Because this issue pops up with some frequency I wanted to post a
compendium of what I have found to be successful. This is now the 3rd
revision of my system and it has been flawlessly operational for a
couple months.

The components of the system a

Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 Router

DD-WRT Version 23 service pack 2

Auto AP

8 dB outdoor omni antnenna TEW-AO080


The heart of this system is the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54. This as a Broadcom
chip based Router/Access Point. Like the similarly-chipped Linksys
routers, it can be flashed with third party firmware to convert it
into a bridge suitable for tapping into whatever WiFi networks you may
find available. They are relatively cheap at about $50.

The main advantages to this piece of hardware are size and power. The
board is only 5" x 5" and is ideally suited to being repackaged into a
weather-tight housing and used at the top of a mast. My housing is a
custom-made bottom-opening stainless housing fabricated from 2" x 6" x
0.120" rectangular tubing. It is sturdy enough to allow mounting of a
20" antenna directly to the housing. The whole arrangement is powered
by POE. A small disadvantage of this system over a Linkys-based system
is that it runs on 5V instead of 12V. I just put a resistor in line
and run it off house power.

I mentioned that the second advantage is power. There is an onboard
200 mW amp in the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54. Granted, bridges don't really
need transmit amps as much as they need clean and sensitive Rx
circuits, but it does seem to help in some instances.

If you have never had any experience with DD-WRT, you are in for a
treat. This open source freeware project gives you full access to all
the hardware capabilities of your router/bridge. First off, without
this firmware, an off-the-shelf router CAN NOT act as a bridge. This
firmware also shows you detailed signal specs for every access point
available to you, you can change the power output of the signal
amplifier, and you have ROOT LEVEL ACCESS!!. Yes, these inexpensive
little boxes are actually full fledged mini computers with 16 mb of
memory. They have web servers so that you can use a GUI-based
configuration page, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. You can
also load in your own software to run. For the mariner, the best add-
on software is Auto AP.

Auto AP is a script that polls all the available access points every
30 seconds. It determines which one has the best signal and connects
to that one. You can also exclude certain access points in case they
require a subscription (like the one run by the marina). You can also
give preference to access points that you prefer when they are
available (such as the one that is backed up by a T1 line).

The power that is available in a $50 router is staggering if you are
geeky enough to get the firmware flashed. It is not as easy to flash
this router as it is flashing the Linksys, but it is well worth it.
The Wiki tutorials are well written and provide all the information
necessary. They are linked below.

Success with systems of this nature presume some knowledge of Unix/
Linux, TCP/IP, and base level geekiness/ hardware hacking. If all of
this is intimidating, maybe you have a 14 year old nephew who can help
you out. Just print out this page and show it around.

I won't help you with any problems you may have setting up a system
like this, but I am open to hearing any criticism you may have of my
approach or methods for improvement. Ideally there needs to be a Wiki
set up for this issue as it of near universal interest to liveaboards
and Caribbean cruisers. Does anyone know of a likely host? (Maybe
sailnet.com, setsail.com, ssca.org)


Router:
http://www.buffalo-technology.com/pr...?productid=124

Antenna:
http://www.trendnet.com/store/prodde...&tree=Wireless

Flashing with DD-WRT:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php...and_WZR-RS-G54

Note:
The firmwa dd-wrt.v23_mini_generic.bin mentioned in the tutorial
has never worked for me, I have had success using dd-
wrt.v23_generic.bin instead.

Setting up the Bridge:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Wireless_Bridge

Installing and using Auto AP:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Autoap

David Braun
S/V Nausicaa

On Mar 29, 12:16 pm, wrote:
Because this issue pops up with some frequency I wanted to post a
compendium of what I have found to be successful. This is now the 3rd
revision of my system and it has been flawlessly operational for a
couple months.

The components of the system a

Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 Router

DD-WRT Version 23 service pack 2

Auto AP

8 dB outdoor omni antnenna TEW-AO080

The heart of this system is the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54. This as a Broadcom
chip based Router/Access Point. Like the similarly-chipped Linksys
routers, it can be flashed with third party firmware to convert it
into a bridge suitable for tapping into whatever WiFi networks you may
find available. They are relatively cheap at about $50.

The main advantages to this piece of hardware are size and power. The
board is only 5" x 5" and is ideally suited to being repackaged into a
weather-tight housing and used at the top of a mast. My housing is a
custom-made bottom-opening stainless housing fabricated from 2" x 6" x
0.120" rectangular tubing. It is sturdy enough to allow mounting of a
20" antenna directly to the housing. The whole arrangement is powered
by POE. A small disadvantage of this system over a Linkys-based system
is that it runs on 5V instead of 12V. I just put a resistor in line
and run it off house power.

I mentioned that the second advantage is power. There is an onboard
200 mW amp in the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54. Granted, bridges don't really
need transmit amps as much as they need clean and sensitive Rx
circuits, but it does seem to help in some instances.

If you have never had any experience with DD-WRT, you are in for a
treat. This open source freeware project gives you full access to all
the hardware capabilities of your router/bridge. First off, without
this firmware, an off-the-shelf router CAN NOT act as a bridge. This
firmware also shows you detailed signal specs for every access point
available to you, you can change the power output of the signal
amplifier, and you have ROOT LEVEL ACCESS!!. Yes, these inexpensive
little boxes are actually full fledged mini computers with 16 mb of
memory. They have web servers so that you can use a GUI-based
configuration page, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. You can
also load in your own software to run. For the mariner, the best add-
on software is Auto AP.

Auto AP is a script that polls all the available access points every
30 seconds. It determines which one has the best signal and connects
to that one. You can also exclude certain access points in case they
require a subscription (like the one run by the marina). You can also
give preference to access points that you prefer when they are
available (such as the one that is backed up by a T1 line).

The power that is available in a $50 router is staggering if you are
geeky enough to get the firmware flashed. It is not as easy to flash
this router as it is flashing the Linksys, but it is well worth it.
The Wiki tutorials are well written and provide all the information
necessary. They are linked below.

Success with systems of this nature presume some knowledge of Unix/
Linux, TCP/IP, and base level geekiness/ hardware hacking. If all of
this is intimidating, maybe you have a 14 year old nephew who can help
you out. Just print out this page and show it around.

I won't help you with any problems you may have setting up a system
like this, but I am open to hearing any criticism you may have of my
approach or methods for improvement. Ideally there needs to be a Wiki
set up for this issue as it of near universal interest to liveaboards
and Caribbean cruisers. Does anyone know of a likely host? (Maybe
sailnet.com, setsail.com, ssca.org)

Router:http://www.buffalo-technology.com/pr...il.php?product...

Antenna:http://www.trendnet.com/store/prodde...wao080&tree=Wi...

Flashing with DD-WRT:http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php...lo_WHR-G54S.2C...

Note:
The firmwa dd-wrt.v23_mini_generic.bin mentioned in the tutorial
has never worked for me, I have had success using dd-
wrt.v23_generic.bin instead.

Setting up the Bridge:http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Wireless_Bridge

Installing and using Auto AP:http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Autoap

David Braun
S/V Nausicaa

Hi, David,

Reading your post has been interesting as you may know that I'm
actively trying to make my setup work.

Unclear from what you wrote (or perhaps my level of ignorance not
recognizing something), however, is whether your arrangement requires
your connection to a cable, or if you are doing a wifi setup as I'm
attempting - one which doesn't require a physical connection from the
computer to the outside world.

My setup has a bridge at the top of the mast, and an AP in the boat.
That worked for a time, including with a Vonage router in between.
Somehow it went off the rails, and I'm currently attempting to make it
retrack.

So, are you cable-connected, or do you have some other device which
allows wifi connectivity to your setup (thence through the buffalo to
associate with a shore AP)?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog and/or
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its
hands.

You seek problems because you need their gifts.

NOTE: The post I am replying to was originalyl posted to
rec.boats.electronics, but a reply generated a cross post to
rec.boats.cruising, so I have quoted the orinal post text for the
benefit of the late comers



I did mention that I was unlikely to be willing to help people get
their systems set up. This is largely because of the discussions that
have surrounded the difficulties that you have been experiencing. I
simply don't have that much time to help with basic networking issues
that are adequately addressed elsewhere on the internet.

That said, I use a system that is wired into my computer. BUT, there
is no reason whatsoever that I couldn't add a wireless router and have
a system such as you describe where the final connection to the
computer you are using is a wireless one. That final connection is the
easy part. The hard part is the bridge and that aspect is addressed in
my post.

As I understand your difficulties, it has to do with a lack of
customizeability (is that a word?) of your bridge. The solution I
posted absolutely solves that issue. Now here is the big hurdle: once
you implement the hardware solution, do you have the TCP/IP expertise
to make use of your massively increased customizeability?

I suggest that you get a book like TCP/IP for Dummies (no disrespect
intended... that is the actual title) and learn how networks are
bridged and routed together. This will go a long ways towards allowing
you to solve your own issues when they occur in the islands.


David
S/V Nausicaa

On Mar 30, 9:55 am, "Skip Gundlach" wrote:
On Mar 29, 12:16 pm, wrote:



Because this issue pops up with some frequency I wanted to post a
compendium of what I have found to be successful. This is now the 3rd
revision of my system and it has been flawlessly operational for a
couple months.

The components of the system a

Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 Router

DD-WRT Version 23 service pack 2

Auto AP

8 dB outdoor omni antnenna TEW-AO080

The heart of this system is the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54. This as a Broadcom
chip based Router/Access Point. Like the similarly-chipped Linksys
routers, it can be flashed with third party firmware to convert it
into a bridge suitable for tapping into whatever WiFi networks you may
find available. They are relatively cheap at about $50.

The main advantages to this piece of hardware are size and power. The
board is only 5" x 5" and is ideally suited to being repackaged into a
weather-tight housing and used at the top of a mast. My housing is a
custom-made bottom-opening stainless housing fabricated from 2" x 6" x
0.120" rectangular tubing. It is sturdy enough to allow mounting of a
20" antenna directly to the housing. The whole arrangement is powered
by POE. A small disadvantage of this system over a Linkys-based system
is that it runs on 5V instead of 12V. I just put a resistor in line
and run it off house power.

I mentioned that the second advantage is power. There is an onboard
200 mW amp in the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54. Granted, bridges don't really
need transmit amps as much as they need clean and sensitive Rx
circuits, but it does seem to help in some instances.

If you have never had any experience with DD-WRT, you are in for a
treat. This open source freeware project gives you full access to all
the hardware capabilities of your router/bridge. First off, without
this firmware, an off-the-shelf router CAN NOT act as a bridge. This
firmware also shows you detailed signal specs for every access point
available to you, you can change the power output of the signal
amplifier, and you have ROOT LEVEL ACCESS!!. Yes, these inexpensive
little boxes are actually full fledged mini computers with 16 mb of
memory. They have web servers so that you can use a GUI-based
configuration page, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. You can
also load in your own software to run. For the mariner, the best add-
on software is Auto AP.

Auto AP is a script that polls all the available access points every
30 seconds. It determines which one has the best signal and connects
to that one. You can also exclude certain access points in case they
require a subscription (like the one run by the marina). You can also
give preference to access points that you prefer when they are
available (such as the one that is backed up by a T1 line).

The power that is available in a $50 router is staggering if you are
geeky enough to get the firmware flashed. It is not as easy to flash
this router as it is flashing the Linksys, but it is well worth it.
The Wiki tutorials are well written and provide all the information
necessary. They are linked below.

Success with systems of this nature presume some knowledge of Unix/
Linux, TCP/IP, and base level geekiness/ hardware hacking. If all of
this is intimidating, maybe you have a 14 year old nephew who can help
you out. Just print out this page and show it around.

I won't help you with any problems you may have setting up a system
like this, but I am open to hearing any criticism you may have of my
approach or methods for improvement. Ideally there needs to be a Wiki
set up for this issue as it of near universal interest to liveaboards
and Caribbean cruisers. Does anyone know of a likely host? (Maybe
sailnet.com, setsail.com, ssca.org)

Router:http://www.buffalo-technology.com/pr...il.php?product...

Antenna:http://www.trendnet.com/store/prodde...wao080&tree=Wi...

Flashing with DD-WRT:http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php...lo_WHR-G54S.2C...

Note:
The firmwa dd-wrt.v23_mini_generic.bin mentioned in the tutorial
has never worked for me, I have had success using dd-
wrt.v23_generic.bin instead.

Setting up the Bridge:http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Wireless_Bridge

Installing and using Auto AP:http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Autoap

David Braun
S/V Nausicaa

Hi, David,

Reading your post has been interesting as you may know that I'm
actively trying to make my setup work.

Unclear from what you wrote (or perhaps my level of ignorance not
recognizing something), however, is whether your arrangement requires
your connection to a cable, or if you are doing a wifi setup as I'm
attempting - one which doesn't require a physical connection from the
computer to the outside world.

My setup has a bridge at the top of the mast, and an AP in the boat.
That worked for a time, including with a Vonage router in between.
Somehow it went off the rails, and I'm currently attempting to make it
retrack.

So, are you cable-connected, or do you have some other device which
allows wifi connectivity to your setup (thence through the buffalo to
associate with a shore AP)?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip

On 30 Mar 2007 09:55:37 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:

My setup has a bridge at the top of the mast, and an AP in the boat.
That worked for a time, including with a Vonage router in between.
Somehow it went off the rails, and I'm currently attempting to make it
retrack.

I've been trying some new equipment since our last discussion about
WiFi. My latest acquisition is an Engenius/Senao NOC-3220 EXT which I
have configured as a bridge and interfaced with POE Cat-5 cable. It
took a while to get it working, thanks in part to my inexperience, and
thanks in part to sketchy documentation which unfortunately seems to
be par for the course.

My advice is to get your bridge first configured directly to a laptop
so that you can confirm that your settings are correct. At that point
you should be able to substitute an AP pre-configured on a different
WiFi channel (maybe ch 1 instead of 6).

Once you have the Ap/router working with a PC you should be able to
plug in the Vonage box to the router and have it take off also.

Take it one step at a time. It is important to avoid IP conflicts
and/or incorrect subnet settings.

On Mar 30, 7:48 pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On 30 Mar 2007 09:55:37 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"

wrote:
My setup has a bridge at the top of the mast, and an AP in the boat.
That worked for a time, including with a Vonage router in between.
Somehow it went off the rails, and I'm currently attempting to make it
retrack.

I've been trying some new equipment since our last discussion about
WiFi. My latest acquisition is an Engenius/Senao NOC-3220 EXT which I
have configured as a bridge and interfaced with POE Cat-5 cable. It
took a while to get it working, thanks in part to my inexperience, and
thanks in part to sketchy documentation which unfortunately seems to
be par for the course.

My advice is to get your bridge first configured directly to a laptop
so that you can confirm that your settings are correct. At that point
you should be able to substitute an AP pre-configured on a different
WiFi channel (maybe ch 1 instead of 6).

Once you have the Ap/router working with a PC you should be able to
plug in the Vonage box to the router and have it take off also.

Take it one step at a time. It is important to avoid IP conflicts
and/or incorrect subnet settings.

Hi, Wayne, and list,

My objective is/was/still is to avoid repetitious plugging and
unplugging of cables. For that matter, it's my objective to set it
and forget it as to cables; I want to be able to address the bridge
wirelessly so that each new harbor can be configured without my having
to do the plug and play bit. It had been my original presumption that
I would have to do as you described, but Bill Kearney and others in
this space have asserted that it's not necessary.

I have yet to achieve a stable configuration which doesn't have the
plug/unplug/replug requirement, let alone that plus handset/dial tone
telephony, but my second generation unit(s) have yet to surface as I
have a few more pressing issues to address at the moment. Thus, I
expect to succeed at that eventually. I had it once, but it went
Tango Uniform a while into my experience which was, in a word,
ecstatic, while it lasted.

Thus, for the immediate time, I am doing as Dave has done, and have
nothing other than a mast-top configured bridge, connected to an
antenna and POE, with ethernet to my computer. It allows skype and
google internet telephony, and surf an mail, which suffices for right
now.

L8R

Skip

On 30 Mar 2007 20:01:04 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:

For that matter, it's my objective to set it
and forget it as to cables; I want to be able to address the bridge
wirelessly so that each new harbor can be configured without my having
to do the plug and play bit. It had been my original presumption that
I would have to do as you described, but Bill Kearney and others in
this space have asserted that it's not necessary.

At the very least the bridge will have to be reconfigured to address a
new SSID unless you only look for defaults. Reconfiguring should be
really quick and painless once you get the process down.

1. Network scan
2. Select SSID
3. Connect
4. Test with PC
5. Disconnect PC, connect AP/router, test

On Mar 31, 12:11 am, Wayne.B wrote:
On 30 Mar 2007 20:01:04 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"

wrote:
For that matter, it's my objective to set it
and forget it as to cables; I want to be able to address the bridge
wirelessly so that each new harbor can be configured without my having
to do the plug and play bit. It had been my original presumption that
I would have to do as you described, but Bill Kearney and others in
this space have asserted that it's not necessary.

At the very least the bridge will have to be reconfigured to address a
new SSID unless you only look for defaults. Reconfiguring should be
really quick and painless once you get the process down.

1. Network scan
2. Select SSID
3. Connect
4. Test with PC
5. Disconnect PC, connect AP/router, test

Agreed. However, see above. I have no problem with my current
unit. I knew it well enough to guide Lydia by memory to test it when
I first put it in, from the top of the mast.

I just don't want to do the unplug/replug/return-to-setup stages if I
don't have to; I've been repeatedly assured it can be done...

L8R

Skip, off to the Blue Angels and other flying non-pigs :{))

On 31 Mar 2007 05:14:27 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:

I just don't want to do the unplug/replug/return-to-setup stages if I
don't have to; I've been repeatedly assured it can be done...

We'll see but I wouldn't get your hopes up. I have spent over 6
months working from the boat in the last 2 years while cruising 8,000
miles, sometimes connecting to 2 or 3 different APs in a single week.
Almost all have unique SSIDs, and many require sign-on through a web
proxy.

I was reluctant to mention the following in my original post due to
the fact that it involves beta software and as such may be flakier
than desired, but DD-WRT firmware does support a wireless repeater
function:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php...eless_Repeater

It requires the v24 beta firmware, but the finalized v24 firmware is
expected soon. The nice thing about this setup is that you can use
your router as a bridge that is directly wired to your computer. Once
you get it working flawlessly, you just change the "wireless mode"
pull-down menu to select "repeater" and you are doing the same thing
but without the ethernet cable.

Note: I have not tried this. I am not interested in trying it. But
based on my experience with DD-WRT, I know that it works and works
well.

The one aspect of this that I like is that avoids the need for
ethernet up the mast. I am always skeptical that un-tinned, small
guage, solid wire is just not durable in a marine environment. I
expect that I will toy with this in the furture as a means of ensuring
that if even my ethernet cable corrodes to the point of being un
useable, I will just switch to repeater mode and do it wirelessly.


David
S/V Nausicaa

On Mar 30, 8:01 pm, "Skip Gundlach" wrote:
On Mar 30, 7:48 pm, Wayne.B wrote:



On 30 Mar 2007 09:55:37 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"

wrote:
My setup has a bridge at the top of the mast, and an AP in the boat.
That worked for a time, including with a Vonage router in between.
Somehow it went off the rails, and I'm currently attempting to make it
retrack.

I've been trying some new equipment since our last discussion about
WiFi. My latest acquisition is an Engenius/Senao NOC-3220 EXT which I
have configured as a bridge and interfaced with POE Cat-5 cable. It
took a while to get it working, thanks in part to my inexperience, and
thanks in part to sketchy documentation which unfortunately seems to
be par for the course.

My advice is to get your bridge first configured directly to a laptop
so that you can confirm that your settings are correct. At that point
you should be able to substitute an AP pre-configured on a different
WiFi channel (maybe ch 1 instead of 6).

Once you have the Ap/router working with a PC you should be able to
plug in the Vonage box to the router and have it take off also.

Take it one step at a time. It is important to avoid IP conflicts
and/or incorrect subnet settings.

Hi, Wayne, and list,

My objective is/was/still is to avoid repetitious plugging and
unplugging of cables. For that matter, it's my objective to set it
and forget it as to cables; I want to be able to address the bridge
wirelessly so that each new harbor can be configured without my having
to do the plug and play bit. It had been my original presumption that
I would have to do as you described, but Bill Kearney and others in
this space have asserted that it's not necessary.

I have yet to achieve a stable configuration which doesn't have the
plug/unplug/replug requirement, let alone that plus handset/dial tone
telephony, but my second generation unit(s) have yet to surface as I
have a few more pressing issues to address at the moment. Thus, I
expect to succeed at that eventually. I had it once, but it went
Tango Uniform a while into my experience which was, in a word,
ecstatic, while it lasted.

Thus, for the immediate time, I am doing as Dave has done, and have
nothing other than a mast-top configured bridge, connected to an
antenna and POE, with ethernet to my computer. It allows skype and
google internet telephony, and surf an mail, which suffices for right
now.

L8R

Skip

On 31 Mar 2007 19:47:22 -0700, wrote:

The one aspect of this that I like is that avoids the need for
ethernet up the mast.

You've got to get power up there some how.