WiFi cable - access

Al it is not a good idea to pickup the phone's WiFi application and rebroadcast it's data through the ROGUE.
The main reasons are jitter/ latency and speed will be less then optimal. However the phones WiFi tethering wireless application power level is quite small at full power the Smartphone can only transmit at 30mw. It's still enough to interfere with ship to shore based Hotspots depending on the Hotspots channel vs the Smartphone's channel. To see if this is a problem you can install a free program called "NETSTUMBLER" to a laptop or tablet running Windows. It will show you a list of any device on the 2.4 & 5GHz WiFi bands including Bluetooth devices.
Kurt a note about the USB extension cables, they do make a difference if you don't have an external antenna on the Cellular USB modem. They work great if you are trying to use the combination without an external antenna on the USB modem. I'm not a big fan of running amplifiers unless you are in a very rural area and they are the direct connection type. I am really impressed with the 700MHz Verizon CellPhoneMate bi-directional amplifier. But I have a modem that allows me to use a seperate antenna pigtail for LTE and a seperate pigtail for 800MHz & PCS aka the 3G portion of the modem. On the 3G side I use a stand alone marine antenna. The modem is the Samsung UML290. The 290 is connected to one of my Cradlepoint CTR-35 routers.
I forgot I have an older i-1 Nextel Droid that I use on WiFi only now that I canceled my Nextel service because that network will be completely off the air by July of next year. There is already a thinning process and in my area more then 50% of the IDEN/Nextel sites have been shut down. I can try the USB tether cord to see if the CTR-35 will work even though in the real world this would be stupid because I already have a great WiFi high power system the Wave EC-HP for picking up WiFi Hotspots. Because the i-1 is a Droid based platform I can still see if the concept works. I'll put it on my list of stuff to try once I finish my current projects.
Bill
 
Bill, I also have the 290. The 4g antenna port is the one with the "satellite" on it I believe. Well, on second thought, it has to be as that's the one where the CellPhoneMate amp really kicks things up a notch 4G-wise. I've got a Wilson 3G amp on the boat too, but it's not a direct-connect model and would probably fry the 290 if I were to connect it hard-wired.

The thing that really impresses me about Verizon's 4G/LTE is how well it works with low signal. Even near -100 there's still a heck of a lot of bandwidth compared to 3G. And, as you well know, the building penetration factor with that low of a frequency is quite impressive. As soon as the admiral gets a 4G iPhone (she won't consider anything other than an iCult product), I'll be turning off my VZW 3G network extender in the house. Same towers that can't put 3G in my house put enough 4G to make it useful. How many years until CDMA goes away do you think? Is VZW using VOIP on 4G or still using 1x for voice at this point?
 
CDMA as we know know it is 1X-RTT and EVDO rev.A. I think CDMA as we now know it will be around for at least 3 to 5 years. I do see 1X being changed to 1X-RTT Advanced 1X advanced can handle 10 times the voice calls with the same backhaul. I see EVDO in almost any revision staying in the PCS band for 4 to 5 years. I am really only talking about Verizon because they are so advanced by not wasting precious capitol or CAP-X on 3.5G systems. Eventually I think Verizon would like to be completely LTE once the voice platform is decided on and consumer devices go by attrition to the recycle bin. I am very happy to see the 700MHz band in operation and it's performance is pretty astounding compared to any of the HSPA revisions. Verizon by thoughtful careful preperation is light years ahead of the competition. LTE in it's present form is king of the hill.
Bill
 
Thanks, Bill. It's interesting to hear your thoughts on the marketplace. I'm also watching Charlie Ergen as he has some plans of his own. Echostar has something up their sleeve. And competition is a good thing for us consumers.
 
Kurt there are 3 antenna connections on the back of the Pantech ULM290 modem. The odd smaller port that is above the lower larger port is for an external GPS antenna (this is curently not supported) then there is a larger service port this is the 700MHz duplexed port to use with a pigtail adapter for the external LTE amplifier or directly to the cable that feeds a 700MHz LTE antenna. The oposite side has the same port it is the 3G duplex port as well as the RX diversity/MIMO LTE port. I have the 700MHz duplex port connected to the adapter cable 3G store part #2586 to the CellPhoneMate 700MHz bi-directional LTE amplifier. The amplifier feeds a Wilson marine Quad band Omni. On the 3G/4G port (the stand alone connector on the opposite side of the 290 I have the same pigtail and about 20 feet of RG-8X running to another Wilson quad band marine Omni. I almost never use the 3G CDMA portion of this modem but having a Quad band Omni that is resonant from 700MHz to 2100MHz lets me have diversity reception on LTE and provides an external antenna for when I have to use the modem in 3G mode. I am using the 18" USB extension to the Cradlepoint CTR-35 modem.
The performance is something I never thought I would see from a consumer grade cellular network. Even the weekend prior to July 4th and the 4th I saw no reduction in my average speeds.
I don't do much work for Verizon but I give them an A++ on the deployment and performance of 700MHz LTE. I do know there have been 3 major outages since LTE service was launched but they were short Verizon admitted to them and they were after 2AM which for cellular carriers is the maintenence window for working and provisioning Macro cell sites.
Prior to that I was and still am happy with AT&T using my Ericsson W-35 modem and an external antenna.
The only cellular service that even comes close to the performance of my marina's WiFi system is Verizon LTE.
Bill
 
Kurt I missed one of your questions for the most part Verizon is using 1X for Voice and EVDOrev.A or LTE for data on it's latest Smartphones. You can chose which data service you want depending if your area is ready for LTE. Because of the new VZW plans coming out they also allow access to public Hotspots using WiFi for network off loading. The Pantech 290 modem even has a list of local WiFi locations that is updated if you use Verizon's connection manager. I don't use it on WFi because it's still limited to the same old anemic transmit power 32mw. The free WiFi location list is updated periodically by VZW and downloaded as part of their connection managers updates. I am so far using only LTE on the 290, last year before we got LTE in my primary boating area I would use Verizon's 3G for data but because the W-35 running HSPA+ was faster it got the most use of any of my cellular modems. This year it's the following order, LTE, AT&T using HSPA+ and finally Sprint. I rarely use Sprint because it is so slow and there is no WiMAX in my area and there never will be unless ClearWire gets a large infusion of cash. Even then I might need to get a new 3G/4G Sprint modem because if Clear does stay in business they will be switching the network to LTE/TDD. If I go to the NYC area with my boat then I can connect my Sprint 3G/4G modem to Clear on WiMAX. This I would probably use since Clear's unlimited data and on par with AT&T's HSPA+ that my Ericsson modem uses. WiMAX it should be better then HSPA+ because it has less latency and jitter the speeds are about the same on downlink as AT&T 3.5G but maybe not in NYC where I hear AT&T 3.5G has capacity problems. On the boat my primary data usuage is WiFi using the Wave EC high power unit.
Bill
 
BillyIII your insight on this topic is such a value add to this board -thank you. I have been reading up on your recommendations and want to purchase the Rogue today can you recommend an online vendor to purchase from? (apologies in advance if you already mentioned in previous posts)
 
Go to Wave WiFi's website they have link to dealers listed by State. Which model are you looking at the ROGUE WAVE or the ROGUE PRO? The PRO is an all aluminum outer case version of the ROGUE WAVE. I personally use the EC/HP unit where I have the built in access point disabled and into the CAT5 connected to a Wave mobile broadband router (MBR400) which is a selector switch that allows me to control 4 data sources to an inside the cabin access point. I can control distribution and failover for 2 cellular modems, my EC-HP or the Fleet Broadband from a Skipper 150 terminal. Most of the time the Sat data is disconnected and I have a 3rd cellular device my Ericsson W-35 modem.
Bill
 
So I have been reading the last dozen or so posts not understanding a single thing you guys are saying. However, I am wondering about one thing. Do you guys really spend that much time on the internet and cell phone while on your boats to make what seems like a real hassle worth while? I will admit at some point I plan to install some simple wifi booster for our boat, I can not see going through all the hoops you guys are for the connection. I am ussually wanting to get away from things not make it more complicated. Maybe that is just me.
 
John,

Bill and I both run businesses and have to do so from our boats from time to time. Weekends, not so much, but if I'm out on a weekeday I MUST be connected (that month we're down south I'm stilll working). Plus, Bill does this sort of thing for a living so he's not only staying connected and having fun with two hobbies at one time, but he's doing hardware research.
 
John - similar to Bill and Kurt, the Admiral works from home via VPN to the office...why not, if for only a moderate expense (and the satisfaction of DIY), make the boat a satelite office??? ;) IT also opens up the internet world from various ports-of-call - check weather, local attractions, resteraunt reviews, etc...
 
Bill thank you, I an going to use the standard Rouge to see how it works. Now that my kids are tethered to their iPods(both just got them in the last 2 months)I wanted to try to see if this would be in inexpensive alternative to a VZW hotspot card. My wife and I both have unlimited data on VZW for the droid and iPhone so it is not so much an issue for us but she also likes to use her iPad which is not 3g. Much of the the south shore of long island has optimum wifi coverage and I am hoping that this will help pull in the signal while we are on board for them.

I contacted a local marine electronic co. who was listed as a dealer but they did not have much experience yet with the product and thought it would take a take a week to get it in. Since i was hoping to have it before we leave for the weekend on Friday I found a co. on Fla that was very helpful and shipped to me last night (on my fed ex account) price was $5 bucks less and no sales tx so that netted out the expedited shipping charge - should have it tommorrow.

Lets say I am dipping my toes in the water with this. Your set up sounds great and when I move up to the 34(or 37)I would certainly give it serious thought as it would allow me to 'work from home at anchor' more often.
 
Kurt - I can definitely see where you and Bill would benefit from having some sort of connectiion. I did not mean to imply that one should not do it. I have "worked" from the boat on occasion too. But that was with the local marina wifi. It is also why I will likely put the wave unit on my boat at some point. But if I am on vacation, I am off the clock for the most part. Lucky for me I do not own my own business I guess.

I did start a poll to see how many people use the internet all the time on the boat vs. occasionally. I actually am on the net more at work while waiting for reports to run etc. than I am away from work. Especially on the boat. My blackberry has instant messaging and email so work has access to me pretty much all the time but as far as getting logged on I just don't do it much on the boat. Maybe if I was living aboard or there more than weekends.
 
John,

I didn't take anything away as "implied". Sometimes written communications "implies" things that weren't intended! :-)

As I have posted before, I'll use decent Wi-Fi when it's available, but then I switch to wireless data. I stay connected for both work and marine weather. The latter I can get off the satellite phone and also via XM Weather on the chartplotter. I would dump the sat phone except that it's only around $30/month unlimited. It's a nice back-up for that price. However, with my gear the only two places I haven't been able to get cellular signal were two out-islands in the Bahamas. And one of those I was able to pick up just enough signal to pull in weather. However, my marina wi-fi experience is usually disappointing. I have yet this year been to a marina that was faster than what I could get via a cellular network (that includes state-run BTC in the Bahamas). The systems are obviously over-loaded. Too many people streaming movies I suppose.
 
Update: Location - Worton Creek, Chesapeake. Very weak 3G and 4G. Using Wilson 362612 antenna, Wilson 3G amplifier pulls in good signal. More importantly, the same antenna is able to bring in -63dBm of LTE via UML290 and a Cellphone-Mate 4G amplifier. The UML290 does not connect to LTE without it here.

Bill, I'm very impressed with this 4G amp and the Wilson 362612 antenna (it looks cool too :-)

But what do you think I should try antenna-wise at my ski place? Do I try to locate the nearest LTE tower and point a Yagi at it? Or, just hope for the best with something like a magnetic Wilson omni?
 
The TerraWave short Log Periodic directional that Tessco and the 3G store sell it as well.
It is directional and broadband 700MHz through 2.5GHz.
Bill
 
without hijacking the OP I wonder if anyone has had success linking an iPhone personal hotspot to the rogue wave wifi access point? I've been able to get my wave to connect to the iPhone hotspot but not able to get an IP address. Running iOS 8.02 on iPhone 5s if that is relevant. The rogue is attached to a net gear wireless hub that is the backbone of the LAN and it works very well when the rogue is connected to a land based access point.
 
quote:
Originally posted by vic33004

without hijacking the OP I wonder if anyone has had success linking an iPhone personal hotspot to the rogue wave wifi access point? I've been able to get my wave to connect to the iPhone hotspot but not able to get an IP address. Running iOS 8.02 on iPhone 5s if that is relevant. The rogue is attached to a net gear wireless hub that is the backbone of the LAN and it works very well when the rogue is connected to a land based access point.

Click to expand...
Contact Richard at GeoSat Solutions or Wave WiFi he can walk you through the issue.
I'm not sure why you wouldn't use the built in Hot spot feature on the i-Phone as a stand alone hot spot? If I remember correctly the i-phone and other Smartphones require a 4G connection to enable the Smartphone's hot spot function. Also check your security settings on the i-Phone.
Vic are you trying to connect the i-Phone as an access point to the ROGUE as a bridge? I'm thinking you either have an IP conflict or a DNS issue? I'll try and mock this up using an EVO4 in my shop.
Bill
 
Bill the wifi hotspot app on the iPhone is working well, I had it linked directly to the Apple TV on board and it was able to stream HD video without any hitches. The issue with linking the rogue to hotspot seems to be a circular one where the phone is connecting to the wireless access point on the boat and then the rogue is trying to connect to the hotspot on the phone. Looks like the phone can't use the hotspot feature without turning on the wifi connection at the same time. If I've got this right I need to disable the phones recognition of the LAN's wireless acces point/router and either connect the phone to the LAN via a USB connection or make the phone forget the boats WAP so only the rogue is seeing the phone. Let me know if this makes sense
 
I would use the phone's USB connector to the Netgear when you are out of range of shore based WiFi supplied by the ROGUE. I'm assuming this can be done. Even though I work with WiFi I'm not a Smartphone device kinda guy!
Bill
 
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