4G Xtream

5G is now becoming well developed.  5G is basically about short range, very fast communications.  Its applications are in dense population, urban areas with very fast downloads.  Some of the bands allocated to this are in the 3.4-3.6 GHz and even 24-52 GHz frequency range so ultra-high frequencies which have very short range.

For the maritime and coastal market, this isn’t ideal, so we’ll find that 4G continues to be prevalent.  That said, 5G will be used for a lot of 4G internet back haul so it will improve traditional 4G LTE infrastructure too.  4G LTE technology continues to be the best option for maritime internet access.  4G Xtream and 4G Connect can, of course, support additional internet sources though its WAN port.

We have launched the 5G Xtream.

The 4G Xtream has a CAT 6 modem so it offers fast connectivity at up to 300 MBs (network dependent).

It also supports carrier aggregation where two LTE channels can be used at the same time to double the bandwidth (network dependent).

The 4G Xtream has dual SIM slots (with auto fail over if required).

Inserting the SIM card is very easy. The SIM slot is in the front cap of the unit. You don’t need to open the unit.

4G Xtream and 4G Connect Pro ship with dual external antennas.  They should be mounted at least 50 cm apart for optimum performance.  While height is advantageous, consideration should also be given to cable runs.  The standard cables (LMR200) are 7m in length and should not be extended.

Typical mounting locations would be the 1^st set of spreaders on a sailboat, radar arch or stern pole/solar panel platform.

Optional 10 and 20m assemblies are available and these use LMR400 specialist coax for minimum losses.

4G Xtream has a built in NMEA 2000 interface which allows NMEA 2000 data to be utilised by apps on mobile devices connected to the system.  GPS, AIS and instrument data are streamed from the boat’s system across the Wi-Fi network.  The simplest method of viewing this data remotely would be to set up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) which effectively builds a data “tunnel” from one network (say on the shore) to another (eg: on the boat).

4G Xtream supports VPNs and this technology is well proven but requires specialist 3 rd party IP network knowledge to implement.  4G Xtream also supports MQTT for IOT applications and ZeroTier for remote access and we expect to see 3^rd party marine applications develop for these platforms.  4G Xtream also supports text message polling of GPS data and alerts through its internal GPS function.

Yes this is possible. One Wi-Fi network can be used to access a shoreside hotspot (2.4GHz) and the 5GHz network bridged to provide local access however this isn’t recommended or supported.

We recommend the use of our WL510 connected to the WAN port if long range Wi-Fi hotspot access is required.

It is very simple to configure the 4G Xtream. This video below explains you how to configure the 4GXtream.

APN stands for Access Point Name and are the settings your 4GXtream needs to pass to the network carrier; AT&T, Vodafone, T-Mobile, etc. in order for the carrier to allocate your 4GXtream an IP address and connect you to the right secure network.

With the 4GConnect, you have to manually enter the APN settings of your SIM card. However, with the 4G Xtream, it has a “Auto-APN” feature that reads the SIM details and selects the correct APN settings for the SIM’s mobile network.

4GXtream comes in two models: ROW or USA

We have been asked by many boaters “What’s the best solution for boat video monitoring?”  There are lots of dedicated (and expensive) marine solutions which could connect to the 4G Connect or 4G Xtream network but there’s also the simple and popular Arlo home based system which can be used.  Arlo started life as part of Netgear but became a stand alone listed company back in 2018.  Their products can be bought from Amazon, Best Buy etc.

The system comprises small, waterproof, battery powered cameras that connect to an Arlo hub via wifi.  It means you don’t have to run wires around the boat or even find 12V power and you can position the camera in different locations as you need to.  Multiple cameras are also supported.

Other IP cameras can also be connected to the 4G Connect and 4G Xtream.