Using an "Optimzer" router with Sailmail
The "Optimizer" is a small WiFi router that also includes an interface to an Iridium or ISatPhone handset. It is basically a generic wireless router with modified OpenWRT firmware and marketed by GMN (Global MarineNet). As provided it is locked to the GMN service but can be easily configured to allow access to Sailmail.
There is no advantage (other than a WiFi connection to the computer) over connecting directly to the phone with a USB cable and setting up a Windows networking connection, see http://saildocs.com/iridiumPPP or http://saildocs.com/isatphone. But if you have an Opimizer and find it useful, then here is how to configure it for Sailmail:
First, log in to the Optimizer settings page: With computer connected to the "wxa-122-xxx" WiFi connection, open a web browser to 192.168.10.1 and login as "superadmin" and password "webxaccess" (unless you changed any of those).
Next open the "Network" menu, then "Firewall", and "Firewall Rules". There should be seven "do not modify" entries, none enabled. Below that find "New Forward Rule". Enter "Sailmail" as the name for the new forward rule, then click "Add and edit".
On the edit page:
change Source Zone to "Any zone",
change Destination Zone to "Any zone (forward)"
for Destination address enter "72.32.198.206"
for Destination Port enter "50"
Then check "Save and Apply".
Note that "Restrict to address family" can either be the default IPv4+IPv6, or changed to IPv4.
Also Protocol can be "Any", or TCP, or TCP+UDP, doesn't matter as long as TCP is included.
However Source and Destination zones MUST be set to "Any zone". Selecting LAN for source or WAN for destination does not work, even though that is correct.
Confirm those settings in the rule list. Then, if you want, you can set up two additional entries, tje same except for name and Destination address:
Sailmail Backup1 64.119.5.153
Sailmail Backup2 104.59.74.73
Make sure those "Sailmail" rules are all checked (enabled), and NONE of the others are checked.
In Airmail (preferably ver 3.5) try connecting to each server (Server1, Backup1, Backup2). If you don't have a current Sailmail membership then you will connect but get a cheerful "Sorry not registered", but this tells you that you have a good connection to the server.
There are two choices for connecting/disconnecting the phone: The simplest/safest is manual: open the setup page and go to Network / PPP / Status and use the connect/disconnect buttons there.
The other option (not recommended) is "on-demand", settings are under Network / PPP / Settings. On the Network tab check the "Enable" box, then on the PPP tab check the "Demand" option and set the timeout to something reasonable (I tested with 30 seconds, likely could be shorter). The discomforting part of this mode is that the PPP / Status page shows "connected" even when the phone is not, so you need to check the phone to be sure it is disconnected.
Please let us know if you have any questions, support@sailmail.com
(revised May 18 2017 Jim C)