Stuck in a project site with a VSAT at the office and nothing in the guest house which is only a couple of hundred yards away? Never fear! Just hook-up a Ubiquiti Networks Bullet and to any old antenna, jack the other end into an Ethernet port, and you are good to go. Ubiquiti also makes AirOS to make management of your system (relatively) simple.
UPDATE: Be sure to read Sam Churchill’s take on it over at Dailywireless.org.
Dailywireless has a story about turning your phone into a hotspot using Taproot Systems’ WalkingHotSpot. From Sam’s write-up:
Taproot Systems has launched WalkingHotSpot that transforms a smartphone with built-in WiFi to a mobile hotspot (FAQ). It can support up to five devices.
WalkingHotSpot is currently available for Wi-Fi-enabled devices that use Symbian S60 and Windows Mobile operating systems. The company expects to have support for other major operating systems soon but provided no specific date.
Subscribers can obtain a free 7-day trial and then can purchase a subscription for $6.99 per month. The company also is offering an introductory annual subscription for $24.99.
Katherine Boehret over at All Things Digital has an interesting write-up on Eye-Fi‘s new Explore card. Eye-Fi cards use your WiFi network to upload your photos directly from your camera to your computer. While this may not interest some of you those with an established office that are doing a lot of in-house picture taking may benefit from the functionality of the Eye-Fi card. While Katherine is not overly impressed she does provide quite a bit of information about Eye-Fi and their offerings.
The Explore version geotags your photos but unfortunately you need to be within range of a Skyhook WiFi network for it to work. (Ms. Boehret could not geotag her photos while stopped along Hwy 101 so I am pretty sure those of you working in Chad are SOL.) However, the standard Eye-Fi card might prove of interest to some of you especially if you find yourself continuously having to open and close your camera, pull your card or plug in an external cable in less than ideal conditions.
It seems Inmarsat has a serious challenger in the arena of satellite modems. With the recent launch of the ThurayaIP I am sure that many in the humanitarian community are now considering this newcomer as a worthy alternative to the BGAN. Until now the BGAN was really the only option for remote INTERNET connectivity when heading to the field. The spec’s are impressive (the size of an A5 sheet of paper, built in 802.11b WiFi, and Skype compatible) I think this new entry will give the venerable BGAN a run for it’s money.
Check this out:
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged BGAN, INMARSAT, satellite, skype, telecommunications, Thuraya, ThurayaIP, wifi
I promised a review of a Cradlepoint product and so here it is.
I recently had the opportunity to set-up a Cradlepoint MBR1000 Mobile Broadband Router for use on a 46′ Nordhavn in Florida. The owner wanted a wireless network onboard and the ability to print from his laptop from anywhere on the boat. We used a Verizon Wireless USB720 modem which the owner had already been using for some time for connectivity while offshore. I ordered the router from one of the third party vendors listed on the site and it arrived with no problem. After unpacking I followed the simple instructions and in less than a minute the router was pumping out an extremely powerful signal. I set up everything for the owner out here in the Bay Area and he took it back to his boat where he plugged it back in and was online in a matter of minutes.
The interface is clean and easy to use. When I called customer support with a configuration question they were courteous and helpful and quickly walked me through the necessary steps. Some folks may be put off by the price but I don’t think it should deter anyone from buying this product. While I am only reviewing the MBR1000 I don’t think I would hesitate to purchase any of Cradlepoint’s other products. The smaller compact units might prove extremely useful in the field.
Aid Worker Daily 