Has anyone successfully deployed A, B or G AP aboard a steel oceangoing ship? I'm thinking Cisco 1310 with POE as possible solution. Maybe Proxim too? Access would be for mix of stationary systems and notebook(s) located in wheelhouse and various other quarters/locations etc. Yes, I know that reflection and multipath could be an issue and site survey will be required. Any thoughts?
Thanks in Advance. DP
Buy some cat5e cable and a drill bit.
Consider a power line network. A bit slower than Wireless, runs at 14Mb, but cheap, and seems to work very well on multi deck ships With one generator at least). If you do an online search, you get Metasearch results 1 - 10 of about 1,630,030 for power line networking
But below is one of the best starts for reading about it....
Howstuffworks "How Power-line Networking Works"
No new wires! Power-line networking uses the wiring already in your house to connect your computers. Learn about the pros and cons of a power-line network and how to set one up. ....
URL: computer.howstuffworks.com/power-network.htm
| > Thanks in Advance. DP | | Buy some cat5e cable and a drill bit.
Depending on the vessel and what regulations apply that could be a) illegal b) very dangerous.
I'd look into Radix (coax that is a cross between a transmission system and an antenna) another alternative would be RF over fiber.
Just out of curiosity, ever try and use a cellphone on a metal hulled ship? Both Mine (CDMA) and others in the group (GSM) would only work on the outside deck, or in rooms with portholes. As for the laptop (with built in WiFi), at some of the places we docked, there were WiFi networks that would show a signal, and be usable on deck, but not inside. While I do have a portable AP for use when I travel, fraid I never tried it in the metal ship.. I have used it on wood and composite hull ships. Interestingly enuf it does work both inside airplanes and from outside (when on the ground), but those are usually aluminum and have lots of windows. If someone wants to send me on a cruise, I'd be happy to try the AP and report :)
People in this group worry about whether or not a pane of window glass has a metalicized coating but seem to think wireless is going to work okay through several metal cubicles. :p
Okay, I withdraw the smart comment about cat5e, but if someone gets an access point to work through several metal bulkheads and metal decks, I'd like to hear more about it. Who knows, maybe the the whole ship will work as some sort of an antenna ... (or not)
A metal hulled ship would act as a pretty good faraday cage. In fact, each metal-walled compartment would be one. Its very possible you'd get zero signal from one compartment to the next.
From my experience:
Powerline seldom works as far as specified - i've never seen it cover more than 30m with a reasonable signal level.
As for wireles - get a 200mW(23dB) output at least; The dipole antennas are fairly good - from dipole to usb adapters we easily cover 500m at 11MBit. Also, same setup, we've penetrated up to 3 thick (60cm) concrete walls - but no more.
I don't know how a concrete wall and a metal plate relate - but what I do find is that the USB adapter's signal is more than double if it's located in front of any metal-ish plate.
The gear we've used were Senao 802.11b Long Range AP's and their mini usb adapters - see
Good luck, let us know what worked!
Coenraad Also, check this out:
Yes, just run the antenna cable into the hull somewhere.. maybe stick a 1W amplifier inbetween the AP and the hull. I'm sure we'll pick the signal up halfway around the planet...
Hah. This may seem funny, but I think it'll actually work - for one-way communication. The client adapter will get a signal from the ap, but not be able to talk back :D
Just put an AP in every room :D Or make smart use of sector-antennas and outdoor masts/ship corners!
Actually, that is the BEST reason for power line networking... It is a multiplexed signal superimposed on the AC wires themselves, and pulled off the AC wires... It is *NOT* a radio signal. The AC does have to come off one generator (or inverter, or power transformer in homes).
"Peter Pan" < | >
| > Depending on the vessel and what regulations apply that could be a) | > illegal b) very dangerous. | >
| > I'd look into Radix (coax that is a cross between a transmission | > system and an antenna) another alternative would be RF over fiber. | | Consider a power line network. A bit slower than Wireless, runs at 14Mb, but | cheap, and seems to work very well on multi deck ships With one generator at | least). If you do an online search, you get Metasearch results 1 - 10 of | about 1,630,030 for power line networking
If the vessel is built to ABS standards the power is distributed via armored cable and employ stuffing tubes for bulk head penetrations. I doubt very seriously that a useable signal would get very far in the enviorment.
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