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What alternatives are there for getting the internet?


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Just about to buy our first nb and I'm about to come up with lots of questions :)

I'm definitely going to need the internet while I'm afloat - just wondering what alternatives are available and what the pros and cons are.

I'm sure one of my supplementary questions is going to be about which mobile network gives the best coverage but no doubt that depends where you are located

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Welcome. Search on the forum first, a vast array of answers.  This is a common question and many have differing views.  If you just want simple on device data and not much tethering, then I would use the three all you can eat data sim only contract.  It also gives 12 gb tethering and costs about £22 per month on a 12 month contract or about £28 on a month by month contract.

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Three at present are offering 20gb for £15. This is data only. No minutes or texts. Get yourself a dongle unlock it and put in the sim.

im coming to the end of a two year contract. £18 for 15gb data and the dongle. Signal very very rarely is poor. We live aboard and have been to most points of the compass.

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Many of us have a MiFi device, (Huawei is a well recognised brand), with a dedicated data sim.

if the signal needs improving some MiFi devices have a connection, (or  two), so that an external aerial can be fitted.

Most mifi devices allow several thinks to be connected at once.

EE and Three seem to have the best canal coverage, and offer several options.

As above, several network providers offer "tethered data" with their phone sims, where you can set up your Smart Phone as a Personal Hotspot, and it will act like a router or mifi device.

 

How much time do you spend on the boat, how much internet do you expect to use.... general browsing? Some Videos? Lots of video/tv? Huge file downloads and uploads?

 

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2 hours ago, Larentia said:

I have a Huawei Mifi with a sim which gives 50gb from EE at £26.50 a month, expires this December. 

Fine for me but my boys have been known to nuke it on occasion.

Would a 3 all-you-can-eat data only sim work in this?

Possibly providing the Huawei device is either locked to Three or unlocked entirely. Keep in mind some Three plans do not allow tethering so you would need to ensure tethering is allowed.

I use a Huawei Mifi device also, I have a EE sim with 64GB data for £28 a month. I also have 30GB data allowance with Three for my mobile, giving me 2 networks to use to maximise coverage. Very rarely do I not have any coverage with EE but the same cannot quite be said for Three. - at least not in this area.
 

Best,

RichM

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3 plans do indeed allow tethering, it just depends which plan you are on. They used to do unlimited data including unlimited hotspot, 5000 texts & 100 mins for £20 pm, but they got rid of this, at least for the high users. I managed to get through 280Gb 1 month. I was 1 of the first to be booted off this plan!

I have just taken a new 12 month sim only phone contract for £24 pm with Three. Unlimited data, 30Gb hotspot, 200 mins, unlimited texts, 12 month contract. (This compares to my previous MiFi which was £16pm for 15Gb data also Three, plus my phone was unlimited data, 2Gb hotspot, unlimited texts, 100 mins, & a new handset Note 4 for £32pm. I'm glad those contracts have finished!)

You have 4 main options for data, get a MiFi, get a phone & use the hotspot, get landline phone at your mooring (if possible), use someone elses WiFi.

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On 5/29/2017 at 09:44, BoatyMacBoatface said:

Just about to buy our first nb and I'm about to come up with lots of questions :)

I'm definitely going to need the internet while I'm afloat - just wondering what alternatives are available and what the pros and cons are.

I'm sure one of my supplementary questions is going to be about which mobile network gives the best coverage but no doubt that depends where you are located

You have hit the nail on the head regards location. you will get loads of advice and if you are ccing therefore on different canals etc over the year then I would go for the best value in terms of time for your money which is often " 3 " and sometimes others However if you are moored in one spot you need to check EXACTLY at your mooring what works. At my location the only one to work is o2 and I am typing this via  a dongle on 02 at the moment but if I move TWENTY feet from my mooring it doesnt often work but about 400 feet away there is 4g most of the time and sometimes even ee and vodafone work. In a nutshell I bought my first mobile fone 28 years ago and it was damn good coverage most anywhere, 28 years later its crap and its called progress.

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The cheapest option is from Tesco at £14.99, you may get one second-hand at a car boot for a fiver.

The beauty of this equipment is that not only does it look like a tablet, but it uses no power at all, neither has it ongoing monthly charges.

Anyone observing you will never guess.

It has no confusing touchscreen to reboot you simply hold it upside down above your head, shake it and you're good to go.

Details here

  • Greenie 1
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On ‎29‎/‎05‎/‎2017 at 12:43, Starcoaster said:

 Even when the Vodafone users around me are cursing and waving their handsets above their heads.

A picturesque contemporary slant on canalside morris dancing?

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I use 3 and Vodafone when moving around, the missus is on O2. Sometimes I have the better connection, sometimes the worst connection (or no coverage at all). At my local corner shop I get no signal at all but on the other side of the street I get 3 bars. 

Just reinforcing the point that no one service has consistently better coverage than any other. 

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My wife has an I phone on Three and from our house we have to drive 4 miles before she gets a signal, I have a MIFI on Three and I can connect to the internet if the MIFI is in the bedroom window. I use a 3 MIFI on the boat and am posting this from half way between Llangollen and Trevor, not failed to get a signal yet.

 

The only places I have not got a signal is S Oxford Hayford, Caldon at Chedelton and the bottom end of the Blue Lias moorings at Stockton and this is without an aerial connected to it, maybe I should buy one.

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28 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

My wife has an I phone on Three and from our house we have to drive 4 miles before she gets a signal, I have a MIFI on Three and I can connect to the internet if the MIFI is in the bedroom window. I use a 3 MIFI on the boat and am posting this from half way between Llangollen and Trevor, not failed to get a signal yet.

 

The only places I have not got a signal is S Oxford Hayford, Caldon at Chedelton and the bottom end of the Blue Lias moorings at Stockton and this is without an aerial connected to it, maybe I should buy one.

Yes the south Oxford at Heyford :huh: smack bang where I moor. Having traveled most of the system I can safely say that here is theeeee worst place second to non for any sort of signal. O2 works sporadicaly, vodafone and ee even less often and as for 3 it is useless within 2 miles in any direction. You realy do have to do your homework if you are taking a mooring and need a signal.

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23 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

You have hit the nail on the head regards location. you will get loads of advice and if you are ccing therefore on different canals etc over the year then I would go for the best value in terms of time for your money which is often " 3 " and sometimes others However if you are moored in one spot you need to check EXACTLY at your mooring what works. At my location the only one to work is o2 and I am typing this via  a dongle on 02 at the moment but if I move TWENTY feet from my mooring it doesnt often work but about 400 feet away there is 4g most of the time and sometimes even ee and vodafone work. In a nutshell I bought my first mobile fone 28 years ago and it was damn good coverage most anywhere, 28 years later its crap and its called progress.

we moved 200 yards and went from 4G to only 1bar of nowt and yeah I had my first mobile back in the late 80s and it was great even out in the wilds of the Lincolnshire Fens

Phil 

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Just now, Phil Ambrose said:

we moved 200 yards and went from 4G to only 1bar of nowt and yeah I had my first mobile back in the late 80s and it was great even out in the wilds of the Lincolnshire Fens

Phil 

Yes Phil and in the early/mid nineties we were sold the " Digtal Pup " telling us how marvelous it was all going to be much like digital radio which is also absolutely crap and here non existant wheras vhf is still fine. 30 years of mobile fones and we cant even get a signal is quite astonishing.

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37 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

My wife has an I phone on Three and from our house we have to drive 4 miles before she gets a signal, I have a MIFI on Three and I can connect to the internet if the MIFI is in the bedroom window. I use a 3 MIFI on the boat and am posting this from half way between Llangollen and Trevor, not failed to get a signal yet.

 

The only places I have not got a signal is S Oxford Hayford, Caldon at Chedelton and the bottom end of the Blue Lias moorings at Stockton and this is without an aerial connected to it, maybe I should buy one.

Might pay you to look at 3mobiles new thing which is called something like 4G talk, it needs you to download software and it supposedly does away with black spots by using  low frequency signal which has better penetration.

Phil 

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On 29/05/2017 at 12:43, Starcoaster said:

Agree on EE and 3. My dongle is on the former and my phone the latter and Ive never had problems. Even when the Vodafone users around me are cursing and waving their handsets above their heads.

On 29/05/2017 at 16:21, Larentia said:

I have a Huawei Mifi with a sim which gives 50gb from EE at £26.50 a month, expires this December. 

Fine for me but my boys have been known to nuke it on occasion.

Would a 3 all-you-can-eat data only sim work in this?

I bought my wifi from an independent retailer so I'd like to think it's not locked to any network. It's connected to a decent high gain aerial (from wifi onboard) which gets me decent 4G everywhere. No signal problems ever. Worth the investment. 

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2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Ta,I am only interested in data.My old Nokia 6310i on Vodafone with a boaters phone aerial gets all the phone calls I want

I still have one of those on the boat with a thb cradle. Great phone. 

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1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

Ta,I am only interested in data.My old Nokia 6310i on Vodafone with a boaters phone aerial gets all the phone calls I want

Have a look at the link Brian, it states that it does work for data too as well as calls.

Phil

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