Satellite Broadband

[Denis R]

I'm going to be moving mooring soon and am looking at internet access options. Apart from the 3G systems I've heard about satellite broadband for canal boats, but haven't found where it comes from. Is anybody using it and if so, who does it? I suspect it's going to be hideously expensive.... Anybody know the damage? A search on the forum didn't turn up anything either, unless my search criteria was duff....

[bottle]

Googled 'satellite broadband' found this site link

 

Found this paragraph (have not read whole site)

 

Satellite broadband hardware costs start at around £1,300 installed, and monthly service costs start at £59.99 for a basic 1 user system. Coverage is available anywhere in the UK including the Channel Isles and the Scottish Islands.

[blackrose]

I'm going to be moving mooring soon and am looking at internet access options. Apart from the 3G systems I've heard about satellite broadband for canal boats, but haven't found where it comes from. Is anybody using it and if so, who does it? I suspect it's going to be hideously expensive.... Anybody know the damage? A search on the forum didn't turn up anything either, unless my search criteria was duff....

 

Depending on where you are moored this is probably the cheapest option.

 

http://www.now.com/

 

It doesn't yet have coverage across the whole country. At the moment I think it might just be West of London towards Reading. There's a page on the website telling you if you can get reception but even though it told me I had none I found I did! So it's sometimes worth getting someone out to check.

 

They'll come to your boat to set it up for free and then it's £14/month and you can opt out after the first month if unsatisfied.

[anhar]

Depending on where you are moored this is probably the cheapest option.

 

http://www.now.com/

 

It doesn't yet have coverage across the whole country. At the moment I think it might just be West of London towards Reading. There's a page on the website telling you if you can get reception but even though it told me I had none I found I did! So it's sometimes worth getting someone out to check.

 

They'll come to your boat to set it up for free and then it's £14/month and you can opt out after the first month if unsatisfied.

Hello Mike

 

I think NOW is very limited. According to their website postcode test, I can't even get it here where I live, (on land) very near Willowtree Marina on the GUPA in outer West London. How can you check if despite what the site says, you can in fact receive it as you say?

 

regards

[NB Willawaw]

We use a system from KVH which has an uplink through GPRS and the downlink via satellite.

Speeds of up 512Kbps are possible, but the service is expensive - about Euro 175/per 200Mb per month.

The hardware is about Euro 5000. The antenna is omni-directional so doesnt have to be pointed manually.

Coverage is Europe-wide.

 

Use 3G for inland waters ...

Edited September 7, 2006 by NB Willawaw

[stuart]

Dont forget that you will also need to repoint the sat dish after moving so the Internet couldnt be used while your boat is moving (unless you have a very expensive dish!)

[Silkhay]

Not on a boat but I did use satellite broadband from a house in the wilds of Spain, they've still not replaced thephone lines that were cut down by Franco tostop the people plotting against him.

It worked very well, the equipment was bought, and the service provided, by a company in Southhampton (I think) called Bentley Walker telecom. They are on the web.

 

If I remember correctly the equipment cost in the order of £1000 and the service charge was around £75/ month, both plus the dreaded VAT.

 

If you move the boat you will have to re-align the dish, not dificult but a bit more complicated than the TV dish as you also have to get the transmitter aligned and they are both very polarity and twist sensitive.

 

Another issue to consider is that the transmitter is an active RF device with a required safety zone around it, 6 ft if I remember rightly.

 

In summary, a very good system if you have no other option, I had to walk up the mountain behind the house to make a mobile phone call, but it is expensive. I had thought of bringing the kit back to use on the boat but decided against it.

 

If I can be of any further help please shout, also if you find a better solution I would be interested to hear.

 

Martin

[Denis R]

Think I might be going the 3G route at this rate.... Or see if some land-lubber in the area's got an unprotected wi-fi node!

I wouldn't be constantly re-aligning a dish as it'd be mainly for work use when moored up, but the costs seem a bit prohibitive.

[jollyroger]

Think I might be going the 3G route at this rate.... Or see if some land-lubber in the area's got an unprotected wi-fi node!

I wouldn't be constantly re-aligning a dish as it'd be mainly for work use when moored up, but the costs seem a bit prohibitive.

What's 3G?

[bottle]

3G ...........................3rd generation mobile communication

 

1G was the original analogue mobile phone

 

2G is the digital mobile phone

 

3G is the newest mobile phone/etc that can give near broadband speed.

[DHutch]

What's 3G?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G

 

Its basicly just a improment on PTT/GSM/GPRS, designed predominatly for mobile phones and the like.

 

 

 

Daniel

Edited September 7, 2006 by dhutch

[lymmranger]

Sky are offering free broadband to their subscribers (tv services) but I do not know whether this relies on your BT line or is actually beamed through your sat dish?

 

I am sure someone more knowledgeable will put me right!

[Yoda]

Sky are offering free broadband to their subscribers (tv services) but I do not know whether this relies on your BT line or is actually beamed through your sat dish?

 

I am sure someone more knowledgeable will put me right!

 

I think you will find that Sky is renting BT lines for broadband.

 

There are several ways of transmitting broadband:-

Landline up, satilite transmission down ( expensive)

Satilite transmission up and down (very expensive)

Broadband cable relay

WIFI hubs and nodes

Various transmission protocols of mobile phone standards.

Large flag semiphore (joking)

Any packet data switching transmission protocol.

[lymmranger]

Thank you Yoda,

 

I knew someone would clarify for me........

 

I knew it couldn`t be that simple

[blackrose]

Hello Mike

 

I think NOW is very limited. According to their website postcode test, I can't even get it here where I live, (on land) very near Willowtree Marina on the GUPA in outer West London. How can you check if despite what the site says, you can in fact receive it as you say?

 

regards

 

Well, a neighbour of mine had it so I knew it worked & called them and suggested they come out and check which they did. It works fine here (brentford) but is useless even if I move a couple of miles up the canal. I plan to be on the Thames between Kingston & Marlow next summer so I'm hoping it's going to work there.

 

If you give them a call & tell them you don't have a postcode to check online they might pay your boat a visit with some kit.

Edited September 8, 2006 by blackrose