Man Overboard relies on a reliable Wi-Fi connection between your phone or watch and DataHub Pro. For the best experience, keep this connection as simple and direct as possible.
Use DataHub Pro as your main onboard Wi-Fi
For maximum reliability, connect monitored phones and watches directly to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Where possible:
Use DataHub Pro Wi-Fi as the primary Wi-Fi network on board.
Connect Starlink or another Internet connection to DataHub Pro via Ethernet WAN or Wi-Fi tethering.
Avoid routing Man Overboard devices through another onboard router where practical.
Turn off other Wi-Fi networks on your boat where possible or ensure there is no channel overlap.
The fewer network connections between the device and DataHub Pro, the fewer opportunities there are for delays or disconnections. The DataHub Pro uses 5 GHz Wi-Fi channel 36 by default. If another onboard Wi-Fi router uses the same or overlapping 5 GHz channel, this can reduce Wi-Fi reliability.
Where possible, configure your other Wi-Fi router to use a different, non-overlapping 5 GHz channel. Refer to the router manufacturer's documentation for instructions.
Starlink manages its Wi-Fi channels automatically, so no manual channel configuration is required. If interference is suspected, you can instead change the 5 GHz channel the DataHub Pro uses.
Prevent automatic Wi-Fi switching on your MOB monitoring device
Phones and watches can automatically move to another remembered Wi-Fi network, particularly if it has a stronger signal or better Internet connection. If this happens while Monitoring is On, Man Overboard may interpret it as the device becoming separated from the boat.
For the most reliable setup:
Connect to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Enable Auto-Join / Auto-Connect for DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Ideally, forget all other Wi-Fi networks while using Man Overboard.
If you need to keep other networks saved, turn Auto-Join / Auto-Connect Off for them.
You can re-add networks or turn Auto-Join back on when you have finished using Man Overboard.
Recommended phone setup
For maximum reliability, we recommend:
Turn Flight Mode On.
Turn Wi-Fi back On.
Connect to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Confirm other Wi-Fi networks cannot Auto-Join.
This reduces the chance of the operating system changing how network traffic is routed while Man Overboard is monitoring. If you need cellular connectivity while sailing, you can leave it enabled, but test your exact setup before using it.
Apple Watch
For approved Apple Watches, our current recommendation is:
Connect the watch to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Turn Bluetooth Off on the Apple Watch.
Confirm the watch remains connected to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Turn Monitoring On.
Our testing has shown that leaving Bluetooth enabled can affect how the watch recovers its connection after losing DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Android and Wear OS
Some Android and Wear OS devices more aggressively search for another network when DataHub Pro Wi-Fi does not provide Internet access.
For these devices:
Connect directly to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Disable Auto-Connect for other saved networks.
Where possible, keep DataHub Pro connected to an Internet source such as Starlink.
Samsung and Google Wear OS watches are still in active testing and have not yet been approved.
See MOB - Is my phone or watch supported? for the current approved device list.
Before starting your watch
Before turning Monitoring On:
Confirm the device is connected to DataHub Pro Wi-Fi.
Confirm other networks cannot Auto-Join.
For Apple Watch, turn Bluetooth Off.
Turn Monitoring On.
Check Crew Status to confirm the expected crew are being monitored.
Once these checks are complete, you can put your device away and continue sailing.
NOTE: Wi-Fi behaviour varies between devices and operating system versions. Test your exact onboard setup before sailing and after significant changes to the app, operating system, network, or DataHub Pro.
Next: What happens if connectivity or power is lost?
Man Overboard is designed to detect when a monitored device loses its connection to DataHub Pro. Next, see what happens if Wi-Fi, Internet connectivity, a device battery or DataHub Pro power is lost.
Next article: MOB - What happens if Wi-Fi, Internet or power is lost?