impooving verizon connectivity to work from the boat

[phorvati]

I am trying to figure out a way to improve cell coverage while Im at the dock.


I need to be able to use a windows 10 laptop to VPN via a device that connects to a Verizon cell signal like 4G LTE. Both me and my wife have verizon service.

Im reading varying experiences with hot spots features that Verizon has on android or Ios based phones. One time I tried my wife's iphone hot spot and could not connect via VPN.



A while back i had a rooted galaxy 4s and that worked because I was able to install custom android ROM free of verizon crap.



Since my work is willing to pay up to 50$ per month for data service, my friend is saying get a mifi like the one from verizon

https://www.verizon.com/internet-dev...ck-mifi-6620l/
has anyone used this?



Second concept is that of boosting cell signal
has anyone used a 4G LTE cell booster at the top of the mast to improve coverage? With a booster do all verizon based devices get a boost or just one?

[svtrio]

I’ve attached a link that I saw on Panbo last night. You can search Panbo archives for similar info.

The Web is full of articles about this subject.

https://www.panbo.com/cel-fi-go-a-tr...-cell-booster/

Good luck.

Roger

[Tenedos]

First confirm where the problem is. Issue might be with the quality of the provider in your area (i.e. Verizon) or the quality of your connection. While cruising along the west coast last year, depending on which harbor/marina we were in, we encountered both scenarios and it tends to change depending on the area. And we used AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

If it is the former, just change the provider. If it is the latter, a signal booster will help. Here is a good article that covers it and some other options:

https://seabits.com/best-lte-antenna-booster-boat/

[phorvati]

Thanks. So I ordered a netgear lte modem. It appears its not a device recognized by verizon. But swapping an already active verizon phone sim card into netgear 4G lte modem LB1120, it will be active for whatever data plan was on the sim card. I just have to hope that VPN will work.

This might be off topic but when you purchase a plan with unlimited data how does verizon lock the hotspot feature in order to charge you for it? I hope it's on the phone. Assuming they gave you phone with all the verizon bloatware that locks your rights to use your data as you please.

[Tenedos]

Hotspot locking is a client-side feature, independent of the operator. Operator technically does not and cannot know if that connection is shared (though they can technically do some intelligent snooping on the network traffic, patterns, TTLs, user-agents, etc if they really want to, even then you can use a VPN to bypass it).

For example, if I put a tethering blocked SIM into an older Google Pixel, hotspot can be enabled but the same SIM in a newer Android phone or iPhone doesn't allow the same. Not sure what NetGear does.

Also heard mixed things about the performance of NetGear for 4G/LTE connections. Communication bands it supports are really important for getting a decent speed. Let us know what your impression is.

[Austin351]

I work for one of the Big 4 (now Big 3....) wireless companies.

Wireless boosters (less than a couple hundred $$) are generally a gimmick, although WiFi extenders do help but, these are two different things. If the signal strength isn't there or not optimal, you are S.O.L. (short of Verizon building another closer site or making azimuth and downtilt changes at the existing tower).

If you use the same dock / marina, ask around to fellow sailors / neighbors and see what wireless provider they are using and how the 4G LTE signal strength is. Obviously, Verizon isn't enough so perhaps T-Mobile, Sprint, or at&t will provide better? Find the best signal, ask a favor, and try to connect to it through your VPN. If successful, go out and by whatever providers MiFi / Hotspot and use that for your work.

[phorvati]

So I hooked up LB1120 with a previously activated verizon prepaid sim card. I am still at home in Providence RI, but I used that modem and was able to VPN into work without seeing any differences using my desktop PC.
I have 4 bars here on the modem so for whatever thats worth, it would be a great signal and likely not realistic elsewhere.

One issue i didn't look at in detail is that this modem does 4G bands 2,4,5 and 12. I read somewhere that verizon's "work-horse" band is 13, which is a bummer. Hopefully that has changed by now.

https://www.cellmapper.net/map is great as it gives you the bands each Verizon tower is using. Or you can see at&t and other as well.

This modem has the option to connect antenna. I guess next test would be to go for a drive and see how it works in places where signal is not as good and then see what i can get with a yagi setup.

[Austin351]

Yes, Band 13 (700 MHz) is the primary frequency block for Verizon's 4G LTE network. Band 2 (1900MHz) and Band 5 (850 MHz), have historically been used for 2G / 3G, but have also been used for LTE in certain areas but unfortunately, I am not that familiar with the RF planning east of Ohio so cannot guess on what Rhode Island is using.

Is your boat generally at the same marina / dock? If so, I will revert back to my initial comment about finding whatever wireless carrier works best there and buy their mifi. Otherwise, you could run yourself in circles trying to "make something work" that isn't / wasn't optimal. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

[Waterford]

I am a Verizon customer and have a Shakespeare SuperHALO cell amp on the boat. It works well to improve a weak signal, but there must be a signal to improve. No matter how much you amplify zero, it remains zero. I get zero signal in my marina with or without the amp.

[phorvati]

Originally Posted by Waterford

I am a Verizon customer and have a Shakespeare SuperHALO cell amp on the boat. It works well to improve a weak signal, but there must be a signal to improve. No matter how much you amplify zero, it remains zero. I get zero signal in my marina with or without the amp.

Did you mount antenna on the mast?

[phorvati]

So I just took a ride, down to the dock. I get two bars on the modem. No antenna. I am sitting in my car and was able to VPN into work etc. I did a bandwidth test and i get 12Mbps down and 10Mbps up. I am just wondering how much that slows down during the busy summer season when visitors arrive. Right now there are no visitors. But I am still to try with antennas, possibly mounting this little modem on a mast with RJ45 coming down to the wifi router inside the boat. A lot of my issues last year were the fact that cabin is essentially blow waterline and it really kills the signal on the phone.

[Waterford]

Originally Posted by phorvati

Did you mount antenna on the mast?

No mast -- I'm on a Nordic Tug 37. Antenna is on deck above pilot house. It would probably work much better if at the top of a mast.

[phorvati]

Originally Posted by Waterford

No mast -- I'm on a Nordic Tug 37. Antenna is on deck above pilot house. It would probably work much better if at the top of a mast.

Thats my plan. I'll get a waterproof box and mount the modem up there, then run rj45 down to a wifi router.

[Wind River]

Originally Posted by svtrio

I’ve attached a link that I saw on Panbo last night. You can search Panbo archives for similar info.

The Web is full of articles about this subject.

https://www.panbo.com/cel-fi-go-a-tr...-cell-booster/

Good luck.

Roger

Has anyone here actually tried the Cel-Fi Go-X? I am considering it for it's higher boost. I had a Wilson Amplifier home system in my rural home and it worked ok, as in, it did give me better connectivity but I had to practically be sitting with the indoor antenna in my ear with the phone to get that boost.

[CarlF]

I'm surprised you've had VPN problems. I use VPN all the time using an old iPhone 5s as a hotspot. We're an all Apple boat now so connecting are iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. But I'd suspect that your VPN problem was related to some incompatibility between the VPN provider and the other bits.

You're right that the surest way to kill data speed is to be inside the cabin. Just putting the hotspot under the dodger will make a world of difference (on top of the dodger on a sunny day). Raising it up the mast in a net bag is the best long rage solution.

I'd be really surprised if you had serious bandwidth problems in summer. Verizons LTE is built out pretty fully now. But you may have troubles because your new modem doesn't support 13. You can get a used Verizon branded mifi on Ebay for almost nothing.

We have an amplifier. It does help in very rare situations but really not enough to justify the cost.