Best Way to Connect Roku on Boat?

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Doc

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What is the best way to use my laptop to create a clean wireless connection to my Roku?

Wire to mifi?
Wire to router or travel router?

The purpose would be to get past the marina's log in procedure, if it has one.

This all assumes, of course, getting a strong wifi connection at a marina...which is rare, I realize.
 
Without an external Ethernet Radio and Bridge unit like many offered it will always be difficult to get solid WiFi performance in boat in all but the best designed WiFi hot spots.
If you have a MiFi is it LTE or 4G? If not I wouldn't even recommending trying 3G it will just frustrate you. In addition the MiFi should be connected to an external marine Omni antenna. This will greatly enhance CINR or SNR (signal to noise ratio) and RSSI (signal level) which has a direct effect on throughput. RSSI as well as CINR goes for both WiFi and Cellular based systems the lower the number example -90dbm < -55dbm determines the best throughput available from whatever service you decide to use.
Using 4G Cellular data can get pretty expensive depending on your cellular data plan. That's why I advise most to have both systems on a boat especially if it's for video entertainment use.
Bill
 
Bill,

With all due respect...Huh??? But, I agree most all marinas have crappy wifi.

What about a hotel room with good wifi to my laptop but I don't want to do their "log in" but once? How can I send the signal wirelessly to the Roku?
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doc

Bill,

With all due respect...Huh??? But, I agree most all marinas have crappy wifi.

What about a hotel room with good wifi to my laptop but I don't want to do their "log in" but once? How can I send the signal wirelessly to the Roku?

Click to expand...
When Hotels use a splash page to log in this is to legally protect themselves. Honestly you can't get around not logging in. There isn't a device made that will get past a walled garden or splash page terms of use page. I just stayed in the Comfort Inn Conference Center in Bowie Md. It's one of my favorite hotels they have a splash page and every 24 hours you must log back in. Even though they have very strong WiFi signals I noticed the bandwidth is limited to a maximum DL speed of 2.5mbps and the UL was 1 MBPS. This is not not exactly ideal for entertainment quality streaming video.
Bill
 
There is lots of conversation on the web about the best way to do this. The Plex app and Connectify are getting the most play.

Like most vexing issues it will be only a matter of time before someone makes it acceptably doable.
 
Why do marinas have crappy Wi-Fi? Because of all the people trying to stream entertainment! :-)

I am being serious, though. Most services recommend at least a 3Mbps download rate for an HD movie. Even if a marina isn't limiting bandwidth speeds (and many do), let's say they have a business-class connection at 50Mbps download. By the time it reaches the boats that speed will be at least cut in half (due to a number of factors). Then get 8 people trying to stream movies and the bandwidth is all used up.
 
quote:
Originally posted by mixman

Why do marinas have crappy Wi-Fi? Because of all the people trying to stream entertainment! :-)

I am being serious, though. Most services recommend at least a 3Mbps download rate for an HD movie. Even if a marina isn't limiting bandwidth speeds (and many do), let's say they have a business-class connection at 50Mbps download. By the time it reaches the boats that speed will be at least cut in half (due to a number of factors). Then get 8 people trying to stream movies and the bandwidth is all used up.

Click to expand...
Kurt, I couldn't have said it better myself. WiFi is a shared resource. The primary WiFi band used at marinas is the 2.4GHz band. If the marina invests in the correct backhaul (pipe to the Internet) and they use both 2.4 and 5.8GHz 802.11 A,B,G&N they could potentially support a fair amount of video streaming. Most don't follow any of the best practices when installing a WiFi system. They go to the Internet and buy the cheapest high power 2.4GHz B&G access point and install an Omni antenna with a DSL slow connection for the backhaul. Some don't even do that they have an inside the marina office AP that most can't use without external equipment. Every time you add additional equipment on the receiving end of WiFi you slow your network connection unless you are rebroadcasting over a wired LAN or 5.8GHz 802.11N small access point from inside your boat.
Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by Doc

There is lots of conversation on the web about the best way to do this. The Plex app and Connectify are getting the most play.

Like most vexing issues it will be only a matter of time before someone makes it acceptably doable.

Click to expand...
It's called 802.11AC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11ac
Don't count on many marinas installing this equipment. It needs more access points and a big expensive pipe to the Internet to be commercially viable. Most Smartphones today have the 802.11AC stage 1 some even have the advanced AC chipset in them.
Bill
 
Here is an excerpt about 802.11AC and the devices supporting it from WIKI.
Products[edit]
Commercial routers[edit]
Quantenna released the first 802.11ac chipset for retail Wi-Fi routers and consumer electronics on November 15, 2011.[9] Redpine Signals released the first low power 802.11ac technology for smartphone application processors on December 14, 2011.[10] On January 5, 2012, Broadcom announced its first 802.11ac Wi-Fi chips and partners[11] and on April 27, 2012, Netgear announced the first Broadcom-enabled router.[12] On May 14, 2012, Buffalo Technology released the world’s first 802.11ac products to market, releasing a wireless router and client bridge adapter.[13]

Apple Inc. is selling an 802.11ac version of their Airport Time Capsule.[14] Motorola Solutions is selling 802.11ac access points including the AP 8232.[15] In April 2014, Hewlett-Packard started selling the HP 560 access point in the controller-based WLAN enterprise market segment.[16]

Commercial laptops[edit]
On June 7, 2012, it was reported that ASUS had unveiled its ROG G75VX gaming notebook, which will be the first consumer-oriented notebook to be fully compliant with 802.11ac[17] (albeit in its "draft 2.0" version).

Hewlett-Packard as of December 2013 incorporates 802.11ac compliance in laptop computers.[18]

Apple announced in June 2013 that the new MacBook Air features 802.11ac wireless networking capabilities,[19][20] later announcing in October 2013 that the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro also featured 802.11ac.[21][22]

Commercial handsets[edit]
HTC announced the first 802.11ac-enabled handset, the HTC One, on February 19, 2013.[23] The phone uses the Broadcom BCM4335 chipset.[24]
The Samsung Galaxy S4, announced on March 14, 2013, also uses the BCM4335.[25]
The LG Optimus G2 (often referred to as just "G2"), announced on August 7, 2013, is an 802.11ac-enabled handset which uses the ANADIGICS AWL9581 chipset.[26]
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3, announced in September 2013, is an 802.11ac-enabled handset.
The Samsung Galaxy Round, announced on October 9, 2013, is an 802.11ac-enabled handset.[27]
The LG Nexus 5, announced in October 2013, is an 802.11ac-enabled handset.[28] The phone uses the Broadcom BCM4339 chipset (the updated version of the BCM4335).[29]
 
maybe I am missing something, but if you have a laptop what do you need a Roku for?
 
Windows can "network bridge" your wifi connection to your laptop lan port.
Google windows network bridge for examples.

From that lan port you can connect your own wifi router that the roku,
can connect to. As others have pointed out, speed is the main consideration.

Lately, LTE speeds have become phenomenal, as I sit my Iphone LTE speed is
43Mbs down and 19 up! Connecting roku, to this works well, but could be expensive
depending on your plan.
 
quote:
Originally posted by blue_nova

Windows can "network bridge" your wifi connection to your laptop lan port.
Google windows network bridge for examples.

From that lan port you can connect your own wifi router that the roku,
can connect to. As others have pointed out, speed is the main consideration.

Lately, LTE speeds have become phenomenal, as I sit my Iphone LTE speed is
43Mbs down and 19 up! Connecting roku, to this works well, but could be expensive
depending on your plan.

Click to expand...
Yes LTE speeds will continue to expand coverage areas and increase speed as more spectrum is being used. I still think VZW LTE is the best AT&T a very close 2nd depending on the E-NODE-B location.
The same way WiFi 802.11AC will provide tremendous gigabit coverage for marinas that want to pay for the AP's, Switches and the Backhaul.
Bill
 
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