A brief review, and, perhaps, a restatement of the problem (left below for
newcomers) in a different light which might get some of the creative minds
here going in a different direction.

I've got this neat bridge (Senao 2611DB3 Deluxe) in a NEMA enclosure atop
the mast, with an 8.5 dBi antenna connected to it via a 6" pigtail
(virtually no signal loss). It's 200mw, so it reaches out really far (23
dBm). It's antenna is omidirectional so it doesn't matter which direction
the boat's pointing. The signal pattern is fat enough to cover sea level to
many hundred feet high from the typical anchoring location. It's
point-to-multipoint so it can see any available "visible" access point.
Because my XP network program controls for me, I can select which of the
available access points it sees that I want to talk to.

Connected to my computer via ethernet, and powered with 12V via separately
appropriately sized wire, both up the mast, it sees a WAAAY farther than the
card in my laptop would, allowing me a great deal more latitude in finding a
usable signal when I'm at anchor, wherever that may be.

However, I'd really like to shed the wired connection (the ethernet
connected to my computer, as it's a laptop and I'd like to be able to carry
it up on deck without a tether).

Unfortunately, a bridge won't talk in both directions over the antenna. How
can I get some other wireless device (one which can talk to my computer) to
seamlessly (so I see my remote AP as though it were coming in via my laptop
antenna) talk to my bridge?

There may be a variety of voltages of whatever this device may need; I'll
work out getting power to it, and, as long as I'm having more than one -
Schaeffer fans from the northern US may recall that ditty? - I'll put it up
the mast, in the enclosure, too, so there's essentially no distance between
the two, in case that's of any issue.

Can this be done? Can I put some other wireless device (that is, which can
see my computer's wifi) in connection with my bridge, so I can see (and
choose which of potentially many) a remote AP? If so, what is that device?

Better, is there a device which already integrates those functions?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, about to enter active rehab, the sooner to get back to active refit
and eventual launch!

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
...
Starting a new thread as the old one led to dead ends.

For a précis on the background, see the thread "Antennas, again, sorta" -
but I'm trying to find an up-the-mast single-item (or single box, anyway)
which will see my wifi connection in my laptop as well as shore points.
To
emphasize the point, I don't want to have to connect either a laptop or
permanently mounted computer to a bridge (which would get the job done)
via
anything, ethernet, USB active cable, coax or otherwise. Even allowing a
wireless AP/router below would not solve the problem, as I haven't found a
pair which will talk to each other, and I don't want the complexity/extra
wiring that would entail, either, if it would (work). Some sort of
arrangement which would require proprietary eqiupment (Part A will talk to
Part B only if they're both the same manufacturer, e.g, as I can't assure
that any shoreside point would have that manufacturer) likewise isn't
satisfactory. Amplification is a good thing (i.e. 200-1000mw) but the
antennas are what most likely will get the job done, and I have that part
handled.

The problem so far has been that I can't find an AP and Bridge which will
talk to each other. Surely there's something which will work, and can
take
common DC power up the mast?

Since nobody here (or, at least, apparently so) knows of such a beast, can
anyone point me to better forums on usenet, or websites, devoted to the
subject? Perhaps some sites devoted to wardriving or the equivalent?
It's
a bit of a recursive loop, as not knowing what will actually accomplish
the
job makes looking other places for other solutions more challenging.

Thanks for suggestions on other venues...

L8R

Skip, passive rehabbing, active to start in a couple of weeks, so I can
get
back to refitting!

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Another county heard from (original discussion left below for reference):

I called one of the antenna manufacturers (the same kind I have) to inquire
about one of their ("complete marine wifi") setups, and got to talking with
a tech.

It's his assertion that without a computer connected to the bridge there
won't/can't be any shoreside communication. Whether it was a dedicated tiny
computer doing nothing else or a desktop acting as a relay point, somehow
it's necessary to have that brain in between. Worse, at least according to
him, it's necessary to have antenna wire between the(ir) amplifier and both
the antenna and server computer. Note that I don't know if theirs is a
bridge or just an amplifier...

We wrestled with the problem for a while before concluding that - at least
with the equipment they offered - it was necessary to have wire from a
computer to the antenna.

So, there's at least one mfr. who sez it can't be done. I'd hate to think
they're right, but the consensus is building...

Sorta a PS he Damian, Larry, et.al., thanks so much for the thoughtful
responses. I'm buried at the moment so can't fiddle with it (trying to
sell/empty the house and deal with some mechanical issues on boats which
need both detailing and selling before departure from this house, shortly).
However, I'll try to take the laptop out to the dock, along with a power
cord and the units I have to play with the configurations which have been
offered, this weekend. I'll come back to those posts when I have info.

L8R

Skip, active rehab under way very successfully, itching for refit


--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
...
A brief review, and, perhaps, a restatement of the problem (left below for
newcomers) in a different light which might get some of the creative minds
here going in a different direction.

I've got this neat bridge (Senao 2611DB3 Deluxe) in a NEMA enclosure atop
the mast, with an 8.5 dBi antenna connected to it via a 6" pigtail
(virtually no signal loss). It's 200mw, so it reaches out really far (23
dBm). It's antenna is omidirectional so it doesn't matter which direction
the boat's pointing. The signal pattern is fat enough to cover sea level
to
many hundred feet high from the typical anchoring location. It's
point-to-multipoint so it can see any available "visible" access point.
Because my XP network program controls for me, I can select which of the
available access points it sees that I want to talk to.

Connected to my computer via ethernet, and powered with 12V via separately
appropriately sized wire, both up the mast, it sees a WAAAY farther than
the
card in my laptop would, allowing me a great deal more latitude in finding
a
usable signal when I'm at anchor, wherever that may be.

However, I'd really like to shed the wired connection (the ethernet
connected to my computer, as it's a laptop and I'd like to be able to
carry
it up on deck without a tether).

Unfortunately, a bridge won't talk in both directions over the antenna.
How
can I get some other wireless device (one which can talk to my computer)
to
seamlessly (so I see my remote AP as though it were coming in via my
laptop
antenna) talk to my bridge?

There may be a variety of voltages of whatever this device may need; I'll
work out getting power to it, and, as long as I'm having more than one -
Schaeffer fans from the northern US may recall that ditty? - I'll put it
up
the mast, in the enclosure, too, so there's essentially no distance
between
the two, in case that's of any issue.

Can this be done? Can I put some other wireless device (that is, which
can
see my computer's wifi) in connection with my bridge, so I can see (and
choose which of potentially many) a remote AP? If so, what is that
device?

Better, is there a device which already integrates those functions?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, about to enter active rehab, the sooner to get back to active refit
and eventual launch!

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
...
Starting a new thread as the old one led to dead ends.

For a précis on the background, see the thread "Antennas, again, sorta" -
but I'm trying to find an up-the-mast single-item (or single box, anyway)
which will see my wifi connection in my laptop as well as shore points.
To
emphasize the point, I don't want to have to connect either a laptop or
permanently mounted computer to a bridge (which would get the job done)
via
anything, ethernet, USB active cable, coax or otherwise. Even allowing a
wireless AP/router below would not solve the problem, as I haven't found
a
pair which will talk to each other, and I don't want the complexity/extra
wiring that would entail, either, if it would (work). Some sort of
arrangement which would require proprietary eqiupment (Part A will talk
to
Part B only if they're both the same manufacturer, e.g, as I can't assure
that any shoreside point would have that manufacturer) likewise isn't
satisfactory. Amplification is a good thing (i.e. 200-1000mw) but the
antennas are what most likely will get the job done, and I have that part
handled.

The problem so far has been that I can't find an AP and Bridge which will
talk to each other. Surely there's something which will work, and can
take
common DC power up the mast?

Since nobody here (or, at least, apparently so) knows of such a beast,
can
anyone point me to better forums on usenet, or websites, devoted to the
subject? Perhaps some sites devoted to wardriving or the equivalent?
It's
a bit of a recursive loop, as not knowing what will actually accomplish
the
job makes looking other places for other solutions more challenging.

Thanks for suggestions on other venues...

L8R

Skip, passive rehabbing, active to start in a couple of weeks, so I can
get
back to refitting!

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Skip,

It's his assertion that without a computer connected to the bridge there
won't/can't be any shoreside communication.

If he means the computer must be directly wired to the bridge, he is just
flat wrong.

Here is a solution that is not quite perfect, but will work.

Put only the bridge and antenna on the mast. Power it with power over the
ethernet cable (POE) and you only have one wire to run up the mast. Put
your access point or router any where you like down below. Now the onl;y
catch is that when you want to change your connection to a different
wireless server, not really all that often, you will need to unplug the
ethernet cable from the access point and plug it into the computer.
Reconfigure the bridge to the server(ssid) and swap the cable back to the
access point. It's a little painfull for me since my bridge won't let me
browse for available networks--I have to know what is available, but you
shouldn't have to.

"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
...
Another county heard from (original discussion left below for reference):

I called one of the antenna manufacturers (the same kind I have) to
inquire about one of their ("complete marine wifi") setups, and got to
talking with a tech.

It's his assertion that without a computer connected to the bridge there
won't/can't be any shoreside communication. Whether it was a dedicated
tiny computer doing nothing else or a desktop acting as a relay point,
somehow it's necessary to have that brain in between. Worse, at least
according to him, it's necessary to have antenna wire between the(ir)
amplifier and both the antenna and server computer. Note that I don't
know if theirs is a bridge or just an amplifier...

We wrestled with the problem for a while before concluding that - at least
with the equipment they offered - it was necessary to have wire from a
computer to the antenna.

So, there's at least one mfr. who sez it can't be done. I'd hate to think
they're right, but the consensus is building...

Sorta a PS he Damian, Larry, et.al., thanks so much for the thoughtful
responses. I'm buried at the moment so can't fiddle with it (trying to
sell/empty the house and deal with some mechanical issues on boats which
need both detailing and selling before departure from this house,
shortly). However, I'll try to take the laptop out to the dock, along with
a power cord and the units I have to play with the configurations which
have been offered, this weekend. I'll come back to those posts when I
have info.

L8R

Skip, active rehab under way very successfully, itching for refit


--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
...
A brief review, and, perhaps, a restatement of the problem (left below for
newcomers) in a different light which might get some of the creative minds
here going in a different direction.

I've got this neat bridge (Senao 2611DB3 Deluxe) in a NEMA enclosure atop
the mast, with an 8.5 dBi antenna connected to it via a 6" pigtail
(virtually no signal loss). It's 200mw, so it reaches out really far (23
dBm). It's antenna is omidirectional so it doesn't matter which
direction
the boat's pointing. The signal pattern is fat enough to cover sea level
to
many hundred feet high from the typical anchoring location. It's
point-to-multipoint so it can see any available "visible" access point.
Because my XP network program controls for me, I can select which of the
available access points it sees that I want to talk to.

Connected to my computer via ethernet, and powered with 12V via
separately
appropriately sized wire, both up the mast, it sees a WAAAY farther than
the
card in my laptop would, allowing me a great deal more latitude in
finding a
usable signal when I'm at anchor, wherever that may be.

However, I'd really like to shed the wired connection (the ethernet
connected to my computer, as it's a laptop and I'd like to be able to
carry
it up on deck without a tether).

Unfortunately, a bridge won't talk in both directions over the antenna.
How
can I get some other wireless device (one which can talk to my computer)
to
seamlessly (so I see my remote AP as though it were coming in via my
laptop
antenna) talk to my bridge?

There may be a variety of voltages of whatever this device may need; I'll
work out getting power to it, and, as long as I'm having more than one -
Schaeffer fans from the northern US may recall that ditty? - I'll put it
up
the mast, in the enclosure, too, so there's essentially no distance
between
the two, in case that's of any issue.

Can this be done? Can I put some other wireless device (that is, which
can
see my computer's wifi) in connection with my bridge, so I can see (and
choose which of potentially many) a remote AP? If so, what is that
device?

Better, is there a device which already integrates those functions?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, about to enter active rehab, the sooner to get back to active refit
and eventual launch!

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
...
Starting a new thread as the old one led to dead ends.

For a précis on the background, see the thread "Antennas, again,
sorta" -
but I'm trying to find an up-the-mast single-item (or single box,
anyway)
which will see my wifi connection in my laptop as well as shore points.
To
emphasize the point, I don't want to have to connect either a laptop or
permanently mounted computer to a bridge (which would get the job done)
via
anything, ethernet, USB active cable, coax or otherwise. Even allowing
a
wireless AP/router below would not solve the problem, as I haven't found
a
pair which will talk to each other, and I don't want the
complexity/extra
wiring that would entail, either, if it would (work). Some sort of
arrangement which would require proprietary eqiupment (Part A will talk
to
Part B only if they're both the same manufacturer, e.g, as I can't
assure
that any shoreside point would have that manufacturer) likewise isn't
satisfactory. Amplification is a good thing (i.e. 200-1000mw) but the
antennas are what most likely will get the job done, and I have that
part
handled.

The problem so far has been that I can't find an AP and Bridge which
will
talk to each other. Surely there's something which will work, and can
take
common DC power up the mast?

Since nobody here (or, at least, apparently so) knows of such a beast,
can
anyone point me to better forums on usenet, or websites, devoted to the
subject? Perhaps some sites devoted to wardriving or the equivalent?
It's
a bit of a recursive loop, as not knowing what will actually accomplish
the
job makes looking other places for other solutions more challenging.

Thanks for suggestions on other venues...

L8R

Skip, passive rehabbing, active to start in a couple of weeks, so I can
get
back to refitting!

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Skip Gundlach wrote:
A brief review, and, perhaps, a restatement of the problem (left below for
newcomers) in a different light which might get some of the creative minds
here going in a different direction.

I've got this neat bridge (Senao 2611DB3 Deluxe) in a NEMA enclosure atop
the mast, with an 8.5 dBi antenna connected to it via a 6" pigtail
(virtually no signal loss). It's 200mw, so it reaches out really far (23
dBm). It's antenna is omidirectional so it doesn't matter which direction
the boat's pointing. The signal pattern is fat enough to cover sea level to
many hundred feet high from the typical anchoring location. It's
point-to-multipoint so it can see any available "visible" access point.
Because my XP network program controls for me, I can select which of the
available access points it sees that I want to talk to.

Connected to my computer via ethernet, and powered with 12V via separately
appropriately sized wire, both up the mast, it sees a WAAAY farther than the
card in my laptop would, allowing me a great deal more latitude in finding a
usable signal when I'm at anchor, wherever that may be.

However, I'd really like to shed the wired connection (the ethernet
connected to my computer, as it's a laptop and I'd like to be able to carry
it up on deck without a tether).

Unfortunately, a bridge won't talk in both directions over the antenna. How
can I get some other wireless device (one which can talk to my computer) to
seamlessly (so I see my remote AP as though it were coming in via my laptop
antenna) talk to my bridge?

There may be a variety of voltages of whatever this device may need; I'll
work out getting power to it, and, as long as I'm having more than one -
Schaeffer fans from the northern US may recall that ditty? - I'll put it up
the mast, in the enclosure, too, so there's essentially no distance between
the two, in case that's of any issue.

Can this be done? Can I put some other wireless device (that is, which can
see my computer's wifi) in connection with my bridge, so I can see (and
choose which of potentially many) a remote AP? If so, what is that device?

Better, is there a device which already integrates those functions?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip, about to enter active rehab, the sooner to get back to active refit
and eventual launch!


Skip, I believe your answer will be another computer cat 5 connected
to the wireless and having another wi fi card and antenna at deck
level to talk wirelessly to your portable. A 1" rack space server
would do.

I do not know exactly what software this base boat processor would
need, but suspect you may need to go so far as remote console
supervisory control over the "boat base station processor", similar
to that used in computer classrooms. You would select the base
server as your link from the portable, and work as the net manager
on remote access. You would need complete access from the remote to
the base server, and should use a crypto link.

It would emulate a backbone for your intranet wan. You will need to
manage the base firewall / gateway. I'm out of date, retired. Sorry
I can't be more specific.

Terry K