Internet in far away areas?

[BWSJWS]

We live aboard in Mexico and are connected pretty much 24/7. We use a Telcel chip with a data plan and a great device called Neptulink. Put the same m. Are in Neptulink and brown ad set that around the boat via wifi. Phone and computers always connected. Absolutely the best.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by dberdou

Hello
interesting post since many of us need internet access for work while travelling
I plan to liveaboard soon and found this product
https://miowifi.com/en/coverage/
looks interesting and will probably try it
anyone in the forum knows about it?
any further recommendations?
thanks for your input
rgds
daniel

Looks like they want $150 a month for unlimited data.

[sailingforfun]

Caribbean Internet = Patience.

Just spent the last year all around the Caribbean and it made us realize how great we have it in the US. Trying to keep a blog with pictures current is mind numbing.

Our first line of use was the marina's internet service. If we had a bad slip position we used a wifi extender. This was helpful 50% of the time. Failing that a local bar or coffee shop. The last resort was our KVH satellite. The KVH works awesome, anytime, anywhere, but it can do some serious damage on your pocket book. Tried to keep it's usage to weather reports only, but failed that rule many times.

[toddster8]

The scramble for content being what it is, several of those vlogers have addressed this issue. One group seems to beg internet time at the homes of people that they meet. One recently showed a "really good 4g" connection near a cafe - it only took three hours to upload their video (!) while they had a leisurely meal.

Satellite access appears to be on the verge of great changes, but who knows how much it will cost? The Iridium Next constellation should be completed within a year - the rumor is this will mean worldwide 3G speeds. Elon Musk is trying to license a new worldwide satellite service that he thinks will be so great that the profits will pay for Mars colonization! But all of that is Tomorrow, not Today.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by BWSJWS

We live aboard in Mexico and are connected pretty much 24/7. We use a Telcel chip with a data plan and a great device called Neptulink. Put the same m. Are in Neptulink and brown ad set that around the boat via wifi. Phone and computers always connected. Absolutely the best.

please divulge more info regarding that n word you tossed of so flippantly(neptulink). i liveaboard and cruise mexico and cannot get the equipment to reliably function.
i need something that will ensure connection, as signals are usually not an issue.
where is it available to purchase?? and does it amplify th emarina wifi or how does it work?? thankyou
ps where are you located?

[FilBrown]

There is a satellite service called Spot which allows you to send text messages and allows friends to track your voyages.
Apart from the initial cost to buy the kit it's around $150 for a years subscription.

[ejs]

Hi,

Careful, Spot doesn't work in the middle of the ocean, look at their coverage map. Inreach is similar and does. It works well (on Iridium sats) but is 160 character texts only.

In general, solutions that work everywhere are much more expensive than local solutions. Find out what the locals do. Sometimes it has been a WiFi passcode and a booster and sometimes it has been a GSM SIM and a phone hotspot. It depends where you are. My 0.02 sailing San Francisco to New Zealand over three years.

Eric

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by FilBrown

There is a satellite service called Spot which allows you to send text messages and allows friends to track your voyages.
Apart from the initial cost to buy the kit it's around $150 for a years subscription.

spots interwebzz are via globalstar--unreliable and sloooowwww last time i researched. might be better now, but it also costs more than the tracker service which is 150 with emergency message capabilities.
i use the 150 usd annually tracker service, so momma can feed bubba should i disappear

[ranchero76]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Fleet broadband is about $18 per Mb. Won't be many cruisers who can afford that.

Inmarsat FleetBroadband

Inmarsat FleetBroadband Airtime (Post Pay) - Communication - MailASail

$130 for 15MB of data and 250min of voice. Actually, it's not too bad - 15MB should be enough to get weather updates (if done carefully). Other than that - it looks like it will take another 30 years to make Internet at sea affordable. Not surprising - all the money spent on weapons and wars

[BWSJWS]

The n word is Neptulink. It is antenna which picks up a 3G/4G/5G signal 20nm out from line of site of a cell tower and will boost a wifi signal all in one. Probably costs about 1500.00USD but for us who work every day on the internet and use video conferencing it is a must and well worth the expense. I have it mounted on a stainless steel pole at the aft of my 40ftOA custom Bruce Roberts cold molded cutter Ingenium AND when we do not have cell connectivity on our phones this will boost the signal and pick it up from further away. Especially out at sea. We are in Tenacatita right now.

[Livia]

We were surprised how often we found wifi in the Pacific. It depends a lot on how remote you like being. We spent months without internet in French Polynesia but that was because we were enjoying it.

By the time you get to Tonga/Fiji/New Cal you can get cellular internet when anchored near the main islands.

[JeffBurnes]

Try David Walker. He has a company called Wifi Onboard, which offers both WIFI and 4G/3G connectivity solutions for Marine purposes.

David has a background in telecommunications, he is a keen sailor and has spent a lot of time cruising in the Caribbean.

He will recommend a solution to suit your needs and provide the hardware.

http://www.wifionboard.co.uk/

[toddster8]

Expectations can be funny things. At least ten years ago, I helped relatives of a friend move back to PNW from Thailand. They were shocked at the primitive state of cellular coverage in the USA. "What do you mean, I can't tether my computer to my cell phone? What century are you living in?"
The US isn't exactly on the cutting edge of these things.

[LLizzard]

Here is the Neptulink brochure I found online
http://www.mvg-world.com/en/system/f...b_01_16_md.pdf

Here is a Cruising World article comparing various systems.
On Board WiFi: Get Connected | Cruising World

Seems like all of a sudden there are multiple options even before Musk and others roll out "low cost" satellite service.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by softdown

Spending an hour/day watching youtubes of liveaboards, I wonder where they get their internet connection. One fellow was paying $1.50/hour for Cuban internet cards that allowed usage. That would get expensive fast.

Back in the day, a buck & a half was inexpensive, and the blessing was it was there if you really needed it, and not there if you did not. Mostly, it was not needed.