iBoost... (1 Viewer)

[DJA]

We have an Iboost but usually use it if our 3 mifi is not available. In The UK, France and Spain I have used the Iboost to get a useable signal from a campsites wifi when necessary.

I have used the Iboost to get a better signal at various campsites and Aires in France recently. For example on the Aire at Rugles I cannot get a 3 signal and have used the Iboost very successfully to log onto a locals SFR fon signal. I also have used it in the UK on a Camping Club Rally in a field where I could connect to a BT Fon signal from a block of flats about 200yds away.This saves data on the 3.

 

[ShiftZZ]

I can see a FON, but cant get a login screen on my browser, plus, I have left the instruction manual at home,,

 

[The Wino]

I've just made my own and will take it to France next week. But I'm not expecting much use of it as we will be using aires a lot and this means there probably won't be a Fon connection locally. However, this is new ground for me so it will be a bit of an experiment.

I've not bothered with a wifi booster before and just relied on the MiFi but we came across quite a few sites on our trip to Italy this year which had good free Wi-Fi at the reception which I could have (hopefully) used with a booster.

I can login to BT WiFi hotshots into the UK but of course I haven't tried it on Fon yet. I'll let you know.

What did you make there are several on you tube be interested if it works if its cheap enough not a lot to lose there seem to be a few i-boosts for sale secondhand suggests there not universally liked.

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[Geo]

I dont have one so cant defend it,BUT
Like a lot of to days wizardry customer expectations far exceed the equipments designed functions.
Mobile Sat Dish in a case is a perfect example of perfectly functional equipment abused and dismissed by human failings
G

 

[DBK]

What did you make there are several on you tube be interested if it works if its cheap enough not a lot to lose there seem to be a few i-boosts for sale secondhand suggests there not universally liked.

It wasn't cheap, it cost me about £110 from memory and you can buy a real iBoost already configured and with help available on the phone for around £160. So the financial saving isn't great and the technical risk is high. I have written a set of instructions describing the setup, mostly for my own reference if I need to do it again but I'm happy to share this with anyone if they PM me with their email address - but it comes with a big health warning. If after spending your £100+ you can't get it to work don't blame me! If you are not happy with networks and computers in general then don't try this as you could just end up with expensive paperweights - and not very good paperweights either as the bits are not very heavy. The benefit of making your own is you do learn to understand how the thing works which is a big help I think to get the best out of it but I haven't yet given the thing a decent test in the real world. I was planning to take it to France this month but having had to cancel that trip the field trials will have to wait.

 

[Fantini]

Using my iboost right now to share campsite signal between devices in France. No complaints. Never managed to get Fon yet though.

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[chaser]

Using my iboost right now to share campsite signal between devices in France. No complaints. Never managed to get Fon yet though.

I have had two fon signals today but no where to put in a BT login.

 

[TJBi]

I've just made my own and will take it to France next week. But I'm not expecting much use of it as we will be using aires a lot and this means there probably won't be a Fon connection locally. However, this is new ground for me so it will be a bit of an experiment.

I've not bothered with a wifi booster before and just relied on the MiFi but we came across quite a few sites on our trip to Italy this year which had good free Wi-Fi at the reception which I could have (hopefully) used with a booster.

I can login to BT WiFi hotshots into the UK but of course I haven't tried it on Fon yet. I'll let you know.

I have used French aires a lot and, except in the smallest places, where people tend not to have switched from Orange, if there are a few houses in line of sight within a reasonable distance I have usually been able to find an SFR Fon connection. No issues with establishing the Internet connection: input a (non-https) website address into your browser address bar and it should bring up the SFR login page; towards the bottom is the option to log in using Fon (as well as various options to buy time if you don't have a Fon membership).

 

[Bart]

Do ipads and other apple equipment connect ok to iBoost wifi ?? as just read of another brand of wifi equipment where they stated this :
Due to a recent IOS update it is currently not possible to set-up the WL-USBWIFIRPT-3000 with iPads/iPhones. Once they are set up with an alternative device you are able to use iPads/iPhones to connect to the WiFi service.
we have an ipad mini and an iphone ( both the wifes ) and i never knew they connected to wifi differently that the likes of my samsung gear.
i always thought wifi was wifi , like i can read they are saying its an ios issue , but then does this same issue not effect iBoost ?

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[Abacist]

My iBoost works fine with my wife's and myiPhones which are different models and both our different model iPads and myMacbook Pro.

I saw today that there is a new IOS upgrade which I have not done yet.

 

[wigster]

I cant see why not Bart as you say wifi is wifi. Im connected to site wifi with an iboost at the minute saving me a few quid on mobile data.

 

[sallylillian]

Those with iffy pads or phones need to read the extract that Bart transcribed, it refers specifically to the setting up of the iBoost, not its day to day operation which the transcription also states is fine. It is just the setting up. Now I have neither of these, iBoost or iffy kit but the content is clear and unequivocal to my reading. Bart it may be that you could use an old PC or other older iOS bit of kit to set it up, then it would seem that the iBoost will work.

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[denisejoe]

I have a problem with i boost on my samsung tab it loads ok finds all wifi signals click on which one i want then it wont click change nothing happens when i click it.

joe

 

[TJBi]

I have a problem with i boost on my samsung tab it loads ok finds all wifi signals click on which one i want then it wont click change nothing happens when i click it.

joe

Have you reported this issue to Motorhome WiFi? Their technical support is normally very good.

Tom

 

[Bart]

As I thought that Apple gear worked ok with I boost . It was just when I read that pharagraph in my op made me wonder.

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[denisejoe]

Have you reported this issue to Motorhome WiFi? Their technical support is normally very good.

Tom

will try when i get home

 

[denisejoe]

works fine on ipad

 

[DBK]

Do ipads and other apple equipment connect ok to iBoost wifi ?? as just read of another brand of wifi equipment where they stated this :
Due to a recent IOS update it is currently not possible to set-up the WL-USBWIFIRPT-3000 with iPads/iPhones. Once they are set up with an alternative device you are able to use iPads/iPhones to connect to the WiFi service.
we have an ipad mini and an iphone ( both the wifes ) and i never knew they connected to wifi differently that the likes of my samsung gear.
i always thought wifi was wifi , like i can read they are saying its an ios issue , but then does this same issue not effect iBoost ?

The bit of kit you refer to is not the same as an iBoost, though it does a similar job. The difference is the Solwise gizmo is designed to work with any USB aerial and it seems to need setting up to do this, depending on which model of aerial it is. I can understand an iPad may not be able to do this as the software on it is very closely controlled, it's part of the Apple ethos in a way and is designed to help security and reliability.

The iBoost comes ready configured as far as I know with its own aerial which is ethernet not USB controlled. You couldn't configure it from scratch using a tablet either as the aerial needs an ethernet connection to a pc for initial configuration but after that is done it shouldn't need to be done again.

I'm using my home-made iBoost clone at the moment and I don't see why any tablet or phone couldn't connect to it but we've only got Android devices but the WiFi standards are not unique to any specific device and an iPad should be able to connect as well. If it couldn't the sellers would say so on their website.

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[BFM14]

just used in Derbyshire. great results. Although wife dictates what to do!!!!

 

[Stewart J]

Installed latest biggy IOS 10 upgrade on both phone and IPad Air last weekend. Presently on a campsite at Espelette in the far SW of France with supposedly site wide wi fi, signal was not very good so set up Iboost and can confirm the latest iOS update works perfectly with our Iboost. Travelling companions in next pitch 30 feet away also sharing my Iboost and currently watching BBC news on their tablet with no buffering.

 

[Bart]

The bit of kit you refer to is not the same as an iBoost, though it does a similar job. The difference is the Solwise gizmo is designed to work with any USB aerial and it seems to need setting up to do this, depending on which model of aerial it is. I can understand an iPad may not be able to do this as the software on it is very closely controlled, it's part of the Apple ethos in a way and is designed to help security and reliability.

The iBoost comes ready configured as far as I know with its own aerial which is ethernet not USB controlled. You couldn't configure it from scratch using a tablet either as the aerial needs an ethernet connection to a pc for initial configuration but after that is done it shouldn't need to be done again.

I'm using my home-made iBoost clone at the moment and I don't see why any tablet or phone couldn't connect to it but we've only got Android devices but the WiFi standards are not unique to any specific device and an iPad should be able to connect as well. If it couldn't the sellers would say so on their website.

Thanks that explained it well for me

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[Bart]

Installed latest biggy IOS 10 upgrade on both phone and IPad Air last weekend. Presently on a campsite at Espelette in the far SW of France with supposedly site wide wi fi, signal was not very good so set up Iboost and can confirm the latest iOS update works perfectly with our Iboost. Travelling companions in next pitch 30 feet away also sharing my Iboost and currently watching BBC news on their tablet with no buffering.

Glad to hear this

 

[denisejoe]

Got on to motorhomewifi yesterday afternoon they suggested I try a different browser and it worked but brougt up a different problem with my home internet bt it kept coming on and off I thought it was getting slow so switch of and on cured that as well

Joe

 

[Eamless]

The bit of kit you refer to is not the same as an iBoost, though it does a similar job. The difference is the Solwise gizmo is designed to work with any USB aerial and it seems to need setting up to do this, depending on which model of aerial it is. I can understand an iPad may not be able to do this as the software on it is very closely controlled, it's part of the Apple ethos in a way and is designed to help security and reliability.

The iBoost comes ready configured as far as I know with its own aerial which is ethernet not USB controlled. You couldn't configure it from scratch using a tablet either as the aerial needs an ethernet connection to a pc for initial configuration but after that is done it shouldn't need to be done again.

I'm using my home-made iBoost clone at the moment and I don't see why any tablet or phone couldn't connect to it but we've only got Android devices but the WiFi standards are not unique to any specific device and an iPad should be able to connect as well. If it couldn't the sellers would say so on their website.

I presume you are using a Ubiquiti NanoSation Loco M2 as it is the same piece of kit as an iBoost.
If so it works fine everywhere in europe. One small thing to look out for is they have upgraded the firmware to v5.6 and as such WEP/WPA-TKIP is no longer supported. A lot of campsites and bar/caffs in Southern Europe are of old equipment and are using this for security. If you want to still access these sites then downgrade the firmware to 5.5 but remember WEP has been dropped by the WiFi Alliance due to security concerns.

Also if you have any probs than I have written a paper on this
https://eamlesstravels.com/2014/12/29/487/

It shows all the ssettings required to make a boost system work first time every time

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[DBK]

I presume you are using a Ubiquiti NanoSation Loco M2 as it is the same piece of kit as an iBoost.
If so it works fine everywhere in europe. One small thing to look out for is they have upgraded the firmware to v5.6 and as such WEP/WPA-TKIP is no longer supported. A lot of campsites and bar/caffs in Southern Europe are of old equipment and are using this for security. If you want to still access these sites then downgrade the firmware to 5.5 but remember WEP has been dropped by the WiFi Alliance due to security concerns.

Also if you have any probs than I have written a paper on this
https://eamlesstravels.com/2014/12/29/487/

It shows all the ssettings required to make a boost system work first time every time

Many thanks - I won't be updating then! I did subsequently have problems with my Mikrotik router (which I use for the wifi) in that it would only let one person log on at a time - that took quite a few wood splinters under the fingernails before it was sorted.

I look forward to reading your notes.

 

[two]

We can connect with iPad and Macbook, without difficulty. Our only problem is that the iBoost is rarely able to find anything worth connecting to.

 

[cliffanger]

Ours worked fine all over Belgium, Germany, Slovenia and Croatia. We had a problem on one site in Istria and contacted Addie. We had a really helpful and efficient response (basically saying it was a conflict with the site wifi, and no fault with the booster and he was right).

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[irnbru]

Alan was having a problem with his iboost last night. I contacted @Addie from motorhome wifi, prompt reply back explaining I had wrong password entered for the wifi I was trying to connect to. I think it was correct but the other interesting thing was Adam could see by my screenshots that the previous user had altered settings so asked me to reset them.
The good news is we are now picking up wifi from much further away than previously...yaaay!
Sometimes it's worth paying extra for a piece of kit from someone who offers excellent back up service.

THANKS Adam

 

[andy63]

Alan was having a problem with his iboost last night. I contacted @Addie from motorhome wifi, prompt reply back explaining I had wrong password entered for the wifi I was trying to connect to. I think it was correct but the other interesting thing was Adam could see by my screenshots that the previous user had altered settings so asked me to reset them.
The good news is we are now picking up wifi from much further away than previously...yaaay!
Sometimes it's worth paying extra for a piece of kit from someone who offers excellent back up service.

THANKS Adam

Where's my thanks..