Hot Spot onboard

mrming said:
If I was the OP I would just buy a mi-fi device and be done with it. Yes you can repeat wireless hotspots from marinas, cafes etc, and yes, if you know what you are doing you can cobble together a cheap solution to do this. You also have to get off your a*** and go and get the username and password each time.

However, in this case the OP is not technical, and the fact that he is willing to spend a fairly hefty sum of money on a "marine" solution suggests that he is not on a tight budget.

I would therefore recommend buying a mi-fi for 40 quid or so and splashing out on a few pay as you go SIM cards with data for the relevant countries he intends to visit. It will be a long time before he reaches anywhere near the £570 which he is considering paying for the Digital Yacht product.
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I find this sound advice for the OP given the admitted lack of technical skill. Just make sure its an 'unlocked' MiFi device to circumvent difficulties when changing country and supplier of SIMs. WiFi extenders have become less useful for internet connectivity when on the move for several reasons; mainly increased security, poor range and performance. Over the last couple of years I've rarely used mine because the SIM/MiFi solution is more reliable, faster and cheap enough not to need to.
 
Someone up-thread mentioned tethering as being a Bluetooth connection between phone and computer, and restricted to one computer at a time. In my experience, that is not the case.
Between us, SWMBO and I have had three different types of Android phone- a Samsung, a Huawei, and a Sony. All were able to be used as a 'tethered' hotspot, by simply going into the menu. No problems connecting a laptop or various tablets to it. The connection is by wifi, not Bluetooth.
My smartphone costs me £7.50 a month and used in this way gives me 500gb mobile internet on my laptop and/or ipad, as well as being used as a phone. Why does the answer to mobile internet have to be any more complicated or expensive than this?
 
Mavanier said:
Someone up-thread mentioned tethering as being a Bluetooth connection between phone and computer, and restricted to one computer at a time. In my experience, that is not the case.
Between us, SWMBO and I have had three different types of Android phone- a Samsung, a Huawei, and a Sony. All were able to be used as a 'tethered' hotspot,..
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That was me in post #16. You're right. It's because smartphone makers have redefined the word 'tethering' - as they did with 'dongle' - or perhaps widened it. Since the '90s (possibly earlier) it's been used for a mobile phone used as a modem and 'tethered' to a computer - initially by cable. Later phones could also be used as a 'hotspot' to connect several computers by wifi. I have a Nokia that will do either.

Operators sometimes ban 'tethering' with a particular SIM. By that they probably mean using a browser in a device which is not the one with the SIM in - which catches either case.

The terminology used in this area is potentially confusing. It's like 'router' - the common meaning of which has changed as technology developed.
 
I use a cheap spare mobile phone with a three sim as a hotspot, easy and low power draw, lower than the alfa r36 which gets used for wifi. Also gets used for net access on the move as the tablet is wifi only.
 
TonyBuckley said:
500gb? A month?
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Yup. Not trying to be a salesman here, but Talkmobile (Vodafone network) will give you a decent budget smartphone on a 24mo contract, with 500gb, 250mins, 5000txt, for £7.50 a month. Other operators have similar deals, e.g. tesco for £7 but you don't get a handset with that one.
 
Mavanier said:
Yup. Not trying to be a salesman here, but Talkmobile (Vodafone network) will give you a decent budget smartphone on a 24mo contract, with 500gb, 250mins, 5000txt, for £7.50 a month. Other operators have similar deals, e.g. tesco for £7 but you don't get a handset with that one.
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You had me rushing over to the talkmobile site then! I think you mean 500mb. Still not too bad but a 1000 times less than 500gb.

http://www.talkmobile.co.uk/tariffs/plans-with-phones?PHPSESSID=dg4g4s4of6c3igm2q8an4ksqg0
 
Mavanier said:
My smartphone costs me £7.50 a month and used in this way gives me 500gb mobile internet on my laptop and/or ipad, as well as being used as a phone. Why does the answer to mobile internet have to be any more complicated or expensive than this?
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The OP wants internet in the Med not the UK. Data roaming will cost (a lot) more. A contract with a local SIM may not be econonic. A local PAYG SIM may not offer 'tethering' - however you define that.

There isn't a simple answer,
 
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