Jim,

Wow, what a vessel!

Our strategy for these size vessels (and this has only been tested in
the lab so I consider it to be pre-beta) is that our wireless
navigation servers can be connected together via ethernet cable to get
through bulkheads that a wireless signal will not travel. In fact you
can connect some of the NMEA devices to 1 wireless nav server and
others to the 2nd wireless nav server and any wireless client that
connects to either nav server get's all of the nmea data. It remains
to be seen how many people will actually want something like this
though.

For larger vessels where 802.11 signal range presents an issue, we are
planning to add wireless mesh networking to the navigation server so
you won't need to run any wires to extend the range. This is another
configuration that we're working on but will probably only have
practical applications in the commercial shipping space or on very
large yachts.

Cheers,
Todd

--
Marine Wireless
http://www.marinewireless.us

"Jim Woodward" jameslwoodward at attbi dot com wrote in message ...
Larry and Todd:

It's not quite so simple -- take a look at
http://www.mvfintry.com/pix/portland800.jpg.

There are two w/t compartments on the main deck and six below, all possibly
with data, as well as tanks. The wheelhouse can also be separated by a w/t
door. (Remember that in The Perfect Storm movie, Andrea Gail flooded from
the wheelhouse. What really happened, we'll never know.)

Maybe you guys are right -- that wireless would work fine -- certainly there
are a lot of openings in the bulkheads, although they're all small (2" tops)
and sealed with intumescent caulk to keep fire and flood in one place if
they happen -- AC, DC, H&C potable water, sal****er fire main, black and
gray water, compressed air, diesel, and all the information wires.

Question then, given that running wire is really easy, because we'll have
the conduit for phone, burglar, fire alarm, audio, etc. anyway (sure, maybe
all of these can be wireless also, but there are some security issues,
etc.), am I better off with wired or wireless? If Larry's right and 802.11
will really reject everything that it might meet, is it a more robust
installation to go wireless? This assumes that all of the primary stuff on
the bridge is wired -- we're talking about personal computers (in the
broader sense of the words) and a couple of non-critical remote readouts
here.

None of this will go in until we get her on this side of the pond next
summer (God willing). I'd be delighted to try it sometime after then....

--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com