Ways to Wi-Fi
Article of the Month May 2008Its Easy to WiFi Onboard
WI-FI (RHYMES WITH HI-FI) is the brand name coined by an industry group to promote a set of standards that define ways to network computers and other devices together using radio frequencies. Contrary to popular myth, “Wi-Fi” is not a contraction for “wireless fidelity,” but rather just a handy term to use that rolls off the tongue a bit easer than saying “IEEE Specification 802 dot 11 dot blah blah.”
Wi-Fi use expanded quickly starting in the early 2000s as coffee shops, airports and hotels set up wireless access points, or “hotspots” as they’re often called, as a value proposition to attract customers. More recently, the McDonalds hamburger chain and even many municipalities have jumped on the Wi-Fi bandwagon. Here in the States, companies like Beacon Wi-Fi and BroadbandXpress specialize in setting up wireless access points for marinas and waterfront businesses that serve the cruising community, and new locations are being added almost every day.
Wi-Fi comes built in to even the least expensive laptop computers these days. The standard has been adopted internationally, so your equipment is capable of working with the hotspots you’ll find pretty much anywhere you roam.
The original Wi-Fi specification, technically referred to as 802.11a, (those numbers and letters refer to the chapter and verse in the official Wi-Fi standards document) operates in the 5GHz frequency range. This was superseded by the 802.11b, then 802.11g standards, which are faster and operate in the 2.4GHz frequency range. There is an even snappier mode, to be dubbed 802.11n in the works. When you are looking at the specs for Wi-Fi gear, the letters simply refer to the frequency band and speed potential of the equipment.
Wi-Fi is a short-range solution—as a general rule of thumb, outdoors the signal is designed to be good for about 300 feet from the access point (under ideal conditions). But because of the radio frequencies in use, Wi-Fi transmissions are often subject to interference from adjoining Wi-Fi networks and other devices. Believe it or not, some cordless phones, baby monitors and microwave ovens are examples of equipment that operate in the same frequency range as Wi-Fi. Also, Wi-Fi connect speeds get slower as the signal weakens, and may be so slow or intermittent as to be unusable at the fringe of a hotspot’s coverage area.
When the hotspot signal is strong enough, the wireless adapter built-in to your laptop will likely be adequate. On those occasions where the signal is too weak to maintain a good connection, the easy and obvious answer is to get closer to the access point by relocating, say to the marina lounge or an Internet café up the street. But moving may not be exactly convenient if it involves, say, a wet dinghy ride in to shore, or if you’re trying to do some online research while home-schooling the kids at anchor. For these cases, consider adding an external adapter to improve signal quality and raise the odds of maintaining a good connection from further away.
For instance, you may get some modest improvement by taking a dongle-style USB/Wi-Fi adapter, such as those made by D-Link, IOGear, Linksys and others, and moving it “into the clear” up on deck with a USB extension cable. I’ve resorted to this on occasion, and it works OK as a temporary solution provided you are still relatively close to the desired hotspot. Depending on your expectations this may be adequate, with USB/Wi-Fi adapters available in the $50-$100 range. But bear in mind, these devices were really intended for use in your living room or around the office conference table.
Better solutions employ antennas tuned specifically for Wi-Fi frequencies, which will enhance both transmit and receive functions. Performance-wise, a beam or other directional antenna that can be pointed towards a desired hotspot would be best, much like the rooftop TV antennas that could be rotated towards a desired station (for those of us who remember those). One popular example of a directional antenna is the Cantenna (www.cantenna.com), which would require the addition of a PC-card or USB/Wi-Fi adapter that supports an external antenna connection.
But directional antennas can be problematic on a boat, especially one moving about on a mooring or anchor line where the focal point changes frequently. The compromise, especially for more permanent installations, is typically a high-gain omnidirectional antenna designed to operate in a 360-degree pattern. Marine-grade antennas typically cost around $100 and are available from companies like Hyperlink Technologies (www.hyperlinktech.com). These can connect directly to a PC-card or USB/Wi-Fi adapter on your computer.
Like your marine VHF, the microwave frequencies used by Wi-Fi are “line of sight,” so boosting antenna height will improve effectiveness. Raising the antenna above deck also gets it further away from potential sources of on-board interference. However, frequencies in the Gigahertz range are also vulnerable to weakening due to “line loss” in the coax cable connecting the antenna to the transceiver. The solution, offered by many vendors is an in-line amplifier to boost the signal and minimize cable loss.
One clever approach is to combine the booster and Wi-Fi adapter in a weatherproof package that is on or very near the external antenna, then connect to the computer using Ethernet. Ethernet supports long cable runs, so this approach makes even a masthead-mounted antenna feasible. Solutions like this are available from companies like Syrens (www.syrens-at-sea.com) and Port Networks (www.portnetworks.com) and are priced anywhere from around $250 and up.
Still another interesting solution is the Radiolabs WaveRV Marine booster antenna (www.radiolabs.com). The WaveRV is a short (about 2 feet) antenna with a Wi-Fi booster built-in to the antenna base. The antenna connects to a computer using a single USB connection, which also powers the built-in amplifier. Priced around $170, the WaveRV can be mounted permanently, or it is compact enough to be stowed away and placed up on deck only when needed.
As you can see, there are many options available for cruisers who wish to have Internet access while aboard, and the technology seems to be improving all the time. How much to spend on Wi-Fi equipment is largely a matter of personal preference and circumstances. These days staying informed and in touch ranks high on many cruisers’ list, and a good Wi-Fi set-up may be just what you need to keep you in that perfect cove a little bit longer.
Tim Hasson is a marine electronics consultant and coach who specializes in helping cruising clients strategize and implement technology for their individual needs. He can be reached at +1.610.287.0703 or via Email to THasson@TechYacht.com.
