Need new WiFi bridge

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ghost

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I just moved into a new slip, it’s the furthest out and the WiFi signal does not quite make it. I hardly use the boats WiFi in marinas anymore, but I have an external antennae and an old Engenius high power bridge that I need to replace. Don’t know it it’s the POE or the unit itself, but it’s too old to be worth troubleshooting. I THINK it’s a eoc 5610, just for comparison sake.

I really only need to reach out another couple hundred feet, so even just the external Omni antenna is probably enough.

I’ve not researched this for ages. Are there any easy slam dunk choices I should just pull the trigger on? Everything is already wired and I do want POE, so this should just be a quick swap. I’ll use this 98% of the time just in my slip.

What would you look at?
 
Picture, cause pictures always make it better. IMG_0201.jpg
 
Hands Down Mikrotik Groove 52AC
 
Much thanks! I just ordered the ubiquity bullet after researching which I believe is the same hardware with a more user friendly software??? Hoping I’m not the only on who could reset it if we go somewhere.
 
ghost said:
Much thanks! I just ordered the ubiquity bullet after researching which I believe is the same hardware with a more user friendly software??? Hoping I’m not the only on who could reset it if we go somewhere.
Click to expand...


Hopefully you ordered the old Bullet as the new ones are not going to work as a bridge. They are Point to Point or Multi Point.
 
2nd the Mikrotik Groove 52AC, set it up as a router and plug it into a wi-fi router that is inside the boat.

The Brockerts
 
AdmiralS said:
Hopefully you ordered the old Bullet as the new ones are not going to work as a bridge. They are Point to Point or Multi Point.
Click to expand...



Grumble grumble grumble. I read somewhere that somebody said they put them in bridge mode, but am not familiar with the model nuance.

I’m technical, but networking is not my primary world. How annoyed am i going to be with the setup?

Not too late to return and re-order.
 
ghost said:
Grumble grumble grumble. I read somewhere that somebody said they put them in bridge mode, but am not familiar with the model nuance.

I’m technical, but networking is not my primary world. How annoyed am i going to be with the setup?

Not too late to return and re-order.
Click to expand...


I would return and stick with the Groove. I am a networking person, and live with Ubiquiti for everything else. Groove is straight forward to configure from any tablet or phone as you move the boat.
 
ghost said:
Why not in bridge mode? And yeah I’d plug it into a WiFi router.
Click to expand...


If the device was going to be stationary, you could use bridge and set it and forget it.

Since you want to be able to reconfigure when you move the boat you will need it in router mode. This still acts as a “bridge” but allows you to connect to the device on http://192.168.88.1

It in essence acts as a traditional cable modem or fiber gateway that then connects to your router.
 
THANK YOU!

I almost always muddle through, but it always massively helps to have a little bit of confidence on what I’m trying to do.
 
I’ve had a real WiFi Omni antenna permanently mounted for years. It’s a sma connector so I ordered a n-male adapter for it.
 
ghost said:
I’ve had a real WiFi Omni antenna permanently mounted for years. It’s a sma connector so I ordered a n-male adapter for it.
Click to expand...


No Dice again. You need an Omni Dual band antenna that supports 2ghz and 5ghz
 
I’m not doing too well. Your guessing because of its age? Why not just run it as traditional single band?
 
ghost said:
I’m not doing too well. Your guessing because of its age? Why not just run it as traditional single band?
Click to expand...

I would bet money that its 2ghz only.

The whole issue with wifi on 2ghz is that it was never designed to scale to what it has become. In the US, you have 11 usable channels, only 3 of those channels dont overlap 1,6,11 causing interference. Extrapolate that over the 400 or so access points when you do a scan around you, its a lot of congestion.

Now, most people say that marina wifi is garbage. While most marina have old equipment, that was never scaled right in the first place, the antennas make a difference. Go to a marina that has newer equipment and 5ghz is a whole different ball game. A little less range, but far more channels to reduce congestion, and higher throughput.

We live and work on the boat so internet is mission critical. We have a cellular modem for backup, but we generally have no issues when traveling these days. Our boat neighbors never have internet or very laggy, but they are trying to connect devices directly from within the boat over 2ghz because that's all the really punches through fiberglass.

Sorry for the rant, but you really want to be leveraging 5ghz in this day and age.
 
I ask questions because that’s what my brain requires before summing everything up. I have a need to understand.

But I hear what you are saying and no disagreement, other of course than the absolutely necessary grumpy phase before ripping out all my obsolete stuff, crawling into dark uncomfortable holes and pulling new cable. Not to mention breaking out the messy sealant and filling clamshells. You can’t possible expect me to be level headed enough to not go through such a traditional emotional reaction! Lol.

I might well have some influence on where the marina takes the WiFi, but right now it’s a bunch of old stuff that “some” of the old timers simply view as the evil that causes their grandchildren to stare into their phones.

BTW, I need to get a closer look, but the AP’s they are running LOOK like these.....


https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Net...t&qid=1601411037&sprefix=Ubiqu,aps,211&sr=8-3

They could well be much older versions in the same housing. I’m thinking I might have some leverage in paying to upgrade the one closest to me.

My ultimate goal is like yours, to create a space where I can credibly work remote from when I choose. With a 5% side helping of connecting to a marina that I might visit where my LTE hotspot does not work.
 
IMHO, On that device, bridge mode is difficult to setup each time you move and doesn't offer as much diagnostics for finding the new marina wifi. Add to that the overhead of NAT isn't that much overhead. Just makes it easier each time you need to reconnect to a new wifi

The Brockerts
 
Gaaarrrg. Why can’t they make a nice looking marine antenna mount. Everything looks put together with ugly u clamps.
 
When I first glanced at that pic I thought what kind of hillbilly Bimini top do you got going there!
 
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