Another Internet question

[junior]

Tomorrow i am going to the local Three store to get my phone/internet in preparation for living aboard. I'm just after a bit of last minute advice/confirmation.

 

My plan was to get a Samsung S4 (maybe the waterproof one) on The One Plan to allow tethering. I could then hook up my laptop (i only use occasionaly) and my Samsung Tablet (i use this the most).

What restrictions will this give me? I am worried about not getting a signal in the boat as i've read this is a common problem with living in a metal tube? if so, can this be solved simply by hanging the phone in a little pouch by a porthole?

 

The other thing i see talked about on here is the Hauwie little box things. I don't know a lot about these but would they recieve a a signal inside the boat a lot better than the Samsung S4 phone? Do they also need to be hung by a porthole? If so then would it be more cost effective for me to just stick with the phone + tethering right?

 

If i was to get one of these Hauwie things on an unlimited data plan i'd still need to get a phone (as my current one is on last legs) so would end up having two contracts.

 

My priorities are...

 

Getting the best available signal.

Unlimited data.

Cost effective.

Simple set up/ease of use.

Minimal wires hanging around the boat.

[dikla500]

hi ,iv got a samsung s3 on 3 contract, ive downloaded a free app called PDA NET+ which gives you a wifi hotspot on your phone this runs my laptop with no problem .i just stand the phone in docking station near a window ,thats worth a try

[junior]

hi ,iv got a samsung s3 on 3 contract, ive downloaded a free app called PDA NET+ which gives you a wifi hotspot on your phone this runs my laptop with no problem .i just stand the phone in docking station near a window ,thats worth a try

 

Ok, questions from that.

Whatcontract are you on? If on The One Plan i understand the phone will automatically allow tethering so why would i need to download an App?

What is a docking station?

What sort of windows do you have? I will (hopefully) have portholes. I'm assuming this makes a big difference to putting a phone in a docking station near a bus type window?

 

Edited to add:

 

Welcome to the forum, and thanks for choosing my thread for your first post!

Edited August 17, 2013 by junior

[Delta9]

You don't need to download an app to do it, you can just turn on the wifi hotspot in 'settings' on any newish android phone (I think anything above android 2.1). Mine works fine as long as I leave the phone next to a window or porthole, but it kills the battery pretty fast so I usually leave it plugged in.

[KJT]

I have the Huewei 5332 which is a Mi-Fi unit which has an external aerial socket connected to a 3G aerial from Connex Technologies. I have a PAYG sim from '3' and that creates a wifi hotspot within the boat and get superb Internet connection just about everywhere I go. I have never failed to get a connection.

 

If you need a reliable Internet connection then it's worth taking the extra trouble to get the right equipment.

 

Ken

[Guest]

You can only tether on three if your plan allows it.

 

This by either being on the one plan or by buying a tethering add on to one of their others.

 

I have no idea if the app referred to somehow bypasses the ability of three's systems that detect if you are tethering when you shouldn't be otherwise an app. is not needed on most modern phones a lot of which have the technical capability to tether.

 

Going back to the OP if you want to have a combined phone/WiFi solution then a phone that you can tether to on the one plan is a good solution. Personally I would choose a different phone (iPhone) but there is no doubt the s4 is a very capable phone.

 

Sticking it in the window will help.

 

We have a completely different setup with an external aerial but phones that accept an external aerial connection are rare if impossible to find these days.

 

We use a dongle connected to an external aerial with the dongle plugged into a Zoom travel router, which basically results in what you get using a mi~fi with an external aerial.

Edited August 17, 2013 by The Dog House

[john4647]

I have the Huewei 5332 which is a Mi-Fi unit which has an external aerial socket connected to a 3G aerial from Connex Technologies. I have a PAYG sim from '3' and that creates a wifi hotspot within the boat and get superb Internet connection just about everywhere I go. I have never failed to get a connection.

 

If you need a reliable Internet connection then it's worth taking the extra trouble to get the right equipment.

 

Ken

Hello,

What does it cost to run a system like this? Can you have unlimited data? Would it be worthwhile for watching TV (i Player etc.)

Sorry about the basic questions but then I am a Luddite.

[Delta9]

You can only tether on three if your plan allows it.

 

This by either being on the one plan or by buying a tethering add on to one of their others.

 

Not strictly true. I've been tethering on a payg three phone for 6 months now and haven't had any problems. Whatever method three uses for detecting tethering doesn't seem to be very efficient.. As you mention though, there are various methods for getting around it if they do detect it including apps like easytether or simply changing your user agent string to the same as your phone.

[bottle]

The cost of the purchase of the Huewei and the sim to go in it.

 

Pick whatever phone company you like and see what deals they have.

 

 

ps. the sim goes inside the Huewei just like your phone you can then connect wireless up to five different items (as long as they have Wi-Fi)

 

edit: faT FIngers

Edited August 17, 2013 by bottle

[Nickhlx]

I have the HTC ONE on EE and the 4G service - this has the ( usual I think) tethering / wi-fi hot spot facility and it works extremely well and VERY fast - at least I think its fast but may not be these days - I get up to about 45Mb download and 4Mb upload speeds.. and usually around half that - whatever, it runs the laptop as well as if it's at home wired in to cable...

 

I really like the phone too - it takes superb pictures and lasts up to 2 days on a charge, with moderate ( a few hours) of Spotify music through its (best I have heard in a phone) stereo speakers.

 

Nick

Edited August 17, 2013 by Nickhlx

[Guest]

Not strictly true. I've been tethering on a payg three phone for 6 months now and haven't had any problems. Whatever method three uses for detecting tethering doesn't seem to be very efficient.. As you mention though, there are various methods for getting around it if they do detect it including apps like easytether or simply changing your user agent string to the same as your phone.

Yes I have mentioned before on here that some people on here somehow seem to have circumnavigate three's systems for detecting this. Others have mentioned they did for a while and then they got shut down.

 

The last person I recall who posted in response to a similar post I made in a similar way came on a couple of days later saying they had spoken too soon and three had rumbled them.

 

Good luck though to anybody that can get a way with it.

[john6767]

I would have said the idea of the app to share the connection is just a throw back to early Android versions where it was not built it. My wife's (rubbish) HTC she is about to replace has Android 2.1, and even that has the wifi router capability in it.

[Justme]

 

My priorities are...

 

 

Unlimited data.

 

 

 

Unlimited is not available on Three for any dongle / MiFi deals.

[Guest]

Unlimited is not available on Three for any dongle / MiFi deals.

Yes correct ~ good point, so it's back to a tethered phone on the one plan.

Edited August 17, 2013 by The Dog House

[junior]

Unlimited is not available on Three for any dongle / MiFi deals.

Yes correct ~ good point, so it's back to a tethered phone on the one plan.

Perfect. Question answered and I shall be getting an S4 on The One Plan.

 

I may look for a second hand Huawei mi-fi thing with an external Ae and keep that and a few data sim's as a back up for if I can't get a signal inside the boat with my phone.

Heres a thought. Are the Huawei mi-fi things powered by batteries, 12v, mains etc?

[nb Innisfree]

 

Perfect. Question answered and I shall be getting an S4 on The One Plan.

 

I may look for a second hand Huawei mi-fi thing with an external Ae and keep that and a few data sim's as a back up for if I can't get a signal inside the boat with my phone.

Heres a thought. Are the Huawei mi-fi things powered by batteries, 12v, mains etc?

They have batteries like a mobile phone.

[junior]

They have batteries like a mobile phone.

 

Ok so say i was to get one and mount it permenantly by a porthole of skylight, it would either need to be taken down and put on charge, or have the charging cable run up to the unit. I assume the charging cables are not very long.

 

Can you get 12v 'car' chargers for them much the same as you can for mobiles?

[KJT]

Hello,

What does it cost to run a system like this? Can you have unlimited data? Would it be worthwhile for watching TV (i Player etc.)

Sorry about the basic questions but then I am a Luddite.

It's not unlimited data. The '3' PAYG deal is £15 for 3gb of data or £25 for 7gb. Both are for 30 days. I find the 3gb deal is sufficient for our needs, but I would think you couldn't stream TV for very long on that deal.

 

Ken

[nb Innisfree]

 

Ok so say i was to get one and mount it permenantly by a porthole of skylight, it would either need to be taken down and put on charge, or have the charging cable run up to the unit. I assume the charging cables are not very long.

 

Can you get 12v 'car' chargers for them much the same as you can for mobiles?

They normally charge from a usb lead, you can get a usb adapter, plugs into a cigar socket and has a usb socket to plug into.

[KJT]

Are the Huawei mi-fi things powered by batteries, 12v, mains etc?

They have an internal battery, same as a telephone handset. But I have mine permanently powered through a 12v car charger which I got from Maplins.

 

Ken

[Ange]

 

Ok so say i was to get one and mount it permenantly by a porthole of skylight, it would either need to be taken down and put on charge, or have the charging cable run up to the unit. I assume the charging cables are not very long.

 

Can you get 12v 'car' chargers for them much the same as you can for mobiles?

Hi Junior

 

We've got a Samsung Galaxy Ace on the 3 One Plan. As has been said you don't need to download anything, I switch on "mobile AP" on the phone and the laptop automatically detects it in the same way it would normal wifi.

 

I hang the phone in my "bus" window, which works well for me. I know others put the phone in their portholes. It doesn't need to be tethered for the hotspot, but using it like this sucks the life out of the battery at an alarming rate so I always keep it plugged into the USB port to keep it charged up. I've got two leads - one that goes from the phone to a USB extension lead, which plugs into the laptop.

 

As far as charging the laptop is concerned, we've got a 12-19v gizmo from Maplins which saves running it through an inverter.

 

Hope this helps

[Richard10002]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 on The One Plan which, as far as I can tell, is the only deal in the UK that allows truly unlimited data use, and tethering.

 

My boat has bus windows and the phone sits on a table in the middle of the boat. I don't seem to have to worry about location.

 

I have also used a Mifi for a couple of years, which seemed to prefer being near a window.

 

If you get a Mifi, it will have a limited data plan.

 

If your phone or Mifi needs to be near a porthole, get a phone holder that sticks to glass, and is wide enough to hold your gizmo. If the cable isn't long enough, fit a 12V socket nearby and plug a USB power plug into it.