Wilson in-line booster amp – using all antennas above.Wilson Electronics 4G Wide Band Omni Marine Antenna.I chose the ones below because they met all of my requirements, and came more highly recommended. Besides the antennas below, I have had over 20 other types on the boat in the last 5 years which I’ve used in various settings. There are hundreds of antennas on the market, so choosing a starting point is sometimes overwhelming. The goal was to see if connecting things directly to the antenna ports on the Peplink, or using the stock antennas along with a booster, would give the best result. I also did some testing for a few weeks with a Verizon SIM card. The Peplink has two SIM card slots, and I have both an AT&T and T-Mobile SIM active and under test. The LAN port of the Peplink is connected to the StarTech switch where all other cabled devices connect. The MikroTik is mounted high up outside on the stern radar pole, while the Peplink is mounted inside in the Internet Alcove. The Peplink has one WAN port connected to the MikroTik which can be used to grab remote WiFi signals. The Peplink has two stock cellular antennas that connect directly to the connectors and extend about 6 inches, a primary and one for diversity. What I am attempting to test and improve is the two red items in the diagram above – the LTE internet connectivity and antennas. Peplink MAX Transit – both LTE-A and the previous version.In addition, with my redundant internet configuration, I wanted to ensure it was always connected not only for outbound data, but when I VPN in from remote locations to check on things. SignalK, AIS dispatcher, Victron, FloatHub and many other devices transmit data from the boat out to various cloud and private services. Also, being able to place a phone call in the event of an emergency is also very helpful, although not required.Īnd of course, my boat network is significant, and I would like to have it connected via a quality connection all the time. I use a bunch of internet based tools to plan voyages and look at weather, and having access to those helps the quality and safety of the trip. When we are far away from normal signals, being able to amplify what signal is available is important for safety and planning. Again, having a fast network here will help out. While we can get a WiFi signal from them, I find that in the majority of cases, it is actually better to use a cellular connection as it is more reliable and consistent. Marina WiFi is hard – I even wrote a whole article about it – and most of the marinas we visit are no exception. So I need a fast network when we’re near civilization. Even explaining it to them doesn’t mean they change their habits. However, to a crew member, a wireless network looks the same on a boat as at home. In reality, this is unlikely because LTE/cellular is still a bit behind the broadband internet market. Why do I want to do this? Well, there are a few reasons:Ĭrew expect internet speeds on the boat to be the same as home.
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