Internet

[Kenomac]

free
frē/
adjective
1. not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes.
"I have no ambitions other than to have a happy life and be free"

adverb
1. without cost or payment.
"ladies were admitted free"
synonyms: without charge, free of charge, for nothing; More

[sailorboy1]

Since you don't have anything of use as to why marinas advertise they have wifi but it doesn't mean they have internet (you know the subject) I believe what you are looking for is (especially #6).

snipe

verb (used without object), sniped, sniping.
4.
to shoot or hunt snipe.
5.
to shoot at individuals as opportunity offers from a concealed or distant position:
The enemy was sniping from the roofs.
6.
to attack a person or a person's work with petulant or snide criticism, especially anonymously or from a safe distance.

You should start a thread as I bet a lot of people are missing out due to the thread title!

[weavis]

Move on guys...
Please stay with the subject.

[RTB]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

Free beer? Where do I sign up?

Brunswick Landing Marina, in Georgia. Great marina....with iffy wifi at times. Love New Orleans, after passing through from Texas several times.

Particularly enjoyed Pontchartrain Landing RV Park and Marina. Great stay, despite any recollection of wifi availability... come for a visit anytime. I'm the dockmaster here.

Ralph

[Dockhead]

Just one data point . . .

Streamed an HD movie last night from "free" (not free, but included in the 30 euro berthing fee) marina wifi. On an island in Estonia.

Speedtest.net says I'm getting 7.66mbs down and 5.05 up, with 10ms latency. This is all using the carpy built-in wifi card in my laptop.

This is the same country where 25 gigabytes of LTE mobile data costs 20 euros, or 10 gigabytes for 10 euros. With seamless 4G coverage throughout the entire country.


I've heard it said that it's easier to solve infrastructure problems in small countries, but I don't know why that should necessarily be so. If a thinly populated (bigger area than the Netherlands, but only 1.3 million people) post-Soviet country can do it, I don't know why we can't.

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Just one data point . . .

Streamed an HD movie last night from "free" (not free, but included in the 30 euro berthing fee) marina wifi. On an island in Estonia.

Speedtest.net says I'm getting 7.66mbs down and 5.05 up, with 10ms latency. This is all using the carpy built-in wifi card in my laptop.

This is the same country where 25 gigabytes of LTE mobile data costs 20 euros, or 10 gigabytes for 10 euros. With seamless 4G coverage throughout the entire country.


I've heard it said that it's easier to solve infrastructure problems in small countries, but I don't know why that should necessarily be so. If a thinly populated (bigger area than the Netherlands, but only 1.3 million people) post-Soviet country can do it, I don't know why we can't.

Latvia and Estonia have long had some of the best wifi infrastructure and fastest broadband speeds of anywhere in the EU. Makes the UK look like a 3rd world country in comparison.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Just one data point . . .

Streamed an HD movie last night from "free" (not free, but included in the 30 euro berthing fee) marina wifi. On an island in Estonia.

Speedtest.net says I'm getting 7.66mbs down and 5.05 up, with 10ms latency. This is all using the carpy built-in wifi card in my laptop.

This is the same country where 25 gigabytes of LTE mobile data costs 20 euros, or 10 gigabytes for 10 euros. With seamless 4G coverage throughout the entire country.


I've heard it said that it's easier to solve infrastructure problems in small countries, but I don't know why that should necessarily be so. If a thinly populated (bigger area than the Netherlands, but only 1.3 million people) post-Soviet country can do it, I don't know why we can't.

We can't in the US due to politically well-connected semi-monopolies which control the internet and cable services. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. T-Mobile is the new player in town who seems to be shaking up the good ol' boys a bit. The smaller players need to go along in order to get along.

In our Massachusetts hometown of Whoville, we're offered only one choice for cable service which is Comcast. If we don't like their crappy service... tough. The only other option is Satellite which not everyone can get. For data, it's you guessed it... Comcast via cable or Verizon over the phone lines, if we don't like their crappy service... tough.

Well we got sick of the terrible extremely expensive service ($200 per month) and put up an old fashion UHF antenna and switched to T-Mobile. We also continue to have a much reduced Comcast cable line for watching netflix and sevicing our security systems internet needs which costs $70 per month.

[GMN]

Hi,
This is Topher from Global Marine Networks. A good solution for those trying to obtain free internet or getting the best out of the wifi that is available to you, is using a Halo Wifi Extender System. It can get wifi signal from several miles away and repeat through a router that comes with the system right inside your boat. It could also help get other wifi networks beyond the marina, that you could never get with your phone or computers internal wifi antennas. Setup is simple and works very well in these environments. Also the the router that comes with it (the Optimizer), works with almost all satellite devices, and can be used as a firewall and wifi hotspot for your satellite device when you are not using the wifi extender, for email, weather, and internet surfing over satellite if your satellite device has the bandwidth to do so.

Halo Long Range WiFi Extender System | Global Marine Networks

Another solution for those going the cellular route, is to get a Cellular Booster package we have put together, that we have had customers get cell signal over 20 miles offshore with. This is a extremely simply and quality setup, and comes highly recommended by our customers that have purchased it.

GMN Recommended Marine Cell Booster

[RTB]

Originally Posted by GMN

Hi,
This is Topher from Global Marine Networks. A good solution for those trying to obtain free internet or getting the best out of the wifi that is available to you, is using a Halo Wifi Extender System. It can get wifi signal from several miles away and repeat through a router that comes with the system right inside your boat. It could also help get other wifi networks beyond the marina, that you could never get with your phone or computers internal wifi antennas. Setup is simple and works very well in these environments. Also the the router that comes with it (the Optimizer), works with almost all satellite devices, and can be used as a firewall and wifi hotspot for your satellite device when you are not using the wifi extender, for email, weather, and internet surfing over satellite if your satellite device has the bandwidth to do so.

Halo Long Range WiFi Extender System | Global Marine Networks


Another solution for those going the cellular route, is to get a Cellular Booster package we have put together, that we have had customers get cell signal over 20 miles offshore with. This is a extremely simply and quality setup, and comes highly recommended by our customers that have purchased it.

GMN Recommended Marine Cell Booster

Sorry Pal! You are part of the reason this thread exists!!! Our marina prohibits the use of extenders, amplifiers, and boosters. You apparently don't advise users of your equipment how the use can effect other boaters around you?

We've been running smoothly for a couple of months, but as more boats (and new signals) are showing up, we're back to internet problems. It's getting old. I had a customer report a neighbor today, since things turned to crap after their arrival. There are obvious antennas on the boat not related to vhf.

I went to his boat and asked what was up. He claimed to only have a router that allowed him to access internet with his 4 computers at the same time. Now, does a router show up as a signal if I'm looking at signals on an iPhone? I think not. So he is lying, right? I'm going to start kicking people out of the marina if they can't respect our rules. Period!

Tired of this crap!!!

[sailorboy1]

I probably isn't the extenders as much as people's power settings

[RTB]

Not a geek here, so have no idea. But I get the calls when there are internet problems. I'll be more than honored to catch your lines, pump out your holding tank, fill you with diesel, and direct you to the free beer. internet......I got no clue! I should probably put you on dock 4. We never have internet problems in this area. Farther from the free beer though! Come early if you can. 39 slips available and 43 reservations, but a few boats leaving and probably some cancellations. Gonna be close. Turning boats away now.

Ralph

[GMN]

Originally Posted by RTB

Sorry Pal! You are part of the reason this thread exists!!! Our marina prohibits the use of extenders, amplifiers, and boosters. You apparently don't advise users of your equipment how the use can effect other boaters around you?

We've been running smoothly for a couple of months, but as more boats (and new signals) are showing up, we're back to internet problems. It's getting old. I had a customer report a neighbor today, since things turned to crap after their arrival. There are obvious antennas on the boat not related to vhf.

I went to his boat and asked what was up. He claimed to only have a router that allowed him to access internet with his 4 computers at the same time. Now, does a router show up as a signal if I'm looking at signals on an iPhone? I think not. So he is lying, right? I'm going to start kicking people out of the marina if they can't respect our rules. Period!

Tired of this crap!!!

Hello RTB,

My name is Luis Soltero and I am the owner of GMN and the inventor of the RedPort Halo WiFi Extender.

The Halo exists because I was sitting on my boat in early may at a marina in st. michael's MD before the season had started frustrated that as the only boat in the marina I could not access the WiFi hotspot that was setup in the office. To resolve this issue I created the Halo to provide me with access to the internet when access would otherwise not be possible. Since them I have cruised extensively up and down the east coast, the canals of NY, canada and have used the Extender with great success while on moorings, anchored out 1/2 mile from a marina, in marinas with really crappy WiFi.

The unit works remarkably well and I can attest to that from years of personal experience with it. It was designed with long distance WiFi connectivity in mind. My personal record is 2nm for WiFi connectivity.

You are one of the fortunate few that have good wifi at your marina. And as such do not need to have an extender to use the facilities. But this is not your typical use case for this device.

I agree with you that in your marina and any other marina that has good wifi extenders should not be used.

however, this does not mean that the makers of these devices are what cause all the evils in the world and that they should be blamed for the miss use of devices. As with all powerful RF emitting devices care and consideration should be used with this product.

Using a WiFI amplifier in a marina that has good wifi is no different than using a VHF radio in High power mode when communicating in a small tight anchorage. Or when using an SSB at full output power when 1/4 power will work. Or driving your porche at 180 miles an hour through a school zone.

With power comes responsibility. It is the responsibility of the end users to use the products properly.

IMHO WiFi extenders and Cell amplifiers are essential for costal cruisers that want to connectivity to the internet without having to check in every night into a very expensive marina that happens to have good wifi. You can't be internet connected 22 nm off shore via Cell phone (as I have done) with out an amplifier. So... why condemn these devices and the manufactures of such? The products are essential to those of us who must be connected to the internet while still wanting to be somewhere other than an expensive marina with good wifi.

I the future I will make sure we avoid using your marina when passing through your neck of the woods. We would not want to interfere with your Netfix streaming.

Take care.

--luis

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by RTB

I went to his boat and asked what was up. He claimed to only have a router that allowed him to access internet with his 4 computers at the same time. Now, does a router show up as a signal if I'm looking at signals on an iPhone? I think not. So he is lying, right? I'm going to start kicking people out of the marina if they can't respect our rules. Period!

Tired of this crap!!!

Yes, a wireless router shows up as a signal on any app which shows wireless access points. It MAY be totally innocent as the boat owner claimed. I'd be careful about booting paying customers without knowing the facts.

Originally Posted by RTB

We've been running smoothly for a couple of months, but as more boats (and new signals) are showing up, we're back to internet problems.

I think you have your answer. WiFi networks are designed for certain maximum number of users. There are limits. Also, the more users sharing the same bandwidth, the poorer the performance for any one of them. Especially now that everyone wants to stream video. Just a couple of those can totally saturate an average "home grade" internet connection.

"This crap" will not go away. You can throw thousands of dollars, or even tens of thousands, at higher-speed connections, and the users will just expand their consumption until they saturate it. And then complain.

As mentioned above, you can add QOS technologies at the routers and/or switches to limit high-bandwidth traffic. Then you'll hear complaints that folks can't stream their favorite shows in HD.

It's a classic economic "tragedy of the commons" case. If something is free, it'll be over-used until it's worth nothing.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Yes, a wireless router shows up as a signal on any app which shows wireless access points. It MAY be totally innocent as the boat owner claimed. I'd be careful about booting paying customers without knowing the facts.

. . .

Indeed! You may get all kinds of signals from visiting boats, which are entirely innocent. You'll get AT LEAST two from my boat -- the GoFree nav network, which has nothing to do with Internet of any kind, and my Huawei 593 LTE router, which distributes a mobile phone internet connection around the boat, and gives access to media and files. Neither of these has anything to do with your marina system!


The only way to deal with this is to set up QOS parameters on your routers. You can usually limit each user to 128kbs, which is plenty for anything other than streaming video.

I struggle with the same issues on my boat -- mostly because guests come with computers set up to automatically download gigabytes of OS and program updates. I'd like a program which could set not only bandwidth limits, but total data volume limits, and let me see how much each user is using. I have seen expensive and complicated commercial solutions for this, but nothing which would be reasonable for my use. Might be ok for you, though.

[sailorboy1]

I'm not a tech gut just a user that that takes time to understand. I think there two things being talked about now, wifi and internet. They are't the same.

Wifi is just the way to connect devices.
Internet is all that info "out there"

A wifi device needs to be connected to something that accesses the internet to work (the AP). All a booster is is is a power wfi antenna. I don't understand why a powered antenna would effect AP being able to communicate to the internet. Seems to me all it might do is made noise and mess you the wifi signal, but not the internet (AP).

BTW my booster doesn't have any network name. When I turn my phone in the boat and search for networks it doesn't show the booster. But it does show the regular house type wifi router that the booster is connected to. So I doesn't understand how you walk the docks and search for signals.