Long-Distance WiFi Device

[jcmoon]

Howdy,

www.5milewifi.com

I have been looking at wifi booster systems and this one looks pretty interesting. I have tried radio Labs Wave RV and it does not work very well for us. It has very low power 200mw compared to this gadget. has anyone tried one of these?

thanks

JC

[Chuck Baier]

Stay away from radio Labs. Lots of positive comments on this unit although the 5 mile claim seems a bit exaggerated. We use the Engenius EUB 362 with their omni-directional 8db outdoor antenna and we pick up signals up to a couple of miles away. I am typing this using it at our marina right now. We put the entire unit in a waterproof electrical box and haul it up when we need it.

[jcmoon]

Whoops,

I forgot to include this link that got me started on the 5milewifi idea.

i read about it on scuttlebut.com - anyway here is the review.

5 Mile Wifi; internet conection Wifi booster for marine and boating use

any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers,

JC

[SettingSail2009]

Originally Posted by jcmoon

any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Hi JC,
I get my hands on a 5 mile Wifi antenna on Thursday or Friday, so then I'll be able to tell you what I think about it. From what I hear about it, it sounds like a great product.

[W32PAMELA]

For a USB based device you will do better to put together a setup like Chuck has. The most important factor in making a long distance connection is the receive sensitivity of the radio, not the output power. The Engenius EUB362-ext and the Alfa AWUSO36H have the best receive sensitivity of any USB device I'm aware of.

A one watt bi-directional amplifier is normally used to make up for signal losses in a long run of coax.

Bob Stewart

[Vasco]

Here's what I've been using. Very happy so far.
Netgate

[jcmoon]

Thanks Bob,

the Alpha is an interesting product but it does not look as rubust as the 5milewifi.

The 5mile has a 9db - 27 inch - antenna that goes up 25 to 100 feet from the computer. I think that that will get me more hotspots than the rubber ducky antenna on the Alpha.

The specs on the 5mile say 20db of receive gain on top of the 1W of transmit power - i think this is just in a different class than the Alpha.

Of course the price is in a different class as well.... darn.

but I feel that wifi is an important part of the cruising plan for us so we want the most powerful solution out there. Weather - communication - email - skype etc etc. on the boat - at anchor - not a marina - is our goal.....

Dying to hear what what settingsail 2009 has to say about it - i know pioneers get the arrows - but i hope this works out well for him.


Best,
JC

[W32PAMELA]

Originally Posted by jcmoon

The 5mile has a 9db - 27 inch - antenna that goes up 25 to 100 feet from the computer. I think that that will get me more hotspots than the rubber ducky antenna on the Alpha.

Chuck isn't using a rubber ducky and he doesn't have any coax cable losses either.

If you put the antenna up with 25 to 100 feet of coax you will lose most of your signal. 25 feet of LMR240 has 3.2db attenuation. This will cut the power at the antenna by more than half (~480mw). If you go to 50 feet of coax you're down to 229mw at the antenna. What type of coax comes with the 5mile?

If you want to permanently mount an antenna at the masthead you should look into a POE based Client Bridge that can be mounted on the mast close to the antenna.

Bob Stewart

[mikereed100]

I'm using the EUB 362 with a 9db rubber ducky as well with good results. I'm too lazy to haul it up high so I just hang it upside down from my speedo on the overhead.

[Pelagic]

This might be a dumb question to some….. but will these products work anywhere in the world, like Asia or Australia, when you are cruising or are they specific to US wi-fi hot-spot systems?

[W32PAMELA]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

This might be a dumb question to some….. but will these products work anywhere in the world, like Asia or Australia, when you are cruising or are they specific to US wi-fi hot-spot systems?

The short answer is that they will work anywhere.

There are differences from country to country in the number of channels used and the maximum output power permitted. North America allows channels 1-11 while most of the EU uses 1-13 but the channel frequencies are the same so a North American device will work in the EU except on channels 12 & 13.

Most of the EU allows and EIRP (Effective Isotopic Radiated Power) of 100mw while in the US the FCC permits an EIRP of up to 4 watts.

An EUB362 sold in North America will have channels 1-11 and put out 200mw while one sold in the EU will have channels 1-13 but be limited to an output power of 100mw.

Many Client Bridge devices allow software control of channels and power output and there may be USB based devices that can do this also but I'm not aware of them.

Bob Stewart

[SettingSail2009]

Originally Posted by jcmoon

Dying to hear what what settingsail 2009 has to say about it - i know pioneers get the arrows - but i hope this works out well for him.

Hey JC,
Unfortunately I'm going to be about a week late to Amsterdam, which means I won't be checking out the 5milewifi before then I'd love to have it now, but alas a broken sail has prevented me from getting there.
As soon as I have it I'll write about it in detail.

[TabbyCat]

Wlearl,
You sent me to this thread and asked me to comment on my success with WIFI in the islands. I have used a PCMCIA card (300 Milliwatt) very successfully. Eventually the little cable died, so I bought a replacement, this time the Alfa AWUSO36H, which uses two USB ports on the computer and is 500 MW. I have a Hyperlink technologies 8.5db antenna which attached to the Alfa unit via a 20' low loss cable. I move the antenna around on the boat for the best reception- that pesky mast seems to interfere. The farthest I've been able to reach is about 5 miles; That was reaching back to a harbor I had left (Little Harbor at the southern End of Abaco Island) from Lubbers Quarters. I don't think I could pick up a new signal from 5 miles out, but 1 mile is not uncommon. I keep a spare Engenius adapter on board. From reading the cruising guides for the Windwards & Leewards, it sounds like WIFI will be readily available there too, but maybe not for free....

[Ram]

I also have Engenius EUB 362 and have attached 3 usb cables with some kind of amp on each one, I think they are 12-15 feet long and mounted a 9db antanina on my spreader it has picked up as far as about 2 miles in some cases,

[Chuck Baier]

The 5 Mile is about $400.00. My set up was less than $100.00 just in case someone is interested.