Crappy wifi Solutions?

[Ex-Calif]

Zee - I don't see how you bypass the hotel modem. Presumably in your world the hotel has DSL of some kind. They use the modem to broadcast the signal. If you bypass their modem you are now at a phone line.

So unless you "pirate" into their phone line I don't think there is a way.

We were able to convince our club to reposition the modem - higher and closer to the end of the building - less obstructed broadcast but I still don't get anything out on the moorings. Say 400 meters.

[bella]

Originally Posted by zeehag

unfortunately there is a difference between signals and connections.
the equipment is different , as antennae do signals, and the modem does the connectivity, i need to bypass the hotel modem, as that is pos and not working.

Well to do so you would either have to have your own wifi enabled modem hardwired into the hotel internet service. Most modems don't do the rated distance capability. Or do you mean the modem is password protected and you want to hack the password in order to get free wifi?

i HAVE excellent antennae, one of which is a 10 km rated when they make a connection device functional in this situation,

Do you mind defining that a bit further. Does this modem wifi work inside the hotel okay? If so then its just a distance thing, or a password thing.

you can keep the tv bs.. that wasnt the original question, now, was it.

Don't recall anyone mentioning Tv at all. Or were you referring to broadband cable. In my case I have broadband, rather than dsl. I get better service and its a separate company than my Tv service. As far as I know, even in Mexico there are three ways to get internet.. DSL thru the phone lines. Cable broadband thru cable lines or satellite internet. You can get Direct TV internet only without the tv part same with cable.

I know that doesn't help your situation though. Unless you can get someone to put a splitter into the hardwire and run your own modem your choices are limited.

Good luck, hope you can figure it out... nice to see you back btw..

[a64pilot]

Zeehag,
Any chance they will let you buy them one to replace theirs? Best case would be if they let you connect yours.
You on real friendly terms with them?

[seandepagnier]

Long range directional antenna, 18dbi yagi (you can order for $20) I used with success from 3 miles offshore aimed at a router with typical 3 inch omni antenna. It also gives a very reliable connection within a mile. I attached a servo motor to mine connected to a digital compass so it can stay aimed correctly if the boat rotates, I recommend doing this if there is a tidal current or you want to stay connected for longer periods.


For longer distances from land, then I may pay $1 per 24 hours for unlimited 3g. It's slow can only download 1 or 2 movies (1-2GB) in this time. You can just use just 15 minutes stop, and the time will not be counted against you when the device is off so small money can last many days. this is in south east asia.

[zeehag]

the hotel has a lock on this place.. is huge posh and monopolistic. they have no hard wired anything here. is all wireless. hotel has 5 count em, 5 five, antennae for the wireless ... BUT they havent a conncetion worth a s***. for the year i been stuck here, i have found the hotel signalis connectable in barra, accros the channel from isla, where the marina is... about a km.... and in the lagoon the connections work. but not close by in the marina. ggrr.. is like being a prisoner in pair a dice, as there is no way to get the messages out . we are given faccebook and yoo toob and twitter fro free, and even those are difficult. cannot turn pages in less than 5 mins. i do not always have the bandwidth to re achieve pages i had and try to edit.
i cannot use skype, as it uses too much bandwidth. i found google hangouts--cannot use as it uses too much bandwidth. at certainspecific set times of day, we lose wifi completely. we have to call hotel to beg em to restart modem for marina, and beg fro our daily allotment of wifi. there are 8 boats in marina with folks in.. no wifi.
i willnot stay here next year in summer, despite it being perfect place to summer -- storms are babies and not large yet. winds are lower than in baja and not as much disruption in summer as other ports i have summered.
the only problem here is no connections. i need to know how to bypass these crappy connections and make my own wireless system that actually WORKS.
in winter, in lagoon, there are many sources, but in summer, only one, as most signals are blocked in the marina complex. my banda ancha(tel cel dial up broad band, 3g service) doesnt work in there and no other sources of wireless signals are available.
there is no hard wired interweb source here. none. mebbe in barra, but not in colimilla. all is wireless. yay telmex. it does work fair when carlos slim is in the 'hood....lol... go figgger. he is not here often. he stays in other places with his other boat. err ship....
i will not give up on this.. there HAS to be a way to get decent interwebz here despite hotel from hell.....
ae64---i even offered to purchase a modem fro em.. they laughed....

[Auspicious]

Many WiFi providers block Skype, Netflix, and other high bandwidth services. It's usually in the fine print of the page you click through to get Internet service.

I recall a homeowner on Long Island in the Bahamas that consciously opened their WiFi up to cruisers. A couple of people abused their hospitality using a lot of video Skype and e-mailing video and photos. It only took a couple of Internet bills for the homeowner to lock down their WiFi.

Commercial facilities have the same issues. A hotel trying to support all their room and marina customers desires for web and e-mail that have their own issues with upstream Internet providers can hardly be blamed for blocking Skype, Netflix, bittorrent, Hulu, and other big bandwidth consumers. The good news is they have someone smart enough to know how to block just those services instead of just turning it all off.

Huge Windows and Apple updates are their own problem that can usually be worked around by polite negotiation and scheduling for overnight.

[zeehag]

i dont even use the video part of skype-- voice only. i cannot use even that. most marinas and event he restaurants wifi allow skype, butthis sketchy service this particular hotel provides the marina does not come up to the advertisements thy provide.
this is only marina i have spent time in here that has not provided even consistent wiifi to the marina.. is ttelmex, which should be good, but i think it is not set up properly to accomodate the areas desiring the service, as it is able to be uses a km north and a km away in two directions, the lagoon and barra de navidad...

[bella]

Any wifi modem is hardwired into something. Be it a satellite service or dsl/cable service.. I suspect its a direct tv feed. Direct Tv is hugely popular on the otherside of the peninsula in the Yuctan. I have friends who have it and they tell me skyping is okay, but anything else is just a pain and almost impossible. They can download but not stream with any success. Further away you are from the modem itself the worse the signal degrades. That is why I suggested talking to skp G. He has that bullet system and swears by it..

Mexico has only really started to come into its own in the past 2 or 3 years with regards to internet and cell phone service. It will get better and has in the larger towns and cities..

back in 2002 before wifi was around.. I used my cell phone as a modem. I wonder if that would work for you. No skyping or streaming but at least you can download and upload email. There are offline readers offered out there..

Wish I had a better solution. It seems the best option is to finish the engine repairs and move down to Panama and a bigger city?

[zeehag]

no direct tv. there are 5 antennae and one shitty little modem. the antennae seem to be good and powerful, as a km away is still usable, however not in marina itself. i was advised the modem is close to the antenna that allegedly serves us in marina, which is allegedly very close to boat, i can see it easily, as well as the other 4 antennae. the company that provides connectivity is infinitum, and the company providing the signal is mextel.(into hotel) however, the connectivity is soo poor that often not even rooms have wifi. yes i been talking to folks...and the IT guy in hotel knows not connections from signals......
they dont block skype here--they are blocking, essentially , all interweb usage in marina, as nothing else gets thru their mucho signals of great strength. if mere signals connected wifi, we would be in piiig heaven...

yahoo.. donder n blitzen.. that will definitely assist our connectivity situation...lol

[a64pilot]

Try this, get out of the boat and go up close to the antenna with your laptop, if your internet speed improves when you get close, then you may well benefit from one of those Wifi boosters, if you internet connection still sucks when you are standing near the antenna, then maybe not.
I'm no computer geek, but I use this site to determine my connection speed, there are others of course
Speedtest.net by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test

[GalaxyGirl]

FYI for anyone interested. I ordered and tried the Rogue wave. It didn't work. My Moms laptop was connected to the marina internet without it but I was unable to get the Rogue to connect. I sent it back for a refund.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[sailcruiser]

A friend of mine likes this solution. It's pricey but pretty easy to wire. I have no personal experience.

http://www.thewirie.com/marine-wifi-product-AP.html
SC

[bella]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

FYI for anyone interested. I ordered and tried the Rogue wave. It didn't work. My Moms laptop was connected to the marina internet without it but I was unable to get the Rogue to connect. I sent it back for a refund.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Not cheap, but we have been very pleased with this wifi setup.
Marine WiFi Systems

[bstreep]

Just curious. Anyone know why this wouldn't work? We have an old "follow me tv" unit.

HughesNet Gen4 | About | 1-877-715-4820

Along with:

Marine Satellite TV Tracking

$50 a month.

[Opie91]

GG if you go with a wifi device, definitely consider the Ubiquiti Bullet as others have suggested.

You can hook it directly into a wireless router. That way you do not have to log each and every device into the new internet service every time it changes, just connect the Bullet to the service and you are good to go.

We have a T-Mobile mifi hot spot too. It goes thru the Bullet too. This way only one log on (Bullet to mifi) and you are not limited to only 5 devices.

Good luck!