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Wifi Router


fergyguy

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I’m guessing there will be plenty of options but I’m trying to get an understanding of which unlocked WiFi router is proving to be best? I’m not wanting to drill and route cables to an on roof aerial unless it proves to be a case of no other choice. I’m looking at the Huawei 4Go which comes with two antennas which if I do need to use a wired aerial I can connect to their mounts once Iv removed them off router. So does anyone find this router works good as a stand alone? Or should I be putting a 360 aerial on roof and be done? Also having never had to buy a Data Sim Card what’s everyone using and why? Thanks for any advice as always I’m happy to be guided by others.

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From some random website:-

 

The Huawei 4Go, like the Hubba X4 marine units, comes with our MIMO antenna system which is essential for use on narrow boats to overcome the problems created by their steel construction, which blocks radio waves effectively entering the vessel.

By mounting the antenna on the low profile mount on the roof of the boat, we maximise the signal strength and hence available download and upload speeds available in each area.

This unit comes with two antenna cables and does mean drilling holes in the roof of the boat to fix properly before connecting with the router down below.

The unit is priced at £350 including VAT and flat roof ‘stubby’ plastic mount.

 

3G & 4G Router Ideal for Inland Waterways:

  • Stubby Roof Mount Antenna
  • Built in Wi-Fi
  • Up to 100Mbps speeds
  • 4G, 3G and 2G

 

 

To get the best out of any router, you will need an external antenna.If you are in a strong signal area all of the time, you may get away without one.

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23 minutes ago, fergyguy said:

Also having never had to buy a Data Sim Card what’s everyone using and why?

The three data sim is a good deal if you are in a strong signal area, it has unlimited data, and includes minutes and texts.If you put it in a router and connect a phone, you have the best of both worlds. There was a couple of threads recently about the router, and the three deal.

 

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/100041-three-unlimited-data-minutes-texts-£20/&tab=comments#comment-2262033

 

We use an EE data sim, but it only has 32 GB/month.

 

Ultimately, your choice of sim will depend on the signal strength in the area you intend to cruise/moor and the amount of monthly data you are likely to consume.

 

 

Edited by rusty69
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50 minutes ago, fergyguy said:

I’m guessing there will be plenty of options but I’m trying to get an understanding of which unlocked WiFi router is proving to be best? I’m not wanting to drill and route cables to an on roof aerial unless it proves to be a case of no other choice. I’m looking at the Huawei 4Go which comes with two antennas which if I do need to use a wired aerial I can connect to their mounts once Iv removed them off router. So does anyone find this router works good as a stand alone? Or should I be putting a 360 aerial on roof and be done? Also having never had to buy a Data Sim Card what’s everyone using and why? Thanks for any advice as always I’m happy to be guided by others.

That's a lot of money for what it is and it is not a particularly fast router on the LAN side, though will probably be more than sufficient for most Narrowboat needs. On the WAN side of things, you can get 5G ready routers for less money, though 5G is not yet widely available but give it 2/3 years and it will be.

 

I use a 4 year old Huawei "MiFI" router, fixed to a porthole using velcrow... Sounds simple and it is, but it works brilliantly. If it breaks I can replace it with no fuss. Similarly if I need to use it elsewhere away from the boat, I can. The other benefit of a MiFi router is that it has its own battery, meaning that any power blips will not result in loss of internet connectivity. If I had to replace it now I'd probably get a Huawei E5785. - It is not 5G ready though, I'd wait for 5G routers to come down in price before considering them unless I travelled in areas where 5G coverage is available.

 

In areas where the 3G/LTE signal is poor, having antennas on the roof will surely be of advantage though if you're in areas where coverage is good, a porthole/window may suffice. Mid to higher end MiFi devices like the one mentioned also come with ports for antennas, giving the ability to improve signal strength if needed. You can also get magnetic bases which fix to the roof if you do not want to do any drilling. Personally I have not had a need to do that as what I have works more than fine. I reguarly achieve 40Mbps on the downstream.

 

 

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8 minutes ago, RichM said:

I use a 4 year old Huawei "MiFI" router, fixed to a porthole using velcro

This used to be what I used. Until I moored with the MiFi window facing south on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year. That killed it completely. Beware of window mounting. A simple bit of white card against the window and a small gap from the card to the MiFi would almost certainly saved the MiFi from overheating, while still giving good reception of the 3/4G signal.

 

Jen

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1 minute ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

This used to be what I used. Until I moored with the MiFi window facing south on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year. That killed it completely. Beware of window mounting. A simple bit of white card against the window and a small gap from the card to the MiFi would almost certainly saved the MiFi from overheating, while still giving good reception of the 3/4G signal.

 

Jen

Our Huawei E5776 used to overheat in the porthole too.The cardboard trick did help it, but it still got very hot. It is one of the reasons we swapped to the Tetonika router with external antenna. The e5776 still works though, and is a great device for portability. In a strong signal area if it can be kept out of the sun the Huawei is certainly a worthy candidate.

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8 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Our Huawei E5776 used to overheat in the porthole too.The cardboard trick did help it, but it still got very hot. It is one of the reasons we swapped to the Tetonika router with external antenna. The e5776 still works though, and is a great device for portability. In a strong signal area if it can be kept out of the sun the Huawei is certainly a worthy candidate.

A bit of white expanded polystyrene packaging between the glass and router might do the trick. White to reflect the sunlight and good insulation with little to no signal attenuation.

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Just now, Jen-in-Wellies said:

A bit of white expanded polystyrene packaging between the glass and router might do the trick. White to reflect the sunlight and good insulation with little to no signal attenuation.

Good thinking. I tried foil, but it blocked the signal entirely.:(

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