Remote access through Starlink
- Thread starter Barrync
- Start date
I think this is what you are looking for.
gtstang462002
Furuno Super Fan
I run a VPN connector (OpenVPN Cloudconnexa) into my boat to allow me to be able to connect my iPad to the NMEA data that I have piped into my boat network. Once I am connected to the VPN tied to my boat I can pull all of the data on the NMEA into my TimeZero app and show the position of the boat, heading, speed, and water depth it is operating in.
Note, I do not have Starlink on my boat, just T-Mobile home internet so this only works when I am in range of cell towers. I see no reason why this setup wouldn't work with any other service provider. I use a connector inside of my network because T-Mobile uses a double NAT. Not sure about Starlink, but I image that they are probably doing something similar.
Note, I do not have Starlink on my boat, just T-Mobile home internet so this only works when I am in range of cell towers. I see no reason why this setup wouldn't work with any other service provider. I use a connector inside of my network because T-Mobile uses a double NAT. Not sure about Starlink, but I image that they are probably doing something similar.
jp498
Furuno Super Fan
Starlink does some sort of cg-nat so, it's like the T-mobile double nat.
For tracking purposes, just tell the MFD to phone home to a mytimezero account. It's basically one of the steps in the link Johnny shared.
If you don't mind using a ton of data, you could attach a HDMI IP encoder to the HDMI output of your MFD and configure the encoder to livestream the display. I wouldn't do this if you have any data limits or are using the offshore/marine starlink services. You'd probably use a month's Internet in one day.
For tracking purposes, just tell the MFD to phone home to a mytimezero account. It's basically one of the steps in the link Johnny shared.
If you don't mind using a ton of data, you could attach a HDMI IP encoder to the HDMI output of your MFD and configure the encoder to livestream the display. I wouldn't do this if you have any data limits or are using the offshore/marine starlink services. You'd probably use a month's Internet in one day.
gtstang - with this setup, is your TimeZero syncing with the cloud when connected to the internet so someone ashore could track your movements (probably not in real time, but close)?
gtstang462002
Furuno Super Fan
It does, I have tracked my boats with my iPad on the TZiBoat app. That being said, I don't know that it is required for the fleet tracking aspect of the displays. I use an NMEA 2000 Ethernet Gateway YDEN-02 to bring my NMEA data into my local network to get it to talk to my iPad. If I am tied into that VPN I am able to use TZiBoat as if I were on the boat and see position reporting in real-time on the tablet regardless of my physical location.
That being said, thank you for reminding me that I need to perform maintenance on my microserver running that VPN connector.
That being said, thank you for reminding me that I need to perform maintenance on my microserver running that VPN connector.
Thanks! I believe my Cortex AIS transponder provides the same functionality as your YDEN-02 with a WIFI connection via TCP/IP. It basically bridges all of the nav information from N2K to my iPad. I typically use iNavX with this same capability but am pretty sure I've also had TZiBoat working the same way.
The one thing I can't reconcile in my mind, If I'm connected to the boat WiFi, I don't believe I could simultaneously connect to the Starlink WiFi for cloud syncing. It looks like youYDEN-02, if connected to the Internet, will save data logs to the internet via the YD cloud.
For clarity, my objective is something like the Garmin InReach/Messenger where someone ashore could track my position (given some latency).
The one thing I can't reconcile in my mind, If I'm connected to the boat WiFi, I don't believe I could simultaneously connect to the Starlink WiFi for cloud syncing. It looks like youYDEN-02, if connected to the Internet, will save data logs to the internet via the YD cloud.
For clarity, my objective is something like the Garmin InReach/Messenger where someone ashore could track my position (given some latency).
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gtstang462002
Furuno Super Fan
I presume that you are looking to have a loved one at home and be able to see where you are while out of cell phone range. If this is the case, you could turn on location sharing on your phone and let them track you while connected to the Starlink.
Other options would be to set up a TZiboat app to receive the MNEA data over a VPN like what I am doing so that you can be tracked that was also. I know that there is a fleet tracking option in the displays also, but that is a paid subscription that I have never messed with.
Side note, how much are you paying for the Starlink service monthly?
Other options would be to set up a TZiboat app to receive the MNEA data over a VPN like what I am doing so that you can be tracked that was also. I know that there is a fleet tracking option in the displays also, but that is a paid subscription that I have never messed with.
Side note, how much are you paying for the Starlink service monthly?
Thanks again. You are correct, tracking of our voyages by anyone ashore (with access). Location sharing on the phone is a great idea, but I think I'd view that as a backup. I REALLY like the Garmin InReach/Messenger feature and have a good ~10 years of history on their map for every trip that I logged. Might just be easier to keep this.
I read the PDF Johnny posted above and it looks like that Fleet Tracking requires TZ Professional which I suspect is another license/added cost. I'm trying to reduce my monthly subscriptions to help offset the cost of Starlink (if possible and no increased safety risk).
Do you have any details about how you use your VPN? I can "stream" N2K navigation info to my iPad/TZ iBoat already via my Cortex so i'm not clear what the VPN gives you that's different than that? What I'm not clear on is how that would push to the cloud (via Starlink) and then be accessible from a home base TZ iBoat app. My iPad is WiFi only so that's a limiting factor.
Regarding Starlink subscription....that's another confusing topic. Most of my boating/fishing is out and back to the canyons so no real cruising. Plus, the boat is behind my house and can access my home WiFi while at the dock so I need limited bandwidth. Current thinking is I'll get the Roam plan advertised at $80/month for 50gb. This will work up to about ~12nm off shore and I'll need to flip over to a pay-as-you-go plan to get off-shore coverage. This is $2/gb. Hard to imagine that we'll burn a significant amount of data while on a fishing trip so that nominal amount should be a rounding error. All that said, I'm told that after you register, new plans are unlocked and pricing could be $50/month for the 50gb. Unlimited plans are something like $256/mo.
I read the PDF Johnny posted above and it looks like that Fleet Tracking requires TZ Professional which I suspect is another license/added cost. I'm trying to reduce my monthly subscriptions to help offset the cost of Starlink (if possible and no increased safety risk).
Do you have any details about how you use your VPN? I can "stream" N2K navigation info to my iPad/TZ iBoat already via my Cortex so i'm not clear what the VPN gives you that's different than that? What I'm not clear on is how that would push to the cloud (via Starlink) and then be accessible from a home base TZ iBoat app. My iPad is WiFi only so that's a limiting factor.
Regarding Starlink subscription....that's another confusing topic. Most of my boating/fishing is out and back to the canyons so no real cruising. Plus, the boat is behind my house and can access my home WiFi while at the dock so I need limited bandwidth. Current thinking is I'll get the Roam plan advertised at $80/month for 50gb. This will work up to about ~12nm off shore and I'll need to flip over to a pay-as-you-go plan to get off-shore coverage. This is $2/gb. Hard to imagine that we'll burn a significant amount of data while on a fishing trip so that nominal amount should be a rounding error. All that said, I'm told that after you register, new plans are unlocked and pricing could be $50/month for the 50gb. Unlimited plans are something like $256/mo.
gtstang462002
Furuno Super Fan
Here is my best effort to explain this. I suck at getting technical details out of my head in a manner that others understand:
I am using the free version on OpenVPN's cloud connect service. I have a small raspberry pi set up running a super lightweight version of Debian that is designed for the pi. The connector sits on that pi inside of my network and essentially bridges my internal network to a tunneled private VPN back in Ashland, VA. This solution is technically a method of bridging multiple corporate offices together so that they are on the same "network" and can talk securely across commercial Internet while not being physically co-located. It took a little bit of trial and error to get it working correctly.
Another cost saving option that may be worth looking at: T-Mobile is beta testing 5G from the starlink satellites. I just got notified that my phones were enrolled in it the Monday after I got back from fishing offshore down in Wanchese, NC for Bluefin. I wish they would have enrolled me in that program 3 days earlier to actually be able to test that. For now it is only supposed to be providing text capabilities, but I venture to say that technology is going to evolve rapidly.
I am using the free version on OpenVPN's cloud connect service. I have a small raspberry pi set up running a super lightweight version of Debian that is designed for the pi. The connector sits on that pi inside of my network and essentially bridges my internal network to a tunneled private VPN back in Ashland, VA. This solution is technically a method of bridging multiple corporate offices together so that they are on the same "network" and can talk securely across commercial Internet while not being physically co-located. It took a little bit of trial and error to get it working correctly.
Another cost saving option that may be worth looking at: T-Mobile is beta testing 5G from the starlink satellites. I just got notified that my phones were enrolled in it the Monday after I got back from fishing offshore down in Wanchese, NC for Bluefin. I wish they would have enrolled me in that program 3 days earlier to actually be able to test that. For now it is only supposed to be providing text capabilities, but I venture to say that technology is going to evolve rapidly.
gtstang462002
Furuno Super Fan
I am using the Cloudconnexa portion of openvpn on a raspberry pi to send the data back to Ashland.
Cloud VPN Services | CloudConnexa | OpenVPN
CloudConnexa is an easy-to-deploy cloud VPN service that takes the complexity & high cost out of managing a secure network for a business.
openvpn.net
I have the $250 roam priority plan that works further offshore than 12 miles. It’s the only plan I’ve found that guarantees I have service when I head out to sea. Some folks try to change plan before heading out and it says not currently available due to subscriber limits. Haven’t been willing to take a chance yet but if you actually try your plan above and it works please let us know.
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