Auto-discover connected integrations
BoatKit can identify several supported systems attached to the vessel host and add them to Settings > Integrations. Discovery can save you from selecting an interface or entering a known default address, but some integrations still need credentials or equipment-specific setup.
Run discovery
You need vessel administrator access and the supported equipment connected to the host running BoatKit. When using a phone or tablet to view another vessel host, discovery checks that host's equipment.
- Safely stop the vessel and place connected equipment in a safe state.
- Open Settings > Integrations, then Add Integration.
- Select Auto-discover integrations and read the warning. Discovery traffic and temporary network reconfiguration may affect connected equipment.
- Select Explore vessel.
- Review Systems discovered, then open each added integration to finish its setup. You can cancel a running pass with Cancel discovery.
What discovery can find
BoatKit checks for supported Garmin, Navico, Furuno, and Raymarine marine Ethernet networks, NMEA 2000 and Mastervolt CAN traffic, Calex converter CAN status, marine UDP broadcasts, Peplink LAN gateways, Icom radios, Shelly devices, UniFi Protect consoles, and Spectra and Victron systems at their known default local hostnames.
The marine Ethernet checks use eligible dedicated wired adapters without an IPv4 address or an active route. CAN checks use unclaimed adapters. Discovery does not take over an adapter already used by an enabled integration.
NMEA gateways broadcasting over UDP
The pass listens for six seconds on these common gateway ports:
| Gateway or convention | UDP ports checked |
|---|---|
| Yacht Devices data servers | 1456, 1457, 1458 |
| Digital Yacht gateways | 2000 |
| Common NMEA 0183 application port | 10110 |
| Actisense W2K data servers | 60001, 60002, 60003 |
The received format determines the integration, regardless of the port. BoatKit requires repeated checksummed NMEA 0183 sentences from one sender, or recognizable NMEA 2000 frames in Yacht Devices RAW format. The listeners send no discovery packets. They ignore the BoatKit host's own broadcasts and peers outside its ordinary, unclaimed local networks.
Validated feeds are added and enabled as receive-only UDP inputs. NMEA 2000 inputs start with Address Claim Mode: None and alert transmission off. Review each input's connection and received devices or sentence types. If the same backbone is broadcast on several ports, keep the input you need and remove duplicates.
Already configured UDP input ports, including disabled inputs, and enabled BoatKit output ports are preserved. A port occupied by another application cannot be checked. If both formats arrive on one port, discovery reports the finding without adding an input; configure separate ports on the gateways.
Gateway broadcasts must be enabled and reach the BoatKit host during the pass. TCP-only gateways, custom ports, checksum-free NMEA 0183, and other NMEA 2000 network encodings still need manual setup or a supported output format. Checking an Actisense port does not add support for its proprietary NMEA 2000 binary or ASCII formats.
The port choices follow the Yacht Devices Ethernet gateway manual, Digital Yacht gateway instructions, and Actisense W2K-1 manual.
Peplink routers at a LAN gateway
When the host exposes its IPv4 gateway addresses, discovery checks the local Peplink web-admin entry point over HTTP and HTTPS. It requires a recognizable Peplink or Pepwave login page; a gateway address or open web port alone does not qualify.
A match adds Peplink disabled with its local portal address filled in. Open it and follow the Peplink setup guide to configure local administrator credentials. Discovery does not log in, modify router settings, or run WAN tests. Existing Peplink integrations and retained custom addresses or credentials are preserved.
HTTPS identification can read a self-signed portal without credentials. That does not change certificate validation for authenticated Peplink connections; configure the appropriate certificate trust during setup. A custom web-admin port, unrecognized portal, or host without gateway inventory needs manual setup.
Actisense NGT-1 USB gateways
BoatKit recognizes an NGT-1 from its USB inventory and adds a disabled NMEA 2000 integration when the host provides a stable USB identity. This check does not open the gateway or confirm that its NMEA 2000 backbone is sending data.
Open the added Actisense NGT-1 integration, review the connection and address-claim settings, then enable it and check for live received data. If discovery reports that the adapter lacks a unique stable identity, configure the connection manually. Android's USB inventory can require manual setup when its selected adapter identity is not qualified by a serial number.
Calex converters
The whole-vessel pass listens for both Calex power and board status messages on a dedicated SocketCAN adapter. It sends no converter commands. If it finds a match, it selects the adapter and adds Calex DC-DC disabled.
Have the installer review the actual converter, batteries, wiring, voltage and current limits, and engine or battery references before enabling the integration. Calex Control Enabled is a separate choice. Discovery does not turn on the converter connection or automatic control. A converter that is not already emitting status may require manual setup.
AISHub suggestion when AIS equipment is detected
BoatKit automatically adds AISHub once, disabled, when it identifies an AIS unit on a physical NMEA 2000 network or receives decoded local AIS data over NMEA 2000 or NMEA 0183. Own-vessel AIS reports also qualify. You do not need to run Explore vessel for this suggestion to appear.
Open Settings > Integrations > AISHub to review the sharing option. Enable it only when you want eligible AIS reports received aboard to be shared through BoatKit Cloud in exchange for auxiliary regional AIS targets. No separate AISHub key is entered in BoatKit. Participation needs a local AIS feed, vessel position, and an internet connection; onboard AIS continues working offline.
The suggestion sends no AIS data and starts no cloud queries while disabled. An existing integration keeps its enabled or disabled state. Removing AISHub suppresses further automatic additions, including after a restart. Cloud AIS targets, simulator data, and replay inputs do not trigger the suggestion.
Confirm the result
The progress display shows each checked path and any path that could not complete. An Added result means the integration was created; it does not mean all setup is complete or that live equipment data is available.
For example, UniFi Protect still needs a local API key and camera selection, and Shelly devices still need you to choose which devices to configure. Actisense and Calex findings stay disabled until you review their settings.
If a system is not found
- Check that the equipment is connected, powered, and reachable from the BoatKit vessel host.
- Review the integration list first; existing bindings may already cover the equipment.
- Use manual setup for custom Spectra or Victron hostnames, TCP-only NMEA gateways, generic USB-CAN adapters, or a system using a custom network port.
- DynaGen, Meshtastic, and SEMMeter currently require their normal connection setup. Account links and outbound sharing also require explicit setup rather than equipment discovery.
Discovery and the added vessel-local integrations do not require an internet or BoatKit Cloud connection after initial vessel setup. Each integration's own credentials, physical compatibility, and connection requirements still apply.