jungpeter
Guru
Not having any response from this issue in the Electrical and Electronics forum, I'm posting this here:
I'm trying to come to grips with the realities of obtaining WWW access in "the boonies". So, where are MY boonies??? My areas of concern are from the British Columbia (BC) border of Washington State, north through BC, and throughout Southeast Alaska (SEAK). For background, I travel aboard SPIRIT BEAR (a 40' Pacific Trawler) from my home waters of Puget Sound into BC often throughout the year. Less often, but for longer periods of time, I travel through BC and into SEAK. My favored cellular provider in WA State is Verizon, with whom I've had a 20-year association.
My need for access to the Internet while afloat is not data-centric. By that, I do NOT do video downloads to my cellphone or IPad, listen to Internet music, post to social media sites, send huge photo files to blog sites, etc when underway in either BC or SEAK. I DO like to download GRIB files for weather prediction, text weather reports from Environment Canada and NOAA, search out services via the WWW when in major ports of call and send/receive email when afloat.
I am aware of the ability to generate a WiFi signal (to grab the WWW when needed) from my cell phone and Jetpack (when I have connectivity). I'm aware of the availability of WiFi boosters to boost the presence of a WiFi signal received via cellular connectivity, or generated externally from a nearby WiFi source (marinas, for instance). I've poked into satellite-generated WiFi, and more conventional satellite services. But I'm still confusitcated.
My best guess on how to solve my conundrum is to:
a. Keep Verizon as my local hometown cellular provider, but perhaps suspending service while I'm off cruising. I will continue to use Verizon when back in Washington State.
b. Buy a prepaid Telus or Rogers (the BC local providers of cellular service) SIM card, and manually exchange my Verizon SIM card when I cross the Canadian border northbound. My guess is this will maximize my connectivity (i.e. provide more signal strength) when in BC. And, if I exceed my data limit in the time I'm "in country", I will simply be SOL until I can re-up my card. Note I'd use this card for roughly one month northbound, followed by a (typically) two month hiatus while in SEAK, and then again for another month on my southbound leg of a trip to/from Washington to SEAK.
c. Buy a prepaid AT&T SIM card for use in SEAK, and change out my Telus (for instance) SIM card accordingly, to maximize my connectivity while in SEAK. I'd need this card for roughly two months while in SEAK.
d. I'm assuming I can buy prepaid SIM cards without having to buy the "burner phone" that comes from these various providers, and stuff these SIM cards into my own IPhone and/or IPad. It's not intuitively obvious that's the case, if you venture onto their respective web sites for info...
Note that Verizon, as a cellular provider (even with an "International Data Plan" for use in BC) is (IMHO) absolutely useless once you cross the US border northbound. Per Verizon Tech Support, they have no idea why data roaming within BC provides such lousy connectivity in-country. They blame the AT&T infrastructure within SEAK as "incompatible" with Verizon technology. Net result-Verizon is a LOUSY cellular provider in western BC.
Any other advice?
Regards,
Pete
I'm trying to come to grips with the realities of obtaining WWW access in "the boonies". So, where are MY boonies??? My areas of concern are from the British Columbia (BC) border of Washington State, north through BC, and throughout Southeast Alaska (SEAK). For background, I travel aboard SPIRIT BEAR (a 40' Pacific Trawler) from my home waters of Puget Sound into BC often throughout the year. Less often, but for longer periods of time, I travel through BC and into SEAK. My favored cellular provider in WA State is Verizon, with whom I've had a 20-year association.
My need for access to the Internet while afloat is not data-centric. By that, I do NOT do video downloads to my cellphone or IPad, listen to Internet music, post to social media sites, send huge photo files to blog sites, etc when underway in either BC or SEAK. I DO like to download GRIB files for weather prediction, text weather reports from Environment Canada and NOAA, search out services via the WWW when in major ports of call and send/receive email when afloat.
I am aware of the ability to generate a WiFi signal (to grab the WWW when needed) from my cell phone and Jetpack (when I have connectivity). I'm aware of the availability of WiFi boosters to boost the presence of a WiFi signal received via cellular connectivity, or generated externally from a nearby WiFi source (marinas, for instance). I've poked into satellite-generated WiFi, and more conventional satellite services. But I'm still confusitcated.
My best guess on how to solve my conundrum is to:
a. Keep Verizon as my local hometown cellular provider, but perhaps suspending service while I'm off cruising. I will continue to use Verizon when back in Washington State.
b. Buy a prepaid Telus or Rogers (the BC local providers of cellular service) SIM card, and manually exchange my Verizon SIM card when I cross the Canadian border northbound. My guess is this will maximize my connectivity (i.e. provide more signal strength) when in BC. And, if I exceed my data limit in the time I'm "in country", I will simply be SOL until I can re-up my card. Note I'd use this card for roughly one month northbound, followed by a (typically) two month hiatus while in SEAK, and then again for another month on my southbound leg of a trip to/from Washington to SEAK.
c. Buy a prepaid AT&T SIM card for use in SEAK, and change out my Telus (for instance) SIM card accordingly, to maximize my connectivity while in SEAK. I'd need this card for roughly two months while in SEAK.
d. I'm assuming I can buy prepaid SIM cards without having to buy the "burner phone" that comes from these various providers, and stuff these SIM cards into my own IPhone and/or IPad. It's not intuitively obvious that's the case, if you venture onto their respective web sites for info...
Note that Verizon, as a cellular provider (even with an "International Data Plan" for use in BC) is (IMHO) absolutely useless once you cross the US border northbound. Per Verizon Tech Support, they have no idea why data roaming within BC provides such lousy connectivity in-country. They blame the AT&T infrastructure within SEAK as "incompatible" with Verizon technology. Net result-Verizon is a LOUSY cellular provider in western BC.
Any other advice?
Regards,
Pete