Island Consulting Wirie AP+ User manual

Installation and User Manual

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 2
Contents
Introduction................................................................................4
What’s Included........................................................................................................................................4
What’s Not Included, but is Needed for Installation ................................................................................ 4
Hardware Installation .................................................................5
Selecting a Location ..................................................................................................................................5
Mounting The WirieAP+ ..............................................................................................................................6
Vertical/Horizontal/Slanted Pole Mount ..............................................................................................6
Running the Electrical Cable .....................................................................................................................8
Electrical Connection ............................................................................................................................8
Basic Features...........................................................................10
Local and Remote WiFi Networks...........................................................................................................10
Connecting to The WirieAP+ .....................................................................................................................11
Changing the Name (SSID) and Password for Your Local Network.........................................................12
Connecting to a Remote Network ..........................................................................................................14
Open the Administrative Pages for The WirieAP+ ................................................................................14
Connecting to a Remote Network ......................................................................................................15
The Remote Network Information Page.................................................................................................18
Using a Mobile Device.............................................................................................................................19
Advanced Features ...................................................................21
Changing the Channel for your Local Network.......................................................................................21

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 3
Reloading The WirieAP+ Default Settings .................................................................................................22
Option 1 –Restore Factory Defaults via Administration Pages..........................................................22
Option 2 –Restore Factory Defaults via Hardware Reset ..................................................................24
Updating the Software (Firmware) for The WirieAP+...............................................................................25
Access the Administrative Pages. .......................................................................................................25
Check for New Firmware.....................................................................................................................25
Install the New Firmware....................................................................................................................26
Setting the Time Zone.............................................................................................................................28
Setting an Administration Password.......................................................................................................29
Setting the Country for WiFi Compliance ...............................................................................................30
Adjusting the Transmit Power Manually ................................................................................................31
Other Features........................................................................................................................................32
Regulatory Information ............................................................33
Warranty ..................................................................................33

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 4
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of The WirieAP+!
We truly believe that The WirieAP+is the best equipment you can install on your boat or RV to increase
your ability to connect to wireless networks and share that internet connection wirelessly in your boat
or RV. However, please keep in mind that you are also dependent on the access points to which you are
attempting to connect. Not every harbor, anchorage, campground or RV park will have a wireless
network that you are able to connect to, even with The WirieAP+. Depending on the access point
equipment, and obstacles between The WirieAP+and the access point, your range and ability to connect
will vary greatly. Hotels, marinas, and RV parks with high-end wireless equipment will allow connections
from miles away with The WirieAP+, but smaller, in-home equipment, may not be useable unless your
proximity is fairly close.
Below is all the information you need to install and use your new WirieAP+.
What’s Included
The following items are included with The WirieAP+:
The WirieAP+
Antenna and L-bracket
Mounting hardware
25’ electrical cable
Quick Start Guide
What’s Not Included, but is Needed for Installation
The following items need to be purchased or provided based on your installation:
2amp fuse OR 2amp circuit breaker (required)
2-Way switch (optional)

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 5
Hardware Installation
Selecting a Location
The WirieAP+ was engineered to be permanently mounted in an outdoor location or marine environment.
The WirieAP+should be mounted in as vertical a position as possible to allow the antenna to work to its
fullest potential and to avoid lateral stress on the antenna connector. The mounting hardware included
gives you the flexibility to accomplish this.
Note: If The WirieAP+ is not mounted in a vertical orientation the antenna connector will be subject to
stress that it was not designed for. If the antenna connector breaks due to horizontal or angled
mounting of The WirieAP+, replacement of damaged components will not be covered under warranty.
The location you choose to mount The WirieAP+ will depend on your boat or RV. For good performance,
we recommend a height anywhere between 4 –8 feet above deck or high enough for the antenna to
clear the roof of your RV or obstacles on your boat. The WirieAP+ comes with 25’of marine-grade DC
electrical cable. As needed, this cable can be shortened or extended with additional 16AWG marine DC
cable and marine grade connectors.
Please keep in mind that if you plan to upgrade to The Wiriepro in the future, your will need access to the
waterproof enclosure in order to insert a SIM card for 2/3/4G use.
The most important consideration is the area around the antenna which should be as clear as possible.
Some height will help The WirieAP+ to avoid interference from the water, obstacles on your boat, or other
vehicles parked near or around you, but putting it up your mast or excessively above the top of your RV
will be unnecessary in most circumstances. A radar arch is a great place to mount it on a boat, and the
top part of the ladder would work well for an RV, but every boat and RV is different, so this is up to you.
Additional height will not cause any degradation in performance, and may help in certain circumstances;
however, it may make maintenance and accessibility a bit more difficult if needed.
Also keep in mind, your access point for your local WiFi network is contained within The WirieAP+. It is
advised to test your location to make sure you can connect to your access point from all the areas within
your boat or RV.

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 6
Mounting The WirieAP+
The WirieAP+ was shipped to you with the vertical/horizontal/slanted pole mount.
Vertical/Horizontal/Slanted Pole Mount
Your mounting hardware should consist of the following parts:
1x U-bolt
1x saddle clamp
2x nuts, 2x lock washers, 2x flat washers
Installation instructions
The WirieAP+ bracket allows for the U-bolt to be mounted in numerous positions on any tubing between
1” and 2” in diameter.
1. Select the correct slots in the bracket.
a. For horizontal tubing, utilize either side of The WirieAP+ bracket to mount it.
b. For vertical tubing, use the top two cutouts.
c. For slanted tubing, with a slant of up to 30 degrees, utilize the bottom two cut-outs on the
bracket to mount The WirieAP.
2. Simply fit the U-bolt around the tubing, slide on the saddle clamp so the tube is between the clamp
and the U-bolt, and carefully place The WirieAP onto the U-bolt.
3. Slide the 2 flat washers onto the U-bolt.
4. Slide the 2 lock washers onto the U-bolt.
5. Thread the 2 nuts onto the 2 bolts and tighten securely.

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 7
When completed, the installation should look similar to one of the photos below:
Horizontal pole mounting
Vertical pole mounting

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 8
Vertical mounting with slanted pole
Running the Electrical Cable
The WirieAP+ comes with 25’ of 16AWG tinned DC marine electrical cable. For most installations, this will
suffice to reach your 12V power source.
If you would like to add additional length to the cable, it is recommended to use 16AWG tinned DC
marine electrical cable and marine grade connectors.
The length of the cable can be extended indefinitely, calculating a voltage drop that causes no less than
10 volts DC at The WirieAP+ based on a 2amp draw.
Electrical Connection
The WirieAP+ requires a 12V-24V power source. The fluctuation in voltage can be between 10V and 26V.
Onboard a 12V or 24V boat or RV, these are normal operating conditions.
The two wires in The WirieAP+ cable are standard coloring, red is positive, black is negative.
DO NOT REVERSE THE POLARITY WHEN INSTALLING! THIS WILL DAMAGE THE PRODUCT AND IS NOT
COVERED BY WARRANTY. RED is positive, BLACK is negative.
DISCONNECT POWER TO CIRCUIT PRIOR TO CONNECTING THE WIRIEAP+ELECTRICAL WIRES. TEST THE
POLARITY BEFORE CONNECTING THE WIRIEAP+.

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The WirieAP+ requires a 2Amp fuse or circuit breaker to be installed as close to the power source
(battery) as possible. This protects both The WirieAP+ and your installation from a short circuit.
Depending on your installation situation, choose the best method to add a new fused/protected circuit
to your power system and connect The WirieAP+ DC cable to the fuse/circuit breaker.
We also recommend installing a simple 2-way switch on the positive lead (red) of The WirieAP+ so you
have the option to easily power down The WirieAP+ when it is not in use. Any 2-way switch with a
minimum 2Amp capacity will work fine. If using a circuit breaker, it may be able to perform this
function.

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 10
Basic Features
Local and Remote WiFi Networks
The WirieAP+has 2 WiFi networks that need to be managed.
1) Your local onboard network that your computers and devices will connect to.
2) The remote network you are attempting to gain access to the internet with.
Typically you only need to administer your local network if you need to change the network name or
password. This happens when you use The WirieAP+ for the first time. Most of your interaction will be
managing the remote network connection.
To administer your local WirieAP+network, you will use 10.10.10.1 or thewirieap in your browser.
To administer your remote WirieAP+network, you will use 10.10.20.1 or thewirieapwifi in your browser.

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 11
Connecting to The WirieAP+
You can connect to The WirieAP+ using any device that is WiFi enabled, like a computer, an iPhone, an
iPad, or Android. To use the administration pages, the device needs to have a web browser.
The WirieAP+ comes configured with a default local WiFi network. We strongly recommend that you
change the name of your local network as well as the default password. If not, anyone will be able to
access your local network and your network will be at a security risk. If you do not change the name of
your network, you also may not be able to connect to it under certain circumstances.
The WirieAP+ has the security level set to the most secure level available for personal WiFi networks. It is
extremely secure and we recommend you do not change any of the default security settings. The
default settings are WPA2 with AES encryption.
To get started, simply use your device’s WiFi utility to locate and connect to your local network.
The default name for the local network is “The Wirie AP+ (www.thewirie.com)”.
The default passphrase/password for the local network is “thewirieap”.

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Changing the Name (SSID) and Password for Your Local Network
These steps will ensure that your network is secured and only you and authorized users can have access
to your local, onboard network.
Using your web browser, access your Local Wifi Network administration pages at 10.10.10.1 or
thewirieap.
In the menu, select “Network->Local WiFi Settings”.
The following window will appear:
Enter the new name for your local, onboard network, in the “Local Network Name” field.
Click on the “Wireless Security” tab just above to change the password.

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Enter the new password for your local, onboard network in the “Key” field. You can press the green
arrows to the right to display the password.
Press the “Save” button.
At this point your computer will get disconnected from The WirieAP+. This is normal because you just
changed the network name and password and will need to re-connect to your new network name,
using your new password.
Note: All other settings are configured correctly. Do not change any other settings.

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Connecting to a Remote Network
Open the Administrative Pages for The WirieAP+
Access your Remote Wifi Network administration pages at 10.10.20.1 or thewirieapwifi. You may want
to bookmark this address to make it easier in the future to access the administrative pages.
The following window will appear:
This status page shows that The WirieAP+ is currently not connected to a remote network, and is scanning
for a network called “Unknown”.

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Connecting to a Remote Network
Click on the “Scan Networks” link located near the top of the page next to “Remote Network”.The
WirieAP+ will scan for networks, and then display a list.
The following window will open:
Signal Strength –This shows how strong the signal is of the remote network.
Network Name –This is the name of the remote network shown in bold letters.
Unsecured/Secured –If the remote network is secured you will need to have the password.
BSSID –This is the MAC address, or unique identifier of the remote network.
Channel –This is the channel the remote network is transmitting on.
Encryption –This shows additional details if the remote network is secured.
To select a network, simply click on the “Join Network” button next to the network you want to join.
You may scan again by clicking on the “Refresh scan” button. Not every scan will show the same results,
so sometimes it is helpful to click on “Refresh scan” to see what else might be available.
The list is sorted with unsecured networks first, and secured networks below, each sorted by signal
strength. You can sort by Name or Signal Strength by selecting the desired sort order option and clicking
“Refresh scan”.

©2015 Island Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Rev 1.8) 16
Note: Your local network for The WirieAP+ will be displayed in the list of available networks. You should
never connect The WirieAP+ to your local WirieAP+ network. If you do connect to your own local network,
The WirieAP+ will not function as expected.
Connecting to an Unsecured Network
If an unsecured network is chosen, you will be taken back to the Network Information page and The
WirieAP+ will attempt to connect to the chosen network:

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Connecting to a Secured Network
If a secured network is chosen, the following window will appear:
You need to know the password for the selected secured remote network. Enter this password into the
passphrase field, and click on the “Submit” button.
If you would like to have The WirieAP+ save the password for this network, click on the “Save to favorites”
checkbox. The next time you connect to this network, you will not need to type in the password again.
Note: Do not change the Network Name (SSID) field.
You will be taken back to the Network Information page and The WirieAP+ will attempt to connect to the
chosen network.

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The Remote Network Information Page
The Remote Network Information page gives you information about the current connection or the
current attempted connection. The page will refresh automatically approximately every 5 seconds.
The Remote Network section gives you information about your current connection. If the Connected
Status states “Connected”, then The WirieAP+ is connected to an access point, and in turn, hopefully, the
internet.
The status values you might see are:
Scanning –The WirieAP+ is looking for the network you have selected.
Associated –The WirieAP+ has found the network, and is attempting to connect to it.
oThis can fail because the password is wrong for a secured network, the signal is
too weak, or the remote network is not allowing incoming connections.
Connected –The WirieAP+ is connected to the network.

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The ID that is displayed after the Remote Network heading in light grey letters is the MAC Address for
The WirieAP+’s WiFi adapter. If you need to supply a MAC Address to the remote network owner, this is
the address you have to provide.
The two graphs will update over time, about every 3 seconds. They will display 3 minutes worth of
information related to signal strength, noise levels, and connection speeds.
Using a Mobile Device
When you access the administration pages for the remote WiFi network (10.10.20.1) using a mobile
device, like a smartphone, you will be presented with a mobile specific administration page. This page is
limited in functionality, but will allow you to scan, select, and connect to remote WiFi networks.
Access your Remote WiFi Network administration pages at 10.10.20.1 or thewirieapwifi on your mobile
device.
The following mobile status page will appear:
Click on “Change WiFi Network” to scan and display the list of WiFi networks in range:

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If a secured network is selected, you will be asked to enter the network password:
Click on “Submit” to attempt to connect to the remote network. You will be returned to the mobile
status page.