Pairing is a process that allows any 2 Vela-Navega multiplexers to communicate with each other, without wires. This possibility opens several ways to operate the multiplexers.  For example if you pair a NMEA3WIFI and a N2K0183 together, you increase the number of ports as follows:

• 4 Nmea0183 serial input ports (P1 and P2 from NMEA3WIFI and P1 and PX from N2K0183)
• 2 Nmea0183 serial output ports (P3 from NMEA3WIFI and P2 from N2K0183) 
• 2 UDP ports 
• 2 TCP ports 
• 1 input/output SeaTalk1 port
• 1 input/output N2K port

You can, for example, convert SeaTalk1 datagrams to N2K messages. The datagrams arriving at the NMEA3WIFI multiplexer are converted to Nmea0183 sentences. These sentences are routed to the EXT(ernal, or N2K0183) port by the NMEA3WIFI. The NK0183 is set to receive Nmea0183 sentences from the EXT(ernal, or the NMEA3WIFI) and to route them to the N2K bus (performing the conversion from Nmea0183 to N2K). 

You control the operation of paired multiplexers by pressing a button called ADDITIONAL SETTINGS in the main settings webpage of any of the multiplexers. In the following we show the additional settings webpage as it appears in the case of the NMEA4WIFI multiplexer.

and the corresponding notes for this multiplexer - In order for 2 multiplexers to work together, they need to be paired. Pairing consists on providing the Mac Address of the multiplexer you want to communicate with. Each multiplexer has a unique Mac Address which is shown in the area below the logo image of the present webpage. Once you know the Mac Address of the other multiplexer you have to enter it in the shown text box. You need to enter the Mac Address in the exact format as shown. If you make a mistake when you type the Mac Address, an error message will be displayed in red and you will not be able to proceed until you enter a valid Mac Address. Pairing another multiplexer with the NMEA4WIFI can be thought as if an EXTRA input/output port is added to the NMEA4WIFI multiplexer. You can route data from any of the inputs of the NMEA4WIFI to that EXT output port which will be received (and routed) by the other multiplexer. In the same way, you can route the data received from the other multiplexer at the EXT input port and route it to any of the NME4WIFI outputs. The best way to test if 2 paired multiplexers are working as expected, is to enter Simulation Mode in one of them and enter Debug Mode in the other one. The simulated data generated by one of the multiplexers should appear on the Debug Window of the other multiplexer. It is important to note that the multiplexers can not use the same SSID. If you are working with 2 NMEA4WIFI multiplexers, you should change the SSID of one of them. There are 3 possibilities for the 2 multiplexers to talk to each other:

• Both multiplexers only create their APs and are set not to connect to any external network (router, home WiFi or smartphone hotspot).
• One multiplexer only creates its AP network and the other multiplexer also connects as a station to the AP created by the first multiplexer.
• Both multiplexers also connect to a SAME external network (router, home WiFi or smartphone hotspot).

There is no guaranty that the multiplexers can talk to each other if they also connect to DIFFERENT external networks (router, home WiFi or smartphone hotspot). Also note that the NMEA4WIFI multiplexer can talk to more than one multiplexer if you enter FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF as the pairing Mac Address. This address is understood as a broadcasting address and every multiplexer in range will receive the messages sent by the NMEA4WIFI. Finally note that if you are using the NMEA4WIFI alone, it is advisable to uncheck all the 5 >EXT as well as the 4 EXT> checkboxes.