Internet on board – I connect … ergo sum

Hard to admit, but addiction to an Internet connection is becoming a real social problem. “Nice boat vacations yes, but is there Wi-Fi?” How many times have you heard this question asked? And how many times have you witnessed the whole crew rush to the first bar in the harbor topped with the words “Free Wi-Fi.” But aside from social networking addiction, for which a little detoxification can only be good for the mind, having Wi-Fi on the boat can help you in a number of ways: to use your navigation aid applications, to consult the weather when you need to without having to wait for the bulletin on the radio, to give just a few examples. In addition, for those who have made more “extreme” choices of living on board, having Wi-Fi with a good signal can be vital for continuing to do their work remotely. So let’s go over how to create a system in the boat that allows you to be always connected, as if you were in your office.

WHAT THE MARKET PROPOSES
There are several systems on the market that can “capture” the signal ashore and broadcast it on board, but we have chosen three designed specifically for boating. What you need is a radio apparatus that you plug into any antenna and that captures the signal and transfers it to bridge-systems that can transmit the Wi-Fi signal to all your devices. We bring you in the next few pages the Ubiquiti Bullet, a system that amplifies the signal captured from land and three different “bridges” that distribute it to the boat.

UBIQUITI BULLET M5HP
The Ubiquiti Bullet radio apparatus allows you to amplify the signal it captures from Wi-Fi stations on the ground by connecting (you can easily screw it on) to any antenna and turning it into a Wireless. This radio equipment transfers the signal to the three systems found below, which then “relay” it back to the on-board devices. It can be mounted directly to an antenna, turning it into an access point or CPE. It delivers power ranging up to 600Mw and has a transmission capacity of up to 100Mbps.It is powered via PoE with normal Ethernet network cable. 95 euros. www.ubiquiti.sicetelecom.it

THE “BRIDGES” OF DISTRIBUTION

ROUGE WAVE
The Rouge Wave is a bridge system capable of wireless and Ethernet signal conversion with a power of 800 mw. When connected to a wireless router, the Rogue Wave provides Internet connectivity for numerous devices aboard the boat. It is easily installed in five minutes by plugging it into your computer and inserting a CD with a guide; a list of hotspots to which you can connect will appear, sorted according to their signal strength: once you choose the best one, you can start surfing. 320 euros. www.landandseawifi.com

WIRIE PRO
This system allows (also) Sim Cards to be loaded from 2G/3G/4G to still get signal even when you cannot get it from the ground and is therefore especially good for “internet addicts.” All you need to get working Wi-Fi is to have a Sim from the country you are surfing in and that’s it. Bulkier and more expensive than the other products, however, it gives you the security of always being connected. Cost: 595 euros. www.thewirie.com

BITSTORM BAD BOY
The installation of Bitstorm Bad Boy takes about half an hour. Once turned on, it connects to the system via an Internet browser from a computer. On the setup screen, the first thing you have to choose is the country you are navigating to. The software automatically changes the settings when you change countries. This system, which supports any operating system, is designed for permanent installation on board through clamps and to allow the connection of several devices at once without the presence of annoying wires. Cost: 355 euros. www.bitstorm.com

GLOSSARY
PoE. It is a technique for powering equipment using the same cable that connects it to the Ethernet data network. It is very useful when there are difficulties in finding electrical sources or even to reduce the number of elements and cables.

Ethernet network cable. Ethernet cables are those so-called “network” cables that allow computers to be connected to each other or to devices such as routers and modems.
router is an electronic device whose purpose is to make sure that data follow the correct paths to get from one point to another on the Internet. Routers take care of reading the information in packets that contain data traveling over the Web and make sure it is routed to the correct IP addresses.

Hotspot. The word hotspot means a place where there is an Internet connection open to the public. It is most often used in conjunction with the acronym Wi-Fi, which indicates a connection made without the use of cables.

Access point. It is an electronic telecommunications device that, when connected to a wired network, or even, for example, to a router, allows the mobile user to access it wirelessly directly through his terminal, if equipped with a wireless card. If it is physically connected to a wired network (or via radio to another access point), it can receive and send a radio signal to the user through antennas and transceiver equipment, thus enabling connection in the form of radio access.

CPE. Acronym for Customer Premises Equipment. The CPE, which is fundamental to the connection, is nothing more than any device or equipment that allows communication and access to an access point.