WIFI Underway What are you using?

[man7sell]

I have just got a T Mobile home wifi (Not a hotspot), on the boat. It works great at the dock, but I want to use it cruising. My thought is to install an inverter connected to a dedicated 115 AC outlet.


What solutions are you guys using?

 

[Portage_Bay]

I have T-mobile with a plan that covers US, Canada and Mx. I use my cell as a hot spot, it works well as long as there is good cell coverage. For 100% coverage you'll need satellite service of some sort.

 

[High Wire]

T-Mobile Home Internet is what we use swinging on the hook or in marinas. We don't really try to use it while at cruise speed. Don't know if that will work. So far it has exceeded my expectations except for when the base station permanently crashed while in West Palm Beach. That's when we found that you can't just walk into any TMobile store and swap out the unit. You have to go through the 800 call center and order a unit to be shipped to a nearby store for pickup. When they call telling you to pick it up, check with the store first, then Uber to the store with the old unit.

 

[Dwk]

I have just got a T Mobile home wifi (Not a hotspot), on the boat. It works great at the dock, but I want to use it cruising. My thought is to install an inverter connected to a dedicated 115 AC outlet.


What solutions are you guys using?

Great idea. The T-Mobile base station doesn’t know it’s on a boat so if you have power to the unit …why not? Going to take our TMobile unit and give it go on our next local trip.

 

[man7sell]

Yes seems to work better than my Xfinity cable at home. Now I need to find out what wattage inverter I will need. No generators on my little boat.


It loos like it is a very low wattage 8 - 16 watts. If I add my laptop to the same outlet at around 130 watts then I think a 1000w inverter would be plenty.

 

[slowgoesit]

We tried the T-mobile wifi last year in Port Orchard, WA, and in Canada. It sucked. Now use Starlink, but who knows how long that will last?
Our Starlink is still the original Residential with Portability for $145/mo. It worked all the way down the coast from Cape Flattery (NW corner of WA State) to here in San Diego as long as we didn't get more than about 10 to 15 miles from land. Speed isn't a problem, as we ran about 7 kts. We may switch to Starlink, Mexico next week though.

 

[DBG8492]

Second the Starlink.

Have the newer RV model with US coverage and it works great everywhere we've been with it - which right now is limited to the ICW between Charleston and Fort Lauderdale.

Max speed of 7 knots underway without an issue. It even worked during the frequent thunderstorms that would always take the DirectTV offline back in the day. Granted we were docked at that point, but still...

 

[SteveK]

Starlink

 

[tiltrider1]

I had very good luck with a cellular hotspot in the USA. Unfortunately the plans were too limited to stream TV in Canada. For this reason I switched to Starlink.

If you are not streaming TV then you could very likely get by with a cellular hot spot. If you need a connection every day no matter were you are then I would look at starlink. If you cross borders or cruise offshore I would think Starlink.

 

[Lepke]

Original round Starlink.

In the past used Verizon going from Astoria to Alaska. Many dead areas, but did work within 25nm of an antenna. More where antennas were on hill tops.

 

[Bmarler]

I’ve been using the T-Mobile 5g home internet for a while now. I was an early adopter and have been very happy with it. I was warned that it would be geo fenced, but I haven’t seen that happen. Just using it in Puget sound, not gonna work in Canada. Works at 8 knots here, but there are some areas with spotty coverage.
When my old one crapped out, I was able to get a replacement at a satellite store, but had to mail the old one back.
When dealing with T-Mobile retailers, it’s best to find one of the corporate stores. They can do everything. The rest are just independent retailers and have limited ability to do almost anything but sign new customers.

 

[Don L]

I have a Starlink, but the 6 years before just used my cell phone and data plan. With the unlimited data plans cell phone works good except in the boonies.

 

[SHASA III]

We have the T-Mobile plan for the US, Canada and Mexico. For our iPhones & iPads, it worked fairly well in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea in Canada. Not perfect, but mostly useable.

Still planning on adding Starlink, once they come out with the smaller antenna this Fall, primarily for TV.

 

[Aquafarm]

We’ve been using the T-Mobile (home internet) all summer, up and down the canal and Lake Erie. Works great even while underway…plus cheapest option we’ve found around…super fast speeds. I keep wondering when they are going to squash traveling usage.

 

[O C Diver]

Starlink.

Priceless in Lake Superior. Not perfect, but I would rate "as advertised " 99+% of the time.

Ted

 

[Simi 60]

We used a $40 phone with removable/replaceable battery as a hotspot for 6 years
Batteries did swell and needed replacing every 18mth @ $11 a pop.

Only worked coastal, but there are several areas we cruised where there is no reception at all.

Then we got Starlink for 12 mths

But now back in cell range for several months I've shut down SL and bought a Tp-link TL-MR6400 modem for $120 and a data only Sim card
Works a treat and no more battery issues

 

[mpstan]

We used a $40 phone with removable/replaceable battery as a hotspot for 6 years
Batteries did swell and needed replacing every 18mth @ $11 a pop.

Only worked coastal, but there are several areas we cruised where there is no reception at all.

Then we got Starlink for 12 mths

But now back in cell range for several months I've shut down SL and bought a Tp-link TL-MR6400 modem for $120 and a data only Sim card
Works a treat and no more battery issues

Who'd you buy the sim card from? What's the monthly cost? Seems pretty straightforward

 

[Simi 60]

Who'd you buy the sim card from? What's the monthly cost? Seems pretty straightforward

100gb for $30/mth
No contract, change or bail at any time.

https://www.tangerinetelecom.com.au/internet/mobile-broadband#order-sims

 

[docvchulek]

We are using Calyx. Service is available throughout the US and Puerto Rico, and provides unlimited/unthrottled mobile internet for as long as the membership is active. 5G connectivity speeds with no geofencing like the T-Mobile plan. We have been pleased with it over the last three years using the same hotspot device.

The Calyx Institute is a public charity and a portion of your payment is tax-deductible. Your receipt will list the tax-deductible amount. I think ours was $250.

The cost is $750 for the first year, which includes a free 4G/5G Wi-Fi hotspot (MiFi X Pro 5G), and then just $500/year thereafter. That works out to about $42/month.


Check it out https://members.calyxinstitute.org

 

[Mako]

We tried the T-mobile wifi last year in Port Orchard, WA, and in Canada. It sucked.

I've been amazed at how bad T-Mobile's coverage really is and how drastically their "throttle back" is as well. When I was up in Port Orchard I noticed the same poor coverage. Over in Kennedy Space Center, the same.

It certainly pays to do some research on providers based on your preferred cruising grounds.

 

[Capt Ray]

+1 for having a 12vdc router / device, I am also one who knows that the ANTENNA(s) and their feedline are a key component to a good reliable, wireless network of any kind.

My set is pre-Starlink, but very reliable. Admittedly, overkill for most. But I'm a working IT professional working from the boat in coastal waters + Loop. Lots of Zoom meetings and occasional phone calls to an IP phone that used to be at my office at 5 Penn Plaza midtown Manhattan. (Can't use 911! LOL)

Disclaimer
Don't bother reading this unless you are a techie:

https://shellerina.com/network/

Ray

 

[fgarriso]

We have been using Verizon Hotspot for several years.

 

[mvweebles]

I've been amazed at how bad T-Mobile's coverage really is and how drastically their "throttle back" is as well. When I was up in Port Orchard I noticed the same poor coverage. Over in Kennedy Space Center, the same.



It certainly pays to do some research on providers based on your preferred cruising grounds.

I was raised in Utah and still spend a lot of time in the western states, much of it in very remote areas. When I was working, my company used Verizon. I have now been with T-Mobile for a few years due to cost. Verizon coverage in remote areas was significantly better. Seems whatever technology they use for buffering makes for a better hand-off between cell zones. But the cost for T-Mobile more than makes up for the inconvenience - my wife and I have a shared plan that is about the same as a single line on Verizon would be.

Onboard we use Starlink. The Mexico plan at $75 USD is a no-brainer. If I were still in San Francisco, would consider some sort of SIM card unless working remote (which would drive back to Starlink)

Peter

 

[slowgoesit]

I've been amazed at how bad T-Mobile's coverage really is and how drastically their "throttle back" is as well. When I was up in Port Orchard I noticed the same poor coverage. Over in Kennedy Space Center, the same.

It certainly pays to do some research on providers based on your preferred cruising grounds.

We also had issues with T-mobile in Port Orchard. Both cell and WIFI. Once we headed out toward the middle of the bay and got say 500 feet off the dock, it worked okay . . . . We cancelled both the cell and the WIFI. Both were no commitment as long as cancelled and returned the equipment.
Then, 8 months later, we started getting dunning notices that stated we owed them $500+ for "cancelling early". We've been disputing it, but apparently the written contract we have means nothing, only what there "system" say we owe them . . . .

We'll never use t-mobile again, ever.

 

[Mako]

I found a company which will rent Starlink Maritime. However, after about 2 weeks it becomes cheaper to just buy it outright. I don't like the new fees, but I do like that you can put service on hold and just use it on a monthly basis.

 

[Cargile]

Who'd you buy the sim card from? What's the monthly cost? Seems pretty straightforward

He is in Oz. Tangerine? They dance to a different drummer. Per chance he is gloating?

 

[rwidman]

I have just got a T Mobile home wifi (Not a hotspot), on the boat. It works great at the dock, but I want to use it cruising. My thought is to install an inverter connected to a dedicated 115 AC outlet.


What solutions are you guys using?

I have T-Mobile for my phones and a hot-spot for the boat. The people at T-Mobile told me that their "home WiFi" could not be used when travelling.

I suggest checking with them to make sure it will work from other locations before counting on it as your primary WiFi while cruising.

Personally, I have an inverter powering my AC outlets all the time so I could just plug it in if that was what I was using.

 

[rwidman]

I've been amazed at how bad T-Mobile's coverage really is and how drastically their "throttle back" is as well. When I was up in Port Orchard I noticed the same poor coverage. Over in Kennedy Space Center, the same.

It certainly pays to do some research on providers based on your preferred cruising grounds.

I used Verizon for many years until they pissed me off. T-Mobile was supposed to be as good and cheaper. Neither has turned out to be true. It's not cheaper, for sure.

I have no real hard way of comparing coverage, but it seems like T-Mobile has less complete coverage of the AICW and Chesapeake Bay than Verizon did.

 

[bumpkin]

I used the T mobile home wifi for a year and half with a cell extender. It was not perfect but it fit my budget, $50 per month. I was continually surprised where it would work and where it would not.

If you need to rely on the service to work, then pick a different one. It will fail at the most inopportune times. When I head back out, I will probably use it again as it was mostly good enough and wonderful at times.

Mike

 

[Mako]

I could get cell service 10nm out of the port of Doha, but the antennae were mounted on top of high rises. What sort of range does the extender give you?