Unlimited data for wifi onboard at what I think is a good price.

[Guest]

I would need a lot of persuasion to switch away from EE. It is not the cheapest but it rarely fails me. I can only think of one occasion when staying on Clumber park. But other networks couldnt get a signal either.

 

We stay in some pretty remote spots too. 

 

They did pee me off when after initially saying they had no plans to they re-introduced roaming charges for the EU after you know what.

 

They now charge £2.29 per day to use your data plan or you can buy a roaming pass for about £15 pcm while in the EU.

 

They also hike the price of your data plan annually not by the inflation rate but well above it. This year saw quite a jump. Others, though not all do this too though.

 

 

 

[blackrose]

2 hours ago, IanD said:

If you want to check network coverage (3G/4G/5G) for all the networks where you are -- or anywhere else -- you can see maps at https://bidb.uk/

 

Enter postcode and hit "go", then scroll down to the "Cellular data" panel which shows the four networks, hovering over each of them brings up 3G/4G/5G coverage on the map -- you can pan the map and zoom in and out to see entire areas.

 

Can't guarantee it's always correct, but it has been for the places I've tried. The best network will be different depending where you look, for most of the canal places I've tried either EE or Three has the best coverage.

 

P.S. Uplands Marina seems to be in an EE dead spot, all the other networks (even O2 and Voda!) are better there -- so general statements like "EE has the best coverage" don't apply *everywhere*... 😉

 

I use the Ofcom coverage checker.

https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/broadband-coverage

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by blackrose

[GUMPY]

Coverage checkers only cover one part of the equation, they say for example that the coverage at Blackthorn is fine.

Yes in theory but in practice its not due to network congestion, too many users in a small area. Its fine during the day but in the evening its rubbish.

Something to be taken into consideration when choosing. 

5 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

I use the Ofcom coverage checker.

https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/mobile-coverage

 

That as i have said before is at least a year out of date. 

It says no 5g where I live but we have had 5g for over a year.

[alias]

25 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Coverage checkers only cover one part of the equation, they say for example that the coverage at Blackthorn is fine.

Yes in theory but in practice its not due to network congestion, too many users in a small area. Its fine during the day but in the evening its rubbish.

Something to be taken into consideration when choosing. 

That as i have said before is at least a year out of date. 

It says no 5g where I live but we have had 5g for over a year.

 

There seem to be inconsistencies in the results for my address on the ofcom checker.  For inside reception it shows all networks offer data apart from EE, while for outside reception it shows all offer data apart from Vodafone.  How can inside reception for Vodafone be better than outside?

[enigmatic]

Got rid of Smarty after a few too many instances where I had a good signal but virtually no bandwidth

 

Current plan with Talkmobile (Vodafone network) isn't quite unlimited (I hit the 100mb cap once) and it costs me £11.95 per month (£21.95 for the month I bought extra data). That deal was via comparison site Simsherpa.com IIRC, and Talkmobile offer a £12.95/100mb rate on their website

 

 

[adrianh]

I had EE via plusnet until they closed this service recently.

EE wanted silly money to continue using them so now have EE by using RWG mobile payg monthly service at reasonable price.

Smarty/ 3 signal strength  on my wifes phone does seem to vary a large amount more than EE signal on mine

[IanD]

2 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

I use the Ofcom coverage checker.

https://checker.ofcom.org.uk/en-gb/broadband-coverage

 

The Ofcom one makes it much harder to compare networks and see what services each one provides. Try the Better Internet Dashboard site, it's much more comprehensive... 😉

Edited July 6, 2023 by IanD

[GUMPY]

10 hours ago, enigmatic said:

Got rid of Smarty after a few too many instances where I had a good signal but virtually no bandwidth

Any device will usually connect to the strongest signal this is not always the best one.

For example last week the strongest signal was on ch20 this gave very bad throughput. I looked on cellmapper and found that there was also a mast with ch 1 & 3 available but with a lesser signal strength. I disabled ch20 in the router and lo and behold throughput improved drastically as it started using both ch 1&3 simultaneously.

I find this often happens because ch20 is a lower frequency than 1&3.

You do need a decent router and software to do this but it's not difficult.

[JoeC]

Another provider of EE is Utility Warehouse - currently £20 per month. Additional sims at £13. Not as cheap as some other companies mentioned here but another option for you.

Mobile from UW

[IanD]

44 minutes ago, JoeC said:

Another provider of EE is Utility Warehouse - currently £20 per month. Additional sims at £13. Not as cheap as some other companies mentioned here but another option for you.

Mobile from UW

Here's a comparison of non-EE providers using EE's network --which for some reason doesn't include Utility Warehouse...

 

https://www.simsherpa.com/networks/ee/virtual-providers-on-ee

 

Having looked at the UW link it's not clear if they offer the full EE network (e.g. like 1p Mobile) or a limited one less useful for boaters (e.g. like Co-Op Mobile).

 

1 hour ago, GUMPY said:

Any device will usually connect to the strongest signal this is not always the best one.

For example last week the strongest signal was on ch20 this gave very bad throughput. I looked on cellmapper and found that there was also a mast with ch 1 & 3 available but with a lesser signal strength. I disabled ch20 in the router and lo and behold throughput improved drastically as it started using both ch 1&3 simultaneously.

I find this often happens because ch20 is a lower frequency than 1&3.

You do need a decent router and software to do this but it's not difficult.

Agreed 100%. NetMonster is another app that can be better than cellmapper for finding this out... 🙂

[Ewan123]

3 hours ago, GUMPY said:

Any device will usually connect to the strongest signal this is not always the best one.

For example last week the strongest signal was on ch20 this gave very bad throughput. I looked on cellmapper and found that there was also a mast with ch 1 & 3 available but with a lesser signal strength. I disabled ch20 in the router and lo and behold throughput improved drastically as it started using both ch 1&3 simultaneously.

I find this often happens because ch20 is a lower frequency than 1&3.

You do need a decent router and software to do this but it's not difficult.

Manually switching to 3G when 4G signal is low can do the trick too. 

[IanD]

7 minutes ago, Ewan123 said:

Manually switching to 3G when 4G signal is low can do the trick too. 

Not now 3G is being switched off...

 

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2023/06/clarifying-some-myths-around-the-uk-shutdown-of-3g-mobile.html

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/help-and-information/3g-switch-off

https://ee.co.uk/3g-switch-off

https://www.three.co.uk/support/network-and-coverage/our-plans-to-switch-off-3g

Edited July 7, 2023 by IanD

[Ewan123]

17 minutes ago, IanD said:

Not now 3G is being switched off...

 

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2023/06/clarifying-some-myths-around-the-uk-shutdown-of-3g-mobile.html

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/help-and-information/3g-switch-off

https://ee.co.uk/3g-switch-off

https://www.three.co.uk/support/network-and-coverage/our-plans-to-switch-off-3g

Oh jolly good (thanks)

[Clodi]

On 07/07/2023 at 08:47, GUMPY said:

Any device will usually connect to the strongest signal this is not always the best one.

You do need a decent router and software to do this but it's not difficult.

Which router would you recommend?

 

[GUMPY]

17 minutes ago, Clodi said:

Which router would you recommend?

 

For 4g a Huawei B818-263 

Don't get the Vodafone version it's locked to Vodafone 😡

 

[Peanut]

The contention ratio might affect your mobile experience, especially if everyone opts for the cheapest deal.

[Rob-M]

2 hours ago, GUMPY said:

For 4g a Huawei B818-263 

Don't get the Vodafone version it's locked to Vodafone 😡

 

I agree, I have the B818-263.  The internal antenna are very good, I don't bother putting up an external antenna, just have the router sat on a shelf inside the boat.

[Tony Brooks]

On 06/07/2023 at 18:09, M_JG said:

They also hike the price of your data plan annually not by the inflation rate but well above it. This year saw quite a jump. Others, though not all do this too though.

 

I see that on the TV adds. I don't know what the regulator is doing apart from sleeping on the job. Inflation plus 3.9% seems over the top to me when at least one says no price rises during contract.

[IanD]

12 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I agree, I have the B818-263.  The internal antenna are very good, I don't bother putting up an external antenna, just have the router sat on a shelf inside the boat.

If the signal is good enough where you are (coverage checkers may help predict this) the internal antenna will be fine -- preferably near a window if the cabin is steel which shields radio waves.

 

If you're in a poor signal area or intend travelling around the system a lot -- where you will hit such areas sooner or later -- it would be worth planning for an external antenna if you want to maximise the chance of getting a good Internet connection.

Edited July 9, 2023 by IanD

[Rob-M]

8 minutes ago, IanD said:

If the signal is good enough where you are (coverage checkers may help predict this) the internal antenna will be fine -- preferably near a window if the cabin is steel which shields radio waves.

 

If you're in a poor signal area or intend travelling around the system a lot -- where you will hit such areas sooner or later -- it would be worth planning for an external antenna if you want to maximise the chance of getting a good Internet connection.

Not needed the external antenna yet and have traveled extensively as we like to go boating.

[john6767]

49 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I agree, I have the B818-263.  The internal antenna are very good, I don't bother putting up an external antenna, just have the router sat on a shelf inside the boat.

I am thinking about getting a router, Instead of just tethering to my phone.  
 

A number of people are mentioning the B818-263 router, but as far as I can seen (on Amazon), these are an obsolete product or at lest one not available in the UK and what are being offered are used or as new non-UK versions.  Is there a particular reason for going for this router given you can just buy a new UK one?

 

What difference would I expect to see with a B535-232 which are half the price compared to B818-263 and are UK spec and new?

[IanD]

31 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Not needed the external antenna yet and have traveled extensively as we like to go boating.

What do you use the Internet for (TV streaming? Video calls?), and what typical data rates do you see?

 

Some uses need higher data rates than others, that's when an external antenna may help. If it's just for web browsing lower rates are OK so less need for one.

 

 

[GUMPY]

B535 is cat 7

B818 is cat19

B818 is much faster 😉

 

B818-263 is UK spec

 

Search around you will find a B818-263

 

Plenty on eBay

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by GUMPY

[Rob-M]

25 minutes ago, IanD said:

What do you use the Internet for (TV streaming? Video calls?), and what typical data rates do you see?

 

Some uses need higher data rates than others, that's when an external antenna may help. If it's just for web browsing lower rates are OK so less need for one.

 

 

I use it mainly for working, which is a lot of Teams video calls, Windows autopilot deployments, Intune application packaging so all tasks requiring Internet and reasonable bandwidth.  Plus we stream any TV we want to watch via a Now TV stick. Upload speed is more important than download but a minimum of 5 Mbps upload is sufficient for working over Teams.

36 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I am thinking about getting a router, Instead of just tethering to my phone.  
 

A number of people are mentioning the B818-263 router, but as far as I can seen (on Amazon), these are an obsolete product or at lest one not available in the UK and what are being offered are used or as new non-UK versions.  Is there a particular reason for going for this router given you can just buy a new UK one?

 

What difference would I expect to see with a B535-232 which are half the price compared to B818-263 and are UK spec and new?

I got my B818 from Amazon, it was sold as a UK model but was actually from an ISP in Finland (I think) when it arrived so I had to do some Googling to log in and set the language to English.

[john6767]

20 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

B535 is cat 7

B818 is cat19

B818 is much faster 😉

 

B818-263 is UK spec

 

Search around you will find a B818-263

 

Plenty on eBay

 

Thanks.  All the UK supplied ones on eBay appear to be preowned, similar to Amazon?  Is this actually a current product or has it been superseded?

 

I take it back there seems to be one new one on Amazon, but £400!

Edited July 9, 2023 by john6767