Local WiFi Network Onboard

[Sidclark]

When I bought the boat it came with a Island Time PC wifi adapter with a hAP ac lite Dual band Router. I would like to set up a local area wifi network. In other words, I want to connect things onboard such as the camera that was discussed in a different thread. I don't want to use outside wifi or a hotspot. Just need a method to get things onboard to communicate without running wires. Can the Island Time PC do that? What, if any system can do this?

 

[Codger2]

I would like to set up a local area wifi network. In other words, I want to connect things onboard such as the camera that was discussed in a different thread. I don't want to use outside wifi or a hotspot.

I'm interested in why you don't want to use a phone's hot spot. My Raymarine MFD (eS128) has WIFI and Blue Tooth. It talks to my iPad down below in the salon. It also talks with my iPhone. I have 5 cameras on the boat and the MFD's WIFI talks to them all. What really works the best for me is the smart TV. Anything i can see on the Raymarine MFD on the bridge is also visible in the salon on my iPad or the TV. Where the hot spot comes in handy is when I want to use the internet. (Amazon, movies, weather programs, etc.) The only monthly charge i have is my Verizon phone bill which I would have even if i didn't have the boat!

 

[fractalphreak]

Good timing on this thread. I am in the process of setting up WIFI on board NWD.

Can't speak to your question about the exact hardware you have on board, but here's what I've done so far with WIFI. Because I have good dry saloon spaces for a router, I have transplanted a dual band router from home instead of spending 4-$500 on a "marine" WIFI router. I have it hooked up to my Rose Point NEMO, and have successfully used it to connect my laptop to the NMEA data from the NEMO to include depth data from my Garmin system, position and AIS data from the AIS transceiver, and the option of selecting position data from the Garmin system. We've also been able to send (using Coastal Explorer) nav data to the COMNAV autopilot.

To set up the boat WIFI network, I just plugged the laptop into the router, and set up a new WIFI network from scratch, just like the one I have at home, with security and a password. Its just not (right now) connected to any internet connectivity.

We were originally doing all this via an ethernet cable to the NEMO, but now have the WIFI connection instead, allowing the boat navigation laptop to be migratory, or other devices to connect.

With the addition of the WIFI, I've installed OpenCPN on our Android tablet and can get the same data from the NEMO onto that. I haven't tried using OpenCPN to send nav data to the autopilot yet.

I have a new NUC computer that is going to replace the laptop for navigation. The router, computer, and the 24" monitor I've purchased for the boat operate on 120vAC to 12vDC adapters, allowing me to wire it into the boat DC electrical. I've purchased converters that take anything from 10vDC to 30vDC and convert it to 12vDC to account for any variances in battery level or charge voltage.

We also have phones that do hotspots, but I'm not sure how or if we could translate that into providing through the router. I'll have to play with that. It would be cool to have both the NEMO connectivity and internet connectivity.

I'll be interested to see what else comes out of this thread. Taking a TT out of the dark ages into the era of digital data is a challenge!

 

[Comodave]

I'm interested in why you don't want to use a phone's hot spot. My Raymarine MFD (eS128) has WIFI and Blue Tooth. It talks to my iPad down below in the salon. It also talks with my iPhone. I have 5 cameras on the boat and the MFD's WIFI talks to them all. What really works the best for me is the smart TV. Anything i can see on the Raymarine MFD on the bridge is also visible in the salon on my iPad or the TV. Where the hot spot comes in handy is when I want to use the internet. (Amazon, movies, weather programs, etc.) The only monthly charge i have is my Verizon phone bill which I would have even if i didn't have the boat!

I have an e127 and a128 on my flybridge. The e127 has wifi in it. I use the Raymarine app to connect the iPad to the e127. Through the iPad I can control the e127. Are you using the wifi in your MFD to connect everything together or the hotspot in your phone? What wifi cameras are you using?

 

[Codger2]

I have an e127 and a128 on my flybridge. The e127 has wifi in it. I use the Raymarine app to connect the iPad to the e127. Through the iPad I can control the e127. Are you using the wifi in your MFD to connect everything together or the hotspot in your phone? What wifi cameras are you using?

Sounds like I have the very same set up as you! Since all my electronics are on the flybridge, I connect my salon iPad by using the WIFI on the 128 and control it with the Raymarine app like you do. Since the 128 has a HDMI out port on the back, I ran a cable from the 128 direct to the salon smart TV's HDMI and the reception and speed is remarkable!
My beef with using WIFI in conjunction with Raymarine IP 220 cameras is that the image is jerky as opposed to a HDMI connection which is smooth. I use my iPhone's hot spot for surfing the internet, route planning on Windy, Amazon movies, etc. I replaced my Direct TV last year with a Glomax OTA antenna ($140) and bought a 43" Samsung smart ($350)tv to work with it, Again, the resolution is fantastic and the monthly cost for my TV viewing is now -0-! (It was $86/month!) All this is made possible by the Raymarine eS127 & 128.

 

[Comodave]

So you are using Raymarine cameras? I was hoping to find a cheaper option.

 

[Codger2]

So you are using Raymarine cameras? I was hoping to find a cheaper option.

yes, I am using the ray marine 220 IP cameras. I tried the cheaper cameras but the resolution was not nearly as good as IPs. The 220s are expensive but they can be used outside, inside or in the engine room and each one can record by controlling it with the eS128. The recording time is gigantic and a one to two hour cruise can be recorded with the touch of the 128's screen.

I have cameras in the salon, ER, cockpit, bow, and stern.

Below is the cockpit camera.

 

[Comodave]

Ok, I guess I will have to eventually go that route. Thanks.

 

[catalinajack]

Same here. I use my smart tv as a wifi monitor of my topside MFD. I have never understood the utility of a dedicated system. Seems redundant to me in most cases and a whole lot of trouble. I used to have an Island Time booster. I removed it. Too much of a bother to tune to a new wifi every time we pull into someplace new. If the marina service is poor I just use my phone as a hot spot.

I'm interested in why you don't want to use a phone's hot spot. My Raymarine MFD (eS128) has WIFI and Blue Tooth. It talks to my iPad down below in the salon. It also talks with my iPhone. I have 5 cameras on the boat and the MFD's WIFI talks to them all. What really works the best for me is the smart TV. Anything i can see on the Raymarine MFD on the bridge is also visible in the salon on my iPad or the TV. Where the hot spot comes in handy is when I want to use the internet. (Amazon, movies, weather programs, etc.) The only monthly charge i have is my Verizon phone bill which I would have even if i didn't have the boat!

 

[Flatswing]

Why not call or email Bob Stewart at island time PC. He is usually very responsive:
Rstewart@islandtimepc.com.(805) 890-2815

 

[caltexflanc]

If internet access is not part of the equation, then just a plain old wifi router will do the OP's bidding to form a LAN.

 

[Sidclark]

I'm interested in why you don't want to use a phone's hot spot.

A couple of issues here. One is that I don't need internet capability of the hotspot. But, the pressing issue is using the hotspot drains the phone's battery pretty quickly and since it's used for business, I can't leave it plugged in and tied to a charger while moving around the boat.

Good timing on this thread. I am in the process of setting up WIFI on board NWD.

Can't speak to your question about the exact hardware you have on board, but here's what I've done so far with WIFI. Because I have good dry saloon spaces for a router, I have transplanted a dual band router from home instead of spending 4-$500 on a "marine" WIFI router. I have it hooked up to my Rose Point NEMO, and have successfully used it to connect my laptop to the NMEA data from the NEMO to include depth data from my Garmin system, position and AIS data from the AIS transceiver, and the option of selecting position data from the Garmin system. We've also been able to send (using Coastal Explorer) nav data to the COMNAV autopilot.

To set up the boat WIFI network, I just plugged the laptop into the router, and set up a new WIFI network from scratch, just like the one I have at home, with security and a password. Its just not (right now) connected to any internet connectivity.

We were originally doing all this via an ethernet cable to the NEMO, but now have the WIFI connection instead, allowing the boat navigation laptop to be migratory, or other devices to connect.

With the addition of the WIFI, I've installed OpenCPN on our Android tablet and can get the same data from the NEMO onto that. I haven't tried using OpenCPN to send nav data to the autopilot yet.

I have a new NUC computer that is going to replace the laptop for navigation. The router, computer, and the 24" monitor I've purchased for the boat operate on 120vAC to 12vDC adapters, allowing me to wire it into the boat DC electrical. I've purchased converters that take anything from 10vDC to 30vDC and convert it to 12vDC to account for any variances in battery level or charge voltage.

We also have phones that do hotspots, but I'm not sure how or if we could translate that into providing through the router. I'll have to play with that. It would be cool to have both the NEMO connectivity and internet connectivity.

I'll be interested to see what else comes out of this thread. Taking a TT out of the dark ages into the era of digital data is a challenge!

Sounds great, but way too expensive and complicated for what I want to do.

Why not call or email Bob Stewart at island time PC. He is usually very responsive:
Rstewart@islandtimepc.com.(805) 890-2815

I did call, but not sure he understood exactly what I was trying to do.

If internet access is not part of the equation, then just a plain old wifi router will do the OP's bidding to form a LAN.

Yep, internet is not part of the equation. I just want to wirelessly connect two or three cameras. I believe the hAP ac lite Dual band Router can do this but haven't heard back from MikroTik support yet. The Garmin 942xs has wifi, but whether it works like the Raymarine 127/8, I don't know. This sort of tech is really not my strong suit and I'll be the first to admit it's so confusing to me.

 

[Woodland Hills]

I have a Vesper AIS with a WiFi router built in, we can use it as a LAN whenever we need one.

 

[BDofMSP]

So you are using Raymarine cameras? I was hoping to find a cheaper option.

You can use other brand cameras as long as they meet the Raymarine requiremensts. From this posting on their support forum:
Video input sources for MFDs using LightHouse II and LightHouse 3

- Possibly, third-party IP cameras and video encoders (ex. Axis M70 Series Encoders (M7011, M7014, M7016), etc..) Third-party cameras are not tested by Raymarine, are not explicitly intended to be supported, and we cannot offer any support if you choose to use a third-party video device, but they may well work provided that they fulfil at least the following minimum requirements:

• Must support H.264 video compression
• Must support RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol)
• Must support ONVIF Service Detection (ONVIF User Authentication MUST BE DISABLED) ... inability to configure this IP camera feature is the most common cause for IP camera incompatibility.
• Must have DHCP enabled & Dynamic IP set to ON
• 720p or 1080P resolution

Please remember that we cannot give any support for third-party video devices, and that just because the camera works in today's software, does not mean that it might not stop working with a future MFD software release.
​

Keep in mind that Raymarine only supports cameras that are wired to the Raymarine network. They do not support cameras that are wifi connected only. That's why I haven't gotten around to implementing this yet. Challenge to run a cable from where I want to mount a backup camera. It will happen some day.

BD

 

[ksanders]

I have had a dedicated network with wifi on my boat for several years. Now days I see more and more boats popping up with their own wifi, often named for the boat.

The only disadvantage to using a dedicated wifi enabled network vs your phone’s built in hotspot is the cost, and the advantages are many.

Having a dedicated network allows you to choose between internet sources automatically. You can for example use marina wifi as a internet source for your network if you want. I don’t do that choosing to have my system switch between three sources. Those sources are AT&T, Verizon, and the third is satellite.

Having a dedicated network means that your devices are always connected. We use apple TV while onboard for entertainment. We also have a robust monitoring system plus cameras onboard. Connecting these to onboard wifi enables these while we are away from the boat.

There are plenty of brands to choose out there. I prefer Cradlepoint routers mostly because I am familiar with them and they work. You do not need dedicated marine equipment, ad the mobile and IOT markets have many more offerings than marine only vendors.

Why is all this important? Well right now I am at home 120 miles from my boat, yet I know my boat is safe. Here are some “live” screen shots for your enjoyment.

 

[Simi 60]

A couple of issues here. One is that I don't need internet capability of the hotspot. But, the pressing issue is using the hotspot drains the phone's battery pretty quickly and since it's used for business, I can't leave it plugged in and tied to a charger while moving around the boat.

.

A mobile phone is $40.
We have one in the wheelhouse plugged in as hotspot and phone upstairs and another that is unplugged for going ashore or using as an actual mobile.

 

[richvanf]

Getting an MMSI from the FCC

Good timing on this thread. I am in the process of setting up WIFI on board NWD.

Can't speak to your question about the exact hardware you have on board, but here's what I've done so far with WIFI. Because I have good dry saloon spaces for a router, I have transplanted a dual band router from home instead of spending 4-$500 on a "marine" WIFI router. I have it hooked up to my Rose Point NEMO, and have successfully used it to connect my laptop to the NMEA data from the NEMO to include depth data from my Garmin system, position and AIS data from the AIS transceiver, and the option of selecting position data from the Garmin system. We've also been able to send (using Coastal Explorer) nav data to the COMNAV autopilot.

To set up the boat WIFI network, I just plugged the laptop into the router, and set up a new WIFI network from scratch, just like the one I have at home, with security and a password. Its just not (right now) connected to any internet connectivity.

We were originally doing all this via an ethernet cable to the NEMO, but now have the WIFI connection instead, allowing the boat navigation laptop to be migratory, or other devices to connect.

With the addition of the WIFI, I've installed OpenCPN on our Android tablet and can get the same data from the NEMO onto that. I haven't tried using OpenCPN to send nav data to the autopilot yet.

I have a new NUC computer that is going to replace the laptop for navigation. The router, computer, and the 24" monitor I've purchased for the boat operate on 120vAC to 12vDC adapters, allowing me to wire it into the boat DC electrical. I've purchased converters that take anything from 10vDC to 30vDC and convert it to 12vDC to account for any variances in battery level or charge voltage.

We also have phones that do hotspots, but I'm not sure how or if we could translate that into providing through the router. I'll have to play with that. It would be cool to have both the NEMO connectivity and internet connectivity.

I'll be interested to see what else comes out of this thread. Taking a TT out of the dark ages into the era of digital data is a challenge!

I have used a Linksys WRT54GL loaded with DD-WRT as a gateway to route a WiFi network to both wired and WiFi networks. Set up the Cellular hotspot, connect all your devices to the WRT-54GL, and you have a complete vessel network. When you're in port with WiFi, just connect the WRT-54GL to the port WiFi, and you're online with everything. DD-WRT allows you to protect your vessel network from outside intrusion through a public network.

I've used this configuration many times in motels while travelling on contracts. I connected two laptops, a printer/scanner/fax, and a VOIP adapter to the WRT54GL, which then connected to the motel WiFi. When the motel WiFi was unavailable, I just activated the WiFi Hotspot on my cell phone and connected it to the WRT54GL gateway.

 

[Sidclark]

An update. I called Bob again at Island Time PC and this time he straightened me out. I was asking the wrong questions last time we spoke. Turns out, the Island Time PC system can act as an access point whether it's connected to the internet or not. He was a great help in helping me to understand the capabilities of the unit. So now I have local wifi on the boat as well as being able to connect to the internet. Time to shop for cameras.

A question for ksanders...What are you logging into to be able to see all that boat info and camera shots?

 

[LegendintheRainforest]

There are plenty of brands to choose out there. I prefer Cradlepoint routers mostly because I am familiar with them and they work. You do not need dedicated marine equipment, ad the mobile and IOT markets have many more offerings than marine only vendors.

Why is all this important? Well right now I am at home 120 miles from my boat, yet I know my boat is safe. Here are some “live” screen shots for your enjoyment.

Hi Kevin,

I really liked your webcams & temperature stuff.

What model(s) of Cradlepoint hardware do you have (I was looking at the IBR900 w/ either a 600 or 1000+ Mbps modem)?

What is the deal with their NetCloud Essentials - is it required once you have your system all setup? If so, I see there are 5-year with device combination packages. Is that the way to go?

Thanks.

--Shawn

 

[Airstream345]

I have had a dedicated network with wifi on my boat for several years. Now days I see more and more boats popping up with their own wifi, often named for the boat.

The only disadvantage to using a dedicated wifi enabled network vs your phone’s built in hotspot is the cost, and the advantages are many.

Having a dedicated network allows you to choose between internet sources automatically. You can for example use marina wifi as a internet source for your network if you want. I don’t do that choosing to have my system switch between three sources. Those sources are AT&T, Verizon, and the third is satellite.

Having a dedicated network means that your devices are always connected. We use apple TV while onboard for entertainment. We also have a robust monitoring system plus cameras onboard. Connecting these to onboard wifi enables these while we are away from the boat.

There are plenty of brands to choose out there. I prefer Cradlepoint routers mostly because I am familiar with them and they work. You do not need dedicated marine equipment, ad the mobile and IOT markets have many more offerings than marine only vendors.

Why is all this important? Well right now I am at home 120 miles from my boat, yet I know my boat is safe. Here are some “live” screen shots for your enjoyment.

Kevin, great setup. Curious, are you using smarthings/action tiles for your interface?

 

[ksanders]

Kevin, great setup. Curious, are you using smarthings/action tiles for your interface?

Yes! I love actiontiles!

 

[Lou_tribal]

Microtik makes wifi dual band routers running on 12V straight out of the box, no need for any inverter or anything else.

L