We are changing our FB150 for a Fleet 100 and updating the laptop we use on board from windows 7 to 10. We use this system mainly for emails (through mailasail using Thunderbird) and weather info whilst on passage. Before we turned off the auto update feature in windows 7 whilst on passage and it worked well. I am being advised I now need to put some form of firewall in between the Fleet 100 and the laptop to stop excess data usage and updates etc.  The Redbox is being recommended although I do not need its 3G /4G and wifi capabilities so seems an expensive 'box' for the task.
Anyone have any experience of using the Redbox or any suggestions on other solutions I should look at? 

+x

 

Malcolm.Blackwell - 30 Mar 2021

We are changing our FB150 for a Fleet 100 and updating the laptop we use on board from windows 7 to 10. We use this system mainly for emails (through mailasail using Thunderbird) and weather info whilst on passage. Before we turned off the auto update feature in windows 7 whilst on passage and it worked well. I am being advised I now need to put some form of firewall in between the Fleet 100 and the laptop to stop excess data usage and updates etc.  The Redbox is being recommended although I do not need its 3G /4G and wifi capabilities so seems an expensive 'box' for the task.
Anyone have any experience of using the Redbox or any suggestions on other solutions I should look at? 

Hi Malcolm,
For all things sat-comm related (and SSB interface/modem related), I would turn to Jeremy (or John) at UUPlus (http://www.uuplus.com/). They have always given excellent advice from a very practical point of view and have been willing to talk even if there is no immediate likelihood of sales.
I remember discussing Redbox back in the day, chose to go in another direction, but forget all the details as to my reasoning.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy