Internet for idiots

[junior]

I know this subject has been done to death on here but i've had a little search and read some of the old threads. Unfortunately i really struggle with technical jargon and am still none the wiser.

 

I should be moving on board within the next couple of months and one of the things i don't want to be without is the internet.

 

What system/set-up/equipment do i need to be able to get on-line on the boat. At the moment at home i presently have (i'll put it in simple speak).....

 

1) A small white box on the wall that i paid BT to put there. I give them £40 a month and they send the internet to it.

2) A black box (router?) that BT sent me in the post. It plugs into the white box and also into the mains. It send the internet signal wirelessly to my laptop.

3)A laptop. This will be the same on the boat although i will also be using a Samsung Tablet.

 

 

Once i get onto the boat, what do i use for items 1&2? Who do i pay the money to? (i've seen 3 seem to be the most common mentioned on here). How does the internet get TO the boat in the first place?

 

I would like unlimited internet so i don't have to worry about it running out halfway through the month because i've been watching too much iPlayer. I plan to be on a LTM for about 6 months then cc'ing around the south of England/London/Lee&Stort.

[Jerra]

I have no idea about what equipment will be best for your need but as to how does the Internet get to the boat. The same way as your mobile phone signal gets to your phone.

[Nightwatch]

I know this subject has been done to death on here but i've had a little search and read some of the old threads. Unfortunately i really struggle with technical jargon and am still none the wiser.

 

I should be moving on board within the next couple of months and one of the things i don't want to be without is the internet.

 

What system/set-up/equipment do i need to be able to get on-line on the boat. At the moment at home i presently have (i'll put it in simple speak).....

 

1) A small white box on the wall that i paid BT to put there. I give them £40 a month and they send the internet to it.

2) A black box (router?) that BT sent me in the post. It plugs into the white box and also into the mains. It send the internet signal wirelessly to my laptop.

3)A laptop. This will be the same on the boat although i will also be using a Samsung Tablet.

 

 

Once i get onto the boat, what do i use for items 1&2? Who do i pay the money to? (i've seen 3 seem to be the most common mentioned on here). How does the internet get TO the boat in the first place?

 

I would like unlimited internet so i don't have to worry about it running out halfway through the month because i've been watching too much iPlayer. I plan to be on a LTM for about 6 months then cc'ing around the south of England/London/Lee&Stort.

I'm glad you opned this thread. I read lots of accounts of what to use for this and that but to be honest I get los with the tech terms.

 

I have recently bought an ipad and know how to tether it to my iphone, but only have 500 thingimajiggs so if I stream the radio or spend too mch time on re thn I will get chrged loads of money.

 

I have a 3 dongle (ZTE MF627) which I have had for couple of years, never used, but do not know if this would still work or is adequate for the job. Do I need a ariel? Is there anything else I may need.

 

Martyn

[Chalky]

What you need is a dongle from one of the phone companies. You plug this into your PC and it will install some software. This software links your browser to the dongle and allow it to link to the internet using the dongle. You then pay £x per month to the phone company for the internet access. It's that simple.

 

Now the technical bit

 

The speed of access depends on lots of things. At home you had a cable that went straight to the phone company and eventually to your service provider. (vast simplification) This connection is yours and only used by you.

Using a dongle you share the local transmitter with other dongle users and also mobile phones. If you're lucky and your the only user then you have a fast ish connection. If the world and his dog are using the same mast then its painfully slow.

 

Like a mobile phone the quality of your connection will depend upon the quality of the signal, however signal strength isn't a good guide of data speed - it's far more complex.

 

Do you need an antenna? Good question and the answer is it depends. If you're in a good reception area possibly not, if your in a weak signal area then it may help. In a steel boat the radio signal gets reflected a lot and this can cause some very strange reception effects. Ideally any dongle will work best close to a window or outside the boat - thus the use of an external aerial.

 

Ideally if you buy a dongle and can get one with an aerial input then this will give you a range of options.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Chalky

[Jerra]

What you need is a dongle from one of the phone companies. You plug this into your PC and it will install some software. This software links your browser to the dongle and allow it to link to the internet using the dongle. You then pay £x per month to the phone company for the internet access. It's that simple

I am not sure if they are still available but my wife has a vodaphone dongle which is a buy £X and it lasts until you have used it unlike our friend who pays £x per month and if it isn't used it is lost. So do your homework if looking for a dongle.

[Guest]

Basic kit.

 

Laptop.

 

Dongle.

 

SIM card from provider of choice in dongle.

 

Unlimited internet like you get at home is less common with 'dongle' internet.

 

Try 3 but they have had some stick of late on here

[sueb]

I've never had a dongle. I just connect my mobile phone to my laptop. It's simple and it works

[alan_fincher]

It's no good just concluding that "3" will be the best, (although it may well be).

 

If you plan to spend time initially on an LTM , you need to find out what will work consistently there, (and on some LTM's it is possible that nothing will, so you may even need to be careful in your choice of LTM).

 

There are plenty of places on SE waterways where '3' is unreliable, even with an external antenna, although at a majority of places it should be at least "OK".

 

I am currently living with the mistake of having taken on a contract for a Smartphone on one of the major networks, and, frankly, (for serious Internet use), it is a waste of space a lot of the time, and regularly fails to work where my wife's (different network) does. This situation seldom reverses itself, so my choice was a poor one.

[Guest]

Who concluded Three were the best?

[Tuscan]

Alan is right once out of urban areas the signal strength really varies so check signal at your preferred mooring LTM spots first. I have found pretty good linked with a roof airel. But at certain times of day the signal can be very weak.

 

I have found 3 better than Vodafone in some rural areas.

[Phil Ambrose]

Forget about dongles and go for a mobile WiFi instead, faster and better at getting and holding a signal. I had a 3 dongle and just rang and asked for an upgrade to a WiFi which they supplied FOC, the bonus was that my monthly charge for 1 gig went down to under £8-00 too.

I also bought a O2 WiFi as a backup for when I'm out range.

Oh and the WiFi's will run our Kindles and Blackberries at the same time as the lappy

 

Phil

Edited May 24, 2013 by Phil Ambrose

[Guest]

Or get a dongle and a Zoom travel router.

[Jerra]

Or get a dongle and a Zoom travel router.

What is the difference between that and tethering to a smart phone?

[ditchcrawler]

Alan is right once out of urban areas the signal strength really varies so check signal at your preferred mooring LTM spots first. I have found pretty good linked with a roof airel. But at certain times of day the signal can be very weak.

 

I have found 3 better than Vodafone in some rural areas.

I was getting 11g on the Midlle Level at Three Holes

 

http://speedtest.net/result/2588191560.png

[nb Innisfree]

What is the difference between that and tethering to a smart phone?

A router or a mifi takes a data only sim which takes priority over a phone sim when internet traffic gets overcrowded and slows down.

[Guest]

What is the difference between that and tethering to a smart phone?

 

A dongle uses a data SIM which normally get priority over data to a phone.

 

and at £10 for a dongle and at around £40 off eBay for a Zoom travel router it's normally cheaper than using a smartphone as a wireless router too.

 

 

ed for more-

 

Plus using a dongle with an aerial connection (or a similarly equipped Mi-Fi) means more chance of getting a signal on a steel narrowboat.

 

Often the shear fact that you are using a phone inside a steel box means you just can't get a good enough signal to get t'internet. Yes you can put your phone in the window which will help but having your method of picking up your signal permanently outside the boat makes a significant difference.

 

It won't pick up a signal if none at all is there but it helps if it's weak.

Edited May 25, 2013 by The Dog House

[BudgetBus]

Forget about dongles and go for a mobile WiFi instead, faster and better at getting and holding a signal. I had a 3 dongle and just rang and asked for an upgrade to a WiFi which they supplied FOC, the bonus was that my monthly charge for 1 gig went down to under £8-00 too.

I also bought a O2 WiFi as a backup for when I'm out range.

Oh and the WiFi's will run our Kindles and Blackberries at the same time as the lappy

 

Phil

Do you not mean MiFi?

[Richard10002]

I would like unlimited internet so i don't have to worry about it running out halfway through the month because i've been watching too much iPlayer. I plan to be on a LTM for about 6 months then cc'ing around the south of England/London/Lee&Stort.

Unless I have missed something, the only mobile network that provides truly unlimited broadband that you can tether to your laptop, iPad, etc. is Three, on their The One Plan. As far as I can tell, this can only be used on a phone, and not a data only dongle or Mifi.... So you need a phone that can tether.

 

Having researched the matter to the n'th degree, my solution was to take a 24 month contract including a Samsung S3 on The One Plan at £31 per month.

 

You can get The One Plan on a Sim Only plan but, as it's £25 per month, it made sense, (to me), to take a phone for an extra £6 per month. You might already have a suitable phone, and I think the Sim Only is a monthly contract, so you may prefer to pay £25 per month without a phone.

 

I now use the Internet with "gay abandon" , with no fear that I will be charged for over use, or limited, ( there might be some kind of limit in extreme cases, but I don't think I could reach it.

 

I watch TV, YouTube, IPlayer etc., listen to radio, Spotify, and so on and it works fine.

 

If the Three network is OK where you intend to cruise, it's probably a no brainer.

 

I Still have a couple of months left on my Three Mifi contract which provides 15 Gb per month and is data only. This has served me well along the full length of the Trent And Mersey Canal, and the Bridgewater from Preston Brook to Castlefield.

[pelicanafloat]

Am currently with EE on their 3 gigabyte £16 monthly plan (first month, free trial ), and I bought the mifi dongle that can serve up to 10 appliances. I went and bought a Laird magnetic mount external 3g/4g aerial (about £50, costly but beautifully made) and am receiving a great signal and the wifi is great. At the moment, we are near Hemel Hempstead and I'm getting an albeit not maximum strength but still fast 4g signal.

 

Only downside for me is the speed is great and me and the wife reckon we will have to consider the £20 monthly 5Gb plan! Still, you do get two for one wed cinema tickets, and you also get access to EEfilms that allows you to buy a film and download it free. I would really rate the film highly only the film app not working properly .......

[NB Lola]

I use three and an iPhone to wireless tether (connect) to my iPad/laptop and it is generally ok. Like any network there are good and bad spots, I accept its occasionally crap but for me it's usually ok. The one plan provides truly unlimited access. I have not found a similar offer, yet.

[Paul C]

It's no good just concluding that "3" will be the best, (although it may well be).

 

If you plan to spend time initially on an LTM , you need to find out what will work consistently there, (and on some LTM's it is possible that nothing will, so you may even need to be careful in your choice of LTM).

 

There are plenty of places on SE waterways where '3' is unreliable, even with an external antenna, although at a majority of places it should be at least "OK".

 

I am currently living with the mistake of having taken on a contract for a Smartphone on one of the major networks, and, frankly, (for serious Internet use), it is a waste of space a lot of the time, and regularly fails to work where my wife's (different network) does. This situation seldom reverses itself, so my choice was a poor one.

 

I bet you're tied into a long contract too?

 

This used to happen quite often in the early-ish days of mobile phones - people would buy a phone in the shop, ask about coverage but then find it didn't work in a particular place (like, at home) and be stuck with it. Once consumer rights groups found out about this, I think some kind of agreement was made where you can now get out of a long contract if this occurs. Its worth looking into Alan. (You're going to tell me that you let it lie, and you've had that contract for a couple of months now.....?)

 

Anyway, if not you, maybe it will help someone else if this happens to them.

[Chris Pink]

I am not sure if they are still available but my wife has a vodaphone dongle which is a buy £X and it lasts until you have used it unlike our friend who pays £x per month and if it isn't used it is lost. So do your homework if looking for a dongle.

 

Trouble is; they are lying. I have one of these as a backup dongle. I needed it the other day and I know it had plenty on it a couple of months ago but it had disappeared and needed recharging.

[junior]

Unless I have missed something, the only mobile network that provides truly unlimited broadband that you can tether to your laptop, iPad, etc. is Three, on their The One Plan. As far as I can tell, this can only be used on a phone, and not a data only dongle or Mifi.... So you need a phone that can tether.

 

Having researched the matter to the n'th degree, my solution was to take a 24 month contract including a Samsung S3 on The One Plan at £31 per month.

 

You can get The One Plan on a Sim Only plan but, as it's £25 per month, it made sense, (to me), to take a phone for an extra £6 per month. You might already have a suitable phone, and I think the Sim Only is a monthly contract, so you may prefer to pay £25 per month without a phone.

 

I now use the Internet with "gay abandon" , with no fear that I will be charged for over use, or limited, ( there might be some kind of limit in extreme cases, but I don't think I could reach it.

 

I watch TV, YouTube, IPlayer etc., listen to radio, Spotify, and so on and it works fine.

 

If the Three network is OK where you intend to cruise, it's probably a no brainer.

 

 

 

This sounds like what i need.

 

So am i right in saying it is not just an internet contract, but a mobile phone contract aswell? I.e., it comes with a telephone number?

 

I am currently with O2 at the moment but my contract is up in 4 months. At the moment i have an iPhone but was planning on changing handsets as i can't fathom iTunes at all. My bill is also over £100 every month so i was considering chnging providers too.

 

So when my contract is up, if i go to the Three mobile shop, i want to get a 'One plan' contract with a handset that will work as a router. Is that correct?

 

Does that mean that the fastest wi-fi speed i'll ever get is '3G' as it's coming through a phone? Or is 3G about as fast as it gets with any sort of internet on a boat anyway?

 

Can you get 'One plan' with one of those little mini router things or does it only come with a phone?

[Guest]

To get totally unlimited internet AND tethering (allowing you to use the phone as a wi-fi router) you need The One Plan. This plan is not currently available with their mi-fi device or dongles.

 

So it is primarily a mobile phone contract with internet access.

 

If you are going to get a new phone you need to ask them for a phone that allows 'tethering', though note your iPhone is capable of doing this. (4 onwards I think) You could get it unlocked from o2 and use it on Three, but as said above adding in a new phone sometimes doesn't cost that much extra per month.

 

If you are moving away from an iPhone I would seriously consider the sony Experia Z, a very nice phone.

 

http://store.three.co.uk/Sony_Xperia_Z;jsessionid=892734CF182957A3E868239C51CB6DD0?priceplan=PAY_MONTHLY

 

Or for something cheaper but effective a Samsung Galaxy Ace -

 

http://store.three.co.uk/view/product/ql_catalog/threecatdevice/2428;jsessionid=84BEF90FA273C38F9E8B3C52CB246245?priceplan=PAY_MONTHLY

Edited May 25, 2013 by The Dog House

[NB Lola]

Make sure it is unlimited and has tethering inuded as there are two plans now.