internet on board

[jp_riva_maniac]

Hello,
Planning to cruise the med and live on board.
I am in the happy situation where I can run my business from my laptop computer.
I need reliable internet connection (mail, download files etc.).
What is the best way (I am on AOL)to go ?
I have a GPRS mobile phone with the French Orange system, not very happy with it, is satellite communication the way to go ? Calls DO cost an arm and a leg.
Any advice welcome. Thank you.
J-P

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[PLEK]

I use aol with a local access number and either Gprs or gsm whichever I can get to work.To date I have only used the uk telephone services but intend to get a french sim card.All of this works fine most of the time but is expensive and I have developed a pattern of only using the laptop on the boat to write emails offline then send them and to download direct to my PFC.

If there is a lot of internet work to do I go and find an internet cafe.

Good luck

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[topsi81]

I heared that there is a possibility to receive internet via wireless communication. You need to buy a special modem or something with which to receive and send. After that there are some firms which provide internet especially in the area of the Atlantic on a very good price. I can't tell names, but I thnik some time ago I read in this forum for them.
The only problem with this was that you need a very good aerial and a reasonable source ot power (12V I think). But the price ot the internet was good!

Good Luck!

PS If you find something please tell!

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[diasmuu]

I think that you will find that a wireless LAN system is not an option as it requires a central node,ie a server in a harbour. the range is also extreemly short and there arnt many harbours with a wireless LAN system. We have a network in my home harbour, whitch is cheap and just as fast as a 'land line' network, but one cannot be more than about a kilometer from the server antenna, so it's fine when at home but not of any use while out and about.

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[DavidJ]

I'm on AOL and use a SFR sim card in France and a Wind card in Italy. It's slow so download the French access number that you require in the UK
I use 0170270123 which is a national number for France and in the set up use 'AOLnet' In Italy I have to use 'AOLGlobalnet'
Expect to pay about €0.5 a minute for a slow connection.
In Italy, and may be the same for France now, You have to register a permanent address (even for a pay as you go card). Your marina berth number won't do, so you need a friendly local who is willing to sponsor you (at no risk to himself)
hope this help
David


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[rrees]

Depending on you budjet you could use BGAN
Internet via a small Sat dish looks like a Laptop
Runs at 144K both ways and costs about $10 per Mb
Used it while I was crusing between Athens and France
Has coverage of all of med even while I was on the move mid way between Greece and Italy 100miles off shore where no mobile network would work

Richard


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[Abigail]

We're exploring three additional possibilities:

(i) own URL and web based email so can take advantage of local ISPs and phone rates without having to change email address
(ii) using the smaller fleet satellites that are due to come out in the autumn, which are the 'leisure' version of what they use on commercial fleets. (If you're staying in the BGAN area it might not be worth it to you) Of course - the best time to buy technology is always tomorrow.
(iii) using one of the squaremile type services. Our marina is just getting this and if it works (we't exploring for when we move aboard in 2 weeks) would undoubtedly be cheaper ove rthe next few months than a landline, let alone a mobile.

Incidentally, as I also am running a business from a laptop, all this is tax deductible.



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[seashaw]

"Our marina is just getting this" just out of interest where is this
Mark

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[Abigail]

Brighton - which is a premier marina. They say they're putting it into all premier marinas.

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[Danthegorrila]

Hi,

Do you want internet access or e-mail access?
We have just sorted things out with Kiel Radio ( the European version of Sail Mail)
which allows you to send and recieve e-mails through an SSB onboard. 300 euros a year and no other costs and with arrangements they say you can get coverage from Florida to India.

I think they have some sort of deal that lets you use the internet but it is slow and maybe expensive so we did not bother with this. You can get weather fax through the SSB too.

Kiel Radio maybe worth checking www.kielradio.de
also try Bob Smith at www.yachtcom.co.uk he the UK agent.

Hope to see you out there

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[rrees]

Another option I am looking at is to Buy a wirless AP and card for my Laptop
Then whenever you are in a marine you could negitiate with the local cyber cafe to put your AP in there cafe and connect to it from the boat
This way you are not taking up room at the cafe and hopefully both parties would be happy if you negotiate a good rate.

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[mikewilkes]

Have you got a web address for this BGAN thingy and is it user friendly to some one who is virtually computer illegitimate.
Mike

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[rrees]

look at the inmarsat site
Its very easy to use connects via the usb port of your Laptop and an applicatin tells you which direction to point it and angle to set BGAN terminal has a built in compass but you dont need to be that accurate

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[mikewilkes]

Many thanks will look at that.
Mike

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[ponapay]

In the Baltic I use

AOL and a local SIM card in my mobile. Its easy but not cheap, there are additional charges from AOL and the data speed is slow.

I download the e-mails direct to PFC and write off line and send in batches.

When alongside it is easier and cheaper to use an internet cafe.

Please let me know if you find anything easier.

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[JOHNAMOR]

Like you I can work anywhere provided I can be in good contact with my business - so spend around 8 months per year away from the UK.

I have been using my mobile (currently 02) linked to laptop for the past 4 years and works without problems for fax, email and internet. But it is expensive - even with a good tariff from 02 it still means around 75p per minute and only runs at max. of 9.5K. And if you are really far away (I am out in the Maldives for 2 months each year (regretably not with my boat!) and last winter the charge dropped to only £1.50 per minute (was £4.60 the year before) it obviously becomes rather major - my bill can be over £500 per month.

But Vodafone have recently come out with something new called a Connect Card. Its a little red plastic card wich slots into your laptop and then receives/transmits without use of a mobile connection. The 2 main benefits are:
1. It runs at the same speen as a normal UK landline and
2. You are charged not by time but by Mb up/down loaded - reading, thinking and typing time are online but free!

Have had mine for about 6 weeks and it works fine. Copst was around £150, monthly charge around £5 (no, whilst most of the shops will tell you otherwise you do not have to have a Vodophone mobile - telephone their telesales direct) and you then pay around £2.50 per Mb. But that's in the UK. What they do not tell you is that when you use it abroad its around £8 per Mb (around £5 until end of Sep provided that you use thier European "partners") which came as a bit of a surprise when the first bill came in!

But it's still a lot better than anything I have used before and still less expensive than anything sat. based. Works anywhere you can get a mobile signal but obviously no good way offshore.

John

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[mdrifter]

Just curious, why not SailMail instead of Kiel, please?

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[colvic]

We have been using a PC whilst in Spanish Med waters for the last four years. We use a Nokia 6110 with the Nokia data suite and are able to do all the internet stuff, send AND receice faxes as well as emails. Originally with Cellnet (O2) then purchased a Telefonica simm card and now connect to Spanish ISP TELEPOLIS for under 4p a min. Though only 9.6Kbs, we can click on the internet icon, down load the graphic and text weatherforecast and be off line again in under a minute.

Which ever country you are visiting, it would seem that your best option is to buy a local simm card and find a local ISP. When you install the foreign ISP you would need your UK link to AOL to get you on line in the first place, but once installed you use the local ISP as your default.

If you do buy local simm cards, then you could always use the local AOL dial up number and not bother with foreign ISP's. TISCALI have an ISP in France, Spain Italy that I know of.

Phil

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