Networking

“A reliable IT infrastructure is now essential onboard any yacht given the dependence crew, charter guests and onboard systems have on the Local Area Network. The days of a home office setup onboard  is no longer appropriate as AV control systems, media servers, CCTV, telephone and other yacht management systems all rely on a stable network to perform 24/7. “

Livewire Connections is a leading supplier of IT networks and communications systems to the yachting sector. Within recent years the complexity of onboard networks has increased in line with the industry shift towards more complex applications and the increasing number of mobile devices onboard.

Wireless Networks

The utilisation of WiFi (WLAN) for AV controllers, telephones handsets, laptops, iPads and iPhones/Blackberries now requires a more resilient WLAN infrastructure than ever before. Whilst a 70M office block can be serviced simply with a few WAPS (Wireless Access Points), a 70M yacht with steel bulkheads will require significantly more thought. Careful planning and centralised solutions are required to achieve the recommended -67dB signal strength with a 25% signal overlap for seamless roaming throughout the vessel.

Solid WLAN performance is attained by using managed light WAPs powered over PoE from a central Wireless Controller all protected by a single UPS. Using multiple SSIDs (eg Crew, Guest, AV etc) with each on a dedicated VLAN and Layer 3 routing will help to reduce broadcast traffic and enable users to implement dynamic firewalls and bandwidth management features. The central controller also provides a high level of signal redundancy and ensures seamless WAP transition when users move around the vessel.

Servers

At the core of Livewire Connection’s IT solutions is the dedication to supply robust, dependable IT solutions that users are already familiar with and that meet the highest of client expectations. The Windows server domain environment is usually modelled around a small business setup similar to a land based office with 20-30 users. Our in house IT Engineers take full advantage of the latest developments in Windows server technology utilising group policy management, Microsoft exchange, comprehensive backup and disaster recovery, WSUS, RAID array, centralised antivirus solutions and server virtualisation.