Against the reason I sail - Internt access?

[Legal-IT]

I know this goes against one of the reasons that I sail, but there have been times that Internet access could have been quite useful. Has anyone been able to get online while out at sea (understanding that you'd have to be not too far out ) ??

[zeehag]

i do not have access while at sea. i do have access in ports.
i have no reason to be online while i am sailing--i interact with family when in port or hunkered down for storms.

[Legal-IT]

While in port - do you have access from your slip/mooring?

[zeehag]

when i am in a marine--i am in mexico--i have wifi. in usa territorial waters i have a sprint data card program with grandfathered service, so is awesome. havent found anything like it here--it exists, but.....with it i have used computer while motoring in mississippi sound and some other gulf coast locales with cell towers handy.

[belizesailor]

Truly at sea (offshore) your options are mostly limited to satellite based systems or very slow (email text only) access via SSB-PACTOR.

Near coastal or at anchor/dock somewhere the options open up considerably. Loads of posts here on the subject.

Personally, I use a cellular modem and a wifi hub. My modem is unlocked so I just buy a new SIM chip for the area we are cruising. This is only good within cellular Internet service range of course, but that is becoming pretty common.

Also, WiFi hot spots abound in most popular cruising venues.

[Legal-IT]

Good to know there are reasonable options.

Does anyone on this forum - oh I hate to ask... - but anyone working for a company where you have to get "secure" access to log into your corporate network? No, I don't want to know anything about your passwords - just, can you VPN over the wireless, and are the data rates good enough? I have Sprint...

[zeehag]

wifi is not secure. not certain about sprint.

[roverhi]

I've used ham radio with Pactor Modem for email. Stayed in touch with my wife and down loaded GRIB files on a solo slide to Hawaii. Works but is slow especially if you don't hook up at Pactor 3 speed.

[RicknSue]

Originally Posted by Legal-IT

Good to know there are reasonable options.

Does anyone on this forum - oh I hate to ask... - but anyone working for a company where you have to get "secure" access to log into your corporate network? No, I don't want to know anything about your passwords - just, can you VPN over the wireless, and are the data rates good enough? I have Sprint...

Thats easy enough- Sue for example can't use the wireless at home, but once she plugs in to the router- good to go. The internet on the boat is still in the build stage, but it will have a wi-fi hub(for the other devices) and a router (or a combo unit) that has LAN plug-ins as well. The computer sees that as the same as being plugged in at the office, it doesn't know where the internet is coming from , other than the router..

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Legal-IT

... you VPN over the wireless, and are the data rates good enough? I have Sprint...

Sure, I run GoTrusted over my set-up when I am doing stuff I want to be a bit more secure -- like financial transactions.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by roverhi

I've used ham radio with Pactor Modem for email. Stayed in touch with my wife and down loaded GRIB files on a solo slide to Hawaii. Works but is slow especially if you don't hook up at Pactor 3 speed.

we do the same.. Have a II and up-graded to III...

[barnakiel]

We got Internet at sea via a mobile dongle but we never got it via wifi.

We get Internet via wifi in some anchorages and in nearly all marinas.

b.

[Black Diamond]

If you are comfortable using a cellular based 3g/4g service there are some great options. I have a cellular antenna mounted on my stern rail (higher would have been better) with a in-line booster (2 bars becomes 4 or 5 bars) and a wireless router on the boat. My wife and daughter also have a need for internet access on occasion and we can share the link.

I've used this as far as 12 miles out and cruising most anywhere there is cell phone coverage. I have an AT&T Shockwave USB card (3g/4G) that I can take with me or plug into the Cradlepoint router. Obviously for true blue water access you need a different solution.

I use my marina service (Beacon WiFi) at the dock or in places where Beacon serves, but I have used my 3G/4G service in many places.

There are some great web sites to help you with this.

such as:

Mobile Broadband - Coverage, Tips, News, Reviews, 4G & 3G Routers, MiFi, Verizon, Sprint, CLEAR Internet : EVDOinfo.com - great mobile data access site
3Gstore.com, 3G/4G Routers, Antennas, Amplifiers, WiFi, Extended Batteries, Verizon & Sprint Data Cards - buying integrated solutions for your boat

Rick
S/V Black Diamond
Hylas 49-057
Portsmouth, RI

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Legal-IT

I know this goes against one of the reasons that I sail, but there have been times that Internet access could have been quite useful. Has anyone been able to get online while out at sea (understanding that you'd have to be not too far out ) ??

Yes. I use SSB/Pactor through Winlink (ham) and Sailmail (commercial marine) for e-mail anywhere. Near shore I use AT&T data out to 10 or 12 miles on a smartphone. That works nearly anywhere in the world but can get pricy outside the US without a local account. I have a Ubiquiti Bullet connected to an in-boat WiFi network when I can get WiFi - usually out to three or four miles.

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Truly at sea (offshore) your options are mostly limited to satellite based systems or very slow (email text only) access via SSB-PACTOR.

Pactor is as fast or faster than satellite phones.

Originally Posted by Legal-IT

Does anyone on this forum - oh I hate to ask... - but anyone working for a company where you have to get "secure" access to log into your corporate network? No, I don't want to know anything about your passwords - just, can you VPN over the wireless, and are the data rates good enough?

You won't be able to use a VPN for secure e-mail over Pactor systems. You might be able to do so using Iridium but it would take some work. I'll be happy to work with you on it if your company IT folks can't support you. VPN for true network connectivity over cellular data or WiFi is nearly plug and play.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Legal-IT

I know this goes against one of the reasons that I sail, but there have been times that Internet access could have been quite useful. Has anyone been able to get online while out at sea (understanding that you'd have to be not too far out ) ??

I have a "Magic Jack" internet stick, which you can get on line. They charge $49 a month. Not all marinas have wifi, some have it but it doesn't get to where you're docked for the night, and sometimes you're anchored out.

It would not work far from shore. It has about the same range as a cell phone. Nevertheless I recently spent 11 days on the Miami River and it was quite useful.

Remind me and I'll post in a couple of weeks how it worked crossing Lake Okeechobee.