Computer/Laptop/ISP survey

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pgurnett

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Firstly, may I congratulate captslarty on his recent owners survey, ( dont want to fall out with him!) I would be interested to know if members who are actually living onboard use either Laptops or PC's or any other medium to connect to the net please. Also the number of users ( If any) that use PCMCIA ( express Cards)? and which provider and costs etc. For instance capt slarty is in northern spain, how do you connect to this forum sir?
Your views would be appreciated.
Oh.... this is not for a dissertation, nor for a design project, nor to make any financial gain.

"go ahead, DEFINE what you mean in normal terms, what you are trying to do.. forget the flowery pc terms from uni, lay it down dood... then, you MAY get a response,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
PS: I did think that this was rather.............................. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif"
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Regards,
Paul.
 
Hi Paul..... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

any isp thats free preferably!.
external usb wifi with detachable antenna, linked to a high gain antenna, with an amp if necessary, and mounted high above the mizzen mast top.
The issue with getting the beast high is you need cable, either antenna or usb extention or cat5. given a choice between usb extention or antenna cable (coax) usb wins hands down, the losses in even Belden 400 cable are horrendous at 2.4 Ghz.

Due to the above the use of pcmcia or slot2 is out for me due to the need for long coax runs.

Good programs to have too, Netstumbler, free, do a google...
Skype, superb. free to other skype uses. a few cents a min from spain to uk landlines etc, also same to Canada to my bro.\

ps, pcmcia stands for ... "personal computer managers cant interpret acronyms"

Laid down dood..... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Hi Grehan,
No I do not have a boat @ the mo. I am getting one next year when I retire. Have looked @ the options and thanks to capt.slarty and his survey I have decided to get a Bavaria. I have not sailed for 10 years so I was " dipping my toe into the water" with regard to ISP/connection views etc.
So, will you share??? what do you use? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Regards,
Paul.
 
ok, yes we use use (ordinary notebook) computers on board rather a lot. Two for normal stuff and one for navigation only (it's a small old Tosh bought cheap via eBay that only runs Windows 2000, but needs nothing more to run the nav software, load the charts and connect the GPS).
We started off connecting to GPRS via Vodafone Connect thingy PCMCIA computer data card, (which worked great technically), but regular YBW members will know, how painful and expensive THAT was. Never again. (calm, calm)
We have managed well using cyber cafes in France and Spain, many of which will allow you to connect your own machine. In Gib the marina has a WiFi service, YachtConnect, which also works well and provides an on-board connection.
Back in France we've got a (free) WiFi connection from our capitainerie although before that happened this week we went up to the local hotel and logged on there. Here in a fairly small French town (big village) there are five internet connection places, including the Tourist Office (which is also the most expensive!).
We're looking at a WiFi aerial to boost our options when moving, and also getting a French mobile network data SIM (Orange is recommended) to go in our Option Technology card. But we have to get a French bank account first . . .
Here we just connect via Wanadoo (recently bought by Orange) and send via smtp.wanadoo.fr so no need for AOL type nonsense (ugh, horrible, take it away). But we do have email addresses and websites, and they're fixed up / hosted with ISP www.34sp.com (recommended).
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi Grehan,
No I do not have a boat @ the mo. I am getting one next year when I retire. Have looked @ the options and thanks to capt.slarty and his survey I have decided to get a Bavaria. I have not sailed for 10 years so I was " dipping my toe into the water" with regard to ISP/connection views etc.
So, will you share??? what do you use? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Regards,
Paul.

[/ QUOTE ]

nice one Paul, one of the few that accepts that I dont have a downer on bavs or awbs, its horses for courses as I said.
I am really glad you came to that conclusion.

better go now before I get accused of something like a downer on Volvo engines.. lol, now THATS another story.. for another day /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
SSB + Pactor 3 via Winlink and Sailmail
Wifi - various antennae, adaptors and relays including a 26dB yagi (Tx power throttled, Cap'n and very directional /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif) I never use open wifi links on a regular basis - mostly for emails and for use with the the Palm TX PDA, cos I think it's bad manners to do so
GPRS with Yoigo/Vodaphone 1.3 Euros per day max unlimited on PAYG so can't be caught as you were, Jim /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
For email have own domains for business

I am waiting fro WiMax - when's that coming?
 
On the whole, if it's free it's not legal, (not always, but often), so you have to put your own aerial up and see what happens.

The marina wifi in Lagos, Portugal is fairly cheap if you access it through Boingo

A few places around majorca have cheap access

http://hotesport.com/pre/local.php

I used it in Portocolom and it was fast and cheap, (30 euros for 30 days)

Mobile data sims in Italy are as good as anything. WIND 30 euros per month for 5GB. TIM 25 euros per month for 9GB, (not useable between 9am-5pm Mon-Fri).

In Spain I used a Yoigo sim for unlimited GPRS at 1.4 euros per day.

In Malta I am using go mobile on a monthly contract, (hefty deposit required), and get 5Gb for about £36 per month.
 
In Coruna, the only open one is called - internet, there are many other open aps but not with an asigned gateway, this is actually the cafe behind the port building. There are plenty of houshold aps with no security, but they are often only on for a few hours so not worth bothering with.. Darsena Deportiva keep talking about installing wifi in coruna, but they have been talking about ot for years, one day they MIGHT get it.

Use a product called netstumbler (free ) and use it to search for aps, look at encryption etc..
 
[ QUOTE ]
Use a product called netstumbler (free ) and use it to search for aps, look at encryption etc..

[/ QUOTE ]

Have you tried/managed to get netstumbler to identify the location/bearing/distance of APs using GPS? I can get it to identify my own position, but it also gives all the APs that same position?
 
Hi - we use an apple mac, and 2 PCs, all laptops. We have a wide range of connection mechanisms depending on country and cost. Running a business from the boat, we rely on the ability to get to email and web pretty regularly.

Best solution when we can find it is free, unsecured wifi of course. Port Napoleon provides this, as does Puerto Gelves and one or two other places we have been. In some, eg Puerto Americas Cup Valencia, there is free access from two terminals in the capitanerie. Also, sometiems, there are unsecured private networks, but it is illegal to use them. We hhave a little stick called a Zydel which picks up networks and tells you if they are locked, which saves lugging your computer around. (We have even used it to help define where to drop the hook and be in range.)

Then there's PAYG wifi - often very expensive, but can be useful if you have a particularly large doc to send/download and other solutions won't work. It is particularly dear in the UK, though in some places local deals with eg BT are bringing town centre wfi zones to a more rational price.

Antenna are an ongoing issue. We have a little Netlink one we rig up with a parabolic antenna assist. (This is posh speak for a small wok with a hole cut in the bottom. Feed the antenna (which looks like a bulky memory stick) through the hole and position to get the most reflection off the wok. Point at wifi transmitter. Attach USB extension cable (not ore than 2-3m long) and plug in.) We continually research for a hi-gain antenna that will work with a mac as well as a pc, but such a thing does not yet exist.

We also have two phone based solutions:

(i) the new vodafone mobile connect with which I'm very impressed so far. It's pretty reliable, and works with an apple. What it doesn't seem to do, though we're still working on this, is to enable us to use the same gizmo on both the apple and the PC 9at different times of course). They do a UK package at £25pcm for 3 gb (essentially unltd) and a roaming one for £95pcm. The latter is expensive but v effective for our plans over the next year which include France, Italy, Hong Kong, US and NZ, and we plan to transfer to that when we take off in a few weeks.

(ii) an orange connection to GPRS and data bundle. This has worked very well, incluidng their roaming rates, for some years. However, the EU decision on call costs significantly disadvantaged the specific package I had negotiated with them over the years, and this is now less good value than it was. It has at times been very useful however.

The last, and very effective alternative is a memory stick, a reliable webmail (eg gmail) and internet cafes/local libraries. We were anchored for 2 weeks in Camarinas waiting out rough weather at Finisterre, and the local library had free access. I could do some necessary business stuff that way and it was fine. Sure - it wasn't on the boat, but time was what we had in abundance.

Oh - and we download weatherfaxes on to one pc via the SSB.

So - horses for courses. We are not techies and don't dabble in this stuff for fun (as many do) but have worked out a range of mobile solutions over the years. What you do will of course depend on your needs, location and budget.

HTH
 
I use vodafone uk and t-mobile uk sims in my options card and they work fine. These are pay as you go sims so no bank account needed. I have pay as you go sims for france and spain too but not tried in the options card yet - should be ok I think. Have a look here for long range wifi - www.thewifishop.net . Fast service and no problems with delivery to marina.
 
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