B&G Zeus upgrade to v18.3 broke WiFi GoFree

[DreamCatcher37]

Whomda and PeterSailor--

Thank you both for the updates, I am exactly where Whomda is with new Go Free Wifi unit and parts in the box on the vessel to install when my mental health is in a best state of calmness.

I read the text next to the new v18.3 release too.

Any tips or steps you needed to do to install the new external Go Free Wifi Unit would be appreciated here or to my email. macdonaldbryon@gmail.com

While here, did you have external access to the WWW internet and not just the internal Go Free Wifi Ipad/iphone on the vessel using the Go Free Wifi external unit and v18.2? I would love to know.

My plan is to first install the new external unit and then reinstall the v18.3 upgrade to be sure I am back at the place I was in January. Make sense?

Bryon

[Whomda]

Based on some of the experiences, you should make sure you are still at version 18.2, or revert your software to version 18.2 before plugging in the new unit.

Then make sure if you do decide to update to 18.3, that you use the very latest version listed April 18th (yesterday).

Personally, I'm going to wait to see if someone else upgrades successfully , as there is no feature from 18.3 I urgently need.

I never did figure out how to bridge the unit to allow devices connected to it in navigation mode also to access the external web (through some other access point). Interestingly, the replacement device has an insert saying not to use the device as an ethernet switch, as it drops attached devices when it switches from one mode to another. Then they include a diagram of how not to wire it up (suggesting NOT to wire both the chartplotter and the radar into the unit), which is of course exactly how it is wired by Lagoon.

[DreamCatcher37]

PS
Here is what B and G sent me and the current B and G website states this unit compatible with Zeus2 MFD https://www.bandg.com/en-gb/bg/type/...reless-module/

Bryon

[DreamCatcher37]

Whomda

This is too funny if it were not just plain screwed up customer service, I do not get why their B and G complexities make this all rocket science level crap, makes me smoke.

You wrote:
"Then they include a diagram of how not to wire it up (suggesting NOT to wire both the chartplotter and the radar into the unit), which is of course exactly how it is wired by Lagoon."

I believe my Go Free External unit is also wired exactly this way and all of my extensive B and G electronics was installed 100% by a B and G Certified electrician on 2015-2016 in the Bay Area. A B and G tech on the phone during this current mess told me the same thing about the radar hookup to the external Go Free wifi and that it was wrong.

My goal and plan frankly is to wire in the new unit by imitating exactly the way the old unit was installed. I double checked this week and my B and G 4G radar is operating right now with the old fried, toasted Go Free Wifi unit still hooked up. Go figure.

If there is a better plan I am all ears. My smell test so far is to get my vessel back to where it was pre install of v18.3 and go on with life from there.

Bryon

[Andalusian]

I received my replacement unit and installed it yesterday. I rolled back to 18.2 a few weeks ago, but noticed that my radar was not being recognized. Once the new go free was installed, the radar and the system are up and running again the way they were before this little adventure began. I will wait on 18.3, and future upgrades from now on to see how things go. I don’t want to be the beta test anymore...

[Whomda]

Here's the insert from B&G about the wiring. I'm also going to ignore it for the time being, I can't see buying the extra $300 NEP-2 network switch.

[lateral]

I have just upgraded to 18.3 18/04/2019.
Connects to my android ph but states device not found in link app.
I thought also 18.3 was supposed to offer "dual mode" functionality to wifi-1 like built in units.
Pia rebooting for different modes. Really clunky. I

[lateral]

Originally Posted by blubaju

No connection problem - updated about a week ago.

Annoying, it can only be used for LINK, the proprietary remote control app, not for any other data transfer, eg connection to a PC, same applies to the Bluetooth transmitter, only good for the AP-remote control. Would not buy it any more as, when connected to my phone, internet is cut, better OpenCPN on the phone, have all data & internet

And thats a fact pretty poor for a commercial product.
I sure I read 18.3 was going to ad "dual mode" to WIFI-1.
Suspect they don't want to add that so as to promote built in units.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by lateral

And thats a fact pretty poor for a commercial product.
I sure I read 18.3 was going to ad "dual mode" to WIFI-1.
Suspect they don't want to add that so as to promote built in units.

I've been running 18.3 [and now the patch] since it was released and was luckier than some to not have any issues- including my WiFi1 device.

RE: Dual mode WiFi: The B&G 18.3 addendum for your MFD model [Zeus2 in my case...] manual states:

Dual mode WiFi: [chapter]

The internal WiFi module can now act as a WiFi access point and as a WiFi client at the same time. The internal WiFi module can only act as one access point and one client simultaneously.

Note: Dual mode WiFi is not available with external WiFi modules (e.g. WiFi-1).
...

That means only MFDs with built-in WiFi have dual mode capability. [Zeus3 in my case...]

In case this helps.

Cheers! Bill

[lateral]

Thanks Bill. Wont hold my breath then.

[DreamCatcher37]

Update:
Good news is my install of the new Go Free Wifi 1 Module is working, got connectivity on two ipads and one iphone aboard. Radar seems ok too, it is B and G 4g.
The connection and the screens on the ipads can get wiggly distorted weird and cuts out and disconnect, then is fine again, loose connection >>? Did I not plug cables in all the way any thoughts?

I am giving it all another 24 hours to see if it works itself out. The internal wifi on board is a big plus for the way we do voyages and night watchs.

[Whomda]

I also reinstalled the replacement WiFi-1 module (after backporting to 18.2) and it works just as it used to. However the chartplotter keeps asking permission to upgrade, and I don't know what image it has inside it's little head, so I keep saying no.

I'll wait a bit to update to 18.3 that's on the website, but I assume it's ok based on responses here.

[calm waters]

Received replacement module and installed back on the boat. Also rolled back to 18.2.

The new module arrived with version 2.0.15 so not getting any firmware update nag screens.

All working as it should. Will also hold off 18.3 patch for a while.

[Whomda]

So after installing the new Wifi-1 unit, and waiting a while, I did take the chance and update to the new 18.3 (version 18-3-61.155).

Mostly I did this to avoid the nagging screens I was getting asking me to upgrade, and I wanted to be sure I was upgrading to the last known good version. So I did the upgrade by SD card, avoiding online.

It worked after a few reboots. The Wireless panel is laid out differently, but as far as I can tell it has the same functionality.

Note the IP address of the network changed, meaning I had to change the connection settings in OpenCPN and other apps to get them to connect.

Anywhoo, after a long drama all seems to be good finally.

[zabbaskeema]

Hi Bill!

I just received my zeus3 and I am trying to figure this out while waiting for some cables to integrate with the simnet backbone I have on the boat.

The question I have (surely showing how newbie I am!) :

Since we have integrated wifi we don't need the wifi-1 unit but can we still broadcast the nmea (0183 or 2K) over wifi for other systems like OpenCPN to use?

I am missing that info

Pat