK2, model MAX-BR1-MK2-LTEA-W. I like that it has separate 2.4ghz and 5ghz antennas for wifi and a cellular modem with a good list of cellular frequencies. You can check Pepwave support frequencies by modem code here: https://www.peplink.com/lte-networks/

The importance of the difference between 2.4ghz and 5ghz wifi is very critical.

Traditionally 2.4ghz is considered to have better range and penetration through surfaces. It's shortcoming is limited non-interfering channels. In fact there are only 3 channels in US regions that do not have some overlap.

5ghz wifi has less range and weaker surface penetration, and is generally considered to be "for indoor use". But it has quite a lot more non-interfering channels.

When you get into a marina with anywhere from fifty to hundreds of boats, each blaring their own 2.4ghz networks, connecting to the marina's 2.4ghz network becomes impossible. Think of everyone there trying to talk on VHF ch16 at the same time. If they're serving up 5ghz, I'm going to connect to that every time.

I ran two antenna cables up to my first spreader and attached a "wifi" antenna that does all 2.4 and 5ghz frequencies, and a cellular antenna that does all 3G, 4G, and LTE frequencies.

I also have a firewall and don't use the Pepwave's internal wifi, but I have used it on my clients' networks and it is really good. The Pepwave could be your own network device on board. Just be sure to get the appropriate model for your region. I'm happy to answer questions about them as well.

[cottonsail]

Bought an extender. Total waste of money. Added an ATT hotspot and it works great.

[windlass79]

Thanks for the post! We use Weboost at our cabin in the rocky mtns, and it works great. Now thanks to one of the responses to your post, I'm going to pick up a Weboost Drive and put it on the boat!

[AndyEss]

I have been using my cell phone as a hotspot for years as a land animal. I’m not sure what information one poster has that suggests cell phones shouldn’t be used as hot spots for any long duration as this was not my experience.
This is a very timely topic as I now am looking for a SIM enabled router/modem with external antenna ports to add to my boat.
Excellent info here on CF

[hellosailor]

Andy-
"I’m not sure what information one poster has that suggests cell phones shouldn’t be used as hot spots for any long duration as this was not my experience."
Each carrier has treated hot spots differently for a decade now. Some simply did not allow it. Some phones did not allow it. IIRC it was Verizon that was infamous, before LTE, for allowing their phones to be used as hot spots OR phones, but if you enabled the hot spot then you lost phone service.
The old Palm Treo's had apps available that "disguised" a bluetooth hotspot use ("tethering") because the carriers did (and may still do) examine all of the IP traffic going to the phones. If your phone was carrying traffic for other IP addresses, other devices, the carrier knows it is being used as a hot spot--and they would often either shut it down or simply charge you extra for the use.
There are no hard and fast rules about hot spots, the phone maker, the carrier, everyone gets a chance to put in restrictions, and they change from time to time.

The carriers used to say "only one phone per number" i.e. you couldn't have your calls sent out to two phones, using the same number, at the same time. Now? Look at the Samsung and Apple smartwatches, and other devices, which can and do SHARE a phone number with a master device. The carriers all said "Never!" but now, some of them are allowing multiple devices to function (not simultaneously, but taking turns) on just one number.
Tethering and hot spots sometimes is restricted to xx megabytes of data, and that in itself would be a reason to "not use it for too long" as opposed to the MiFi devices, sold with plans that were all-data.

[AndyEss]

Comprende Hellosailor, thanks for clearing that up.
So it wasn’t a problem with poorly constructed technology, but past carrier administrative policies.

[RobPatterson]

My mast is free of internet clutter.
I have a ubiquity booster and wifi router on a pole at the stern, not on the mast.

I have found that marina wifi is generally irritating. I can get good signal strength and good speed but the marina signal is intermittent or the bandwidth is saturated.
Phone as hotspot generally works better.

[zeehag]

meh marina wifi is beyond irritating. it is massively crap. is why i use my at and t modem and unlimited data plan. i have it all and i can share with those i deem worthy. err neighbors who dare come to my rogues dock. hahahahaha
(puffed up bragging icon --insert here)
yes i found extenders only extend the modem less marina intermittent at best service, is free-- not gonna be reliable. can have one or other--free or reliable. i have reliable. one can not improve a non connective signal. one CAN make own interweb service easily. why not do that, instead of cussing at outages laugh at them by bypassing marina bs service.
funny how mine even works during hurricanes. marina wifi fails miserably with those.
there are more service providers coming up with these portable wifi modems monthly. they work off cell towers, so is easy.

[cottonsail]

We bought an extender. total waste of money. We experienced a slight improvement in Bimini. Still not worth it. Bought a hot spot extender from AT&T. works great. No need for a password at every Marina. Good value. On the extender we purchased, we spent hours with their tech support. All to no avail.

[MistyCat]

Question for tech-savvy cruisers: I have recently installed a suite of Raymarine gadgets around an eS75 MFD that provides on board Wifi. Plan is to use an iPad as portable 2nd screen for Raymarine nav and also backup navware (Navionics, Aquamap, etc). Can I use a cel hotspot or wifi extender to connect this onboard wifi system to the internet, so as to retain use of my devices within the Raymarine wifi? (I’m New at this). Thanks.

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by MistyCat

Question for tech-savvy cruisers: I have recently installed a suite of Raymarine gadgets around an eS75 MFD that provides on board Wifi. Plan is to use an iPad as portable 2nd screen for Raymarine nav and also backup navware (Navionics, Aquamap, etc). Can I use a cel hotspot or wifi extender to connect this onboard wifi system to the internet, so as to retain use of my devices within the Raymarine wifi? (I’m New at this). Thanks.

I use Simrad gear, but the principles are the same I imagine. You need to connect your internet connection to the network which may require adaptor cables and a switch to allow the connection. That bit's relatively straight forward, but the kicker is configuring the network to make sure everything can talk to each other whilst knowing how to reach the hotspot to get and receive data from the internet.

One of the components of your existing system will be described as having a "router" function and this is the gadget you would need to reconfigure. There are a number of ways this configuration can be done - it depends on your particular setup. You'll probably find plenty of info on how to configure the router to do what is required but you'll need to have, or have someone on hand, that understands the basics of networking as it can be easy to screw up even the existing connectivity if goofed up.

[AndyEss]

Originally Posted by zeehag

meh marina wifi is beyond irritating. it is massively crap. is why i use my at and t modem and unlimited data plan. i have it all and i can share with those i deem worthy. err neighbors who dare come to my rogues dock. hahahahaha
(puffed up bragging icon --insert here)
yes i found extenders only extend the modem less marina intermittent at best service, is free-- not gonna be reliable. can have one or other--free or reliable. i have reliable. one can not improve a non connective signal. one CAN make own interweb service easily. why not do that, instead of cussing at outages laugh at them by bypassing marina bs service.
funny how mine even works during hurricanes. marina wifi fails miserably with those.
there are more service providers coming up with these portable wifi modems monthly. they work off cell towers, so is easy.

Great comment Zeehag.

I'm an idiot for still being on my boat - there's music on the Malecon (it's Carnivale here in La Paz) - and I'm multi-tasking between CF and an international paper I write political commentary in - because my AT&T cell phone hotspot lets me do this and it's fun.

All I need to do is have a device with an antenna port so I can feed LOS signal (which cell phone transmission is) from the top of my mast (I hope) to me in my cabin or cockpit.

There are a lot of deep inlet anchorages in the Sea of Cortez. I think the mast head antenna will help "look over" the anchorage surrounding hills to the nearest cell tower

[Pelagic]

Does anyone have experience or knowledge about this antenna
seems to be complete
https://poynting.tech/wp-content/upl...V2-15-Rev2.pdf

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Does anyone have experience or knowledge about this antenna
seems to be complete
https://poynting.tech/wp-content/upl...V2-15-Rev2.pdf

Bump
I am about to order....
Has anyone knowledgeable looked at this product as it is both Cell boost (5g ready) and WiFi?
Tnx

[sailorboy1]

I've had good use from my wifi booster system in the past couple of years. It still is getting lots of wifi signals, but the access points internet connectivity has become pretty poor. A few months ago my cell phone changed my hotspot use per month from 10 to 50MB and I haven't used my wifi booster since as the cell phone connection has worked sooo much better.