Internet connection while offshore

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airborne1

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I realise that this subject may have been covered by other posts but would like to get the latest opinions.
I am going to fit a Wi-fi enabled Laptop for the boat. I know I will be able to use it in "Hotspot" places such as some marinas but what about if I cruise offshore for a while??
Is there any technology that I can plug into the Laptop so that I can connect to e-mails, internet browsing, etc while out of hotspot coverage but still within mobile phone range??
I have heard about G3 technology but that seems to require a contract with one of the phone networks whilst I already have a BT internet account. If this is true then which network is "best value for money" ??
 
It depends on your phone. Most phones now have a "data" facility, where they behave like your computer's modem, and can be used for internet access. The computer will connect to the phone using Bluetooth, IR or USB - see the pnone manual for details. Sometimes you will have to buy an extra adaptor kit for the phone to do this. Most networks can use GPRS data connections without needing a contract, however this offers a slow data rate and is not much use for anything involving images or other content - OK for emails though. Much faster is G3 - this offers near Broadband speeds (they claim!), but you will probably need a suitable contract to use this. Like Broadband, you do not pay for the connection time, but you do pay for the amount of data transferred. Most enabled phones will use G3 where available and drop back to GPRS otherwise.

(added this bit) G3 availability is limited. Not all the UK is covered (I'm not sure why). Also, if you go international, only a few countries offer G3, although almost all offer some GPRS service. Read the small print - the costs can be quite high!

I think I got that right - I'm sure someone will correct me if not!
 
MikeF2 pretty much summed it up.
I use a Nokia phone connected to the PC by a serial cable to a USB port. My service provider is Vodafone; and I use a pre-paid card (no contract) and GPRS connection. This works O.K. but is very, very slow.
I did a few tests during the summer and it cost me about 3 or 4 euros to download a weather map from www.mediterraneanweather.com website.
It's pretty easy to set up: you need to set your phone to "data" and in the case of Nokia their modem software does the connection configuration for you.
If you have a portable PC then you need to either use the infa-red connection to a phone, a bluetooth connection or a cable connection.
To sum up: it does work with GPRS but is slow and quite expensive, but if like me you only want a weather map every couple of days or so then it is a simple solution.

Alan.
 
Couple of points.

The data facility on most cheap phones is either non existent, or or of no use. Your mobile phone needs connectivity via cable or Bluetooth, and to be able to act as a data modem, AND TO BE RECOMMENDED as a data modem!

Not all UK networks will allow modem style connectivity on a Pay As You Go SIM. They will all connect via the networks WAP gateway for browsing on the mobile, but you need it opening up to the networks Internet Access Point to connect to the www and send / recieve internet based mail (POP / IMAP etc.). Check with your provider. You will be very lucky if the PAYG customer service operator will have a clue what you are talking about!

Beyond a standard Data Phone, the means to connect it to your PC and a suitable SIM, you could also consider a Third Generation (3G, not G3) data phone. This will allow a much faster download speed in 3G areas. The reason these do not give full coverage is because we demand cheap subscriptions and calls. After the £23 Billion the networks spent on UK 3G licences, the further £100's of millions to give 90% + 3G coverage has not yet been spent. 3G looks destined to be offered to the 60 to 70% of populated landmass, with handsets operating in dual 3G / 2G mode. Don't expect too uch residual 3G coverage ofshore therefore.

A suitable handset will operate in WCDMA mode (3G) if available and could potentialy run at 384K bps. It will drop back to GPRS (2G) if 3G is not available. This would run at between 0 bps if the network is busy, up to typically 50Kbps if the network is quiet (software consoles sometimes report speeds available of 80+Kbps, but don't bank on it).

Finally, using a suitable phone as above may cost you between £1 and £4 per Mb sent and recieved. Alternatively a 3G data card would come with a data only subscription costing between £0.10 and £1.00 per Mb (typical UK rates).

Back to the original posting. If you want any sort of guarantee of a data link off-shore, get a Satellite phone package. Data rates are slow, costs are high, but they put satellites in space to give you coverage. Most come as standard with data subscriptions and connectivity cables.
 
Offshore, outside telephone range, you really only have three options for email:
- satphone and data kit, Iridium for global coverage
- SSB radio, Pactor modem and a contract with one of the email providers
- Inmarsat

Cheapest is SSB but forget Web browsing on any of the systems. SSB requires a Long Range Radio Certificate and if you take the satellite endorsement at the same time it covers Inmarsat.
 
Re: Couple of points.

[ QUOTE ]
Alternatively a 3G data card would come with a data only subscription costing between £0.10 and £1.00 per Mb (typical UK rates).

[/ QUOTE ]

Ooo, that sounds nice. Does anyone make a USB one? (My Mac doesnt have a poxy card slot)
 
KellysEye (I used to be known as that!)

Am I right in thinking that you can still use an SSB for an email service without a LRC as long as its only a receiver? Do you actually need a "tranceiver" to get that facility?

Pops
 
You need a transceiver (and a licence) because just like a normal ISP you need to log on to a server to get your email. I suppose if you had a ham radio friend it might be possible for him to just transmit emails at a set time every day but I've no idea what equipment/software would be needed at the ham end - obviously you'd just need a receiver and modem (and laptop and software). But then you couldn't send mail...
 
Re: Couple of points.

Don't know why you say an IR connection is no good. I have been using an old Nokia with IR toconnect to local service providers (currently vodaphone.es) and it works perfectly - albeit at a data transfer rateof just 9.6kps. (This is just th standard data rate, not GRPS, which as someone pointed out is not generally available on PAYG contracts)

Although the data rate is abysmal it is cheap enough to download a few e-mails - PROVIDED you have trained everyone to not send you attachments, HTML e-mail etc. You need to either get someone onshore to manually filter andforward your e-mail to a new address you set up just for offshore or you need something like a Mailasail account, which will automatically sgtrip attachmenets and HTML for you.

Out of GMS range Iridium with a data kit provides global coverage, and used in conjunction with a Sailamail or Direct Internet (Irisium's own offering) account offers a reasonable way of downloading e-mail or requesting and receiveing GRIB files for weather information. Typically I can download half a dozen e-mails in less than two minutes. Still needs to be used sparingly though. Shop around for Iridium deals . . . they vary a lot.

- Nick
 
I use an Option Globetrotter data card with an Orange PAYG 2G sim and get GPRS unlimited for a day for £1 in the UK.

If you are going to use it a lot only in the UK the current best deals are with T-Mobile.... Web n Walk plus or max on a contract to use it officially on your laptop.. this would get 3G speeds of up to 384 Kb/s which feels like broadband or, if your card is HSDPA, and you get T Mobile to enable your sim, you can get up to 1.8Mb/s. With this, you probably wouldnt need to bother with WiFi... as long as you get a T Mobile signal where you are. I think this deal can include a data card, (obviously locked to T-Mobile).

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/Dispatcher?menuid=pp_webnwalk_laptop
 
we got a 3G card from T mobile this summer.£20 monthly on a 18 month contract.Nearly unlimited downloads for normal use,so far so good.Previously used bluetooth phone and O2 or Vodaphone but this is loads quicker and cheaper.
 
You can also use the Thuraya DSL system. Its a satellite broadband DSL connection. Theoretically it will give you access anywhere via satellite at speeds up to 256k. Cost of data is $6 per meg. Cost of equipment is £1700. Plugs into your computer via LAN card.

It can be incredibly frustrating sometimes and work fine others. The Thuraya company themselves are useless but if you get the right service provider they will bridge between you and Thuraya to get things sorted out. I've been using one for 6 months with varying degrees of success and would say its ok for weather, email, basic comms and browsing etc but not for more business type applications.
 
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