Mobile Antenna for Internet access

[Wisconsin Convert]

I've seen a number of different recommendations for internet access with both T-Mobile and 3 adherents. I tried a Vodaphone dongle on a 4 counties ring trip last October and was not happy with the results.

 

We are off to do the Northern Pennine Ring in mid June and I would like to get an external magnetic base antenna for getting a better signal in the boat. Can anyone recommend such a thing - ideally in combination with a Pay as You Go internet solution?

 

Chris

[Guest]

I've seen a number of different recommendations for internet access with both T-Mobile and 3 adherents. I tried a Vodaphone dongle on a 4 counties ring trip last October and was not happy with the results.

 

We are off to do the Northern Pennine Ring in mid June and I would like to get an external magnetic base antenna for getting a better signal in the boat. Can anyone recommend such a thing - ideally in combination with a Pay as You Go internet solution?

 

Chris

 

Our three dongle hung in the window has yet to defeat us...

[NB Alnwick]

I've seen a number of different recommendations for internet access with both T-Mobile and 3 adherents. I tried a Vodaphone dongle on a 4 counties ring trip last October and was not happy with the results.

 

We are off to do the Northern Pennine Ring in mid June and I would like to get an external magnetic base antenna for getting a better signal in the boat. Can anyone recommend such a thing - ideally in combination with a Pay as You Go internet solution?

 

Chris

 

I stick the 'dongle' on a six foot pole protruding nearly vertically from a convenient hatch and connect it to the computer with a long USB extension lead - that is what I am doing now - although just now the 'dongle' is covered with a clear plastic bag because it is raining outside . . .

[nb Innisfree]

We use one of these plugs into our dongle, we also use a router so that we don't have to keep swapping dongle from one side of boat to the other, if you get an aerial be sure you have a dongle with an aerial socket.

[Alice No1]

I've seen a number of different recommendations for internet access with both T-Mobile and 3 adherents. I tried a Vodaphone dongle on a 4 counties ring trip last October and was not happy with the results.

 

We are off to do the Northern Pennine Ring in mid June and I would like to get an external magnetic base antenna for getting a better signal in the boat. Can anyone recommend such a thing - ideally in combination with a Pay as You Go internet solution?

 

Chris

Our 3 dongle hung near the window hasnt ever let us down

[cotswoldsman]

Our three dongle hung in the window has yet to defeat us...

 

Same here very rarely need to hang it outside 3 is by far the best. I have Vodafone for a while and found it useless.

[Robin2]

Our three dongle hung in the window has yet to defeat us...

 

 

I stick the 'dongle' on a six foot pole protruding nearly vertically from a convenient hatch and connect it to the computer with a long USB extension lead - that is what I am doing now - although just now the 'dongle' is covered with a clear plastic bag because it is raining outside . . .

 

I agree. Mine worked fine on the Leeds and Liverpool and Huddersfield canals last summer.

 

Instead of a pole I have a length of white sink drain pipe with a slip on cap. The dongle hangs inside which keeps the weather off. But I very rarely need to use it.

[MoominPapa]

I've seen a number of different recommendations for internet access with both T-Mobile and 3 adherents. I tried a Vodaphone dongle on a 4 counties ring trip last October and was not happy with the results.

 

We are off to do the Northern Pennine Ring in mid June and I would like to get an external magnetic base antenna for getting a better signal in the boat. Can anyone recommend such a thing - ideally in combination with a Pay as You Go internet solution?

 

Chris

How old is your laptop? I have a PCMCIA 3G adaptor and matching antenna going spare, having joined the smartphone revolution. New laptops seem to have stopped fitting PCMCIA slots but if you have them then you're welcome to the kit for a nominal sum. It will need a SIM, but it's unlocked, so any provider will do. Ebay is a good source if SIMs.

 

A smartphone which does tethering is the approach I now use. Put the phone in the porthole/window for 3G signal strength and connect the laptop to it over WiFi.

 

MP.

[Lady Muck]

I use a high gain aerial from the wifi shop, IME it gets a better signal than hanging a dongle in the window, you get a stronger signal that doesn't drop out. You have to check the dongle will connect to an aeriel though, AFAIK only the newest Vodafone ones will do so, most of them don't.

 

I'm just about to unlock my dongle (hur hur hur) just waiting til I get to Goring to do so, need to use relatives wifi in order to do it. I've now a couple of PAYG sims from other service providers, so I'll soon be able to report back on my experiment.

 

I've used Vodafone everywhere on the network without problems, until we did the Upper Thames and the Oxford (North of Banbury) last year. Lets see if my new set-up improves things or not.

Edited May 31, 2011 by Lady Muck

[Wisconsin Convert]

I stick the 'dongle' on a six foot pole protruding nearly vertically from a convenient hatch and connect it to the computer with a long USB extension lead - that is what I am doing now - although just now the 'dongle' is covered with a clear plastic bag because it is raining outside . . .

 

That is a beautifully simple solution!

 

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

Edited June 4, 2011 by Wisconsin Convert

[stickleback]

How old is your laptop? I have a PCMCIA 3G adaptor and matching antenna going spare, having joined the smartphone revolution. New laptops seem to have stopped fitting PCMCIA slots but if you have them then you're welcome to the kit for a nominal sum. It will need a SIM, but it's unlocked, so any provider will do. Ebay is a good source if SIMs.

 

A smartphone which does tethering is the approach I now use. Put the phone in the porthole/window for 3G signal strength and connect the laptop to it over WiFi.

 

MP.

 

 

I got rid of my 3 dongle (which I could dangle out of the window) when I got my smart phone, expecting to do exactly as you say. BUT - I can't always get a signal - and I don't want to dangle a smartphone out of the window! Your idea of putting it in a porthole is a good one - I shall try that. I like the idea of having my own little wi-fi hotspot... It seemed a good move, to stop my o2 mobile payments and my 3 dongle payments and for less than the combined cost to have an iPhone with unlimited internet access and the ability to tether. But in a metal box....

Edited June 4, 2011 by stickleback

[MoominPapa]

I got rid of my 3 dongle (which I could dangle out of the window) when I got my smart phone, expecting to do exactly as you say. BUT - I can't always get a signal - and I don't want to dangle a smartphone out of the window! Your idea of putting it in a porthole is a good one - I shall try that. I like the idea of having my own little wi-fi hotspot... It seemed a good move, to stop my o2 mobile payments and my 3 dongle payments and for less than the combined cost to have an iPhone with unlimited internet access and the ability to tether. But in a metal box....

It's a problem. For one month a year, I want fast and voluminous internet access, but I don't want to pay for the other 11 months. The contract I have with O2 allows one-off data "top-up", which suits quite well.

 

MP.

[ditchcrawler]

I stick the 'dongle' on a six foot pole protruding nearly vertically from a convenient hatch and connect it to the computer with a long USB extension lead - that is what I am doing now - although just now the 'dongle' is covered with a clear plastic bag because it is raining outside . . .

Or inside an upturned plastic milk bottle on top of a stick

[Nickhlx]

Or inside an upturned plastic milk bottle on top of a stick

 

...or as a refinement, an upturned 330ml coke bottle

 

Nick

[Scooby]

I stick the 'dongle' on a six foot pole protruding nearly vertically from a convenient hatch and connect it to the computer with a long USB extension lead - that is what I am doing now - although just now the 'dongle' is covered with a clear plastic bag because it is raining outside . . .

 

Oh dear Oh dear, think its time you guys read up, i stick my dongle in my 12 volt router on the inside of the boat where it is dry, ariel is on the roof where it is wet...

[bottle]

I have an aerial but the dongle is better.

 

Inside a budgie seed feeder (upside down) on a broom handle.

[Nickhlx]

The loss of aerial feeder may be more than the gain of the aerial - in that case you would indeed get a bigger signal into the dongle by putting the dongle outside (in the suggested water resistant devices - there is no RF loss then, and all the gain from not having it lower down and shielded by the boat - definitely worth experimenting when in a marginal signal strength zone.

 

Nick

Edited June 4, 2011 by Nickhlx

[adam1uk]

We have been using one of these for a couple of years, and it greatly improves the strength and quality of the signal. It's technically an indoor antenna, but sits quite happily on the roof with the cable coming in through a window.

 

Our old dongle 3 had an ariel socket, but the upgraded one we changed to a year or so ago doesn't, so I bought a thing that wraps round the dongle. It works.

 

[Lady Muck]

The loss of aerial feeder may be more than the gain of the aerial - in that case you would indeed get a bigger signal into the dongle by putting the dongle outside (in the suggested water resistant devices - there is no RF loss then, and all the gain from not having it lower down and shielded by the boat - definitely worth experimenting when in a marginal signal strength zone.

 

Nick

 

I'd still say my high gain aeriel (it's bigger than the little mag ones you usually get) works better than the 'dongle on a stick technique.'

 

Here in Cholsey (on the Thames), him indoors is using the 'stick' technique and can't access the internet, but I can. Great improvement on last year when I was tearing my hair out. I do think that if the OP is just visting, it's probably not worth forking out for fancy equipment - I need it for work, so I don't mind paying.

[Nickhlx]

I'd still say my high gain aeriel (it's bigger than the little mag ones you usually get) works better than the 'dongle on a stick technique.'

 

Here in Cholsey (on the Thames), him indoors is using the 'stick' technique and can't access the internet, but I can. Great improvement on last year when I was tearing my hair out. I do think that if the OP is just visting, it's probably not worth forking out for fancy equipment - I need it for work, so I don't mind paying.

 

 

Theoretically it should work better - you have improved signal from the high gain aerial, improved signal capture from the increased height and also the reduced shielding.

 

The factors though that will counter those benefits are :

 

1) the ( very significant) loss in the (usually 3mm) small diameter co-ax they use like RG-174U,

compared to the medium sized RG-58U coax...

 

2) the wavelength at dongle frequencies is only a few inches, and moving the aerial even a couple of

inches will cause it to move between peaks and troughs of signal. It is therefore difficult to say with

any meaning whether your or his aerial is "better" as one may well be in a "peak" and one in a

"trough" of signal

 

3) Proximity of conductors and reflectors to the aerial - e.g. there is no point in strapping the aerial to a

vertical metal pole - ideally any aerial should be well spaced from any objects which will affect the

signal - at dongle frequencies half a metre should be a minimum and 1 metre is better

(diminishing returns)

 

Nick

[nb Innisfree]

I'd still say my high gain aeriel (it's bigger than the little mag ones you usually get) works better than the 'dongle on a stick technique.'

 

Here in Cholsey (on the Thames), him indoors is using the 'stick' technique and can't access the internet, but I can. Great improvement on last year when I was tearing my hair out. I do think that if the OP is just visting, it's probably not worth forking out for fancy equipment - I need it for work, so I don't mind paying.

 

We have the same aerial I think and we find slightly better reception than the dongle on it's own, the main advantage is the all round reception without having to do any fiddling about or swapping from one side of boat to the other.

[TimD]

I stick the 'dongle' on a six foot pole protruding nearly vertically from a convenient hatch and connect it to the computer with a long USB extension lead - that is what I am doing now - although just now the 'dongle' is covered with a clear plastic bag because it is raining outside . . .

 

Those of you who use a USB extension for the dongle, have you had issues with which cable to use? Looking at reviews of such cables online it seems that quited a few have found the cable works but not for dongles or external drives where data transfer speed is an issue.

 

BTW Having read all about getting online in a boat and getting ready for my "launch" in September I went to the numerous moblie phone shops to get some face to face advice. What a waste of time. One salesman couldn't even see why the location of the dongle in a steel boat would affect connection, and none of them gave me more info than just price and download limits, which I could get online.

 

So this is a big thank you for the forum from me.

[Ex- Member]

Those of you who use a USB extension for the dongle, have you had issues with which cable to use? Looking at reviews of such cables online it seems that quited a few have found the cable works but not for dongles or external drives where data transfer speed is an issue.

 

BTW Having read all about getting online in a boat and getting ready for my "launch" in September I went to the numerous moblie phone shops to get some face to face advice. What a waste of time. One salesman couldn't even see why the location of the dongle in a steel boat would affect connection, and none of them gave me more info than just price and download limits, which I could get online.

 

So this is a big thank you for the forum from me.

 

We bought this lead on E-bay in May, I'm using it now as we're in a bad signal area, the dongle is currently laying on the roof. We're stuck on dry land at the moment and our dongle only gets a signal through the porthole window on a nice clear day and even then it sometimes cut off. Since using this lead is we've managed to stay on line continuously, but on overcast days you sometimes get cut off, but will then reconnect. At least now I can sit comfortably and use the lap top whereas before had to sit at a desk directly beneath the porthole.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THREE-3-SIGNAL-BOOSTER-DONGLE-EXTENSION-CABLE-LEAD-3M-/120625236421?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c15d309c5#ht_500wt_922

 

 

 

[Robin2]

... have you had issues with which cable to use? ...

 

I have 3 or 4 cables and they all seem to work separately and in series.

 

Most of the time, like now, I just hang the dongle inside the window.

Edited August 4, 2011 by Robin2

[DeanS]

I think it's not the networks as much as it could be the type of laptop etc.? My wife and I both run different parts of our business which means we use a Three MIFI connection and a T-Mobile one. In 120 days, we have never been in a place where we have had no connection. Let me rephrase that...we have travelled most of the northern navigations, through the Penines and Manchester. We are permanently connected... We have had connectivity without fail. We just stick the dongles wherever they get the best signal...normally hanging indoors over a cupboard knob. Not sure why some have issues? When we started living aboard, it was a worry, but it has turned into a non event.