Internet ideas anyone?

[Bikervet]

Hi all!

 

Well we've finally moved into our widebeam and we couldn't be happier! What a great life! Though I'll let you all know of the sentiments felt the same in winter!

So here's my next query! Does anyone have any recommendations for internet onboard a canal boat?. We will be purchasing a tv with freeview and we work from home on laptops so internet access is so important especially where wifi is concerned. Does anyone have any recommendations when it comes to companies or equipment to use to get access to internet/WIFI/TV channels/ laptop usage etc? I've heard of mifi(?) or buying a mast but I have no idea what and who is the best...

The marina we're moored in has free wifi but it's on and off and therefore it has been very frustrating getting fast internet access on our phoneset alone other equipment we plan to have..

 

Any ideas greatly appreciated!

 

Loving the weather so far! Will be taking her out on a trial cruise this afternoon! Gulp! Thankfully our community is so helpful that I've had no end of offers to help with supervising me. Love this life!!

[John Williamson 1955]

The many other threads I've read her and elsewhere all seem to end up recommending the 3 mifi dongle or a near equivalent using the 3 data SIM only tariffs, which also work as a wifi router for up to 5 devices.

[ditchcrawler]

If you don't plan to move out of the marina you need to try to find which company has the best coverage of where you moor.If you plan to cruise I would recommend 3 with a MiFi preferably with external aerials

[OldGoat]

Echo most of the above, but it does depend on where you are.

in my (cruising ) experience, '3' gives me the most consistent coverage and I think the best rates.

 

Over the years I've used 'dongles' and they've always been an unmitigated disaster, because each offering required different software which conflicted with the other internet providers' software.

 

HOWEVER I now use a MiFi router with an aerial socket and it once unlocked works with all the major providers SIMs.

AFAIK the only MiFi device with a socket is a Huawei E5332 and to my mind an external aerial is better and electronically more elegant that stuffing the MiFi device up a pole in a plastic bag.

 

Being a bit of a dinosaur - I regard internet tv as an abomination - loading the networks unnecessarily and slowing down the system for everyone else. On a landline connection, I believe it can work well - but you need a fast connection - you're not going to get a fast connection via MiFi. Good enough for normal browsing, but streaming; No.

 

If you watch a lot of tv, I'd suggest you get a Freeview recorder such as the Humax Fox T2 HDR - or even their satellite equivalent Foxsat HDR which give you even more channels, if you must.

 

 

[Bikervet]

Thanks for some pointers there guys. I'll look into some of the names mentioned above. Bless you Oldgoat still helping out despite not being a big internet fan. Thank you. Unfortunately our business is very much an online business with some streaming necessary .

 

Thanks again.

[pete.i]

Echo most of the above, but it does depend on where you are.

in my (cruising ) experience, '3' gives me the most consistent coverage and I think the best rates.

 

Over the years I've used 'dongles' and they've always been an unmitigated disaster, because each offering required different software which conflicted with the other internet providers' software.

 

HOWEVER I now use a MiFi router with an aerial socket and it once unlocked works with all the major providers SIMs.

AFAIK the only MiFi device with a socket is a Huawei E5332 and to my mind an external aerial is better and electronically more elegant that stuffing the MiFi device up a pole in a plastic bag.

 

Being a bit of a dinosaur - I regard internet tv as an abomination - loading the networks unnecessarily and slowing down the system for everyone else. On a landline connection, I believe it can work well - but you need a fast connection - you're not going to get a fast connection via MiFi. Good enough for normal browsing, but streaming; No.

 

If you watch a lot of tv, I'd suggest you get a Freeview recorder such as the Humax Fox T2 HDR - or even their satellite equivalent Foxsat HDR which give you even more channels, if you must.

 

 

And that, as OldGoat has quite rightly pointed out and I have highlighted, is the crux of the matter. Any mobile internet connection is so slow as to be almost unworkable for streaming anything. In this country, as far as internet access is concerned we are still walking with dinosaurs (sorry OldGoat). Also quite a lot of the canal system tends to be low down so connection can be iffy at best. Apparently 4G or 4g, whatever that is, is supposed to be much better but at the moment, as far as I am aware, only EE are offering that. Again, as pointed out, dongles can be an unmitigated disaster. Go for MiFi the downside to which is that there is a limitation an how many devices can be connected at any one time.

 

To be honest if you are going to be relying on any streaming for your business I think standard mobile broadband on the canals would be very unreliable and I think I would be contacting the various mobile broadband suppliers and asking them for advice with the caveat they will only be after your business and so will tell you anything to get you on board. An arial outside the boat would be essential because no wireless will work very well inside a tin box which, essentially, is what your boat is. Again, as has been pointed out, for general, pretty unreliable, broadband access 3 seems to be the best.

[Bikervet]

Thanks for some pointers there guys. I'll look into some of the names mentioned above. Bless you Oldgoat still helping out despite not being a big internet fan. Thank you. Unfortunately our business is very much an online business with some streaming necessary .

 

Thanks again.

[KJT]

There have been several threads regarding this recently. The most recent one is here, which will give you some pointers.

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=69461&hl=

 

Ken

[OldGoat]

Thanks, peeps - for your implied support of my viewpoint. It obviously pays to be humble and 'out of touch'.

Methinks the 'problem' is that many folks come from an urban and landline connected environment, perhaps Virgin / Sky connections where connection speeds are approximately 10 times what I get at home or 20 - 30 times what I can get in my cruising area.

 

SO I try to point out the errors in their expectations.

 

This time by grovelling, I seem to have attracted some sympathy - resulting in good information for the OP.

 

Great....

 

 

[Drayke]

Check out the thread in Equipment Wi-Fi booster antenna this might help.

[zubeye]

Why the suspicion of 4G? My dongle is 100% reliable. I get good speeds even where i can't get mobile signal. On average 20mb down, easy enough to stream a film on Netflix.

Edited September 2, 2014 by zubeye

[Phil Ambrose]

Why the suspicion of 4G? My dongle is 100% reliable. I get good speeds even where i can't get mobile signal. On average 20mb down, easy enough to stream a film on Netflix.

I don't think it was suspicions about 4G just a reminder that it is not available everywhere, cities and major conurbations as yet and also depends on your service provider.

In the Fens where we are we can only get EDGE but strangely a couple of miles downstream in the middle of nowhere (really) we can get 3G, it all depends where you are.

Phil

[pearley]

 

AFAIK the only MiFi device with a socket is a Huawei E5332 and to my mind an external aerial is better and electronically more elegant that stuffing the MiFi device up a pole in a plastic bag.

 

Being a bit of a dinosaur - I regard internet tv as an abomination - loading the networks unnecessarily and slowing down the system for everyone else. On a landline connection, I believe it can work well - but you need a fast connection - you're not going to get a fast connection via MiFi. Good enough for normal browsing, but streaming; No.

 

 

I use Huawei E5776 from EE. Also has socket for external antenna. I'm on 4G but still not good enough to stream, that is when I'm receiving a 4G signal.

[junior]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 SmartPhone on 'The One Plan' with network provider 'Three'. I have unlimited phone calls, texts and more importantly data, plus I can tether up to 5 other devices to it (laptop, tablet, ipad etc).

 

In most big cities I get 4G, which is definitely fast enough for streaming. Everywhere else I get a 'High speed +' signal which is faster than 3G I believe. Occasionally when out in the sticks I am stuck for a signal, but this is rare and if I was dependant on my phone I would just move a little.

 

What area are you in?

[Idle boater]

If i get myself a mifi dongle gismo from "3" which seems to give the best coverage and pay a monthly subscrption would i be able to use my i phone which is on the o2 network, or will i have to get a phone that is on "3" to use through the router. the reception for o2 is pretty crap at my mooring or i would get a gismo from o2.

 

thanks mike.

[john6767]

If i get myself a mifi dongle gismo from "3" which seems to give the best coverage and pay a monthly subscrption would i be able to use my i phone which is on the o2 network, or will i have to get a phone that is on "3" to use through the router. the reception for o2 is pretty crap at my mooring or i would get a gismo from o2.

 

thanks mike.

A MIFI device is self contained, it does not use a phone. Think of a MIFI as a dongle and router in one device. You can of course use the MIFI to provide wifi for you phone if that is what you mean.

[Arthur Brown]

If you MUST have good data rates over the whole UK then you must have a satellite broadband dish. (Tooway is one example) These offer massive speeds up and down but that is impaired by some added latency. Obviously there is a big dish to fit and align each time.

[OldGoat]

If you MUST have good data rates over the whole UK then you must have a satellite broadband dish. (Tooway is one example) These offer massive speeds up and down but that is impaired by some added latency. Obviously there is a big dish to fit and align each time.

 

and very deep pockets - 'cos it's expensive.

 

AFAIK (and I haven't researched it for years), doesn't the upload process require some form of terrestrial connection?