Poor 4G Mobile Signal and Non Existent WiFi.

[Ian_Rob]

Our swinging mooring location is great but the 4G mobile signal is invariably non-existent.

I have tried a Digital Yacht 3G/4G router with two separate external MiMo aerials without success. Where do I go from here?

Somebody I have spoken with is confident that a Poynting OMNI 402 and a better router ( a Telonika RUT ) will work but I don’t want to lash out more cash only to find it doesn’t.

I would like to be able to access the marina‘s WiFi but it’s 1100 metres away and shielded by trees.

 

[RobbieW]

I'd try the Poynting antenna with the existing router first. The Teltonika is nothing special.

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Our swinging mooring location is great but the 4G mobile signal is invariably non-existent.

I have tried a Digital Yacht 3G/4G router with two separate external MiMo aerials without success. Where do I go from here?

Somebody I have spoken with is confident that a Poynting OMNI 402 and a better router ( a Telonika RUT ) will work but I don’t want to lash out more cash only to find it doesn’t.

I would like to be able to access the marina‘s WiFi but it’s 1100 metres away and shielded by trees.

At that range and "Wooding" I think you will be lucky with what ever you try. I assume you are tidal so the "Wooding" will increase with tidal action, increasing on low water and possibly a week signal on high. Is the Marina access point transmission at a fixed height or does that go up and down twice a day?

 

[ylop]

Have you tried different sims/networks? We currently have Gifgaff (o2), Vodafone, Three, users on board and notice that who gets 4G chops and changes with location.

 

[Sandy]

It sounds like you are mixing up 4g and WiFi.

Check your 4g providers coverage map, it will not be detailed, but give you some idea if you can get a signal. Over a kilometer for Wifi is 'asking rather a lot of it', if shielded by trees you have no chance.

The only alternative is to move the boat/mooring.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

It sounds like you are mixing up 4g and WiFi.

Check your 4g providers coverage map, it will not be detailed, but give you some idea if you can get a signal. Over a kilometer for Wifi is 'asking rather a lot of it', if shielded by trees you have no chance.

The only alternative is to move the boat/mooring.

I would note that most provider's coverage maps tend to be optimistic! OfCOMs (Mobile and Broadband checker - Ofcom) certainly is

 

[lustyd]

I just replaced my RUT240 setup with Starlink. Complete game changer and I now feel confident working on board with a 100Mbps+ connection everywhere I've tried it (UK and France so far). It is more expensive though.

The trick with 4G is getting it up high, the antenna and/or router needs to be at the top of the mast to perform in anchorages at low tide. Starlink looks upwards rather than sidewards so no problems with mounting location other than size (it is massive!).

 

[Trident]

Starlink is amazing and has made our cruising life so much easier - it just works everywhere we go and some way out to sea as well (well all the way if you pay extra)
Its £85 for unlimited use and you can turn off payment at any time (whole months) and resume use later on the roam package (designed for motorhomes that may be used only a few months a year) and if you happen to live in a rural area you can get the hardware for £99 right now I believe

 

[lustyd]

get the hardware for £99 right now I believe

No it's back at £450, that offer only lasted a couple of weeks unfortunately

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Over a kilometer for Wifi is 'asking rather a lot of it', if shielded by trees you have no chance.

The only alternative is to move the boat/mooring.

Remember also that WiFi doesn't just depend on the service you're linking to; it also depends on your own device. The signal strength isn't amazing to start with; the whole point is to restrict the range to something of the order of 100 metres so that there isn't too much contention for bandwidth. The signal strength is restricted by law; signal boosters (other than fancy antennae) may well be illegal. On a swinging mooring, it is unlikely that a fancy antenna could maintain the necessary alignment.

 

[Ian_Rob]

It sounds like you are mixing up 4g and WiFi.

The mobile signal has always seemed the more achievable but I was thinking that there might be some booster available that would make the WiFi work. As it happens the mast is coming down at the end of September and if there is anything that could go at the top to solve the problem it would be the time to do it.

Check your 4g providers coverage map, it will not be detailed, but give you some idea if you can get a signal. Over a kilometer for Wifi is 'asking rather a lot of it', if shielded by trees you have no chance.

The only alternative is to move the boat/mooring.

The coverage maps I have looked at all stop at the river bank but I assume that’s because the signal strength on the actual river has never been surveyed.

 

[Richard10002]

The coverage maps I have looked at all stop at the river bank but I assume that’s because the signal strength on the actual river has never been surveyed.

IIRC the coverage maps are computer generated, rather than by actual measurements, which would suggest that results could be provided for your river.

 

[Ian_Rob]

I understand that EE has by far the best coverage in this area but as it is broadcast on Band 3 (1800Mhz), I am told that it has the least range. Vodafone on Band 20 800Mhz would evidently be better but there is much less coverage.

 

[Ian_Rob]

Starlink is amazing and has made our cruising life so much easier - it just works everywhere we go and some way out to sea as well (well all the way if you pay extra)
Its £85 for unlimited use and you can turn off payment at any time (whole months) and resume use later on the roam package (designed for motorhomes that may be used only a few months a year) and if you happen to live in a rural area you can get the hardware for £99 right now I believe

The fact that you can ‘Pay as you Go‘ might make it just work for us as an alternative but quite pricey.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The mobile signal has always seemed the more achievable but I was thinking that there might be some booster available that would make the WiFi work. As it happens the mast is coming down at the end of September and if there is anything that could go at the top to solve the problem it would be the time to do it.

The coverage maps I have looked at all stop at the river bank but I assume that’s because the signal strength on the actual river has never been surveyed.

It's usually better over water; if there's a decent signal shown next to water, it will be OK over water.

The bottom line is that nothing legal in the UK will work to give you a WiFi signal over a kilometre and through a wood. And even if it could, Marina WiFi is generally second best to a mobile signal; the bandwidth available is not much more than that of a decent domestic connection, and it is potentially shared by a large number of users. Finally, you'd also need a highly directional antenna pointing reliably at the Marina WiFi antenna. How are you going to maintain accurate pointing on a mooring? WiFi simply isn't an option for you.

 

[Ian_Rob]

Thanks everybody - really helpful!

 

[Sandy]

The coverage maps I have looked at all stop at the river bank but I assume that’s because the signal strength on the actual river has never been surveyed.

Suspect you are correct there. I usually get a 4g signal upto 4 NM offshore, I have had WhatsApp messages ping me up to 10 NM, but that is because it will be a burst signal.

I've found EE pretty good around the coast, thankfully down at the yard where I over winter the boat the signal is awful and I can get away from everything for a few days when I'm down.

 

[RAI]

Try setting your phone to hotspot and hoisting it up the back stay with a halyard. Use a second device to communicate with your hotspot.

 

[Ian_Rob]

Try setting your phone to hotspot and hoisting it up the back stay with a halyard. Use a second device to communicate with your hotspot.

We do that and it certainly improves the signal but it makes me think that there must be a bit of kit that would solve the problem more elegantly?

 

[RAI]

We do that and it certainly improves the signal but it makes me think that there must be a bit of kit that would solve the problem more elegantly?

I think the height of the antenna is the issue here. I tried a boat load of additional kit trying to improve WiFi performance and GSM reception. Antenna height seemed to be the dominant factor.