Internet / WiFi

[Martyn Hicks]

If any one needs any help with internet on the move or WiFi topics please ask away..

 

Having done over 100 installations countrywide now, I think I can say I've got a good idea what makes this tick the boxes.

 

Networks, Location and Equipment 

 

Martyn 

Edited February 5 by Martyn Hicks

[Alan de Enfield]

I take it you have cleared with 'the management' the placing of your advertisment ?

[Martyn Hicks]

7 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I take it you have cleared with 'the management' the placing of your advertisment ?

Not selling anything FREE advice 

I have adverts in W/w and Towpath 

Edited February 5 by Martyn Hicks

[IanD]

13 minutes ago, Martyn Hicks said:

Not selling anything FREE advice 

I have adverts in W/w and Towpath 

Absolutely nothing wrong with free advice 🙂

 

Since you install equipment professionally, any advice about this needs to be carefully thought out -- for example if it just happens that the recommended equipment (e.g. routers) is also what you sell/install, rather than what people might select (e.g. from eBay or CEX) that might be cheaper. For example there's nothing wrong with recommending a good £500 commercial 5G router if that's what people are looking for, but not pointing out that you can get something that does pretty much the same job for £150 might be seen as you having skin in the game... 😉

 

Edited February 5 by IanD

[Tonka]

Do they make an aerial  that will not spoil the lines of a traditional narrowboat ?

Edited February 5 by Tonka
Spelling

[IanD]

10 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Do they make an aerial  that will not spoil the lines of a traditional narrowboat ?

 

See bottom left in the photo. Not a traditional boat obviously, but pretty unobtrusive... 😉

[Martyn Hicks]

There are Antennas that can fit flush to the roof but you need a 25mm hole and you just can’t be doing that and trying to flush cables behind the panelling, and removing the roof panel is probably even a worse option, in a motorhome that’s no issue as there are cupboards where the antenna can be positioned. 
So to use this antenna on a boat I’m using a raiser bracket and bring the cables in via a waterproof socket box on the front bulk head.  
the antenna and the raiser bracket are about the same size and height as a normal mushroom vent. 

Edited February 5 by Martyn Hicks

[Richard10002]

5 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I take it you have cleared with 'the management' the placing of your advertisment ?

What makes you say that? It’s not an advertisement, more an offer of advice.

[IanD]

4 hours ago, Martyn Hicks said:

There are Antennas that can fit flush to the roof but you need a 25mm hole and you just can’t be doing that and trying to flush cables behind the panelling, and removing the roof panel is probably even a worse option, in a motorhome that’s no issue as there are cupboards where the antenna can be positioned. 
So to use this antenna on a boat I’m using a raiser bracket and bring the cables in via a waterproof socket box on the front bulk head.  
the antenna and the raiser bracket are about the same size and height as a normal mushroom vent. 

That's true, wherever an antenna is fitted you're going to need a hole to get the cable inside.

 

In my case it's fitted directly above an overhead cupboard in the kitchen where the router lives, so no problem -- the antenna is sealed to the roof, like on the vehicles it's designed for.

 

Not an option for everyone, but a good one if it's possible -- and it answers the question about whether you can get an unobtrusive antenna, the answer is "yes"... 😉

[Tigerr]

I'd like to improve my wifi reception. Currently use an iPhone as a hotspot, ee network. It's very patchy inside the boat, variable depending on which area of boat I am in. Ideally I'd like to be able to watch netflix etc.

Don't want to invest a fortune, as we don't live aboard, but I'd like something that worked a lot better. 

There is an ariel, and a Huwaii mifi unit in a draw that the previous owner left behind, but I'd need another sim and contract to activate it, and not even sure it would be any better. 

[Martyn Hicks]

Where abouts are you on the canal network?? 

13 minutes ago, IanD said:

That's true, wherever an antenna is fitted you're going to need a hole to get the cable inside.

 

In my case it's fitted directly above an overhead cupboard in the kitchen where the router lives, so no problem -- the antenna is sealed to the roof, like on the vehicles it's designed for.

 

Not an option for everyone, but a good one if it's possible -- and it answers the question about whether you can get an unobtrusive antenna, the answer is "yes"... 😉

If there isn’t a cupboard in a suitable place to bring the 2 cables in then I’m fitting it on the raiser bracket glued to the roof then clip the cable down the front bulkhead and bring the cables in via a neat and tidy waterproof socket box on the outside cone t the cables up the to the router on the same front shelf 

13 minutes ago, Tigerr said:

I'd like to improve my wifi reception. Currently use an iPhone as a hotspot, ee network. It's very patchy inside the boat, variable depending on which area of boat I am in. Ideally I'd like to be able to watch netflix etc.

Don't want to invest a fortune, as we don't live aboard, but I'd like something that worked a lot better. 

There is an ariel, and a Huwaii mifi unit in a draw that the previous owner left behind, but I'd need another sim and contract to activate it, and not even sure it would be any better. 

Where abouts on the canal network are you ?? 

[GUMPY]

19 minutes ago, Tigerr said:

I'd like to improve my wifi reception. Currently use an iPhone as a hotspot, ee network. It's very patchy inside the boat, variable depending on which area of boat I am in. Ideally I'd like to be able to watch netflix etc.

Don't want to invest a fortune, as we don't live aboard, but I'd like something that worked a lot better. 

There is an ariel, and a Huwaii mifi unit in a draw that the previous owner left behind, but I'd need another sim and contract to activate it, and not even sure it would be any better. 

Scancom.co.uk is about as cheap as you will find, various networks, amounts of data and expiry dates. Unlimited works out about £7pm.

 

[IanD]

29 minutes ago, Martyn Hicks said:

Where abouts are you on the canal network?? 

If there isn’t a cupboard in a suitable place to bring the 2 cables in then I’m fitting it on the raiser bracket glued to the roof then clip the cable down the front bulkhead and bring the cables in via a neat and tidy waterproof socket box on the outside cone t the cables up the to the router on the same front shelf 

 

However they're fitted, there are various antennae intended for flat-mounting on vehicle roofs which are much less obtrusive than the (vertical) flat-panel ones often used, which are intended for fitting on the outside of a building on a mast but are obtrusive on a boat -- and usually don't like being close to big metal things like a narrowboat cabin either which screws up the gain and pickup pattern across the bands.

 

The one I used was an expensive high-gain omni 4x4 5G MIMO one from Panorama, but there are cheaper puck-style 2x2 MIMO 4G ones available (I expect @Martyn Hicks can suggest some) which are lower gain but still *much* better than anything inside the boat, which is basically a metal box with some holes in.

 

Whether paying extra for 5G is worth it depends on what you're going to connect it to (needs 5G support, obviously!) and where you plan to use it (location -- is there 5G there?) -- 5G-capable routers currently cost more than 4G ones, and so do the antennae. But 5G is spreading and offers more capacity, especially in towns and cities where 4G congestion can be a problem. It might be cheaper in the long run to get a 5G-capable antenna now (and 4G router?) rather than having to replace it later when 5G becomes ubiquitous -- or costs might drop by then, who knows... 😉

 

7 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Scancom.co.uk is about as cheap as you will find, various networks, amounts of data and expiry dates. Unlimited works out about £7pm.

 

On Three yes, on EE no... 😞

 

(EE have the best coverage especially in rural areas, Three are good for 5G but often congested and not so good out in the sticks)

 

For someone who doesn't live aboard like Tigerr (or me...) it may be better to get a pay-monthly SIM and top up when you need it from someone like 1pMobile than pay Scancom what looks like less every month whether you're aboard or not.

Edited February 5 by IanD

[dmr]

22 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Scancom.co.uk is about as cheap as you will find, various networks, amounts of data and expiry dates. Unlimited works out about £7pm.

 

£7.50, not sure if there is VAT or other things to add, and it is Three, but £7.50 is almost too good to be true. Thats about half the going rate.

Reviews look ok'ish. Is there a hidden catch? does anybody have first hand experience?

[IanD]

9 minutes ago, dmr said:

£7.50, not sure if there is VAT or other things to add, and it is Three, but £7.50 is almost too good to be true. Thats about half the going rate.

Reviews look ok'ish. Is there a hidden catch? does anybody have first hand experience?

Plenty of people (me included) have used Scancom with no problems. I paid £6/month (to mid-2025) for a 500GB Three SIM, which is as good as "unlimited" (which IIRC has a 600GB FUP) for most purposes.

 

You're paying in advance for a long period to get lower cost per month. Scancom buy bandwidth from the networks as a business -- which is cheap in bulk -- and then sell it on, the assumption is that very few people use truly massive amounts of data, at least every month, and meanwhile they've got your money in their bank account. They've being doing this successfully for more than 20 years so their business model obviously works, there's no dodginess involved, all the networks seem happy to deal with them.

Edited February 5 by IanD

[GUMPY]

23 minutes ago, dmr said:

£7.50, not sure if there is VAT or other things to add, and it is Three, but £7.50 is almost too good to be true. Thats about half the going rate.

Reviews look ok'ish. Is there a hidden catch? does anybody have first hand experience?

Yes I've been running an "unlimited" SIM at home for 6 months now it expires somewhere late 2025. No difference to my previous 3 contract. 

Also have an 85gb one in the van at about £3 a month same applies.

I bought from Amazon best watch there for special offers.

 

51 minutes ago, IanD said:

For someone who doesn't live aboard like Tigerr (or me...) it may be better to get a pay-monthly SIM and top up when you need it from someone like 1pMobile than pay Scancom what looks like less every month whether you're aboard or not.

That's what I used to do with Smarty but the £3 for 85gb was just to cheap to pass on  I still have some £40 credit with Smarty that I will use when in Ireland later this year as the Scancom SIM is UK only.

Edited February 5 by GUMPY

[IanD]

7 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Yes I've been running an "unlimited" SIM at home for 6 months now it expires somewhere late 2025. No difference to my previous 3 contract. 

Also have an 85gb one in the van at about £3 a month same applies.

I bought from Amazon best watch there for special offers.

 

 

The Scancom SIMs are cheaper from Amazon -- even without special offers -- and include VAT. It's not that obvious that the prices from Scancom direct exclude VAT...

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Unlimited-Data-SIM-Preloaded-multi-color/dp/B0BQPXF4D3

[dmr]

looks like £7.50 + vat so £9 so still very good. We have a cheap "grandfathers rights" contract with three but are paying a fair bit more than that.

 

Vodafone is 16 or 18 (don't understand why two prices) so 16 + vat = £19.20 plus a £50 connection charge.  I am paying £25 for unlimited vodafone via Lebara but with 50% off for the first few months, so over a year Scancom does work out a bit better.

I note unlimited = 600GByte which is a decent amount.

[Martyn Hicks]

But it’s no good paying £10 a month what ever the network if your in an area where is doesnt work. 

[IanD]

4 minutes ago, dmr said:

looks like £7.50 + vat so £9 so still very good. We have a cheap "grandfathers rights" contract with three but are paying a fair bit more than that.

 

Vodafone is 16 or 18 (don't understand why two prices) so 16 + vat = £19.20 plus a £50 connection charge.  I am paying £25 for unlimited vodafone via Lebara but with 50% off for the first few months, so over a year Scancom does work out a bit better.

I note unlimited = 600GByte which is a decent amount.

Scancom deals via Amazon: Three unlimited £170/22mth=£7.70/mth, 500GB £99/18mth=£5.50/mth

Edited February 5 by IanD

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

5 minutes ago, dmr said:

looks like £7.50 + vat so £9 so still very good. We have a cheap "grandfathers rights" contract with three but are paying a fair bit more than that.

 

Vodafone is 16 or 18 (don't understand why two prices) so 16 + vat = £19.20 plus a £50 connection charge.  I am paying £25 for unlimited vodafone via Lebara but with 50% off for the first few months, so over a year Scancom does work out a bit better.

I note unlimited = 600GByte which is a decent amount.

I’ve unlimited with Vodafone too,

and rarely have a problem, 

phone usually sits in porthole and hotspot with ipad,  

got 5G at moment,

[IanD]

2 minutes ago, Martyn Hicks said:

But it’s no good paying £10 a month what ever the network if your in an area where is doesnt work. 

 

Of course, if you're mostly in one spot get a cheap 1 month SIM first (for each network?) and run some speed tests 🙂

 

If you're moving round a lot EE has the best coverage, according to countrywide surveys (see "Consistency" ratings) rather than one person's experience... 😉

 

https://www.opensignal.com/reports/2023/09/uk/mobile-network-experience

[GUMPY]

I use 3 but carry an EE SIM for the very rare times I can't get 3. There is still 20gb left on it after 9 months.

 

EE PAYG SIM card preloaded with 120GB of Data https://amzn.eu/d/aM0HVO1

[dmr]

2 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

I’ve unlimited with Vodafone too,

and rarely have a problem, 

phone usually sits in porthole and hotspot with ipad,  

got 5G at moment,

 

We now have a dual sim router from Teletonica and one of those square white aerial thingies up on a big broom handle but thats the price we pay for mooring in the wilderness. I got some spray paint and painted the white thingy black, it looks much better.

The mooring is just ouside the cells of both three and vodafone but vodafone works pretty well.

[Tigerr]

1 hour ago, Martyn Hicks said:

Where abouts are you on the canal network?? 

If there isn’t a cupboard in a suitable place to bring the 2 cables in then I’m fitting it on the raiser bracket glued to the roof then clip the cable down the front bulkhead and bring the cables in via a neat and tidy waterproof socket box on the outside cone t the cables up the to the router on the same front shelf 

Where abouts on the canal network are you ?? 

Currently at Crick, until we start travelling.