Long-Distance WiFi Device

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by kiltym

In our opinion, USB based systems are by far the easiest to set up and use for the general consumer. They fully integrate into many operating systems so no additional learning curve is present.

That's cool and I hope you sell plenty of it. In my opinion though, you still have to install a driver specific for the OS and it's version that you run on your computer. A driver might not be available for the OS you use, or cause problems like the blue screen of death etc. This is in contrast to an Ethernet link where every computer that I know has an Ethernet port and every OS in use today has drivers for the Ethernet port pre-installed.

I think Ethernet based devices have no need to be integrated into an OS as they have all their networking functionality themselves. With USB you must start running software like "Virtual-AP" to give access to other Wifi enabled computers/gadgets etc.

You can be biased towards them, that's fine, but for people who don't want to understand all the words that have been typed over the past 3 days, The Wirie is a very simple and very good solution, as many unaffiliated person's have attested to.

Oh, that sounds good. And I agree like I wrote before when you compare to ordering a Bullet and other components from a distributor. That would be the same as buying an Alpha USB adapter, antenna, Pelican case, waterproof cable guides, USB cord and coax jumper and attempting to assemble it into your product. Not having to do that is the added value that allows you to be

The many cruisers I know that bought their gear from companies like Wave, Wifi-for-boats, Island Time PC etc. (all Ubiquity Ethernet based products) had no problems installing it because it came as a complete kit and an easy description of which cable to insert where etc.

(punchline: they both work equally as well).

Sure, performance is similar when the same antenna and power is used. Ubiquity uses the same cheap chipsets as other manufacturers.

Also, The WirieAP has no drivers, no coax, no usb cable, no poe cables, no Ethernet cables, no big technical terms, just 100% wireless WiFi.

Yes I think this will be a successful product for you. It is "the same" as the setup I just explained to Extemp here in this thread with the combo of Bullet + PicoStation. Except he bought the components so he has to do the initial config himself. I heard that others also have this or will follow soon (wifi-for-boats has a guide but doesn't sell the extra AP last time I checked). For people who want the easy solution, these "AP" setup's are it!

ciao!
Nick.

[thatboatguy]

Alfa Router for AWUS036H - create hotspot / Access Point. Wireless Bridge / Repeater

For the last few days it has certainly looked like rocket surgery here. But if one were to go back and count the number of people who have been helped here by down to earth instructions that *almost* anyone can understand, I think the value of community here would be plain. *I've* been helped a ton here and I had a leg up from Bob at Islandtime and others.

George

[Extemporaneous]

Originally Posted by thatboatguy

Alfa Router for AWUS036H - create hotspot / Access Point. Wireless Bridge / Repeater

For the last few days it has certainly looked like rocket surgery here. But if one were to go back and count the number of people who have been helped here by down to earth instructions that *almost* anyone can understand, I think the value of community here would be plain. *I've* been helped a ton here and I had a leg up from Bob at Islandtime and others.

George

Here here!

[Islander]

Originally Posted by thatboatguy

Alfa Router for AWUS036H - create hotspot / Access Point. Wireless Bridge / Repeater

For the last few days it has certainly looked like rocket surgery here. But if one were to go back and count the number of people who have been helped here by down to earth instructions that *almost* anyone can understand, I think the value of community here would be plain. *I've* been helped a ton here and I had a leg up from Bob at Islandtime and others.

George

I was just about to ask if something like this was available. Any idea if you can plug in a 3G USB dongle instead of (i.e. as well as, but obviously not at the same time) the Alfa or if such a wireless device exists?

Cheers.

[kiltym]

Originally Posted by Islander

I was just about to ask if something like this was available. Any idea if you can plug in a 3G USB dongle instead of (i.e. as well as, but obviously not at the same time) the Alfa or if such a wireless device exists?

Cheers.

Yes, and yes.

The router will take a long list of 3G dongles.

And, there are other 3G routers available on the market that will "repeat" a 3G signal as well.

[kiltym]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

In my opinion though, you still have to install a driver specific for the OS and it's version that you run on your computer. A driver might not be available for the OS you use,

Every piece of hardware on your computer has software for it, including built in WiFi cards (which often are the same brand chips as whats in many of the products discussed here). To all of a sudden say software and drivers are bad is not really a logical argument as they are needed by every computer/device running today. Certainly manufacturers can make good drivers or bad drivers, just like everything. Agreed. And everyone should be sure that the device will work properly with their OS before purchasing it, which should go for any piece of hardware or software they add to their computer.

Also agree not every USB device is supported by every OS, but a company trying to sell a product would certainly want to make sure that theirs is or they lose out on market share I suppose.

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The many cruisers I know that bought their gear from companies like Wave, Wifi-for-boats, Island Time PC etc. (all Ubiquity Ethernet based products) had no problems installing it because it came as a complete kit and an easy description of which cable to insert where etc.

There was a post 5 or 6 back that the opposite is true, just to be fair.

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Yes I think this will be a successful product for you. It is "the same" as the setup I just explained to Extemp here in this thread with the combo of Bullet + PicoStation. Except he bought the components so he has to do the initial config himself. I heard that others also have this or will follow soon (wifi-for-boats has a guide but doesn't sell the extra AP last time I checked). For people who want the easy solution, these "AP" setup's are it!

There are some differences to make things easier for customers, but I have been asked not to talk about our product here, so will do my best to bite my tongue. People will have to do their own research I suppose.

[thatboatguy]

Originally Posted by kiltym

but I have been asked not to talk about our product here, so will do my best to bite my tongue.

If it's permitted, may I ask if you have written firmware, drivers or other software for your product or are they "off the shelf"?

Let's face it, eggs are cheap; an omelet at the cafe... not so much. If you want your ingredients artfully combined and arranged on the plate in a pleasing way, you pay a premium for that. And there is something to be said for an out of the box plug and play device that doesn't need technical support.

Early on I purchased one of those el-cheapo POEs (it's just a power adapter folks!) and it failed about a week into our cruise. But it failed intermittently and it gave me fits for a couple of days while my primary focus was managing the yacht down the waterway. Once we arrived in Florida I went to Home Depot and gathered up a few necessarys and simply built my own, very robust unit and hardwired it into the boat. I included a pig tail to power the router to redistribute wifi aboard.

My point is, when I work on boats I charge at least $55 per hour so when I work on my own boat instead, I have to take that into consideration as a cost. My POE took me about an hour to assemble and maybe $15 in parts so.... heh heh a $70 POE??? Another good example is our Perkins 4-108. The parts to completely rebuild this motor will cost me less than one boat unit. But go and look at what a professionally rebuilt one costs! Additionally, many times when I work on boats I'm being paid for what I know, not what I do. That's the value you are buying when you purchase from a US English speaking assembler who is willing to provide support.

Now... I guess I'm off to start a thread on wifi web cameras because I am going to need a lot of help getting up and over the learning curve on it with a whole new set of acronyms to learn!!!

George

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by kiltym

Every piece of hardware on your computer has software for it[...]

You are correct of course. The point I was trying to make is that an Ethernet based device, like the Ubiquity radio's, are not a "piece of hardware on your computer" and thus do not require any software/drivers. These are complete independent network devices that don't need a host computer to function.

There was a post 5 or 6 back that the opposite is true, just to be fair.

Yes, it said something like "I could not get the Bullet to work". There is no indication that this was one of the kits sold with support or a Bullet from a distributor.

There are some differences to make things easier for customers, but I have been asked not to talk about our product here

I think your products strongest point is how easy you make it for your customers. I have never worked with your product but I imagine a good manual and good people answering the support line. Cruisers will find your website

Others will put a Bullet at their masthead and some will play with this like I do and experiment with anything they get their hands on. Cruisers come in many kinds

ciao!
Nick.

[kiltym]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The point I was trying to make is that an Ethernet based device, like the Ubiquity radio's, are not a "piece of hardware on your computer" and thus do not require any software/drivers. These are complete independent network devices that don't need a host computer to function.

And every one of these network devices, including ours, also has software on it, that can have just as many bugs/issues as a driver on a computer. I guess my feeling is software is software. Its either written well and works well, or doesn't. Whether the software lives on the computer, or the router (also a computer just to make sure people understand that a router is a "mini" computer, with lots of software on it), is not really a solid argument to me about whether Ethernet is better then USB.

Certainly there are other differences, like cable length and integration into the computers OS that will influence a customer to lean one way or the other. But software (drivers) come into play on everything that has ever been discussed on this thread, regardless of USB or Ethernet. In my opinion, products are better then others, but not just because one is USB and one is Ethernet. They differentiate by how well they work, how easy they are to install, how well they will last on a boat, etc, etc....

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Cruisers come in many kinds

Thankfully! The world would be way to boring otherwise.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Yes, it said something like "I could not get the Bullet to work". There is no indication that this was one of the kits sold with support or a Bullet from a distributor.

Nick is correct. With all due respect to those who struggle, there are also many people who can't get the clock set on their VCR. That doesn't make the solutions they struggle with any less effective. Their experiences shared on fora like CF is useful to others who similarly struggle with some technology. I don't mean to denigrate anyone here. People learn differently and some need visual support or one-on-one hand-holding. Some of us are fortunate to be able to skim poorly written, flaky documentation and understand.

Bullet-based systems have been some of the simplest and most easiest to configure long-range wifi solutions I have found. Once established they are robust, stable, and highly effective.

[kiltym]

Originally Posted by thatboatguy

If it's permitted, may I ask if you have written firmware, drivers or other software for your product or are they "off the shelf"?

We wrote and helped design much of the firmware, drivers, and UI on The WirieAP.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by kiltym

And every one of these network devices, including ours, also has software on it, that can have just as many bugs/issues as a driver on a computer. I guess my feeling is software is software. Its either written well and works well, or doesn't.

Sure sure. But I prefer to have Linux running on an ARM CPU inside my radio than some Taiwanese driver for a USB radio under M$ Windows ! The whole concept gives me the creeps.


^^ Nick >>

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by thatboatguy

. That's the value you are buying when you purchase from a US English speaking assembler who is willing to provide support.



George

Ta DA!

[s/v Jedi]

Okay, this is funny They did NOT accept me as member on the Cruisers Wiki ROFL. They must either know me well from CF to not want me there, or they are just clueless

ciao!
Nick.

Originally Posted by Amgine

Wow. 57 pages at the moment and still going strong...

You know, it would be really great if some of the successful installations (and pros) could write up a series of articles on the wiki explaining getting wifi on the boat along with a couple of 'recipes' for reasonable deck-level and permanent installations. (Plus an experts article going into the math, etc?)

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Okay, this is funny They did NOT accept me as member on the Cruisers Wiki ROFL. They must either know me well from CF to not want me there, or they are just clueless

ciao!
Nick.

Your reputation proceeds you!