Internet question arghhhhhhh

[geoffwales]

I am sorry to ask this but as i dont use internet on the boat i never really took much notice BUT !

 

A friend in our club wants to go on a long cruise in their narrow boat and asked if i knew what is the best set up for internet connection, ie mobile network, dongle,

 

Please advise

[Chop!]

3 mobile seems to be the most popular choice amongst boaters, used in conjunction with either a smart phone (but watch out for limits if they tether), otherwise the Huawei dongle seems to be the number one choice and are available from e-bay, Amazon etc.

[john6767]

Impossible to answer without more info I would say, but here are some ideas.

 

Assuming that the internet access is needed on a laptop, the 2 basic routes are to use a smart phone as a wifi router and a contract that allows tethering, or to use a dedicated device such as a dongle or "mifi" unit. If they already have a smart phone that is probably the way to go, but if they don't and this is just one off or irregular usage then a dongle is probably the simplest/cheapest.

 

You can buy a dongle completion with credit, and then by additional sim cards from ebay/amazon which is cheaper than topping up with the provider. This is just the first example of such a dongle that I found ( there may be better deals) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Mobile-Huawei-Dongle-Preloaded/dp/B0091RBMAA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1380352264&sr=8-3&keywords=3g+dongle

Edited September 28, 2013 by john6767

[pelicanafloat]

3 mobile is the porn choice if all you want is smut :-) But, I jest

 

Depends what you mean by 'best'. If you want practicality, then a phone with hotspots can be used away from the boat. You can buy a mifi portable device that you can put in pocket to use with phone and upon returning to the boat, connect the mifi up to an external aerial and enjoy decent reception.

 

We have a perceived expensive EE mifi .... how much you pay will depend on your usage requirements but I'll say this, it quality pawn we get to watch, nothing anal like what you get in canal world

[mango]

When I am on the canals I leave my MiFi plugged in all the time, but have to put it on the roof or on top of the gas locker when the signal is poor, which is quite often.

 

I remember that someone (maybe Chertsey) told me about a setup that used an external aerial, making it much more reliable. Can anyone advise on anything that will do the job at a reasonable price.

[KJT]

Another vote for the '3' network. We have never failed to get good coverage around the midlands and down to the Thames this summer.

I need a reliable Internet connection for my business so considered it worth paying the extra for a reliable setup!

 

As far as I am aware, none of the network suppliers do a MiFi unit with an external aerial socket. There are a few suppliers on eBay that do the Huewei 5332 and similar, that do have an external aerial socket, around the £60 mark. We marry that to a 3G external aerial from Connex Technologies for around £90, mounted up a 2 metre pole, which gives very good results.

 

If you read some of the other threads on the subject you will find forum members who swear by bits of string attached to yoghurt pots tied to balloons, dangling out of a window! But, in my experience, if your friend needs something reliable that works over a wide area, then really there is nothing else but to invest some hard cash into something purpose designed for the job.

 

Ken

[Barry]

Another vote for the '3' network. We have never failed to get good coverage around the midlands and down to the Thames this summer.

I need a reliable Internet connection for my business so considered it worth paying the extra for a reliable setup!

 

As far as I am aware, none of the network suppliers do a MiFi unit with an external aerial socket. There are a few suppliers on eBay that do the Huewei 5332 and similar, that do have an external aerial socket, around the £60 mark. We marry that to a 3G external aerial from Connex Technologies for around £90, mounted up a 2 metre pole, which gives very good results.

 

If you read some of the other threads on the subject you will find forum members who swear by bits of string attached to yoghurt pots tied to balloons, dangling out of a window! But, in my experience, if your friend needs something reliable that works over a wide area, then really there is nothing else but to invest some hard cash into something purpose designed for the job.

 

Ken

 

If you don't want to, or can't tether your phone then another solution as indicated above is.....

 

E5332 unlocked mobile wifi with an external aerial socket (clicky) combined with a cheaper aerial, the TS9 clicky which has a magnetic base to simply stick it on the roof. For data I use these. Works for me.

 

See my thread on the subject here. Though the technical bods came in at the end and baffled me completely but I'm not very tech savvy when it comes to electronics and radio waves etc. You can't get a spanner round an electron.

[Guest]

I am sorry to ask this but as i dont use internet on the boat i never really took much notice BUT !

 

A friend in our club wants to go on a long cruise in their narrow boat and asked if i knew what is the best set up for internet connection, ie mobile network, dongle,

 

Please advise

 

 

Have a skeggy at this thread too - this is where I gathered up all my info. on getting internet on a boat.

 

If you don't want to read all of it just skip to the last but one post where I confirm which bits I ended up with.

[geoffwales]

Thank you all,