The Iridium AxcessPoint is a hardware device available from Iridium that connects to an Iridium handset and creates a wifi hotspot.
The Iridium AxcessPoint WiFi device comes from the factory programmed with a firewall to limit internet access, but port 50 (used for Sailmail access) is not open. The following setup will allow the AxcessPoint to be used with Sailmail, but for most applications it is simpler to connect directly to the Iridum phone and use the Iridium PPP setup (http://saildocs.com/iridiumPPP or send a blank email to: iridiumPPP@saildocs.com).
To use the AxcessPoint with Sailmail some initial setup is needed:
1. Connect to the AxcessPoint via WiFi using Windows wireless networking.
2. Open a browser and go to http://192.168.0.1
3. Login with the last 6 digits of the mac address. The mac address is on
the box and in the battery compartment.
Note that the Admin password can be changed Under Tools->Admin. However, there is no way to reset the unit so if the password is lost then unit must be returned to Iridium for service.
4. Go to advanced->Outbound Filter
Once there you need to add a rule which opens port 50. Then save settings, the device will reboot.
Other ports can be closed if no other use is planned. This will avoid competition for the Iridium Connection and may speed things up. You can also disable DNS on port 53 if you use the numeric-IP address instead of “pop3.sailmail.com” (see this page: http://saildocs.com/stations).
Don’t forget to save the settings and wait for the unit to reboot.
5. Log back into the unit then go to modem settings.
6. Change the mode to manual. This is especially important if the firewall is left open. Otherwise the unit will make a data call as soon as the user wifi connects to it.
Note that DNS is what brings up the connection so if you have blocked all the ports then “on demand” does not work. If you leave DNS open then any DNS activity on the users computer will cause the unit to start a PPP connection. So… it is best if you set this to manual.
Once in manual mode you will need to log in to the web page to bring up the connection and take it down.
Connecting to Sailmail:
Once the above setup has been done, connect to Sailmail as follows:
1. Connect to the AxcessPoint via WiFi.
2. Open a browser and login to http://192.168.0.1 (see above for password).
3. Go to status and hit the connect button wait for the unit to go online.
4. Back on the PC run AirMail and do your terminal session.
5. when done, go back to the browser and disconnect.
That should do it, please let us know of any problems or questions.
Cheers, Jim
support@sailmail.com
2018-02-21