Cellphone hotspot

[Speedqueen]

Hi,
I need some advice on how to make my cellphone work as a hotspot on the great lakes and coastal waters.
My experience with WiFi boosters is not great so I would like to go the other rout and make my cellphone work.
Thank you
Speedqueen
PS Speedqueen was an old 15ft Starcraft made nice again

[john61ct]

Depends on your phone and provider's rules about hotspotting.

A SIM based router works better IMO, then use VoIP for the occasional voice call.

Or have a cellphone as backup on another network's SIM.

4GAS has some good high-GB plans on TMO and ATT.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Speedqueen

Hi,
I need some advice on how to make my cellphone work as a hotspot on the great lakes and coastal waters.

The legit way is usually as simple as calling your provider. Often there's an additional charge, partly just because you'd maybe need more data in your plan, and they can talk you through the menu on your phone.

There's probably also still some apps out there for doing that without your provider's support... but a higher data usage rate is likely pretty easy to spot, and you provider could maybe shut you off for using something like that very much.

-Chris

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Speedqueen.

[Moontide]

From what I've seen, most phones manufactured within the last few years have a built in ability to be a hotspot. I know Samsung Android phones have for at least 4 years, and iphones for about the same length of time.


There are also numerous apps (many free) that will do the same thing.


Bill

[Dockhead]

If you want a good heavy duty connection and ability to smoothly share the connection with several devices, you might look at something like this:


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Huawei-unlo...SIN=B071CYR18L


to which you can add external antennas.


I use an older version of this with a cross-polarized diversity antenna which I mount with suction cups inside a salon port. It picks up a signal 3x or 4x as far as a mobile phone and gets a much stronger connection. I was still getting a signal 12 hours sailing out of Iceland last summer, so already 90 miles or so offshore.


It runs on 12v and can be wired directly to the boat system.


You need a data plan which allows this kind of use but I believe both AT&T and TMobile offer them.

[Moontide]

P.S. Am referring to smart phones in prior post.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Moontide

P.S. Am referring to smart phones in prior post.

I use a smartphone as a hotspot on a daily basis. It works fine as long as you have a decent signal and you don't expect to have too many devices connected. And you need a data plan which allows "tethering".


If the OP needs a heavier duty solution than that, something which will make a stronger connection from longer distance, and which will efficiently distribute the bandwidth among multiple devices, then a 4G router is what he wants.

[john61ct]

4GAS plans include their branded router, I got a reco one at no extra charge even though no fixed contract, just month to month.

130GB / mo on ATT's network, under $80 a month, run 4-8 hosts off that.

Backup is Google Fi (Sprint + TMO) at about $8/GB I think, capped also around $80 max, unlimited minutes and texts. Have a few rooted Nexus 6 $50 off eBay) I hotspot using

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...fitetherrouter

[valhalla360]

It's become pretty much standard on new phones. Biggest issue is the cost of data as you can use a lot...but even that is getting better with many larger and quasi-unlimited plans available.

As long as you aren't trying to do something that requires crazy high speeds, it works great. We watch videos all the time using it.

[Sojourner]

Dunno if it will be as attractive to you as to us, if you stay in the same country all the time, but Solis Skyroam makes a wifi hotspot that we love.... 100 USD a month no contract, but unlimited data for up to 5 devices at a time at high speed. It also simulates a sim card in 150 odd countries instantly, but you dont need that so much it sounds like... We watch netflix all night long with it, as well as skype, browsing etc.... If you dont need monthly, it;s about 9 USD per 24 hours no contract, ie if you only go out on the weekends....

[Speedqueen]

Hi, Speedqueen again,
Thank you for all the good advice.
Is there any experience with the Super Halo cellular booster from Shakespeare? And remember I need it for the great lakes, coastal and Caribbean on our KK42. Not for world cruising.
Thanks again,
Speedqueen

[john61ct]

International is international.

Some providers may offer North America, but that won't cover agreements with the dozens of Caribbean providers and jurisdictions.

So you need to use one of the very few global MVNOs, limited choices and lots more expensive than just buying local SIMs.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by Sojourner

Skyroam makes a wifi hotspot that we love.... 100 USD a month no contract, but unlimited data for up to 5 devices at a time at high speed. It also simulates a sim card in 150 odd countries instantly, but you dont need that so much it sounds like... We watch netflix all night long with it, as well as skype, browsing etc.... If you dont need monthly, it;s about 9 USD per 24 hours no contract, ie if you only go out on the weekends....

Glad to hear.

I've read they can throttle after just 500Mb in a 24 hr period. But maybe only in certain provider's networks, or just on congested towers?

[a64pilot]

I believe everyone can or will throttle you.
They call it their “fair use policy” ask about the fair use policy when you sign up, often the salesperson won’t know what your talking about t and have to ask a boss, but I’ve not seen any company not have one.